Tow Boss

Telematics: GPS and So Much More

by Don Archer

The Venus flytrap is unusual in that it is one of only a handful of plants in the world that are carnivorous, it eats meat to survive. All plants need nutrients to stay alive, and the majority of them get what they need from the soil. But because the Venus flytrap thrives in sandy, acidic soil, where the necessary nutrients for growth are scarce, it had to evolve. Long ago, it had to make a decision to either die of starvation or adapt and change. It chose life. One of the biggest challenges many tow company owners have is adapting when the need for change arises. Specifically when it comes to recognizing when it’s time to get out of the truck and start working on their businesses. In the book, “The E-Myth,” author Michael E. Gerber wrote that the reason most small businesses don’t work is that they are run by a “Technician,” someone who’s an expert in his craft. He explains that the problem with this is the “Technician” gets comfortable in their role and fails to give much thought and attention to the other roles necessary for success, which Gerber explains are “The Entrepreneur” and “The Manager.” He says, “A real business is one where the founder has created a system so that the business can run itself without the founder’s constant presence.” Many in the industry believe that this is impossible, that towing is somehow unique. They argue that, with all the moving parts a towing business is too complex to run itself. Some are even so hardheaded as to believe that working on their business instead of in it is akin to giving up. If you truly want your business to be more profitable, if you want it to become something you might eventually sell—or simply hand down to the next generation with zero guilt—then you’re going to have to make some changes. One step in the direction of change might be to incorporate the use of telematics into your business. If you’re like me (before I did my research), you probably don’t even know everything telematics can integrate into your business. Maybe you believe it to be only GPS tracking, nothing else. While it’s true that without GPS there would be no telematics, telematics can do so much more than just tell you where your trucks are. Telematics defined is “any integrated use of telecommunications with information and communications technology. It is the technology of sending, receiving and storing information relating to vehicles—by way of telecommunication devices.” The following is a primer (in no particular order) on what various companies offer tow bosses in the way of telematics software, fleet tracking and more.

Beacon Software

Beacon Software Co. provides dispatchers the ability to view and dispatch trucks on a map in real time, send and receive information about a call from any device and automated motor club billing … no more submitting invoices on the various motor club portals. Beacon electronically receives calls from all major motor clubs, integrates with 19 different GPS companies, works on any device and does about 8 million calls per year. “One way tow company owners streamline their business through the use of Beacon is by eliminating manpower with our automated dispatch,” said Todd Althouse, Beacon president. He said the system cuts down on training time and allows one dispatcher to handle more trucks and calls.

VTS

VTS Systems does towing and storage lot management through two basic components: the hardware in the truck (GPS unit and a transceiver), and the software in the cloud where the data is accessed by the business through a web-based application. A transceiver can be a tablet, a cellphone or a module attached to your OBD II portal. Nigel Pestell, VTS co-founder, said their software gives dispatchers options. They can provide the information to the tow operator as a hard copy printout, a detailed text to a cellphone or directly to the telematics receiver in the truck. Depending upon the capabilities of the telematics transceiver in the truck and the information it is programmed to gather and transmit, there are a whole host of things it can do for your bottom line. “The storage-lot side cuts down on the time I spend sending out notifications. It prompts me when the letters need to go out, from there it’s a few clicks and I’m done,” said VTS customer Darlene Garrett, a dispatcher for Valentin Towing in Porter, Texas. “If there’s a problem with a tow, maybe a disgruntled customer, I have all the information in front of me, complete with notes from the driver documenting any problems that may have occurred.”

Towbook

With trillions of rows of data and around 6 million calls per year, Towbook co-owner Tom Bacon said his company is pushing the envelope hard to help make towers’ lives better. If you feel like you’re not quite ready to get out of the truck, but need the structure and flexibility to enable you to get out of the office, Towbook has you covered. “It all starts with automating as much as we can,” Bacon said, though

it can be “both a blessing and a curse, because it frees you up ... but you can work from anywhere there’s an Internet connection.” He said one of his clients was vacationing in Europe while monitoring the Towbook interface to watch what was going on with his business back home (and became consumed with how slow his drivers were completing calls). When a call comes in electronically, a dispatcher will send the call to a tow operator’s phone, tablet or GPS receiver. From there the tow operator receives navigation instructions with the most cost-effective route. He can then update his status throughout the call, add photographs, detail any damages or special circumstances and get a signature from the customer right on the smart phone. Everything is stored in the cloud; when the call is complete Towbook will generate a statement for each account.

TIS

Ed Kasman, VP of Transportation Information Systems, said the vast majority of telematics companies are just doing vehicle tracking—GPS only—because it’s cheap. “GPS alone can save you time and money, if you know where your trucks are as well as the location of the calls needing dispatched, you can avoid racking up man-hours and miles crisscrossing your operators. But if you take full advantage of all that’s available with TIS, you can save money in a number of ways,” he said. TIS can monitor driver behavior through a tablet in the truck loaded with TIS’s proprietary MDT-3 Mobile Workstation software. Inside each tablet is an accelerometer that measures G-forces—movement in any direction. If you have a driver gunning it from stoplight to stoplight and taking corners like a madman, the accelerometer will record it and let you know. The savings come not only in decreased fuel consumption and wear and tear on your trucks, but also a reduction in negative perceptions of your company due to aggressive and

With the speed of technology constantly accelerating, it can be hard to decide what telematics application is best for your business. For those who don’t trust aftermarket solutions, telematics are cropping up at the OEM stages. Hino recently introduced its INSIGHT Telematics, a web-based software that’s built right into the truck during the manufacturing process. It comes standard in all 2017 Hino trucks and allows you to get reports and alerts on vehicle performance and driver behavior. It will even transmit Diagnostic Trouble Codes directly to the manufacturer, as well as the business owner and dealer. The company said INSIGHT can monitor engine temperature, DPF regen, fuel efficiency, vehicle emissions, PTO usage and more. If there’s a problem, the system will detect it and alert all necessary parties.

reckless driving habits. It’s like you’re in the truck watching. The company’s Vehicle Maintenance System incorporates daily inspections with scheduled maintenance and license renewals. It can decrease maintenance costs and down time. The tow operator performs a daily inspection and logs any faults that are sent directly to the maintenance department where necessary repairs are scheduled.

Ranger SST

Ranger SST provides what they call an end-to-end solution, from lot management to towing and transport to private-property enforcement. “The value we deliver is to help tow company owners do more tows per driver,” said President Jim Shellhaas. “We primarily focus on operational productivity, getting the most ROI from their assets in the field. “You don’t want dispatchers talking to operators, they should be talking to customers,” he said. For instance, a trained dispatcher calls the customer’s driver to get a more accurate location. Using this information, they can drag and drop a pin onto the correct location. Ranger SST would update the tow operator’s tablet with this new information, eliminating the need for verbal communication. Ranger SST’s system offers the tow operator the ability to do a pre-trip inspection and then have a customer sign a “consent to tow” form listing any pre-existing damages. They then have the ability to create invoices, add-on any extras to the invoice, like absorbent or flares (with preloaded customer-specific pricing), and basically do all the functions of invoicing out in the field … including taking payment with the same device. No more calling in asking, “How much should we charge?”

TXI Systems

Jeff Pesnell, COO of TXI Systems, showed his company’s Budget GPS in action; it gives updates every 20 seconds so you can see exactly where your trucks are at any moment. You have the ability to see when the PTO is engaged; you can be alerted when an operator exceeds a specific speed or when they have gone outside a given area. History reports can go back 120 days. Pesnell said. All these aid in savings across the board, with fuel consumption alone falling by an estimated 26 percent.

Portnexus

Portnexus has a handset solution, the “Associate Pledge,” that allows tow company owners to restrict cellphone operations while the phone/vehicle is in motion. Geoff Pearson, VP of operations, said that fleet managers can determine the level of restrictions they want in place and set limits on the phone’s use while the vehicle is in motion—even restrict incoming/outgoing calls and texting functions. “It’s designed to avoid any punitive damages on the part of the business owner should an accident occur, but it also protects the driver from being falsely accused,” he said. What’s not to love with all these telematics-based management solutions? When you have systems on-board that have the ability to detect and report erratic driving, and your drivers are made aware of these measures, it quickly becomes a deterrent against reckless driving. It’s true behavior modification. Of course technology alone cannot save you; for these systems to work at their maximum effectiveness, it’s up to the boss to have other systems in place that ensure negative actions are met with appropriate consequences. Using solutions that modify driver behavior can save you money on your insurance premiums. Over the last 24 months, many of the insurance companies have embraced this technology, encouraging tow company owners to install and then use these devices. In some high-risk cases, they are even requiring use to obtain coverage. With products and services like this, it’s now easier than ever to completely automate your towing business. So, you have a decision to make: adapt by putting systems in place that save you time, money and give you back your life, or remain in the truck as the “Technician.” The choice is up to you.

Don G. Archer is a multi-published author, educator and speaker helping others to build and start successful towing businesses around the country at TheTowAcademy.com. Don and his wife, Brenda, formerly owned and operated Broadway Wrecker in Jefferson City, Mo. He is the Tow Business Editor for Tow Industry Week; email him direct at don@thetowacademy.com.

Jerr-Dan Employees Donate Their Time

Jerr-Dan Corp. (jerrdan.com) is celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2017. As part of its anniversary activities, the company is encouraging employees to volunteer in community charities and nonprofit organizations through service projects nationwide. In honor of Oshkosh Corp.’s 100th anniversary, approximately 40 JerrDan team members committed to making positive contributions and dedicate an entire week to corporate citizenship. “Because we’re proud of our 45year track record of business in the towing and recovery industry, our team members want to be good citizens, like our fellow towers, and give back to the community that has given us so much,” said Richard del Campo, Jerr-Dan VP/general manager. Jerr-Dan team members donations of time included: building affordable homes in partnership with low-income families; cleaning up neighborhood parks and beautifying neighborhoods; teaching English and participating in local reading programs and schools.

Towing Museum Sets Special Election

The International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum (towingmuseum.com) recently announced a special election to fill vacancies on its executive board for president, first VP and treasurer. “Though we are saddened at recent departures from our executive board, our team has come together and we are pleased to be seeking greater involvement from the incredible talent pool of our members,” said Kevin Fox, Second VP and Interim President of ITRHFM. Executive board members of the museum also serve as ex officio members of the board of directors and are required to attend board meetings both in person and by electronic means.

Muncie Mourns Loss of Wilson

Muncie Power Products (muncie power.com) announced the passing of former chairman/CEO Joe Wilson, who retired in 2005 after 43 years of service. A company release said: “Under Joe’s leadership, Muncie Power Products went through several major transitions including establishing a network of company-owned, distribution centers, purchasing the manufacturing facility in Tulsa, relocating corporate headquarters and staff in Muncie and changing owner-

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ship as Muncie Power Products was purchased by Interpump Group in Italy. In addition to his businessrelated duties, he also found time to become a valuable leader in the Muncie community. …

“His class and positive personality have left a lasting impression on our brand and each of us in a very personal way. Each of us who were fortunate enough to know Joe personally will miss his ability to share a story, share a laugh or extend encouragement with his characteristic chuckle and smile. “On behalf of all of our employees, we mourn his loss and extend our deepest sympathies to his family.”

His class and

positive personality

have left a lasting

impression.

Bridge Collapse

by AT staff

In July 2016, Mark Robbins at I-44 Truck Center & Wrecker Service in St. Clair, Mo., was called to a scene that four other companies reportedly turned down: an overweight dump truck on an antique wood-plank bridge (rated to 3 tons!).

No one wanted part of getting this overweight dump truck off an antique bridge. Well, almost no one.

The I-44 Recovery team rigged a “clothesline" running between its two heavy-duty Powerbilt units on each side of the bridge.

The front tires of this fully loaded five-axle dump truck went through the antique bridge’s planks.

When the back tires went through too, the recovery team had to rig and lift that end as well. On a Friday night, the new driver of a dump truck missed his turn headed for a quarry in rural Missouri. The truck was loaded with asphalt gravel from a local construction project. The driver encountered a bridge on private property and, although the sign showed a weight limit of 3 tons, he attempted to drive across. While weighing in excess of 80,000 lbs. (possibly as much as 115,000 lbs. according to Robbins), about halfway through the antique bridge started to give out and the dump truck’s front wheels broke through, stranding it. “I knew I had the equipment to handle it and felt like we could do the job,” Robbins said. Robbins also owns Powerbilt Wreckers; he took the call and responded in two of those units; a 60-ton wrecker and a 70-ton sliding rotator. “We put the wrecker on the creek side … and the rotator on the other side of the bridge,” Robbins said. “We backed up to each end of the bridge.”

Visit us at TowExpo Dallas Booth #817

everything was finessed and

went good and slow.

The team used a 60-ton Powerbilt wrecker on one side and a 70-ton Powerbilt sliding rotator on the other.

They created a clothesline between the two units and hooked up to the dump truck’s front end, where it had broken through the bridge. “Once we got the front end up, we put cribbing underneath it,” he said. They used 3x10 lumber to help brace under the tires and back the unit up using auxiliary winches off the rotator. “It was a long process, because it was a 40-foot drop and so we had to make sure everything was finessed and went good and slow,” Robbins said. Even so, the back wheels wound up going through the bridge as well. “We had to re-rig and pick the back end of the dump truck up and get it off the bridge to solid ground,” Robbins said. Check out video from this recovery at ATTV.com.