TRAA endorses Tracker Management Systems in push for more towers to achieve digital, business efficiencies

Cleveland, OH - In a drive to modernize as many towers as possible as soon as possible, The Towing and Recovery Association of America announced it has endorsed Tracker Management Systems, Inc., as its preferred vendor for towing management and dispatch systems. As part of the initiative, Tracker President Jim Weaver said his company is offering TRAA members a state-of-the-art single-user towing management and dispatch system complete with Tracker 2000 for Windows, a powerful business class computer, onsite training and annual support at a substantial discount plus an $850 rebate.

“There’s lots of fear out there, but towers are running out of time for fear,” said TRAA Executive Director Harriett Cooley. “To be competitive in towing today, you need to have computers running a proven towing dispatch and management system.”

Cooley said TRAA has a responsibility to provide guidance to its members as well as to all towers whenever possible. “Our purposes as an organization include leadership and education. This is a way we can help towers by helping them to help themselves, while making sure towing doesn’t get left behind in the rapidly evolving digital age.”

“Almost on a daily basis, we get questions from towers on computerizing their businesses,” she said. “Either they’re scared of technology, don’t know where to start, wonder why they should or they want to know how they will ever get themselves or key staff members up to speed.”

The TRAA cabinet, whose members are all industry volunteers, made the decision to make Tracker its only endorsed vendor, Cooley explained. Tracker was selected because of Weaver’s long-time commitment to the industry and Tracker’s exclusive focus on towing and road service, she said.

In addition, cabinet members felt that the Internet and other advances in digital communications make it imperative that more towers get advanced dispatch and towing management systems in house and begin using them, she said. TRAA is the only truly national towing association serving the industry, Cooley said, with more than 1,100 members and more than 7,000 nationally certified drivers.

Weaver said that more and more motor clubs and government agencies prefer working with towers already using proven systems for efficiently responding to calls and emergencies, dispatching trucks and running their businesses. In addition, motor clubs have made clear their desire to distribute all dispatches digitally over the Internet to save time and money.
The Tracker/TRAA package is the “the system for towers who’ve been holding back because they feel uncomfortable with computers, but now recognize the need to catch up with those who are already using towing management and dispatch systems to achieve greater efficiencies and profitability,” Weaver explained.

The system has everything needed to meet that challenge, Weaver said, including a top-echelon business computer with Microsoft Windows, Tracker 2000 for Windows Towing Management and Dispatch System software and Tracker CommLink (the software module needed to dispatch to pagers­ or other text devices) pre-installed, data and battery backup systems, three days of on-site training and the first year of Tracker 24/7 Help Desk.

In response to TRAA’s sense of urgency, Tracker is making the systems available to TRAA towers at a substantial discount with a bonus $850 rebate on the special single-user version. Special leasing programs are available to allow affordable monthly payments, as are multi-user systems with support and training for larger companies.

“If you aren’t a wiz with computers, and most towers aren’t, you need to allow yourself a little more time to learn,” Weaver said. “The three days of training with this package is a pretty good start.” Tracker offers additional low-cost training at industry trade shows and will be offering free training at future TRAA events.

“Towers who haven’t stepped up to the plate with technology often fail to appreciate how much a good towing management and dispatch system will do for them,” Weaver explained. “We have towers dispatching more than 50 vehicles with just one dispatcher, many others getting more tows per day from the same vehicles and drivers than before and still others earning above-average per tow rates.”

But Weaver suggest the most meaningful benefits come from being able to see how your business is doing each day, including where you’re making or losing money, and then being able to go about doing business purposefully and profitably. Many towers also cite reduced stressed levels company-wide when switching from radio dispatching to text-based pagers, Nextel handsets or mobile data terminals with GPS tracking.

TRAA is based in Alexandria, Virginia, and can be reached at 800-728-0136 or
by e-mail at towserver@aol.com. The web address is www.towserver.com. Towers not currently TRAA members can join for as little as $210.

Tracker Management Systems provides a variety of software-based business management, communications and efficiency solutions for towers. For additional information on Tracker 2000 for Windows or any other Tracker business enhancement product, contact Jim Weaver at 440-843-9273 or 800-445-2438, extension 105.