Originally published in Tow Professional Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 3, 2016, transportation mobility expert, Brian Beans takes a deep dive into how automation, wireless technology and mobile printing are gaining traction across the towing industry. See original publication: http://towprofessional.epubxp.com/t/156197-tow-professional

1. 30 Tow Professional | Volume 5 • Issue 3 | www.towprofessional.com
By Brian Beans, Brother Mobile Solution
Automation, wireless technology and
mobile printing are gaining traction across
the towing industry. Wireless networks,
new software applications, and in-cab
mobile printers are changing the way tow
truck fleets and their drivers conduct busi-
ness, both at the office and on the road.
It’s a new approach that delivers increased
efficiency and driver satisfaction which in
turn improves customer service.
Gain a Competitive Edge
The relationship between towing firms
and customers—whether automotive deal-
erships, service stations, motor clubs, or
individual drivers needing roadside assis-

2. tance—are typically fast-paced and time
sensitive. It’s a transaction-driven busi-
ness, requiring the printing of OS/OW per-
mits and invoices and other documents. In
many areas of the country, it’s also a high-
ly competitive business in which great
customer service is the key to profitability.
Relying on handwritten documents is
time and labor-intensive for drivers and
too often leads to mistakes. Today, more
fleet-based tow companies seeing real
value in adopting a computer-based wire-
less system that links the home office with
drivers on the road and their customers.
These solutions also links drivers’ mobile
transactions with back-office processing
and reporting. With this type of system in
place, drivers can have real-time commu-
nication with the central office through a
smartphone, tablet or notebook PC. And,
with the addition of compact in-cab or
handheld wireless printers, drivers can
print out a wide range of documents to
complete transactions right on the spot,
without having to stop and print.
Choose a Total Solution
The simplest and most cost-effective
way for tow fleet owners to implement an
automated dispatch and towing service
system is to work with a single-source
provider offering products and services
that encompass software, hardware,
mobile printers, integration, and technical
support. An industry-specific partner can
offer the knowledge and experience to
simplify the transition to a fully automated
electronic system.
Tracker Management Systems Inc. is a
prime example. The company developed
its Tracker software solutions exclusively
for the towing and wrecker industry. Their
portfolio of flexible enterprise and cloud-
based solutions gives users the ability to
dispatch, organize and transition from one
call to the next quickly and easily. Their
Tracker Mobile application is integrated
with Tracker Print, which uses Brother
PocketJet® full-page mobile printers,
allowing drivers to print invoices and
other paperwork in the field.
Equipping drivers with compact, reli-
able printers eliminates the need to invest
in multi-copy invoices, while enabling the
option of creating of customizable invoic-
es and other documents. Plus, with
Brother’s low-maintenance thermal print-
ers, there are no messy ink cartridges or
toners to deal with, and the printers can
be mounted inside the truck cab using
available mounting kits.
Rich’s Towing Service in Berea, Ohio,
which purchased 15 in-vehicle printers,
reports: “By being able to print from the
truck, our drivers save time, which saves
us labor (and therefore money!), because
they don’t have to go to a rest stop to print
anymore.”
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Continued on page 32

3. Brother PocketJet and RuggedJet™
Mobile Printers
A tow truck driver’s “office” is the truck
cab, which has extremely limited space.
So the mobile printers must be compact
and lightweight, suitable for mounting
inside the vehicle or carrying outside the
truck. They must also be rugged enough
to withstand outdoor conditions such as
rain, snow, dust, and extreme tempera-
tures.
Brother PocketJet and RuggedJet
mobile printers meet all these require-
ments and much more. Multiple connec-
tivity options (e.g., Bluetooth, MiFi, WiFi,
Serial and USB), as well as built-in fea-
tures, such as Apple AirPrint and Android
CloudPrint, which allows them to be used
with a variety of electronic devices with-
out requiring any special downloads.
The very latest Brother mobile print-
er models include:
• The Brother PocketJet 7 full-page
mobile printer for field professionals takes
mobile printing to a whole new level of
freedom. A range of models offer iOS,
Android and Windows support, plus our
exclusive Freedom Architecture™ ensures
across-the-board OS compatibility and
out-of-the-box performance. Offering
printing speeds of up to 8 pages per
minute and longer battery life, it is the
smallest, most compact full-page mobile
thermal printer on the market today!
• The Brother RuggedJet 4 Wi-Fi
mobile printer (RJ-4030) with Apple
AirPrint support is ideal for on-the-go print-
ing of invoices, receipts and documents
up to 4 inches wide. Compact, versatile
and lightweight, these durable battery-
powered printers are among the fastest 4”
mobile thermal printers on the market.
Can be handheld or comfortably hung
from a belt or shoulder strap, and are
rugged enough to withstand any weather
conditions.
So if your towing business is ready to
launch a technology transformation, it’s
time to GO MOBILE!
Brother is so sure tow operators will
see the benefits of mobile printing that
they offer a Free Demo Printer program
for qualified tow organizations. To learn
more, or to order your unit, visit
PocketJet7.com and click on the Free
Demo button.
About the Author
Brian Beans is transportation industry
specialist at Brother Mobile Solutions, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Brother
International Corporation and premier
provider of mobile printing solutions for
the transportation and logistics, field serv-
ice and many other industries. For more
information, visit www.brothermobilesolu-
tions.com
www.brothermobilesolutions.com
32 Tow Professional | Volume 5 • Issue 3 | www.towprofessional.com