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-

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.”

Volume 5 • Issue 3 | www.towprofessional.com | Tow Professional 31

Continued on page 32

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