TomTom and Beacon Software have partnered to help towing fleet operators improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase control of drivers and equipment. The integration of TomTom WORKsmart fleet management solutions and Beacon Software towing applications enables live driver location updates and more accurate arrival time estimates.

"TomTom and Beacon Software are solving the perennial problem for towing companies of matching customers to the closest drivers and getting those trucks routed quickly and efficiently to the right locations," said Michael Geffroy, vice president of sales, North America, TomTom Business Solutions.

WORKsmart is TomTom's ready to use fleet management solution and an innovative way for improving the management of all types of commercial fleets. It offers customers a choice of industry leading solutions combined with a high quality professional service. Beacon Software enables towing companies to view and dispatch all jobs and trucks on a map in real-time with color-coded icons that show the status and required truck for each call.

"The combination of TomTom and Beacon Software takes the guesswork out of arrival times for towing companies," said Todd Althouse, president, Beacon Software.

By leveraging WORKsmart, Beacon Software solutions directly dispatch calls to the TomTom device in an operator's truck and automatically calculate the most efficient routes based on historical traffic patterns and real-time traffic information. Operators receive turn-by-turn directions to customer locations, while the device automatically provides continuous arrival time and job completion updates to their dispatch control center.

Henry's Wrecker Service in Washington, DC integrated TomTom fleet management system and Beacon mapping software to reduce costs and increase productivity. "Our dispatchers are just like air traffic controllers now," said Fred Scheler, president and CEO, Henry's Wrecker Service.

"With two 46-inch flat-screen TVs in dispatch, we can very easily see the location of customers and drivers, so our dispatchers can assign the closest truck and give the customer an accurate estimate for arrival. By travelling fewer miles to each call, we have saved $40,000 per month in fuel costs and our drivers can get to more calls every day."