TowingBossPro Blog — Driver App & Routes

Start and Complete: Two Taps That Tell Dispatch Where Every Tow Stands

The most common question on a tow company radio is some version of "Where are you at?" Dispatch asks it because a new call just came in and they need to know who is closest to free. The driver answers it while backing up to a car. Nobody enjoys the exchange, and it happens dozens of times a day.

After the photos in Before-Hookup Photos: The Tow Driver's Best Defense in a Damage Dispute, the next thing the driver does on a call is tap start. This article is about why that tap, and the complete tap at the end, matter so much more than they look.

What Each Tap Means

Start means the driver is working the call. Complete means the vehicle is dropped, the roadside service is done, or the call is otherwise finished and the driver is free for the next one.

That is it. Two taps per call. But those two taps are how dispatch knows, without asking, which calls are underway and which are done. A board that shows the real status of every call is a board a dispatcher can make decisions from.

When to Tap Start

Companies define start differently, and it is worth picking one definition and sticking to it. Some want start when the driver heads to the pickup. Others want it when the driver arrives and begins the hookup. Either works, as long as every driver does the same thing.

A common pattern: tap start when you begin driving to the call, send the on-the-way text at the same time, then send the arrival text when you pull up. That gives dispatch and the customer the same picture.

Whatever you choose, write it down and tell new drivers on their first day. Inconsistent start taps make the board harder to read than no taps at all.

When to Tap Complete

Complete should mean done. For a tow, that is when the vehicle is off the truck at the drop-off. For a jump start or a tire change, it is when the customer is back on the road. For an impound drop, it is when the vehicle is on your lot.

The mistake to avoid is tapping complete at the scene and then driving forty minutes to the drop-off. Dispatch sees a free driver and assigns a new call to someone who is actually still loaded.

The other mistake is forgetting complete entirely. A call that sits in started status all afternoon tells dispatch the driver is still busy. Check the board at the end of the day for the first few weeks and remind anyone who left calls open.

What Dispatch Does With the Status

With real status on the board, the dispatcher can see which drivers are on calls and which have just finished. When a new call drops on the Waiting List, the dispatcher can assign it to the driver who just completed nearby rather than radioing around to find out.

It also helps with the customer who calls the office. The person answering the phone can see that the call is started and the driver is on it, instead of putting the customer on hold to raise the driver.

From Complete to Invoice

Complete is where the money side starts. A completed call is ready for the office to invoice. For customers with a card on file, that can mean the charge goes through the same day. For commercial accounts, the call and its invoice land under the account.

Every hour a call sits uncompleted is an hour the invoice is not going out. Over a month, drivers who complete calls promptly shorten the time between the tow and the payment. That is a good thing to tell drivers when they ask why the tap matters: the tap is how the company gets paid, and that is how payroll gets covered.

Building the Habit

Habits form around routine moments. Tie start to the moment the truck moves toward the call and complete to the moment the straps come off at the drop-off. Drivers who do it the same way every time stop thinking about it within a week or two.

For new drivers, it helps if a dispatcher watches the board for their first few shifts and gives a quick call when a status looks wrong. It is coaching, not policing, and it stops after the habit sticks.

Start and complete are the backbone of the driver app. See how they fit with navigation, photos and customer texts on the Tow Truck Driver App page.