How Can Attending a Tow Show Rev Up Your Business?

By Stephanie Richards, CLFP| May 8, 2023| 4750 Views
4 MIN
How Can Attending a Tow Show Rev Up Your Business?

Tow shows are great hubs for networking with tow truck industry experts and present excellent opportunities to get hands-on training. If you’re on the fence about whether you should attend or not, there are many reasons you should schedule a trip and attend.

In this article...

  1. 2023's Schedule for American Towman ShowPlace Las Vegas
  2. Benefits of Attending a Tow Show
  3. Common Industry Tradeshows
  4. Equipment Lenders
  5. The Bottom Line

Check out the schedule for 2023's American Towman ShowPlace

Allstate Motor Club offers free classes to all attendees at many tow shows. Classes give drivers and owners proper techniques for safely towing different vehicles. Best of all, you can learn what equipment and procedures are recommended and how to finance them!

Tuesday, May 16th

  Training & Classes Location
8 AM - 12 Noon WreckMaster Rotator Recovery Training (Part I – 4Hrs Classroom) Sonoma Room A
8 AM 12 Noon ERSCA - Advanced Winching & Rigging (4Hrs Classroom) Sonoma Room C
1 PM – 5 PM WreckMaster Rotator Recovery Training (Part II – 4-Hrs Hands-On) Silverado Parking Lot

 

  Workshop Location
9 AM 12 Noon Work Smarter Not Harder: Become the True Executive of Your Business (Part I) Sonoma Room B
1 PM 4 PM Work Smarter Not Harder: Become the True Executive of Your Business (Part I) Sonoma Room B

 

  Conferences & Seminars Location
1 PM 1:50 PM Running Hard With Family in Tow Sonoma Room C
2 PM 2:50 PM A Chain Is Only As Strong As It’s Weakest Link Sonoma Room C
3 PM- 3:50 PM A Safe and EV Fire Compliant Vehicle Storage Sonoma Room C
4 PM 5:30 PM Alternative Fuel Vehicles / A Continuing Course of Safety Sonoma Room C
7 PM 9 PM Recovery Theater (2Hrs) Sonoma Room A

 

Wednesday, May 17th

  Training & Classes Location
8 AM - 12 Noon WreckMaster Rotator Recovery Training (Part III- 4-Hrs classroom) Sonoma Room A
9 AM 12 Noon American Towman Towman Quick Clearance Sonoma Room B
9 AM 1 PM Recovery Billing 4HR Course (Part I) Sonoma Room C

 

  Conferences & Seminars Location
8 AM 8:50 AM Protect & Perpetuate your Towing Business- Lawsuit Protection, Tax Reduction & Estate Planning Strategies Sonoma Room D
9 AM 9:50 AM De-Escalation Prevention Techniques Sonoma Room D
10 AM- 11:30 AM American Towman War Games Sonoma Room D


12 Noon - 5 PM: EXHIBIT HALL OPEN

Thursday, May 18th

  Training & Classes Location
9 AM 12:30 PM Recovery Business Success Sonoma Room D
9 AM 1 PM Recovery Billing 4HR Course (Part II) Sonoma Room C

 

  Meetings Location
9 AM 11 AM Operator Safety & Legislation Round Table Brunswick Room

 

  Conferences & Seminars Location
8 AM 8:50 AM Electrocution Hazards at Crash Scenes Sonoma Room A
8 AM 8:50 AM Snatch Blocks 101 Sonoma Room B
9 AM 9:50 AM Accident Remediation: Provide and Bill for Environmental Services for Vehicle Fluid Cleanup Sonoma Room A
9 AM 9:50 AM Tow Marketing & Advertising Tips Sonoma Room B
10 AM 10:50 AM The Tower as Incident Commander Sonoma Room A
10 AM 10:50 AM Marijuana and the Truck Driver, When Is Zero Really Not Zero? Sonoma Room B
11 AM 11:50 AM Risk Management and On-Scene Safety Sonoma Room B
11 AM 11:50 AM How to Increase Your Profits Presentation Sonoma Room A

12 Noon - 5 PM: EXHIBIT HALL OPEN

Why Attend a Tow Show?

Whether you’re a seasoned tow show attendee or considering attending one for the first time, there are countless advantages to participating in these industry events. Here are three.

1. Network

Be part of your community. Unlock the full potential of today’s markets by connecting with industry professional who can support and expand your towing enterprise.

  • Motor Clubs: Whether you want to raise visibility for your business or see their offered rates, talking with a motor club may lead you down a path towards increasing call volume. You'll have a chance to meet the major players at a tow show.
     
  • Insurance Agents: Every truck needs insurance. Finding a better rate can save you money, but don’t do it at the cost of your coverage. Tow shows are great opportunities to talk to agents about clean driving record discounts and other programs to lower your premium.
     
  • Marketing Companies: Make sure your business is easy to discover online. Talk to marketers to see how they can help with digital advertising, building a website, or even design business cards.
     
  • Truck Manufactures: Gain a better understanding of the vehicles you use every day by talk directly with people who made them. Manufacturers often provide demonstrations at tow shows, so you can learn about the latest features, technologies, and specifications of various models. By sharing your experiences, you can help manufacturers develop more effective and efficient vehicles that better fit your needs.

  • Financing Providers: Building a strong relationship with a financing company can be immensely beneficial for your tow truck business. At tow shows, you can meet representatives from various financing providers and learn about their services and options. You can ask them whether your business qualifies, the turnaround time for an approval, and what to expect after you finance.

Two towers shake hands after meeting at a Tow Show.

Why not make friends with these contacts? You never know, they could end up being a great help to your business in the future.

2. Learn Something New to Boost Your Business

Tow shows often feature educational seminars and training sessions that can enhance your skills and knowledge as a towing professional.

Push your knowledge to the test. No matter if you have years of experience or just starting your towing company, there’s always something new to learn.

By attending a tow show, you can participate in instructional training that demonstrates proper equipment use and acceptable industry standards. You can also position yourself to learn how to service electric vehicles on the road today and tomorrow. Some courses even include certifications.

An auditorium of towers attend a class on how to grow their tow truck companies.

There are also presentations that show you how to be a more successful tow truck business. Some include:

  • Correctly billing the value of recovery work.
  • Writing recovery invoices.
  • Collecting payment from insurance companies.
  • How to get your business found online and get more customer calls.
  • Recruiting the best trained and top-quality employees to increase profits.

Those are only a few examples of the many awesome classes you can take from industry leaders to help rev up your business. That way, you’re on the road to becoming the best tower you can be.

3. Scope out equipment

Get what you need. Of course, appreciating the industry’s latest and greatest tow trucks is worth it alone for the experience. But don’t forget other equipment too.

Whether it’s chains, straps, safety gear, lockout tools, or anything else, you can find it – or someone who does – at a tow show.

Talk to the vendors and see what they have to offer. It might be something you’re not doing or considering but might be an easy way to expand your business.

Common Industry Tradeshows

Here are the shows they are attending this year!

Check out their websites for details on the next show.

Equipment Lenders at Tow Shows

See a truck you need at the tow show, but lack the funds? There are ways to make it yours.

Find financing that supports your goals. Want facetime with financing experts to talk about tow trucks? There’s plenty of equipment financing lenders that specialize in helping towers get equipment to help make the roads a safer place – that’s exactly what Beacon Funding does.

As experts in tow truck financing, Beacon’s Financing Consultants approve over 70% of applications received.

START THE PROCESS NOW

Discounts and Specials for Roadside Providers: Tradeshows are a great place to get exclusive offers. Beacon Funding runs trade-show-only financing specials. That means attending could help you get a great deal on financing a future truck.

Remember to also ask if the lender has perks for roadside providers. Allstate Roadside providers could earn up to $300 in VISA gift cards for financing a truck with Beacon Funding.

Get Financing Questions Answered at an Upcoming Tow Show

Have questions about financing a truck you see at a show? Get them answered in person.

A smiling business owner shakes hands with a friendly Beacon Funding financing consultant.

Talk face-to-face with a truck financing specialist. A tow show is a great place to meet one of Beacon Funding’s Financing Consultants and talk about how they can support your goals.

BOOK A MEETING NOW

The Bottom Line

Yes, not attending a tow show means you don’t have to pay for traveling, food, and other expenses. But the opportunities your business could come across and the people you meet may outweigh those costs. It relies on you to use whatever you can get out of the experience.

Before deciding whether to attend a tow show, spend time and put considerable thought into weighing the pros and cons. You never know – you could miss out on a few chances that make a difference in building your dream tow truck company. You won’t know until you try.

 Stephanie Richards, CLFP
Stephanie Richards, CLFP

P: 847.627.1614 |  ESchedule A Meeting with Me

Stephanie is a Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP) that started with Beacon as a Business Development Consultant in 2012.



08/07/2023