How Body Shops Can Become Your First Dispatch Clients

Why body shops are the perfect first client

If you're building a towing dispatch network and need your first clients, start with body shops. The math is irresistible.

The average body shop receives 3-8 towed vehicles per week. That's 12-32 dispatch jobs per month from a single client. Most body shops have no formal towing relationship — they call whoever answers, get inconsistent pricing, and pray the vehicle arrives without new damage.

Body shops also care more about documentation than almost any other client type. When a damaged vehicle arrives for repair, the shop needs to know exactly what damage existed before the tow versus what might have happened during transport. Insurance companies scrutinize these details.

A dispatch platform that provides timestamped, GPS-tagged photos at pickup and delivery solves this problem completely. That documentation alone is worth more to a body shop owner than any price discount you could offer.

How to identify target body shops

Not all body shops are equal prospects. The best targets share specific characteristics.

Look for independent body shops rather than chain operations. Independents make their own vendor decisions on the spot. Chain locations need corporate approval, which slows everything down.

Focus on shops that handle insurance work (the majority). These shops regularly need vehicles towed from accident scenes, customer homes, and other shops. Insurance-focused shops also value documentation the most because insurers scrutinize every line item.

Avoid shops that are co-located with tow yards or already own tow trucks. They're handling their own transport and don't need your service.

Google Maps is your prospecting tool. Search for "body shop" or "collision repair" in your coverage area. Make a list of 15-20 shops within a 15-mile radius. That's your first two weeks of sales visits.

The walk-in pitch that works

Body shop owners and managers are busy people who respect directness. The most effective approach is a brief, in-person visit during a slow time (mid-morning Tuesday through Thursday).

Walk in, ask to speak with the owner or manager, and deliver this pitch in under 90 seconds:

"Hi, I'm [name]. I run a local towing dispatch network with vetted, insured operators. When you need a vehicle picked up, you text me the pickup address and vehicle info. I dispatch the nearest available driver — you get a GPS tracking link so you can watch the truck, and timestamped photos at pickup and delivery for your records. Standard local tow is $95. I'd like to do your next tow for free so you can see how it works. Can I leave you my number?"

That's it. You've communicated the three things they care about: convenience (text-based dispatch), documentation (photos and GPS), and reliability (vetted operators). The free job offer removes all risk.

Leave a business card with your phone number. Most body shop owners will text you within a week when they have a tow they need handled.

Executing the first free job perfectly

Your first job for a new client is an audition. Everything needs to go right. Here's how to ensure it does.

Before the job: pre-alert your best operator that a demo job is coming. You want your most professional driver with the cleanest truck handling this one. Confirm they understand that photos at pickup and delivery are mandatory.

During the job: once the body shop texts you the pickup details, create the job on your platform immediately. Text the shop back with an ETA ("Driver is 12 minutes away, here's a tracking link"). This real-time communication is what separates you from every other towing option they've used.

After the job: send the body shop manager a summary — photos from pickup, photos from delivery, total mileage, pricing breakdown. Do this within 30 minutes of completion. Then call or text them: "Vehicle delivered. How was the experience? Anything we can do better?"

This level of communication and documentation is so far beyond what body shops typically experience that it sells itself. Most owners will immediately ask about setting up regular service.

Converting from free trial to paying client

After the first job, the conversion conversation is natural. The body shop saw GPS tracking, received photos, and got a clean pricing breakdown. Now you formalize the relationship.

Keep it simple. There's no contract needed at this stage. Just establish the communication channel: "Whenever you need a tow, text me the pickup address and vehicle info at this number. I'll dispatch immediately and you'll get a tracking link. Standard tow is $95 local, mileage charges beyond 10 miles. I'll send you a weekly summary of all jobs."

Most body shops will start with 1-2 jobs in the first week as a test, then gradually shift all their towing to your network once they trust the service. Within a month, you should be handling the majority of their tow-in volume.

Don't push for exclusivity. Let the relationship develop naturally. Once they've experienced reliable, documented dispatch for a month, they'll stop calling random tow companies on their own because your service is simply better.

Scaling from one body shop to ten

Your first body shop client is proof of concept. Scaling to 10 follows the same playbook with one powerful addition: referrals.

Body shop owners talk to each other. They're in the same industry associations, they attend the same trade shows, and they refer work to each other when their shop is at capacity. When one shop owner is impressed with your service, ask: "Do you know any other shop owners who might benefit from this? I'd appreciate an introduction."

Referral-based client acquisition is free, fast, and high-converting. A warm introduction from a trusted peer is worth more than any marketing campaign.

Simultaneously, continue your walk-in visits to new shops. The pitch gets easier with each client because you can now reference existing relationships: "We handle all the towing for [Shop Name] across town. They can vouch for our service if you'd like to check."

By the time you have 10 body shop clients, you're dispatching 30-80 jobs per month just from this one client category. Add dealerships, auto repair shops, and fleet managers, and you have a serious business.

Frequently Asked Questions