PlowTrax

plowtrax · Oct 24, 2006

Hello,

My name is Bill Asby and I am the creator of
PlowTrax - Service & Billing Software
for
Snow Removal (Plowing/Sanding) operations.

PlowTrax is a custom Windows application
designed to make the job of keeping track of your Snow Plowing and Sanding operation easy and efficient.
Designed specifically for quick and easy data entry.
PlowTrax makes customer billing simple.
Generate printed bills for ALL customers at the end of a specified billing cycle with the simple click of a button !!!
The Data Summary and Customer Stats features allow you to quickly assess your operation's revenue and billing information.
PlowTrax Customer Stats allows you to sort and view the data in a number of ways.

If you are looking for easy to use software to track your service calls and simplify your billing process, I hope that you will take a look at my product.

There is a FREE Trial that is fully functional throughout the trial period so that you can test drive the software before deciding if you would like to purchase it. PlowTrax product information and the FREE Trial can be found here:
http://www.asbyroad.com/plowtrax

I am a one man operation (located in Loudon, NH) trying to provide a useful solution for the snow removal industry. I originally designed this product for a buddy and decided that it was too good NOT to share with others. I can work on custom features for PlowTrax. I am also always looking for other custom programming projects so please consider me for any ideas that you might have.

Please feel free to download the FREE Trial or to contact me with any questions or project ideas. Free consultation and estimates for Custom Programming work.

I look forward to your business.

Best Regards,
Bill Asby

Asby Computer Services
http://www.asbyroad.com/

Chuck Smith · Oct 25, 2006

I'm sure someone will ask, "does it work with Quick Books?"

~Chuck

BDB · Oct 25, 2006

Looks cool. Does it work with Quick Books? :geez

plowtrax · Oct 26, 2006

RE: Does it work with QuickBooks?

Chuck/BDB......

Great question. Thanks for asking.

PlowTrax currently does NOT work with QuickBooks.
It is standalone (stores and displays service, billing and payment data).

The biggest advantage that I have seen with PlowTrax vs. QuickBooks is ease of data entry - like being able to submit multiple service calls at once using a checklist. My buddy's old QuickBooks alternative was quite cumbersome for the data entry - especially with data entry for 50+ snow plowing customers after a few storms.

I realize that QuickBooks is a very popular and useful program and that there is a good deal of importance in keeping billing/customer information in a single place.

PlowTrax is currently geared more for the side business folks who don't need access to their check book and other business facets of a typically larger, full scale operation. I am entertaining the idea of being able to export the data to QuickBooks, but am not sure if it is economically feasible at this time.

I truly appreciate any and all feedback.
This forum is great.

Think Snow !!!
- Bill

Chuck Smith · Oct 26, 2006

Bill, there is a great opportunity here for you. The most popular accounting program in use by Members here is Quick Books. The reason none of them like any of the plowing software out there is that it does not mesh well with Quick Books. You overcome that, and they will beat down your door. Just a thought.

~Chuck

plowtrax · Oct 26, 2006

RE: Great Opportunity

Chuck,

I truly appreciate your suggestion.

With my limited exposure to QuickBooks, the main flaw that I observed was how cumbersome data entry was. QuickBooks seems to have focused on Invoice based data entry which doesn't lend itself well with the repetitive nature of Snow Removal service data.

My thoughts would be to either try to integrate the PlowTrax data entry User Interface into QuickBooks or at least as a front end Add-On if either of these options is even possible. Alternatives might be to explore data import/export capabilities.

I need to explore what type of programming-support the QuickBooks people provide as far as hooks into their software.

This prompts me to ask for ideas/comments from anyone out there:
- Is my assessment of the QuickBooks data entry limitation correct?
- Are there other aspects of Snow Removal record keeping that are not handled well in QuickBooks?

I look forward to any comments.

Thanks Again,
Bill Asby

PlowTrax creator/nurturer

www.asbyroad.com/plowtrax

BDB · Oct 27, 2006

Does it work with some kind of PDA? And does it or could it be used in multiple trucks and all sync to a main computer? If it doesn't that would be a big advantage to Quick Books and really easy to keep records of. I've looked at a program called Hindsite. Its a service program works with Q.B. but it's kind of expensive.

EZSnow · Oct 30, 2006

I have a "problem" when it comes to organization... BDB- keep yer mounth shut!

It seems that the program in question does a pretty good job of organizing information. However, it seems that it will still require a route sheet and re-entry into the program. Is this correct? The problem with that is... ... ... I lose route sheets. :beatsme

I think what BDB was getting at was, with PDA compatibility, is that in-truck data entry could dramatically streamline the process. I currently take a laptop in the truck with me on my route. The only problem is that with QB, I have to re-enter everything into an invoice from my spreadsheets.

One more thing- Probably more important than the others. I use my spreadsheet to calculate time spent on each job. This gives me a much better idea of what my profitability per hour is on each job. I can use this information to fine-tune my bids for the next season. It would require a time-in/time-out input instead of a simple time input, and a "job time" and/or "job revenue per hour" output.

Looks interesting- I'm willing to give it a shot. As soon as I get internet at home... or go to dunn bros., I'll download it and try it out!

SNO · Oct 31, 2006

This prompts me to ask for ideas/comments from anyone out there:
- Is my assessment of the QuickBooks data entry limitation correct?
- Are there other aspects of Snow Removal record keeping that are not handled well in QuickBooks?

Quick books > Click on customer invoice, click on Item, close it. Print at end of month.

Pretty simple for accounts.

Problem for me comes from NON accounts.
1) in entering all the new, one time customers
2) bringing the info from truck to computer after a long run.
3) Tying the info from truck to info from original calls at the desk.
4) Wanting to spend 5 hours entering all that in after a long run.

Be nice to have a report on the weather occurances also, tracking the depth, time, temp, hrs etc.

Maybe a dinger,,,, to wake you every 20 minutes while imputing the data.

plowtrax · Oct 31, 2006

RE: PDA, Organization skills, etc....

Awesome information guys........

BDB/EZSnow:
The PDA concept is great.....however, I currently don't have an idea of how complicated that is to accomplish. It will require applications on both ends (PDA and PC). I will investigate. Not sure how long the investigation will even take - but certainly is a worthy feature.

SNO:
The 20 minute Wake-Up dinger.......I can implement quickly !!!
:salute
I almost implemented the weather info, but the guys I built this for seemed to think it would not be that useful.....

I will investigate.....

In the meantime, how's this sound....
you call me while you are between accounts and I will enter the data for you.
no need for route sheets EZSnow
omg

Thanks Guys,
Bill

BDB · Oct 31, 2006

EZSnow said:
I have a "problem" when it comes to organization... BDB- keep yer mounth shut!

:headwall :nothingfu :haha

BDB · Oct 31, 2006

plowtrax said:
BDB/EZSnow:
The PDA concept is great.....however, I currently don't have an idea of how complicated that is to accomplish. It will require applications on both ends (PDA and PC). I will investigate. Not sure how long the investigation will even take - but certainly is a worthy feature.

I know they have windows based PDA's.....can you run the program on more then one computer and work together? It's hard to carry my lap top in my pocket with all my money.:wink

plowtrax · Oct 31, 2006

BDB said:
I know they have windows based PDA's.....can you run the program on more then one computer and work together?

PDA Stuff:
It looks like most PDAs run Java applications.
Can you tell me what brand PDA that you are using?

Network Support:
I do have PlowTrax programmed so that is can run over a Windows network. My buddy can run the PlowTrax program from either of his PCs on his network and update and save the data. It essentially is using Windows Networking and Sharing which is much simpler than communicating with a remote PDA device. This network support does NOT currently handle any sort of merging of data - like if you wanted to use multiple laptops on the road and then synch them up in the office.....that is pretty complicated.

It's hard to carry my lap top in my pocket with all my money.:wink

BDB:
I can take some of your money to make more room for your laptop.
omg

EZSnow said:
re-enter everything into an invoice from my spreadsheets

EZSnow:
What if you could import the Spreadsheet data instead of manually entering it?

Here is what I am thinking......
Give PlowTrax the ability to import data from a spreadsheet.
This would create an alternate way of getting data into PlowTrax - mainly geared towards data collected on a laptop or PDA (do PDAs support Spreadsheets???).

I still haven't forgotten about QB:
Perhaps the PlowTrax data could be exported and read into QB.

NOTE: This is all theoretical right now (until I have been able to investigate further).

Over and Out for now
Bill

EZSnow · Oct 31, 2006

importing from a spreadsheet wouldn't be bad, but it wouldn't be as tamper-proof as a timestamp generated within the application itself.

An import feature would be a "good start"

plowtrax · Nov 27, 2006

PlowTrax V2.2.3 Now Available - with Networking Feature

I have finished a Networked version of PlowTrax which now allows multiple PCs to share data. This feature is in response to one of EZSnow's suggestions - need to synch up data for multiple drivers using laptops in trucks for data entry.
FYI: If you are a single user with in-truck laptop you do not need the Networking feature. It is only needed to synch multiple laptop data to a common db.

The main premise is that one PC will be used as the MAIN database storage. Other PCs can be used to enter data in their local copy of the database while in CLIENT mode. The data updates are stored in a file that can be loaded into the MAIN database using the Networking - Check Remote Clients menu option.
I currently do not have any documentation for this feature, but can help you set it up and get it working if you care to test it out.

The current PlowTrax download at www.asbyroad.com/plowtrax has the latest free trial with the Networking feature.

Thanks Again,
Bill A

bterry · Nov 28, 2006

Looked at the web page and didn't see any reports such as Sales Tax, Profit/Loss, Storm Recaps, ect. Also, it didn't look like you have a hourly rate for certain customers. Good concept, this is why alot of us use our own home grown applications via databases and spreadsheets. I also like to keep track of bank deposits (and where the checks came from), does your software do this? What about sub-contractor payments? Also, my application let my subs download a routelist from a database on the internet, the list is displayed in a standard from that they use as a bill back to me. Reduces thier duplication of work also.

I'm just blurting this all out to help - not to be critical. Hope it helps.

plowtrax · Nov 29, 2006

bterry,

I appreciate you taking the time to let me know about the type of features and data that are important to you. The PlowTrax program evolves as I get input like this.

Thanks again,
Bill

plowtrax · Jan 21, 2007

How is everybody doing?
Terrible winter here so far in NH.
2 inches of snow since before Christmas.
Good thing I don't rely on it to survive.
Oh wait....Yeah I do.
:grinz

Bill

gslam88 · Jan 21, 2007

Plow..

I was reading your post on pda intergration... my first thought is if someone was to log into a website that stored the information they could be anywhere to get it.. not just pda.. but home or office or even airport location... specially since a lot now have broadband access via cell phone...

The other thing I was thinking about that depending on the steadiness of the routes.. mapquest now has a feature that you can build your route.. find if you keep a steady route... that also might help bterry.. maybe..

StratfordPusher · Jan 21, 2007

Plowtrax...... Any Canadian Edition ??

Will you program accept Canadian postal codes or only US Zip Codes ??

Nice Program, well thought out....

Al

PlowTrax - Snow Plowing Service & Billing Software

Chuck Smith

BDB

plowtrax

Chuck Smith

plowtrax

BDB

EZSnow

SNO

plowtrax

BDB

BDB

plowtrax

EZSnow

plowtrax

bterry

plowtrax

plowtrax

gslam88

StratfordPusher

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities