You do not need dispatch software, a subscription, or a new app to use the Tow Truck Private Property Impound Authorization Log. It was built for the lot, at night, in a hurry: a free PDF reader on your phone, a camera for the evidence shots, a printer if you want paper slips in the cab, and either Excel or Google Sheets back at the yard.
What software opens and edits it
The kit arrives as PDFs and one spreadsheet. The flat printable PDFs — US Letter and A4, plus an ink-friendly black-and-white US Letter version — open in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free), Apple Preview, Apple Files on iPhone and iPad, Files by Google on Android, and most modern web browsers. Print a stack of impound slips for the cab, or use the flat versions to read and share the forms.
The fillable PDF is the at-the-lot version. Open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) on your phone and tap-type into every field where you stand: the authorization slip, vehicle and signage check, photo log, timestamp timeline, and release record — 176 fillable fields in all. Save one copy per tow, named by date, plate, or property, so any disputed tow can be found in seconds.
The Impound Log Spreadsheet is an .xlsx file. It works in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers, and LibreOffice Calc. Google Sheets is the easiest free option if you do not own Excel: upload the file to Google Drive, open it as a Sheet, and fee totals and counts by status and by property are ready to use as you add one row per tow. Demo data is included so you can see the formulas working before you enter a real tow.
What devices it works on
- iPhone and iPad — fillable PDF in Files or Acrobat Reader at the lot; log in Google Sheets or Numbers
- Android phones and tablets — fillable PDF in Acrobat Reader; log in Google Sheets
- Windows and Mac desktop — best for printing cab copies, filing completed tow files, and reviewing counts by property
- Any home or office printer — US Letter or A4, color or the included ink-friendly black-and-white version
A practical setup is phone plus cab paper: the fillable PDF handles the signature, checks, and timeline at the lot, a printed slip stays as backup if a battery dies, and the photos from the checklist go in the same folder as that tow’s file.
What pairs with it
The kit pairs with what a careful operator already carries: a phone camera (the photo checklist is built around it — lot, vehicle, plate, VIN, signs, damage, hook-up, arrival), the property’s posted signage, which the check copies word for word, and your yard’s release and payment routine, which the release record documents. [Affiliate slot: heavy-duty cab clipboard case] [Affiliate slot: phone mount for tow cab documentation] If you already run dispatch or impound software, the spreadsheet does not replace it — it holds the authorization, signage, photo, and timeline record in one portable file that matches the paper slip.
Honest comparison: this kit vs. doing it manually
You can run a tow on a phone call and a notebook line. What you lose is exactly what a dispute tests: a signature obtained before hook-up, the sign wording copied exactly, photos taken in a proven order and logged, and one timeline from call to release. Dispatch platforms can log tows, but they rarely force the signage check or tie the photo log to the authorization in a single file the driver completes at the lot, and they cost a monthly fee per truck. This kit does not state or replace your local towing rules, and paperwork alone cannot make an unauthorized tow authorized — the signature step is the point. Its job is proof: who authorized it, what was posted, what condition the vehicle was in, and when everything happened.
This kit is a record-keeping tool, not legal advice, consult an attorney. Towing and notice rules vary by state, city, and property type — verify local rules before every tow.
Companion guide: Tow Truck Impound Authorization Log: Get It Signed Before Hook-Up, Every Private-Property Tow
Get the kit
PROTECTION: A SIGNED SLIP AND TEN PHOTOS END THE ARGUMENT BEFORE IT STARTS. Get the Tow Truck Impound Authorization Log for $12.95, or find DealShore on Etsy.
Get free sample pages + new kit alerts — email contact@dealshore.com