Creating a way for disabled commercial trucks to quickly find towing help is filling a niche
Hearing Craig Schneider’s tale of creating Tow4Tech, one can’t help musing: “now why didn’t I think of that!” Schneider, Tow4Tech’s CEO, and his business partner CTO Ziv Gillat, created a software platform that lets the drivers of broken-down commercial trucks quickly and easily report their position and problem in order to solicit towing companies within a reasonable radius to compete for the job.
It is a problem in need of a solution. According to Schneider [pictured above], there are about 12 million to 14 million commercial trucks on U.S. roads, from medium-sized delivery trucks to the largest 18-wheelers. Of those, about 11 million will experience an issue that requires towing or roadside assistance each year.
His idea was bookended by a trip to and from a meeting in Boca Raton. On the way he noticed a disabled commercial vehicle on the side of the road. Two-and-a-half hours later, on his way home, he saw the same truck and a tow truck just pulling up.
He recalls wondering if there was any software-based assistance for drivers. “I think this is something that needs a solution,” he mused. Schneider’s background is in finance and Wall Street. He and his family moved to South Florida in 2016 from Westchester, N.Y. “I was at the point in my life looking for a challenge for the years ahead.”
In the usual circumstance, the hapless, broken-down truck driver calls his or her company (which usually uses a call center) and the operator phones various tow companies, one after another, to find an available tow. Using Tow4Tech, the process is streamlined. The trucking company simply fills out the online form — type of truck, the problem, location, and other details, such as if it is full or empty. Once they hit “submit,” it is sent to tow companies within a certain radius. The companies have five minutes to bid for the job, indicating their distance, arrival time, and charges. What’s more, both the dispatcher and the tow company can view the real-time locations of the disabled truck and the responding tow vehicle, allowing them to track progress toward the breakdown location.”
Once he had the idea, Schneider contacted his cousin and good friend Gillat, whose expertise is in technology. Gillat began his career at Apple, and later founded photo-sharing startup EyeFi. Once Gillat heard the idea and did some research, he was in. The company was officially started in 2023. So far, it has raised $4.4 million, is generating revenue and is “on our way toward being profitable,” Schneider said.
The seed round was led by the Sofia, Bulgaria-based BrightCap Ventures. Tow4Tech has also established a Romanian subsidiary, Tow4Technologies SRL, which will serve as its European development center and a hub for future expansion across that region. Friends and family have also invested. Tow4Tech has more than a dozen employees.
Alas, the platform is not for us regular sedan and SUV drivers who also fume by the side of the road, but only for the commercial trucks. As of February, 2026, the company has so far managed 1,300 events and is working with four trucking companies. Its target clients are the bigger fleet operators. Tow4Tech charges $99 per incident, with other subscription options available. Tow companies use the app for free.
Still, frustrating as it is for anyone to be stuck roadside, it can often be a matter of urgency when it comes to commercial trucking, Schneider said. “Time is money in trucking,” Schneider explained, adding that there are often penalties for late deliveries. In some cases a cargo, such as produce or temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, can be spoiled. “There is an absolute commercial impact to the supply chain when the truck is not moving,” he said.
In February, Schneider presented a talk titled “Solving the Breakdown Black Hole in Fleet Ops: How Tow4Tech Automates Heavy-Duty Response,” at Manifest 2026 the premier supply chain and logistics event, which was held in Las Vegas.
Tow4Tech is also using AI to improve its platform, refining the mobile app that shows where the disabled truck and tow truck are, respectively. Information coming in might be used, among other things, to help track routes and evaluate risk. Right now, its AI will automatically alert a tow company if it hasn’t replied to a job that was sent out. In the near future, a feature will be released whereby AI can call tow operators to ensure the app is active.
When not in the office and working on Tow4Tech, Schneider tries to shoehorn in a round or two of golf, or a ski trip. “I spend time with my family.”
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:
- Freebee accelerates growth across Florida, eyes major national expansion
- UM students launch AIdMD, reimagining electronic health records with built-in AI
- Cyrus is building the AI teammate that sales reps actually want
- Stem cell opportunities expand – and so does GBI - April 8, 2026
- Broken-down commercial trucks find a roadside friend - March 13, 2026
- Fueled with more funding, Lamatic is further probing the capabilities of AI - November 21, 2025