Roadside Assistance Services

What is Roadside Assistance?

Roadside assistance is a service that helps motorists get back on the road when they're stranded with vehicle issues. These professionals can help with tire repair, flat tire, towing, jump-starts, lockouts, fuel delivery and winching a stuck vehicle out of a tough spot. Roadside assistance needs can come up 24/7 and when they do you need someone to come to you.

While roadside assistance coverage is sometimes included in different insurance, motor clubs or roadside networks, it may not always be reliable — and if you don't have access, you can feel out of luck. Curbside SOS saves you the time and frustration of anxiously typing search terms like tire repair near me, jump-start near me, tow truck near me, locksmith near me or fuel delivery near me, hoping you find something.

How does Curbside SOS Work?

Curbside SOS is the best option for stranded motorists who need roadside assistance because we provide a quick response with transparent pricing and an actual ETA (estimated time of arrival) of the service vehicle. The second you submit a roadside assistance request using your exact location, Curbside SOS sends it out to all of the nearby service providers in our network. Roadside assistance service providers have just minutes to quote the job and assign an operator which gives the motorist the actual ETA (not some best-guess number).

Quotes will appear on the screen alongside ETAs, and you can choose one as soon as they like, or wait for the quote window to close. Payment is simple: Enter payment through Curbside SOS to authorize the transaction and the job is matched. That's all it takes for the service provider to be on their way to the stranded motorist, all within as little as just four minutes.

What Does Roadside Assistance Cover?

Basic Tow

When your car won't drive and you need to move it, a basic tow will get it from Point A to Point B. There are many reasons to need a tow for your vehicle, including: getting it to the repair shop, getting it home after an accident or incident, or getting it home because the car just won't start and you need to figure out what to do next.

Flat Tires

It's estimated that each driver will experience five flat tires in their driving lifetime. There are many reasons to need help when it comes to tire repair: Maybe you're prepared with a spare tire but don't know how to change a spare. Or maybe you don't have a spare at all. Whether you need a spare tire put on your vehicle or need the existing tire repaired, Curbside SOS is here to help.

Locked Out

Getting locked out of your car — whether you lost your keys or locked them inside your vehicle — is not only incredibly inconvenient, it's incredibly common. About 4 million annual lockout cases occur every single year. If you have no way to get into your vehicle, a roadside assistance service provider is often the best place to turn.

Won't Start

There can be many reasons your car won't start, including a discharged or depleted battery. Even if you have jumper cables, you still need an auxiliary source, such as another vehicle or equipment with the same system voltage to help jump-start your vehicle. Leave it to roadside assistance professionals to help you get moving quickly.

Out of Gas

If you've found yourself running on empty — or worse, out of gas completely — it's crucial to find a nearby roadside assistance provider to deliver fuel to you. Fuel delivery is a common solution to running out of gas on the side of the road.

Stuck

If your car is stuck, far off the side of the road, down a ditch or stuck in the snow far from the road, your situation might require additional equipment beyond a basic tow. A roadside assistance provider can use special equipment like a winch to get your vehicle out of the spot or onto a tow vehicle.

Roadside Assistance Pricing

One way to pay for roadside assistance is with a monthly or annual subscription or membership. You pay this fee regardless of if you use the service or not, and it often includes a base level of coverage for certain services with some minimal amount of mileage included for tows. For roadside assistance services that cost more, or if you're towed further than your included mileage, additional charges will apply.

Another route to access roadside assistance is through an insurance carrier or even a credit card, where it's bundled in with another service offering. These options typically work in the same way as standalone memberships do.

The other option is to pay for roadside assistance services when and if you need them. But the tricky part is finding the right provider in the right place, with the right service. When searching online for a tow near you, tire repair near you, lockout help near you, jump-start near you or fuel delivery near you, you'll end up with page results names and numbers. Where do you even begin?

This is what makes Curbside SOS such a valuable solution for stranded motorists. You don't need an annual subscription or monthly membership — you simply choose from one of the 4000 roadside assistance service providers in our nationwide network to find the one near you that fits your need best when the situation arises, then pay for the service through Curbside SOS. When a motorist submits a quote for service with Curbside SOS, within minutes they're given a list of the service providers with their price and their ETA (estimated time of arrival). As the driver, you're in control, able to quickly decide whether you are willing to wait a little longer for a cheap tow or are in a hurry and willing to pay a premium for the closest tow near you.

How to Get Roadside Assistance?

Curbside SOS is there when you're broken down. We bring together local providers on our platform so you can quickly assess your choices in one place, with the information you need to make a decision.

With just four to five questions, Curbside SOS collects the most important information from you to start your request. Immediately, you'll start receiving quotes and ETAs for your service from all our available roadside assistance partners in your area. Simply select the roadside assistance provider that's right for you, submit your payment information and follow their progress to you, right on your screen!

How Long Does Roadside Assistance Take?

With Curbside SOS, your request for service immediately goes out to our available roadside assistance service providers in your area. Since we know your location, we make sure only the relevant service providers receive your request to quote. No Curbside SOS service provider that's recommended to you will ever be more than 200 miles away.

Quotes start coming in as quickly as 20 seconds from submitting your request and we continue to gather available quotes for five minutes. You can make a selection and submit payment within 7 minutes. In just minutes you're paired with the right roadside assistance provider for your flat tire, jump-start, lockout, tow and out-of-gas needs. Through Curbside SOS, you can track your provider as they're headed to you.

Do You Tip Roadside Assistance Providers?

Motorists often wonder whether or not to tip a roadside assistance provider. While a stranded driver is not obligated to tip their roadside assistance provider or tow driver, it's always a kind gesture and greatly appreciated. It's also a way to recognize great work.

Roadside assistance provider professionals appreciate anything from $5 to $10, and $20 is considered a great tip. You might be especially inclined to tip your roadside assistance provider if they were kind, completed the job quickly, dealt with extreme weather conditions, worked at an off-peak hour or day of the week, or contended with road hazards while completing the job.

Do Service Providers Carry Insurance?

Yes, service providers with Curbside SOS meet state level requirements to operate in their state.

Does Roadside Assistance Cover an RV?

Getting a flat tire, running out of gas, needing a tow or getting locked out of your RV can slow you down on a road trip. Curbside SOS can process your request instantly and provide details on all of our available service providers nearby that are capable of completing your job. One of the questions we ask is what type of vehicle you have, so be sure to make sure that's accurately updated with the vehicle you are driving.