Cars were pretty easy to maintain and repair in the past, even on the road. However, cars today are many things, but easy to repair is not one of them. If you happen to be on the road and your vehicle breaks down, you may be left stationary for a long time. Most of the time, the problem is a flat tire, but it also happens that drivers run out of gas or have a big mechanical failure.
Luckily, there are roadside assistance services available today that not only offer to tow your vehicle to the nearest mechanic, but they can also send a technician of their own that might alleviate the issue on the spot. That is unless it is a big mechanical issue. Still, for every driver that covers a lot of miles annually, or for a family that plans a long road trip, having a short list of the best roadside assistance services is a very good idea. That is unless the manufacturer of your vehicle already offers one free of charge during the warranty period.
To help you choosing the best roadside assistance service, we compiled a list of the Top 5 services in the USA. Keep this list bookmarked and use it in case of emergency for a more carefree traveling experience!
Top 5 Best Roadside Assistance Services
Good Sam Roadside Assistance
Good Sam is one of the most popular roadside assistance services in the US and for a good reason. They offer three subscription-based plans that cover the needs of most vehicle owners out there. Here is what they offer: Auto Platinum – basic plan for cars, such as compact cars, family sedans, crossovers, SUVs and trucks. Auto & RV Standard – this plan covers owners who possess both cars and RVs, and also boat trailers and motorcycles. Auto & RV Platinum – this plan is more advanced than the Standard one in a way that it offers roadside assistance for multiple cars, boat trailers, sport utility trailers, motorcycles, and RVs. If you already own one of Good Sam plans, towing your vehicle to the nearest service station is free of charge.
However, additional fees may apply in some places. The company also offers to jump-start a dead battery, fuel delivery, and even a tire change service. All these qualities make Good Sam Roadside Assistance probably the best choice out there.
Allstate Motor Club
Allstate is also a very popular roadside assistance service that operates in the USA. Its biggest advantage is the budget price point of their service, despite the fact that they offer premium assistance. More precisely, Allstate Motor Club offers fuel delivery, trip interruption reimbursement, lockout assistance, jump start in case of an empty battery, and even tire change. The best thing about this roadside assistance service is that it will not charge you any extra money – the subscription is all you need to worry about.
You can even add your spouse to the plan, free of charge, but not children under 23 years old. Allstate Motor Club offers an on-time arrival guarantee, which is 30 minutes. If they don’t come on time, you will have 25% off the next year. For the tech-savvy among you, Allstate even offers the ability to track their vehicles via GPS.Allstate Motor Club offers three plans. The Standard option covers cars, light trucks, vans, and SUVs, but you need to pay extra for RVs. There are also Deluxe and Platinum plans that offer some additional benefits.
AAA
By now, AAA has become a staple in the American roadside assistance business. They are known for offering plans that are well-suited to most drivers, high-quality assistance and low price. In addition to lockout assistance, jump start in case of an empty battery, and tire change, AAA offers identity theft restoration. AAA offers three plans, differentiated by how many miles they will tow your vehicle until you need to pay extra.
The Classic plan offers to tow up to 5 miles, the Plus plan offers to tow up to 100 miles, and the Premier plan offers to tow of up to 200 miles. However, the company also charges additional fees if you want to add a family member to the subscription, at a pretty high asking price. If you want to have roadside assistance for your RV, you have to choose between the RV plans (for example Plus RV).
AARP
This service is designed for elderly people. More precisely, they only offer services to people over 50-years old, and on top of that, they should be members of AARP. The driver can still add his/her spouse for an additional fee of $10 per year, or up to four children of age between 16-25 years old. The membership is very cheap when compared to other services, and it’s a shame that only people over 50-years old can use it. AARP offers four plans, with the first one towing your vehicle only up to 5 miles. We recommend the Premier plan, which tows your vehicle or RV up to 100 miles. As with every roadside assistance service on this list, AARP offers lockout assistance, jump start in case of an empty battery, and fuel delivery.
Best Roadside Service
This company has one of the largest roadside service providers across the United States and Canada. This means that a vehicle that can reach a short amount of time is always close to you and your stranded vehicle. Best Roadside Service offers two plans – one for individuals, and one for vehicles. The latter is excellent for families that own one vehicle (and multiple drivers), while the second one is a great choice for drivers who own multiple vehicles. The company offers towing services up to 75 miles and fuel delivery, with 3 gallons free of charge. They also offer lockout services and jump start in case of an empty battery.
Conclusion
Choosing between the plethora of roadside services out there is not only about which one is better, but which one is suited to your needs. We recommend that you study your driving habits thoroughly, and then make an examination of the advantages and disadvantages of every roadside assistance service before committing to it.