The In’s & Out’s of Towing And Labor Cost Coverage

You never know when there could be a problem, and if you are far away from home when your car breaks down, you may not know what to do.

There are so many things that could go wrong; for example, you could have a dead battery, you could need a gas delivery in the middle of a road trip, you could get a flat tire, the engine could fail, or you could get locked out of the vehicle.

Towing and Labor Cost Coverage (we’ll refer to it as TL from here on) also known as Emergency Road Service is available to help in these situations.

If you have this type of coverage, you will receive monetary assistance if your car needs to be towed or if you have to call a lockout service.

In addition, you are often covered for things like a tire change or in the event you need the delivery of gas.

How To Get Emergency Roadside Assistance Coverage

If you are interested in TL, speak to your auto insurance company. The process for signing up is usually very simple and will only take a few minutes.

However, before you make a final decision, think about what type of coverage you will get.

Weigh the cost of the benefits to figure out if this optional coverage is something that you need.

Also, be aware that in certain areas, you have to have both comprehensive and collision coverage if you want to get TL, and unfortunately, not all can afford the extra coverage.

Top 10 Roadside Assistance Companies

Graph of Top Companies

Note: Ratings are provide by Top Ten Reviews

Insurance Companies offering Roadside Assistance

*Geico & Farmers require the driver to carry Comprehensive and Collision Coverage.
Note: Typically it is cheaper to get roadside assistance through your insurance company. However, Motor Clubs work exceptionally well and are usually rated much better than roadside assistance coverage through your insurance provider.

Credit Card Companies

Some credit card companies offer roadside assistance.

If you are carrying a credit card call your company see how much it is.

Typically, credit card companies have low basic rates, but towing and mechanical labor can be more expensive.

Credit Card Companies Roadside Assistance

Note: If you have an American Express Gold, Plum, Platinum, or Delta Reserve roadside assistance is complementary.

Wireless Service Providers

Most of the major top wireless service providers offer roadside assistance.

You are able to get towing, locksmith services, gas & tire change service. Here are the prices for each service provider:

Information On Limits

Like the name implies, this type of coverage is for emergency situations.

As a result, the limits are not very high. It is not uncommon to see a cap of a hundred dollars for each incident, for example.

In addition, because incidents that fall under the category of emergency roadside service are generally not that expensive, you shouldn’t have to pay much out of pocket costs.

Still, each company is different, so you have to talk with someone to find out what the limits are like with your auto insurance company.

The person you speak to can also discuss the coverage in more detail for you so that you aren’t anticipating additional costs or lapse in coverage.

TL fits within most people’s budgets because the premiums are not very high.

What To Do When An Emergency Occurs

You are driving along when suddenly your emergency light comes on in your car, you get a flat tire, you run out of gas, etc.

What do you do? It is important to remain calm and to get your vehicle to a safe location.

Once you are out of traffic, find the emergency roadside assistance phone number given to you by your car insurance company.

It’s recommended to have this number stored in your cell phone for easy access.

When you get a representative on the line, tell him or her what happened and the address of where your car is currently located.

The representative will then send someone out to your location to help you.

Depending on which company you use, you may be able to call a towing company on your own.

You will have to pay the towing costs upfront yourself, but if you simply turn your receipt into the insurance company, they will get your money back to you.

Find out if you can do this by speaking to your representative.

A Good Source of Information & Discounts are Motor Clubs

If you are a member of a motor or auto club, you may get roadside assistance included in your membership.

It can cost a lot to be a part of one of these clubs, but these clubs typically have multiple benefits.

Three Most Popular Motor Clubs

In addition to roadside coverage, you may also get discounts on travel and receive money off of entertainment, restaurants, and hotels.