4 Ways Towing Companies Provide Roadside Assistance Services
Posted on: 7 June 2019
While many drivers think of towing companies as only offering tows to the nearest mechanic's shop, they offer a number of helpful roadside assistance services that can be a great aid in emergency situations. Towing companies help drivers get back on the road when they have a dead battery, a flat tire or have run out of gas. They can even help you unlock your car when you've lost your keys or locked them inside. For more information about the roadside assistance services that towing companies offer, read on.
Delivering Gas
Running out of gas on the road happens to nearly everyone—it's easy to forget to check how much is in your tank before you pull on to the highway. Towing companies can send out a truck with a jerrycan of gas to help you get up and running again. Make sure you tell the dispatcher what kind of gas your car uses.
As a safety note, it's important to pull over in a safe spot before you fully run out of gas. For example, pull over to the shoulder of the highway or into a parking lot. You don't want to run out of gas in the middle of a busy intersection. When you're running low, it's much safer to use those last bits of gas to find a safe area instead of trying to make it to the nearest gas station.
Jump-Starting a Battery
If your car's engine is refusing to start up, you may have a dead battery. This is especially likely if your car hasn't been suffering from any other mechanical problems—batteries sometimes lose their charge and don't have enough power to start up your engine.
Towing companies can send a truck to your location and jump-start your battery, giving it enough charge to power your engine. Once your engine is running, your car's alternator will begin to charge your battery again. Some towing companies will even replace your car's battery for you if it's completely dead and unable to hold a charge. If replacing the battery doesn't work, then the problem may lie in your car's alternator or its engine—a towing company can tow you to the nearest mechanic's shop to have your car inspected.
Changing a Flat Tire
Unfortunately, the days of helpful strangers stopping by the side of the road to change a flat tire are mostly over, and few people carry car jacks or tire irons in their car. If your car gets a flat tire on the road, a towing company can send out a driver to change it for you—this will let you continue to drive until you can have the tire replaced.
Unlocking a Car
When you're trying to get to work or have just finished shopping for groceries, discovering that you've accidentally locked your keys inside your car is a frustrating experience. Thankfully, towing companies can help you with this, too. Drivers carry special tools with them that allow them to access most cars, so it's likely that they can gain entry to your car and help you retrieve your keys.
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