How to Become a Roadside Assistance Provider for Trucks
Roadside assistance for commercial trucks covers everything from a jump start to a heavy recovery. Becoming a provider means having the equipment and people to respond, the insurance and paperwork fleets expect, and a way for drivers and dispatchers to find you. This guide covers the requirements and the main ways to join the roadside network, including listing on All Roadside.
Become an All Roadside provider: list free · See Pro and Sponsored
Decide which roadside services you will offer
Common truck roadside services include:
- Tire repair and replacement.
- Jump starts and battery replacement.
- Air line, brake and electrical repair.
- Fuel delivery.
- Lockouts.
- Light, medium and heavy-duty towing.
- Winching and recovery.
- Trailer and refrigeration unit repair.
You do not need to offer everything. Offer what you can do reliably, and refer the rest.
Equipment you will need
Match equipment to services. A tire service needs a truck that can carry commercial tires, a compressor and impact tools. Mechanical roadside needs diagnostic tools, a generator or inverter, and parts. Towing needs wreckers rated for the classes you list. Every roadside truck needs lighting, cones, triangles and high-visibility gear, and clear markings.
Insurance and paperwork
Fleets and dispatchers often ask for a certificate of insurance and a W-9 before paying. Talk with a commercial agent about general liability, commercial auto, garage keepers, and on-hook coverage if you tow. See becoming an approved fleet vendor.
Decide your hours, honestly
Roadside work does not keep office hours. Decide whether you will offer 24-hour service, and if so, how you will cover nights and weekends. If you do not run 24 hours, list your real hours. A provider who claims 24 hours and does not answer at night quickly loses trust.
Ready to accept calls? List your business free and choose every roadside service you offer.
Ways to receive roadside calls
Directories. Drivers and dispatchers searching for help near a breakdown land on All Roadside city, interstate, exit and problem pages and call providers from the directory for that area. Calls come directly to you, at your rates.
Motor clubs and dispatch networks. These send calls at their set rates under their rules. Many providers use them for volume. See motor club alternatives.
Fleet accounts. Local and regional fleets may add you as an approved roadside vendor.
Referrals. Truck stops, tire shops, repair shops and dealers send work to providers they trust.
Define your coverage area
On All Roadside, a mobile repair or towing listing covers its home town plus 30 miles. A shop covers its home town plus 25 miles. If you cover a longer corridor, add a listing in another town along it.
Set your pricing before the first call
Decide your service call fee, labor rate, mileage charges and after-hours premium for repair, and hook-up, mileage and hourly rates for towing. Explain them before dispatching. See pricing mobile diesel repair and towing rates.
Handle the call well
- Get the location, unit number, problem and authorization.
- Give an honest arrival time.
- Update the caller if anything changes.
- Send photos and a same-day invoice.
Build your reputation
Answer every call, show up when promised and treat drivers well. On All Roadside, driver feedback, answered calls and service quality are the signals used to invite providers to Platinum, the top of the list, which goes to roughly the top 10 percent of providers in an area.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a contract with a motor club to do roadside work?
No. Many providers take calls directly from drivers, fleets and dispatchers who find them through search and directories. Motor clubs are one option, not the only one.
What equipment do I need to start?
It depends on the services: a service truck with tools, air and lighting for mobile repair; tire equipment for tire service; the right truck class for towing. List only what you can handle.
How do drivers find independent roadside providers?
They search for the problem and location, then land on pages such as All Roadside city, interstate, exit and problem pages, and call from the list.
What safety training should roadside technicians have?
Traffic incident safety, proper use of warning devices, high-visibility clothing and safe vehicle positioning are basics for anyone working on a shoulder.
How listing on All Roadside works for roadside providers
- Free: listed in the free section, closest first, below the paid sections, without photos.
- Pro: $99 per month per listing, or $990 per year. Rotates in the Pro section above every free listing and covers every service category at that location, so tire, repair and towing from one location share one Pro listing.
- Sponsored: add-on to Pro. Two spots per service per area above Pro, won by the highest monthly bid, sold per category per area. Starting bids vary by city size.
- Platinum: invite only, top of the list, rotating first place, no public price.
List your roadside business free · Upgrade to Pro