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never worry
AAA is more than just a tow. From flat tires and lockouts to dead batteries and more, every AAA Membership includes AAA Roadside Assistance 24/7, so you can have peace of mind.
AAA responded to more than 28 million requests for roadside assistance in 2024. The most common issue was a dead battery (nearly 6.9 million), followed by flat tires, being out of gas and being locked out of the vehicle. On average, AAA helps 52 members per minute.
These rescues would never happen without the unsung heroes of our roads—AAA’s roadside technicians. These technicians are the face of AAA when members need immediate help. Their job can be perilous at times, putting them in harm’s way when a vehicle is stranded on a busy road, which may be wet, icy, snow-covered or under the dark of night—or all of the above.
Here, we present two technicians sharing stories of when they went above and beyond, displaying the empathy, compassion and care AAA Members have come to expect when they contact AAA for help.
Back in the day, when someone had car trouble, the advice others gave them was short and sweet: “Call AAA.” That advice still applies today, but it’s been joined by even more convenient options: “Use the app” and “Go online.” Find out how easy it is to get help when you need it.
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Keith has been a roadside technician for AAA since April 2025. He responded to a dead battery call at a member’s home in June 2025. It did not respond to a jumpstart, so Keith tested the battery and determined it was at the end of its life and needed to be replaced.
“The woman’s car had a bad battery, so I offered to replace it, and she agreed. Her granddaughter was there the whole time. She was a very curious girl, around 7 years old, and I noticed that she was interested in seeing what I was doing. To make it easier for her, I went and got my little stepstool so that she could watch. She was asking questions about everything I was doing, so I explained everything to her. I asked the member if it was okay if her granddaughter touched the tools, and she said yes. The girl wanted to really get hands-on.
“It was just a joy to watch her because it reminded me of my own kids—and she was roughly the same age as my daughter. She pretty much helped me install the battery, and I could see she enjoyed doing it.
“It meant so much to me because I never got this in my previous job. I try to please everybody and make sure they have a better day than when I got there.
“It’s a good feeling to get people on their way and on to the rest of their day. I take pride in getting people on the go. If they’re happy when I leave, that makes me happy.”
DeJuan has been a roadside technician for AAA since January 2025. He drives a light service truck, which isn’t equipped to tow vehicles. He responded to a flat tire call in January 2026 that ended up involving much more than changing a tire. It was a “critical” call, which means the car was on the side of the road.
“It was a lady with her daughter, who was between 3 and 5 years old. As I pulled up to her car, I thought, ‘What happened that caused her to end up on the side of the road?’ That’s something I think about every time I drive up to a stranded car. Sometimes, what happened can be very scary. In this situation, the member was really stressed out because she had her daughter in the backseat, and I think she almost had an accident—which put her on the side of the road.
“Typically, when I respond to a flat tire call, it’s only one flat tire. So I put the cones down like usual—safety stuff—and as I walked up to the car, I noticed she had two flat tires. When you have two flat tires, you have to get a tow truck because you only have one spare. I went up to the lady, introduced myself and reassured her everything was going to be okay, that I was there to help her out.
“I don’t think she knew that she had two flat tires because she was on a freeway and never got out of the car. I told her we were probably going to need to tow the car because of the two flat tires, but she was adamant about not getting towed. She said her daughter was hungry and irritable, and she was worried about the danger of being so close to all the cars—she just wanted to get off the freeway.
“The member asked if I could repair the tires, and I told her I’d look at them closer, but with two flat tires you have no choice but to tow unless one of them will hold air. I offered her a bottled water, and she gladly said yes. When I was getting it from my truck, I remembered I always have Lunchables with me, so I brought her the water and the Lunchables for her daughter.
“One of the tires had a big gash on the side of it. That tire was done. The other one didn’t have an obvious problem, so I put air in that tire—and we got really, really lucky. You can tell when you’re putting air in a tire if it’s going to hold or not—you can feel the air leaking out or you hear the hiss—so I sat there for a few minutes, and there were no leaks.”
Breakdowns and roadside emergencies can strike anytime—AAA is ready to help you get moving again. Discover all the roadside services AAA Membership provides.
Learn More“I told the member the good news, and she was very pleased to hear it. I proceeded to change the damaged tire and told her the ‘good’ tire would probably still leak air because something caused it to go flat. I said the first thing she needed to do was to get off the freeway and go to the nearest tire shop. She didn’t know where any tire shops were in that area, so I offered to find one and follow her to it.
“I gave her the location of a tire shop nearby, packed everything up, and called Dispatch to explain the situation and make sure it was okay to follow her to the shop. Fortunately, it wasn’t a busy day for us, and I was able to do what I planned.
“I followed the member to the tire shop and figured I was done, but she was so comfortable with me, she asked me to go inside with her. She didn’t like the idea of going in by herself, thinking they would take advantage of her because of her situation. I checked with Dispatch again, and they didn’t need me for another call, so I went in with her.
“I ended up doing the talking when we got in, since I knew the tire sizes she needed. They gave her the prices, and she asked for my two cents on which tires to get, because she didn’t want to overpay. So I was basically acting as an advisor for her in the tire shop. (laughs)
“She went with my recommendation and seemed very relieved. She even gave me a hug, which put a smile on my face because I could tell how stressed she had been. I left her then and went on to my next call.
“I have a five-year-old, so I can easily imagine what it feels like to be on the side of the road with flat tires and my child in their car seat behind me.”
Not a AAA Member? Learn how your membership can help you in all stages of life, on and off the road.
Join Today!When you’re stuck on the side of the road, it’s rarely just about the car. It’s also about the worry, the uncertainty, the feeling that everything has suddenly gotten harder. That’s why AAA’s roadside technicians don’t only bring tools—they bring calm, reassurance and the steady presence that helps you breathe again. And because AAA Roadside Assistance is available 24/7, you never have to face those moments alone—help is always within reach.
AAA roadside services include towing, lockout assistance, battery jumps and even wiper replacement, available for any car members own or are passengers in.
never worry
AAA is more than just a tow. From flat tires and lockouts to dead batteries and more, every AAA Membership includes AAA Roadside Assistance 24/7, so you can have peace of mind.
