8 mins to read
Four ways to reduce your fleet maintenance costs
Vehicle repair and upkeep can have a huge effect on a fleet's bottom line. By providing extensive engine diagnostics...
Read moreFleet roadside assistance is no longer just about getting a disabled vehicle back on the road. In today’s operating environment, it’s a strategic safety net that protects uptime, controls costs and turns a potentially catastrophic breakdown into a managed, data-driven event.
For fleets, unplanned downtime is more expensive and disruptive than ever. Repair costs are rising, predatory towing practices for heavy-duty vehicles are more prevalent and even minor roadside issues can spiral into major operational failures if they’re not handled quickly and correctly. A comprehensive fleet roadside assistance program bridges the gap between unplanned failures and preventive maintenance, helping fleets protect their service promise even when the unexpected happens.
What is integrated fleet roadside assistance?
Integrated roadside assistance is a coordinated support service that helps drivers get back on the road quickly when a breakdown occurs — while giving fleet managers visibility and control over the event because of its integration into existing fleet management tools.
With Verizon Connect, drivers can request help in one tap through the mobile app, while managers see the vehicle’s location in real time. This commercial roadside assistance is available 24/7/365, with an average 30-minute response time and access to a network of 45,000+ vetted providers across the U.S. and Canada.
That combination of speed, visibility and coordination transforms roadside events from operational chaos into manageable workflows.
Why roadside assistance is essential for vehicle uptime and cost control
Vehicle downtime hits fleets from every angle: missed deliveries, overtime labor, lost revenue and frustrated customers – and without a plan in place, those costs can escalate quickly.
A centralized fleet roadside assistance plan helps control those risks by coordinating response, routing drivers to vetted providers and verifying services before work begins, protecting uptime while preventing unnecessary or inflated charges during high-pressure situations.
Heavy-duty towing can be one of the most costly examples. The American Transportation Research found that predatory towing – any incident in which a towing and recovery company egregiously overcharges, illegally seizes assets, damages assets through improper use or illegitimately withholds the release of a truck, trailer or other cargo – is a growing problem in the trucking industry.
More than 80% of carriers reported encountering excessive hourly rates, unwarranted additional equipment/labor charges and exorbitant daily storage fees, all marked by prices 50% higher than the median. When these predatory towing bills arrive, they jump the average cost for a tow from $8,925 to $18,154.
Federal agencies are now studying the issue. The FTC and FMCSA are formally reviewing evidence of widespread predatory towing practices, reinforcing the need for fleets to protect themselves operationally.2 When you don’t have reliable roadside assistance service and a heavy-duty vehicle is sidelined, that may lead to unintentionally selecting a provider who inflates prices.
Even standard repair and maintenance costs are rising – they reached nearly $0.20 per mile in 2024 and have risen 27% since 2019, according to ATRI,3 and federal data shows motor vehicle repair costs are rising more than twice as fast as overall consumer inflation4 – meaning that there’s little margin for error or surprise expenses when getting a vehicle repaired or towed after a breakdown.
Core roadside assistance services for fleets
When a breakdown happens, speed matters — but so does accuracy. Dispatching the wrong service, waiting on an unvetted provider or approving unnecessary work can quickly turn a simple roadside issue into a costly, multi-day disruption. That’s why a comprehensive fleet roadside assistance program is designed to handle the most common breakdown scenarios with clear service limits, predictable outcomes and trusted providers.
Verizon Connect supports both light duty roadside assistance and heavy duty roadside assistance in big cities and small towns across the U.S. and Canada. The six core services include:
1. Towing service
A qualified provider will tow disabled vehicles up to 25 miles at no additional charge, helping fleets avoid immediate out-of-pocket costs during emergency situations.
2. Battery service
Dead or weak batteries are one of the most common causes of roadside calls. Providers can jump-start the vehicle or perform minor roadside adjustments to get drivers moving again without the need for a shop visit.
3. Fuel delivery
If a driver runs out of fuel, a provider delivers up to two gallons of gasoline or diesel to get the vehicle safely back on the road. This prevents unnecessary tows and keeps minor mistakes from becoming major delays.
4. Flat tire change
If a vehicle has a usable spare, the tire is changed on-site. If not, towing is arranged immediately, preventing extended roadside exposure for the driver.
5. Lockout service
If keys are lost or locked inside the vehicle, providers help regain access without mechanical intervention, as long as the vehicle is in an accessible location.
6. Winching
For light-duty vehicles stuck on paved public roads, providers can winch the vehicle back to safety when conditions allow, avoiding unnecessary towing and downtime.
Heavy duty roadside assistance vs. light duty coverage
To get a sense of what is covered for light-duty and heavy duty vehicles:
| Service | Light-Duty Roadside Assistance | Heavy-Duty Roadside Assistance |
| Towing (up to 25 miles) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Battery Boost | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fuel Delivery | ✔ | ✔ |
| Flat Tire Change | ✔ | ✔ |
| Lockout Service | ✔ | ✔ |
| Winching | ✔ | — |
Together, these services form a safety net that covers the most frequent causes of breakdowns, including: low or dead battery, alternator, starter motor, flat tire, electrical short and running out of gas.
The 3-step request-to-recovery process
Verizon Connect’s roadside assistance for fleet vehicles is designed for speed, clarity and control and can be accessed in a single click if you are a driver or a fleet manager.
- Find help: For drivers, open the Reveal Driver or Driver Plus mobile app, select Roadside Assistance. Fleet managers can also find the vehicle in distress on the live map and right click on it to get Roadside Assistance.
- Request service: Confirm the auto-populated GPS location and the last eight characters of the VIN.
- Track response: Drivers and managers receive tracking information to keep everyone up to date on the situation.
Calculating the ROI of roadside assistance for fleet vehicles
Roadside assistance delivers the strongest return when it’s treated as an operational system, not just emergency coverage. For many fleets, ROI becomes clear once breakdowns begin affecting schedules, costs or driver safety. You are likely to see a measurable return if:
- Your fleet experiences more than two breakdowns per year
- Roadside incidents are a repetitive budget expense
- Past breakdowns have delayed deliveries or disrupted operations
- Your vehicles operate evenings, nights or weekends when staff is unavailable
- Drivers routinely travel outside of your local service area
In these situations, a comprehensive roadside assistance plan can reduce the time, labor and uncertainty tied to every incident.
How a managed roadside assistance strategy drives value
The value of commercial roadside assistance shows up in multiple areas of the business, often immediately after implementation.
Business continuity: Coordinated roadside response reduces the cost of downtime and prevents small disruptions from cascading into missed jobs, overtime labor or customer dissatisfaction. Faster recovery keeps routes and schedules intact.
Employee safety: Breakdowns leave drivers vulnerable, especially on highways or in remote areas. A managed roadside program ensures help is dispatched quickly and that drivers are never left to solve emergencies on their own.
Cost control: Fixed-cost roadside assistance plans, group pricing and vetted providers help fleets avoid inflated emergency rates, repair price spikes and predatory towing charges. Billing is centralized and predictable, making costs easier to manage and forecast.
Comprehensive coverage: Roadside assistance protects both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles under one plan, ensuring consistent outcomes across the fleet and eliminating coverage gaps that create risk.
FAQ: Fleet roadside assistance
Q: Does roadside assistance cover EV battery failures? Roadside assistance can tow EVs with battery failures, but charging or battery replacement is not currently covered.
Q: Are trailers covered under roadside assistance? Trailers are not independently covered, but if the trailer is being towed by a covered vehicle, then we will tow the trailer and it will count towards the vehicle’s allotted yearly uses.
Q: How do telematics reduce roadside calls? Connected fleet maintenance software helps prevent breakdowns through usage-based scheduling, automated reminders and real-time diagnostics that catch issues before they escalate.
Breakdowns that don't break your budget
Breakdowns will always happen. But how fleets respond — and how much those events cost — is within their control.
With integrated fleet roadside assistance programs, organizations turn emergencies into managed events, protect drivers when they’re most vulnerable and gather the data needed to prevent the next breakdown before it happens.
Be prepared before your next breakdown. See plans and pricing.
Sources
1 ATRI Causes and Countermeasures of Predatory Towing, 2023
2 U.S. Department of Transportation, Unfair or Deceptive Fees NPRM, R207011
3 ATRI Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking
4 CPI Bureau of Labor Statistics