Tip #99: Keep a small breakdown kit and your paperwork in the car
A few inexpensive items turn a breakdown from a long, uncertain wait into a manageable one. Keep them in the car with your registration, insurance card and owner's manual.
Tip #99 in one line
A few inexpensive items turn a breakdown from a long, uncertain wait into a manageable one. Keep them in the car with your registration, insurance card and owner's manual.
Stuck right now? Skip the reading and call.
Call nowThe short list
A phone charging cable and a small power bank, because a dead phone is how a breakdown becomes a crisis. A flashlight with fresh batteries. A tire pressure gauge. Reflective triangles or flares, used only where it is safe to place them. Work gloves, a rag and a bottle of water. A warm layer and a blanket in winter, plus an ice scraper and a small shovel.
Keep your registration, insurance card and owner's manual in the glove box, or a digital copy of the manual on your phone. The manual answers questions about towing, jump points, spares and warning lights for your exact vehicle.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowInformation to save in your phone
Our number, (908) 444-0129, under a name you will find under stress. Your plate, VIN, year, make and model. Your insurer's claims number. The name and address of your mechanic or body shop, so you can name a destination on the first call. Know where your spare key is and who can bring it.
Turn on location sharing on your phone, and learn how to send a map pin. A pin gets a truck to you faster than a description of a road you do not know.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowWhen you use it
Get off the road if you can, put the hazards on, and if you are on a highway shoulder stay belted inside with traffic passing close. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or the car is blocking a lane. NJ 511 has traffic and incident information for the major roads.
Then call us. Roadside assistance handles jump starts, flat tires, fuel and lockouts at one flat price each, and emergency towing is quoted before the truck rolls. The towing answers page covers more common questions.
A small first-aid kit is worth the space, and so is a list of any medications or medical conditions for the people who usually ride with you. If you drive with children, keep snacks and something to keep them occupied; waits are easier for everyone.
Check the kit twice a year when you change the clocks. Replace the flashlight batteries, charge the power bank, and swap the winter layer and the shovel in and out with the seasons.
One call, one flat quote, 24/7.
Call nowMore on breakdowns
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- What to do when your car breaks down in New Jersey
- Where to tow your car: home, repair shop or dealer?
- Tip #23: With kids in the car, decide in the first minute whether they stay buckled or get out
- Tip #24: Ask the dispatcher about your pet before the tow truck arrives
- Tip #32: Close the trunk, windows and sunroof before the truck pulls away
- Tip #33: Take your valuables with you, or lock them out of sight
- Tip #45: In a parking deck, give the level and the clearance before a truck is sent
- Tip #48: Call 911 for danger, a tow company for a car that will not go
- All posts
Need towing and roadside assistance right now? One call, truck on the way.
Real dispatcher, 24 hours a day. Quoted price before we roll.