Driving in California is one of my favorite pastimes. There are so destinations and so diverse landscapes within a few hours of San Diego that every time I have an opportunity to get away for a few days I hit the road.
From the cool mountains in Big Bear, to driving across the dessert to Nevada or up the highway 5 along the coast in direction to San Francisco, you trip is bound to be fun, but there is always a weak link, and that’s your means of transportation, I couldn’t be more careful when it comes to maintaining my Jeep in tiptop shape, first because it’s not exactly a gas saver and second because I would hate it to be stuck along the way with a flat tire or any kind of mechanical or electrical problem. When it happens though, and trust me, it will eventually happen, I’m well prepared, either through my independent towing company or through a AAA membership.
Here is a summary of how one stands against the other. This comparison should help you make a choice for your roadside assistance needs.
Who stands behind the company?
AAA is a privately held non-profit national member association and service organization with over 58 million members in the United States and Canada. Its headquarters are in the state of Florida.
Independent tow truck operators are private individuals, usually they go into business as a small one person company and they know all the ins and outs of the areas they serve.
When you hire AAA you are paying a very large non profit organization that has members and supports drivers across the entire country. When you hire an independent tow truck you are supporting a local individual and his/her family in the area where they work.
How to you sign up for their services?
To call AAA and use their services you need to have previously signed up for their services and become a AAA member. They have more than one membership level, read it carefully so that you know what’s includede and what not. Cost annually is lower than $100 for the basic, and slightly over $100 for the extended coverage. The more expensive membership gives you more tow miles for free.
If you have an old car and it breaks down often or you know there are several parts that may fail at any time, AAA is probably a very good option. You call the number on the card and a tow truck will come to your car, and tow it to the location of your choice–whether it’s a garage or your home.
When you call an independent towing business they don’t ask for you to be a member of anything alike, most likely they will ask you about the particulars of your car, and the type of service that you need. With so much competition from other local tow trucks, AAA plus other towing apps, they are typically very reliable, give you an estimate according to the distance and go above and beyond to gain your business.
What services do they offer?
Good news is that both AAA and most towing service companies claim to offer 24-Hour Roadside Assistance and almost the same types of services, jump starts, battery tests, and changing a flat, towing and more:
- Towing San Diego
- Flatbed Towing
- Motorcycle Towing
- Car Lockout/ Car Unlocks
- Accident Towing
- Tire Change/ Tire Repair
- Jump Starts
- Off Road Recovery
This article was brought to you by Mission Valley Towing. A flatbed towing company service San Diego for over 2 decades. Call (858) 278-1247 – For 24/7 For Emergency or Roadside Assistance
