That’s honestly my biggest gripe with insurance roadside—half the time, I’m explaining how to get my minivan onto the truck without wrecking the bumper.
Man, I feel this. I’ve got a couple old cars, and I swear insurance roadside sends out whoever’s closest, not whoever actually knows what they’re doing. Last year my ‘68 Mustang needed a tow and the guy showed up in a flatbed with zero clue where to hook it—he was about to loop a chain around the front sway bar. Had to stop him before he bent anything. Ended up crawling under there myself just to point out the right spots.
With AAA, at least most of their drivers have seen enough weird stuff that they pause and ask before yanking on something fragile. Not perfect, but better odds. My neighbor had her Prius towed by her insurance company’s guy and he tried to winch it up by the plastic cover under the car... that didn’t go well.
I will say, sometimes you get a real pro from insurance roadside, but it feels like a coin toss. With classic or even just “quirky” cars, I’d rather wait longer for AAA if it means they’ll actually listen when I say “please don’t mess up my ride.” The peace of mind is worth it.
Funny thing is, my daily driver is just an old Camry and even with that, I’ve had to stop someone from using the wrong tie-down points. Maybe we’re just cursed with picky cars? Or maybe there really are more folks out there who’ve never loaded anything but SUVs...
Either way, totally get where you’re coming from—sometimes you gotta babysit your own car just to keep it in one piece.
Man, you nailed it—insurance roadside is like spinning a roulette wheel. I’ve seen some real “creative” attempts at towing over the years. One guy tried to use my Accord’s exhaust pipe as a tie-down point... I nearly had a heart attack. AAA isn’t perfect, but at least their folks usually ask before doing something wild. I always tell clients, if you care about your car, don’t be shy about hovering and giving instructions. It’s awkward, but way better than explaining a busted bumper later.
I get what you’re saying, but I’ve actually had the opposite experience a couple times.
—I mean, sure, but I’ve seen AAA send out some pretty questionable contractors too. Once, the AAA guy showed up in an unmarked pickup and barely knew how to use his winch. Ever had insurance send a pro with legit gear? Maybe it’s just luck of the draw, but I’m not convinced AAA’s always the safer bet. Doesn’t it come down to who actually shows up that day?“insurance roadside is like spinning a roulette wheel”
Had a similar thing happen with AAA—guy showed up in a rusty van, looked like he borrowed his tools from a neighbor. But weirdly, my insurance sent a tow once and the driver had all the right gear, even floor mats for my car. Honestly, I never know what I’m gonna get. It’s a total gamble either way.
Honestly, I’ve had the opposite luck—AAA’s always been the more “professional” one for me. Last summer, my car died in the middle of nowhere Nevada (classic road trip luck), and the AAA guy rolled up in a spotless truck, had branded everything, even gave me a bottle of water while we waited for the battery to charge. Meanwhile, my insurance sent some random local tow company once, and the guy barely spoke to me, just grunted and yanked my car onto the flatbed like he was mad at it. Maybe it’s just a regional thing or depends on which contractor they send out? I get what you mean about it being a gamble, though. Sometimes you get the A-team, sometimes it’s like they picked someone up off Craigslist. I still lean AAA just because their network seems more consistent, but I wouldn’t bet my life on it.