Your car quits. You are on the shoulder of I-635 with traffic going past at 70 miles an hour. The question in your head is simple. Can someone fix this here, or does the car need to go on a truck?
Often it can be fixed right there. Around the Clock Towing runs roadside service from our base in Mesquite, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. We are licensed and insured for towing across Texas. You get the price before we send a truck.
What Roadside Assistance Covers, and How It Differs From Towing
Roadside assistance means we fix the problem where your vehicle sits. A technician comes to you with tools and parts. You drive away in your own car.
Towing means the car cannot be driven, so we load it and haul it somewhere else. Our emergency towing service handles those calls.
The split matters because it changes what you pay and how long you wait. A dead battery is usually a roadside fix. A blown transmission is not.
Roadside Services We Provide Across Dallas County
Five problems account for most roadside calls. We handle all five.
Jump Start and Battery Service
We jump the car on site and get the engine running. Then we test the battery. If it will not hold a charge, we can replace it. A jump alone will not help if the battery is dead for good, so testing saves you a second breakdown later that week.
Car Lockout Service
Keys locked inside? We open the vehicle without damaging the door or the window. This works on most makes and models, including cars with power locks.
Flat Tire Change and Repair
We mount your spare so you can finish the drive. If the spare is missing or flat, we may be able to repair the damaged tire on the spot. Sidewall damage cannot be repaired, and that call usually turns into a tow.
Emergency Fuel Delivery
Run the tank dry? We bring enough fuel to reach the nearest station. You fill up properly there. This gets you moving without a walk down the shoulder with a gas can.
Winch-Out and Dolly Service
Slid into a ditch, soft ground, or off the shoulder? We winch the vehicle back onto solid pavement. When the wheels will not roll at all, we use a dolly to move it without adding damage.
Roadside Fix or Tow Truck? How to Tell Before You Call
Knowing which one you need shortens the call and gets the right truck sent the first time.
A roadside fix usually works when:
- The engine cranks slowly or clicks, and the lights are dim
- You have a spare tire and one flat
- The tank is empty
- Your keys are visible inside the locked car
- The car is drivable but stuck in mud or off the pavement
You probably need a tow when:
- The car was in a collision
- Smoke or steam is coming from under the hood
- The engine turns over but will not start after a jump
- You hear grinding or knocking from the engine
- The steering or the brakes stopped working
- Two or more tires are flat and you have one spare
Not sure? Call and describe what happened. We will tell you which service fits and quote it before dispatch.
How to Stay Safe While You Wait for Help
This is the part most drivers get wrong, and it matters more than people think.
Texas law does protect roadside workers. Under Texas Transportation Code § 545.157, drivers approaching a stationary tow truck with its lights on must move over a lane, or slow to 20 miles per hour below the posted limit.
Here is the catch. That law covers the tow truck once it arrives. It does not cover your disabled car while you sit there alone. Passing traffic has no legal duty to move over for you. So treat the wait as the most dangerous part.
While you wait:
- Turn on your hazard lights right away
- Get the car as far onto the shoulder as you safely can
- Exit through the passenger side door if you are next to live traffic
- Wait behind the guardrail or well up the embankment, not beside the car
- Stay buckled inside the vehicle if there is no safe place to stand
- Never stand between your car and oncoming traffic
On a highway like I-30 or Highway 80, standing in front of your own hood is how people get hurt.
What to Tell Dispatch When You Call
Have this ready and the right truck arrives faster.
- Your exact location. A cross street, mile marker, or exit number. The nearest business also works.
- What the vehicle is. Year, make, and model.
- What happened. The symptom, not your diagnosis. “It clicks and will not turn over” beats “I think it is the alternator.”
- Whether the car rolls. This decides whether we send a dolly.
- Whether you are in a traffic lane. That moves your call up the queue.
When Roadside Assistance Will Not Be Enough
Some jobs cannot be finished at the roadside, and we would rather tell you now.
We cannot rebuild an engine on the shoulder. We cannot repair a tire with sidewall damage. If a jump start does not hold, the car is going to a shop. Vehicles with drivetrain damage need flatbed towing rather than a roadside repair, because all four wheels have to come off the road.
If your car was towed by someone else and impounded, we cannot release it. Contact your local police department or dial 311.
What Roadside Assistance Costs, and What Is Actually Free
This is the most searched question in this category, so here is a straight answer.
Some roadside help genuinely costs you nothing. Check these before you pay anyone:
- You are stranded on a Dallas-area freeway. The regional Mobility Assistance Patrol provides free help to stalled and stranded motorists across Dallas and Tarrant Counties and parts of Rockwall, Collin, Denton, Ellis, Parker, and Johnson Counties. Marked trucks patrol the highways and stop without being called.
- Your car is under factory warranty. Most manufacturers include roadside coverage. The number is in the owner’s manual.
- Your insurance policy includes roadside. Many drivers pay for this and forget. Check the back of your insurance card.
- You carry a premium credit card or an auto club membership. Both often cover dispatch.
Where free help stops: those highway patrols work the freeways. They do not come to apartment lots, driveways, office garages, or side streets, and they do not handle lockouts. If you are not on a patrolled highway, you are paying someone.
What drives the price when you do pay: the service you need, your location, and the type of vehicle. Time of day does not change what we charge, because we run one rate around the clock.
We quote you before we dispatch a truck. If the number does not work for you, you have lost nothing but the phone call.
Roadside Assistance Coverage Across the Dallas Area
We dispatch from Mesquite and cover the surrounding cities. That includes Mesquite, Dallas, Garland, Rockwall, Rowlett, Richardson, Sunnyvale, Forney, and Balch Springs. See the full towing coverage area for every city we reach.
We service cars, pickups, SUVs, motorcycles, and light commercial vehicles. Fleet accounts are welcome.
Roadside Assistance FAQs
What is the difference between roadside assistance and towing?
Roadside assistance fixes the vehicle where it sits so you can drive away. Towing moves a vehicle that cannot be driven. If you are not sure which you need, describe the problem on the phone and we will sort it out.
How much does roadside assistance cost?
Price depends on the service and your location. We quote you before we dispatch a truck, so you know the cost up front. You can also request a free quote.
Can you replace my battery, or only jump it?
Both. We jump the car first, then test the battery. If it will not hold a charge, we can replace it so you are not stranded again in a few days.
Do you unlock cars without damaging them?
Yes. We open the vehicle without damaging the door or window. Tell dispatch the year, make, and model so the technician arrives with the right tools.
Can you help if my car is stuck in mud or a ditch?
Yes. We winch vehicles out of mud, ditches, and soft ground. If the wheels will not roll after that, we can put the car on a dolly.
Do you offer roadside assistance for motorcycles?
Yes. We handle motorcycles along with cars, trucks, SUVs, and light commercial vehicles.
Are you available at night and on holidays?
Yes. We run 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including weekends and holidays.
Call for Roadside Assistance in Mesquite and Dallas, TX
You do not have to sit on the shoulder wondering what happens next. Tell us where you are and what the car is doing. We will quote the job and send a truck.
Call us for roadside assistance across Mesquite, Dallas, and Dallas County. For a vehicle that cannot be driven, see our towing services.