Monday morning, I woke up early ready to start the week of work. It had been the first day back from two weeks of leave—so I didn’t want to come in late; more importantly, I wanted to get in early so I could get a jump on the projects that I had missed. I was right on schedule, maybe even ahead of schedule, when I got in the truck named “Clifford”.
I love Clifford”. Clifford was named by my then 6 year old niece after the popular “Clifford: The Big Red Dog” book and TV series. Because, after all, it is a “big red truck”. Clifford is a 2001 Chevy Silverado. It is a great truck with little problems.
I backed out of the drive way and started listening to my book on audible. I slowed through one intersection with no problems. The second intersection, the truck had to be restarted. And at the third intersection, Clifford shut completely off. There was no power. No power to the started. No power to the overhead lights. And, no power to the emergency flashers. I was stuck at a dark four way stop on a Monday morning at 0530.
Luckily, in my wallet, I had the phone number to USAA Roadside Assistance. Roadside Assistance is an add-on to my insurance. I think it started out as a type of Auto Club, but is now simply “Roadside Assistance”. With one phone call, they will unlock your car when you lock your keys inside and are four hours from home—done that. They will also give you a jump start when the kids turn on the inside lights to the car overnight—done that too. And, they will tow your truck to the Chevy service center when it unexplainably shuts off on a busy road and a busy day.
The tow truck came and took Clifford to the Chevy service center about three miles away. I found out that the battery cable had shaken loose—but I couldn’t see that in the dark. There was nothing major wrong and the service center replaced the wires. Clifford even got an oil change out of the deal.
So, this week’s pick of the week goes to Roadside Assistance. I don’t want to use it, but it certainly comes in handy when I must. If you have USAA for your car insurance, double check that you have Roadside Assistance—you’ll be glad you did. If you don’t have USAA, check with your insurance company to see if they have something similar. Or join AAA—the original auto club.
Judy Wilson says
Your story seems like a great example of why I need to have the number for a reliable roadside assistance company. It seems that any car would need help getting off the road after an accident, or if it won’t start after malfunctioning. I wouldn’t want to be stuck on the road without an internet connection to use for searching for a tow truck, so I should get the number for different tow companies that are available in case I find that my car won’t start. Thanks for posting this!