A nail in the tread on Highway 99, a blowout on the Yolo Causeway, a dead battery in a Midtown garage. One call to this Sacramento roadside assistance line reaches a local operator, and you hear the quote before anyone drives out.
Seven roadside jobs, tires first
Tire trouble is what Sacramento drivers search for most, so it leads. Jump starts, lockouts, fuel, winch-outs and light-duty tows run on the same number, so roadside service anywhere from Natomas to Elk Grove is one call, quoted on the phone from where you are and what the car needs.
Plug, spare or tow: what a flat usually needs
Many flats are a nail or a screw in the tread, and those can usually be plugged on the spot. Damage on the side of the tire cannot, so the spare goes on. Describe what you see, or text a photo of the tire, and the operator tells you which it is before a truck leaves.
How a roadside quote works in Sacramento
There is no price list on this site, because the price depends on the car, the spot and the hour. Call, say where you are and what happened, and you hear one number before a truck leaves.
No membership and no sign-up fee. Late-night calls, freeway shoulders and the far edges of the county can change the number, and you hear that up front. The list shows what moves the quote for each job.
Call for a quoteWhere the puncture is in the tire, low-profile or run-flat tires, a driveway or a freeway shoulder, the hour of the call.
Locking lug nuts without the key, a wheel stuck on the hub, a spare that is low on air, where the car is parked.
Where the battery sits, a two-battery truck, a parking garage level, the hour of the call.
Make and model, push-button or smart-key entry, whether it is the trunk or a door, the hour of the call.
How far out you are, gas or diesel, a freeway shoulder, the hour of the call.
How soft the ground is, how far to firm ground, the angle of the pull, a safe anchor and room for the truck.
Flatbed or wheel-lift, all-wheel drive, the distance, a freeway shoulder or a garage.
Every job is quoted on the call, because the price depends on the job, the spot and the hour. A tire plug in a driveway and a spare change on the I-5 shoulder are different work. Call (916) 999-7212, say where you are, and you hear one number before a truck leaves.
Often, yes: a nail or screw in the tread can usually be plugged right where the car sits. That gets you to a tire shop for a proper repair. A cut sidewall or a shredded tire cannot be plugged, so the spare goes on instead.
Yes, the line at (916) 999-7212 is answered around the clock, weekends and holidays included. Late calls can change the quote, and the operator says so before a truck leaves. You also hear on the call when a truck can reach you.
No. There is no membership, sign-up or annual fee. You call when something goes wrong, agree on the price and pay for that one job. If an insurer or a credit card already covers roadside help, you can still call; some plans reimburse a paid receipt, so keep it.
Sacramento is home base, and calls also come from West Sacramento, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, Carmichael and Fair Oaks. That covers I-5, I-80, US-50 and Highway 99. Farther out, give your location on the call and you get a straight answer.
Pull as far right as you safely can, turn on the hazard lights and stay belted in with the doors locked. If the car is stopped in a travel lane or anyone is hurt, call 911 first. Give the operator your direction and the nearest exit.
Tire plugs, spare tire changes, jump starts, lockouts, fuel delivery and winch-outs from a soft levee shoulder or a muddy turnout. If a car cannot be fixed where it sits, the operator can arrange a tow. Say what happened on the call and you hear which of these it is.
Where I-5, I-80, US-50 and Highway 99 meet
Flat tires and dead batteries in Sacramento happen where the miles are: on the four highways that cross downtown, on the Capital City Freeway, and on River Road down the levee.
Summer days over 100 degrees wear out batteries and tires, and winter tule fog shuts down sight lines on I-5 and Highway 99. Give the road, your direction and the nearest exit or cross street, and the operator can find you.
Fog in winter, heat in summer
Two kinds of Sacramento weather fill the roadside line. Tule fog sits on the valley floor on winter mornings and hides stopped cars on the freeway. Summer heat over 100 degrees finishes off tired batteries and soft tires.
In fog, get the car fully off the road before you stop, lights on, and stay belted in away from traffic. In heat, keep water in the car, and call before a slow leak turns into a blowout. What to do when the car dies on a Sacramento freeway.
Write it down before you dial
Fill in the ticket and tap send. It goes to the local operator's phone as a text, and they call you back on the number you give. In a hurry? Call (916) 999-7212 instead.
On a freeway, tap the road and your direction, then add the nearest exit or cross street. That is enough for the operator to find you.
(916)999-7212The area this line covers
Sacramento is home base. The same line covers West Sacramento, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, Roseville, Carmichael and Fair Oaks, and I-5, I-80, US-50, Highway 99 and the Capital City Freeway between them.