18 Sep The only roadside assistance number you’ll ever need!

With all the innovation in the models for food delivery and taxi services, it seems like an oversight that the current model for roadside assistance feels so antiquated. Extensive wait times, unreliable providers, and fixed subscription fees are just a few of the pains that may come with your roadside assistance provider. But there is another option!

Mach1 is the first roadside assistance service to run through an on-demand app. This allows Mach1 to provide its customers with automated dispatch, faster response times, in-app communication with providers, reliable providers, and on-demand pay.

This all may sound too good to be true. It is hard to believe an option for roadside assistance exists that surpasses its competitors in nearly every regard. Read on to learn more about who Mach1 is, what services they provide, and how they truly are one step ahead of their competitors.

Who is Mach1 Services?

Mach1 Services is a on demand roadside assistance company founded in San Antonio, Texas, by husband-and-wife team Rick and Laura Naipaul. Their goal in launching Mach1 Services, which they did in 2018, was to provide customers with a safer and more efficient roadside service option.

• Vision Statement: Create a symbiotic network of customers and service providers through an on-demand roadside assistance mobile app that automatically dispatches providers based on consumers’ needs and provider expertise.
• Mission Statement: To create and maintain an on-demand roadside assistance app that connects customers with service providers through an automated dispatch system and service system.

The key to Mach1 Services’ company is its Silicon Valley-era methodology for roadside assistance. The company is groundbreaking, the first roadside assistance company to go completely digital. This digitization isn’t just to hop on a trend. Mach1 Services uses its digital platform to streamline the way roadside assistance works and to improve the service.

As a result, Mach1 offers a platform with Uber’s intuitiveness with comparable functionality to any other roadside assistance company. Besides, Mach1 has cutting edge features for the roadside assistance sphere. These features include…

• Automated Dispatch: Service providers are automatically dispatched to your location at the press of the button. Decreases wait times and automatically targets the best provider near your location.
• Price Windows: This feature allows service providers to set their prices within a specific price window set by Mach1. This feature allows for fairer prices, fairer wages and eliminates price haggling.
• GPS to Customer: The app comes with a built-in map to track your service provider’s location and estimated arrival time. It essentially functions the same as the built-in maps for Uber or Postmates.
• In-App Communication: You can text or call your service provider through the app.
• Rewards Program: Mach1 service providers are eligible for cashback rewards. For every 100 service calls a provider takes, they receive a $25 bonus. For 25 subsequent 5-star ratings, a service provider can earn an additional $25.

These features are intriguing, but Mach1’s greatest feature is its ability to ensure its clientele’ safety. Making roadside assistance safer was a priority for CEO and Co-Founder Rick Narpaul, who posits, “What’s the number one concern as a husband if my wife needs roadside assistance? Safety. I want to know the person coming to help my wife; kids are not a criminal.”

When researching their competition, Rick and Laura found inconsistencies in how vetted these companies would claim their providers to be and how vetted they were. In response to these safety concerns, Mach1 has a multi-faceted screening process, including background checks and accurate identifying documentation for each of their providers.

Besides, Rick and Laura noticed gaps in how much these roadside assistance companies were charging their customers and how much they were paying their providers.

Some roadside assistance companies charge their customers upwards of $100 annually, regardless of whether or not they even required their services that year. Meanwhile, companies like AAA pay their contractors between  $19 and $23 per call.

Mach1 uses a price window to determine the maximum and minimum amount a provider can charge for any individual service. The service provider then chooses the amount within that window that they believe is a fair wage for their work.

In return, Mach1 only charges its customers for the services that they request. There are no annual fees with Mach1, only fair prices for the services that the customer requires.

Company	Membership fee	Employee Wages	Type of Dispatch
AAA	$52 – $169/year	$14 – $23/hour	Manual
Allstate	$79 – $139/year	$14 – $21/hour	Manual
Mach1	No Fee	Set by Employee	Automatic

This data was compiled from Calstate.aaa, Minneapolis.aaa, Cheapfullcoverageautoinsurance, and Glassdoor.

This all plays into Mach1’s motto, “People Helping People.” Rick Narpaul elaborates on Mach1’s motto by contending, “We feel there are really good people in the world that want to help each other, and by giving the provider the power to decide the amount demonstrates that.”

This dedication to their service providers benefits both the providers and the customers, but let’s talk a bit more about how dedicated Mach1 is to their customers.

One of the key differences in Mach1’s model is its automated dispatch system.

Most other roadside assistance companies use manual dispatch, which forces the customer to call the company, sending a provider to the customer’s location. Compared to current food delivery services and taxi services where a provider is dispatched to the customer’s location at the press of a button, this method feels incredibly outdated.

Mach1 is the first roadside assistance company to usher the old dispatch model into the future.

Not only can the customer request a provider to come to their location with the press of a button, but the Mach1 app allows the user to track the provider’s estimated time of arrival. The app also has built-in text and call features that allow users to communicate with these providers constantly.

Automatic dispatch cuts down lengthy wait times and cuts out the middleman, which allows for more streamlined communication between the customer and the provider.

Another way Mach1 stands out from other roadside assistance companies is in its payment processing. The payment for any roadside assistance you may receive through Mach1 is processed through the app. Therefore, you know what you are being charged before the provider arrives, and the transaction is entirely paperless.

Ultimately, Mach1 Services is the first of all future roadside assistance companies. But, to access all of its unique features, you need to have the app.

Do I Need Mach1’s Roadside Assistance Number Only, or Can I Download the App?

Mach1 does have a number to reach a representative from the company, but with Mach1, you would use the app to request roadside assistance. The Mach1 app is free to download in the app store, and all of its unique services are made possible by the app, so it is a necessary download.

The app is fairly intuitive and bears a resemblance to other on-demand service apps like Uber or Postmates. The text is easy to read, and most of the interactable icons have photos representing them. There is also a built-in map that lives updates so that you can watch your provider make their way towards you in real-time.

The Mach1 Roadside Assistance app is available to download for iOS and Android phones at the Apple Store or Google Play.

What Services Does Mach1 Provide?

Mach1 Roadside Assistance provides the same basic services that many other roadside assistance companies offer. These services include…

• Flat Tire: The service provider will replace your tire if you have a spare tire on hand. If not, Mach1 is working on adding a service for purchasing tires directly from the app, but you should request a tow truck in the meantime. Prices for this service may vary based on your location, but flat tire service tends to cost between $0-60 depending on the tire.
• Tow Truck: You can choose between a standard or a flatbed tow truck on the app, and on your first call, you get five free miles. Beyond 5 miles is $2-3 per mile. If you don’t know where you want to tow your vehicle, the Mach1 app offers a list of preferred shops that you can choose from.
• Dead Battery: Mach1 is in the process of adding a service for ordering replacement batteries directly through the app. If you are not sure if your car battery is dead or not, you can request a mobile mechanic and then add “jump start” to services once the mechanic diagnoses the problem.
• Out of Fuel: Mach1 Roadside Assistance will offer you two gallons of fuel per service call, and you can choose between unleaded, premium, or diesel fuel through the app. Prices for a Mach1 gas fill-up range from $45-60 depending on your location and gas type.
• Mobile Mechanic: When ordering a mobile mechanic, the initial fee includes a diagnosis. Once the mechanic has diagnosed the problem, the mechanic will add the services as needed, only at your behest.
• Lock Out: Mach1 Roadside Assistance service providers are required to carry universal lock-out tools, so they can guarantee to resolve any lock-out issues.
• Trip Inspection: A trip inspection is a crucial preliminary step to complete before any major road trip. A trip inspection typically covers your car’s fluid levels, brakes, tires, 5^th wheel, clutch, ball joints, shock absorbers, kingpins, gauges, and lights. The initial fee for a trip inspection is for the diagnosis. Additional services can be added as needed by the service provider, at the behest of the customer.
• Non-Emergency: This service connects you to your local police department if an officer is needed for your situation. Over 65% of 911 calls are for roadside assistance, so these situations are more common than you may believe. Furthermore, this is a free Mach1 service, so if you do not know the number for your local police station, the Mach1 app is an excellent substitute.

Although these are the basic services listed on Mach1’s website, the company is rapidly expanding, so more services and features should be available soon.

In Conclusion

Mach1 Roadside Assistance is a necessary app for your phone if you are tired of paying annual fees for roadside assistance companies that you rarely, if ever, even use. The Nascent app has been compared to Uber’s likes by Business Wire, and this comparison does not feel misplaced or overzealous once you start using the app.

There may not be much excitement about the business sphere of roadside assistance. Still, there was undoubtedly very little interest in the taxi companies’ business sphere until Uber came around. Let’s say the roadside assistance sphere is about to get a lot more interesting.