What each one does
A roadside lockout service does one thing well: it gets you into the vehicle when the keys are inside, usually without leaving a mark, and comes to wherever the car is. It's quick and it's narrow.
A locksmith does that too, and also works on the keys and locks themselves: cutting and programming keys, repairing a lock that's stuck or damaged, working on an ignition. The overlap is why the choice can be confusing.
A third source is worth a call before you pay anyone: your insurer, your car maker's roadside program or the dealer. A dealer can make keys for your model, and some roadside programs include lockouts.
Match the service to the problem
The easiest way to choose is to ask what's actually wrong:
- The keys are inside the car and you can see them: either one works. Choose on price and how soon someone can arrive.
- The keys are lost or stolen, or you only ever had one: you need a new key made, which is a locksmith or dealer job.
- A key broke off in the door lock or the ignition: that's a locksmith job.
- The fob works, but the lock won't turn, or the key turns but the door won't open: the lock itself probably needs repair.
- The keys are in the trunk: a lockout service handles it, as a longer job priced separately.
Questions to ask any provider
Before anyone is sent, ask for the total, including the trip fee, not just the price of the job. Ask whether they'll need proof the car is yours, because a legitimate provider will. Ask for the company's name and where it's based, and be cautious if the answers are vague or the person won't say.
A very low phone quote that grows once someone arrives is a pattern worth watching for. A straight answer about the total, given before anyone is dispatched, is the thing to look for. And ask how they'll open the car, since the answer should be a non-destructive method.
When someone arrives, check that the name on the vehicle or the invoice matches the business you called. Ask for an invoice when the work is done, and keep it.
What TRA does
TRA's dispatch is local to Dallas–Fort Worth, not an out-of-state call center. A lockout is from $50, plus a $19 dispatch fee charged once per job, and keys locked in the trunk are $120, plus the dispatch fee. The driver confirms the vehicle is yours before opening it.
We open vehicles. We don't cut or program keys. If the real problem is a missing or broken key, that's a locksmith's job, and it's better to know before anyone is sent.
Common questions
Not always, and not always cheaper. The job decides the price, so compare the total, with every fee included, before you agree.
Some roadside coverage does. It takes two minutes to check your policy, your warranty paperwork and any card benefits before you pay out of pocket.
Your exact location, the year, make and model, whether the keys are in the cabin or the trunk, and ID or other proof the car is yours.