Where the car stopped decides the first call
If any part of the car is still in a lane, or the shoulder is so narrow that traffic passes within a few feet, call 911 before anyone else. Give the road, the direction you were headed and the nearest exit or mile marker. The tire can wait. On a DFW freeway the real danger is being hit by another vehicle, and a 911 dispatcher can send help that protects the scene, which no tire company can do.
If you're in a parking lot, a driveway, a quiet side street or well clear of the road on a wide shoulder, you have time to think. Turn on the hazard lights, set the parking brake, and get everyone out on the side away from traffic before you pick up the phone.
Look at what you're carrying
The quickest fix is usually already in the car. Find the spare (under the cargo floor on most cars, under the rear of many trucks and some SUVs), the jack and the lug wrench. If your wheels have locking lug nuts, find the key too, because the wheel stays on without it. Then look at the tire itself, since what you see decides who you call.
- A small puncture in the tread, with the tire still holding some air: it may be repairable, and a mobile tire repair comes to you.
- A tire that is completely flat or torn, and a good spare in the car: a spare tire change.
- No spare, or a tire damaged beyond repair: a replacement tire has to be brought to you, or the car has to be towed to a shop.
- A locking lug nut and no key: the lock has to come off before the wheel can.
A sensible order for the calls
Once you're safe, work down this list and stop at the first one that gets you moving.
- Your insurer, or the roadside benefit that came with your car or credit card, if you have one. It may cost you nothing, so it's worth two minutes to check.
- A mobile tire service, which comes to where the car is and does the work there.
- A friend or relative who can change it with you, but only if the spot is level and clear of traffic.
- A tow, if the car can't be driven and none of the above applies.
What TRA does for a flat
TRA dispatches from Dallas–Fort Worth around the clock. A flat tire change puts on the spare you already carry and is from $75, plus a $19 dispatch fee charged once per job. A repair for a tread puncture is $54–$60, and a tire supplied and installed is from $129. Dispatch confirms a tire is available before a driver is sent.
Our average arrival is 30 minutes, though the actual time depends on where you are and the traffic. We text or call when the driver is on the way. We don't tow, so if the car can't be driven, you'll need a tow company.
Common questions
Only if you can't get the car out of traffic, or someone is hurt or in danger. A flat on a quiet street isn't an emergency. A flat in a live lane or on a narrow shoulder with fast traffic is, because the risk is a passing vehicle, not the tire.
No. Even a short distance can ruin the sidewall of a tire that could have been repaired, and it can bend the wheel. If the car has to move, keep it to a few car lengths at walking pace, just far enough to get somewhere safer.
Look under the cargo floor panel and check the owner's manual. Many newer cars don't carry one. Tell dispatch what you found when you request help, and we'll point you to the right service.