A breakdown on I-40 or I-17 can happen miles from the next exit. Here is how to get safe, give your location, and get the right help headed your way.
Northern Arizona's interstates carry everything from family road trips to loaded tractor trailers. I-40 runs east and west through Flagstaff, Williams, and Winslow, and I-17 climbs north from the Verde Valley to meet it. Long stretches between exits, steep grades, and fast-changing mountain weather mean a breakdown here can feel a long way from help.
Roadside Repair LLC has answered breakdown calls on these highways since 2001. Here is what we tell every driver who calls us from the shoulder.
1. Get Off the Travel Lane and Get Visible
If the vehicle still moves, ease it as far onto the shoulder as you safely can, or take the next exit if you can reach it without risking more damage. Turn on your hazard lights right away.
Commercial drivers should set out their warning triangles as federal safety rules require for a stopped commercial vehicle. Everyone else should put out reflective triangles or flares if they carry them. On a curve or the crest of a grade, place them far enough back that traffic sees them before it sees you.
Once the vehicle is marked, think about where you wait. On a busy interstate the safest spot is often well away from traffic, off the shoulder and behind a guardrail if there is one. Never stand between your vehicle and moving traffic.
2. Pin Down Exactly Where You Are
The fastest way to get help to you is a precise location. Before you call, look for:
- The nearest mile marker and your direction of travel (eastbound or westbound on I-40, northbound or southbound on I-17)
- The last exit you passed, or the next one ahead
- Landmarks such as a truck stop, a rest area, an overpass, or a named canyon or grade
Some stretches of northern Arizona have limited cell coverage, so a mile marker and direction of travel are worth more than a dropped pin that may not send. If your phone can share your location, send it as well.
3. Describe the Problem as Clearly as You Can
A good description helps us send the right truck with the right parts the first time. When you call, tell us:
- What kind of vehicle it is: passenger car, RV, box truck, semi, or tractor trailer
- What happened right before it stopped: a noise, a warning light, a smell, smoke, or fluid on the ground
- Whether it will start, and whether it is safe to move
- Whether you are hauling a load, and if anything about the cargo needs special handling
Some problems are quick fixes on the shoulder: a flat tire, a dead battery, a lockout, or an empty tank. Others, like an axle, air system, or electrical fault, need a technician with diagnostic tools. Telling us what you see and hear lets us tell the difference before we roll.
4. Call a Mobile Repair Team Before You Call a Tow
Many breakdowns can be fixed right where the vehicle sits. A mobile crew can often get you moving again without the cost and delay of a tow, especially for heavy trucks, where a tow can mean a long wait and a big bill.
Our trucks dispatch from Flagstaff 24 hours a day, every day of the year. We handle semi truck roadside assistance, emergency fuel delivery, truck lockout service, and spare tire mounts on the shoulder, along with semi truck repair and trailer repair using JPRO and Pro-Link diagnostics for the problems that go deeper.
When you call, we will give you a straightforward quote before anyone rolls out, so you know what to expect.
5. Fleet Drivers: Loop In Your Dispatcher
If you drive for a fleet, let dispatch know where you are and what happened as soon as you are safe. Fleets can set up a service relationship with us ahead of time so drivers can call us directly and get help moving without waiting on approvals. If your dispatcher calls us for you, give them the same location details and description so nothing gets lost along the way.
6. Stay Safe While You Wait
Northern Arizona weather changes fast, and temperatures at elevation can drop sharply after dark. While you wait:
- Keep water, a jacket, and a flashlight in the cab year round
- Stay buckled in if you must stay in the vehicle, and keep your hazards on
- Run the engine for heat only if the exhaust is clear and the vehicle is safe to idle
- Keep your phone charged and answer calls from unknown numbers, since it may be the technician on the way
Broken Down Right Now?
Call Roadside Repair LLC at (928) 699-0436. We answer 24/7 and serve drivers along I-40, I-17, and Route 66 from Flagstaff out to Williams, Winslow, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon. Give us your mile marker and what you are seeing, and we will get a technician headed your way.