Roadside Assistance Add-In User Guide
User Guide
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Learn how to install and configure the Roadside Add-in in MyGeotab. This solution allows fleet managers to request help for a fleet vehicle experiencing a breakdown or another type of roadside issue.
User Guide
Last updated: October 2024
Introduction
The Roadside Assistance Add-In is a simple solution for requesting help for a fleet vehicle experiencing a breakdown or another type of roadside issue. After roadside help has been requested, the Add-In will show the live positional information of the service vehicle as it drives to the location of the breakdown.
Roadside Assistance is designed to help dispatchers quickly create service requests on behalf of drivers in their fleet. It can also be used by drivers to get help sent directly to the location of their vehicle.
✱ NOTE: Roadside Assistance is only available to customers in Canada and the United States. Devices with GO Plan or ProPlus are eligible for a one-year free trial, expiring at the end of 2025. Devices on Base, Regulatory and Pro plans will be on a pay-per-event basis. Upgrading to GO Plan will enroll your device in the trial. Please see Services and Conditions for details.
Services and conditions
Roadside Assistance offers a number of free roadside services through a partnership with Agero. These services are reserved for qualifying light-duty vehicles only, and are subject to the conditions below.
Towing services for light-duty vehicles greater than 25 miles (for the United States) or 40 km (for Canada) and all services for light-duty vehicles (on Base, Regulatory or Pro plans), medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles are available at a fee. An estimate of the fee is provided within the Add-In. Once you submit a roadside service request via the Add-In, a customer support representative from Agero will reach out to the designated payment contact specified by the service requestor to collect credit or debit card information over the phone. Also, you can provide payment authorization online for out-of-pocket costs.
✱ NOTE: As a general rule, light-duty is any motor vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds (4,535 kg) or less, medium-duty is any motor vehicle with a GVWR between 10,001 pounds (4,536 kg) and 26,000 pounds (11,793 kg), and heavy-duty is any motor vehicle with a GVWR greater than 26,000 pounds (11,793 kg).
Service | Conditions |
Towing | Free within 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the pickup to destination. |
Flat Tire Change | One tire change per service call. More than one flat tire will require towing to a service location. Fixing or patching a flat tire is not included. The service provider will use the spare tire in the vehicle; if the vehicle has no spare or the spare is not operational, the service provider will fill the flat tire if the tow operator has an air pump in the truck, or tow the vehicle. |
Lockout Service | Vehicle must be at an accessible location. Does not include the cost of keys, parts, or additional labor beyond gaining entry to the vehicle. |
Battery Boost | Hybrid and electric vehicles are not included. |
Fuel Delivery | This covers the delivery of approximately 2 gallons/7 liters of fuel. If more fuel is required, the vehicle will be towed and subject to the towing conditions. |
Winching | The vehicle must be at an accessible location and within 10 feet from a maintained roadway. |
Security clearance editing
You can configure access for Roadside Assistance through the Security Clearances page. To customize the usability of Roadside Assistance for users, follow these steps:
- From the main menu, navigate to People > Clearances.
- Select the clearance user type to open the Security Clearance Edit. The default clearance types you can select are:
- Administrator
- Supervisor
- Default user
- Drive App user
- View only
- Nothing
✱ NOTE: You can create sub-clearance types with customized settings.
- In the Security Clearance Edit page, type roadside in the Search for feature field. Three features will display:
- Manage Roadside service requests — If enabled, gives the user access to all functionality within the Add-In.
- View “Geotab Roadside” Add-In — If enabled, it makes the Roadside Assistance Add-In visible in the navigation menu. If disabled, the Add-in will no longer appear in the navigation menu and not be accessible for the user.
✱ NOTE: If this is disabled, the user cannot use the Add-In at all, so manage or view roadside service request settings will not matter.
- View Roadside service requests — If enabled, allows users to only view requests, search, filter, and export selected service requests to a CSV file, within the Roadside Assistance Add-In and database. The user will not be able to submit a new request, update preferences (such as tow locations), or authorize in-progress requests and payments.
- Select the access to features you would like the user to have. The red x box indicates the user does not have access to the feature. The blue checkmark indicates that the user does have access to the feature.
- When you are done making security clearance edit changes, click Save to save the settings.
Accessing the Add-In preferences
The Administrator of your database should adjust the Roadside Assistance preferences after the installation. You can access the preferences by navigating to Roadside Assistance from the main menu. On the Roadside Assistance main page, click Preferences to open the Preferences popup box.
Tow Destinations
The Administrator can determine preferred towing destinations by adding locations to the Tow Destinations list in the Preferences popup box. When requesting a towing service, users can choose to select a preferred towing destination from the list or add a new address in the request. To add a preferred Tow-to location:
- Click + Add tow destination
- Enter Location name and Address
- Click Save changes to save
! IMPORTANT: Administrators that need historical roadside service request data for the period prior to August 15, 2022, should reach out to Geotab Support by clicking Support > Contact Information from the main menu
Using service requests
The Roadside Assistance Service Requests page displays a table of all service requests, including the following information:
- Request ID
- Status
- Request Date
- Vehicle Name
- Request Type
In the top right of the page, see how many requests the page is currently showing out of the total requests that you have.
You can export a CSV file of the Service Requests table by selecting the Export CSV button. A CSV file will download to your device. The CSV file contains detailed information about the service requests that are visible within the table based on any filter or search that has been applied.
Creating a service request
To create a service request:
✱ NOTE: To create a service request from the Drive App, select Roadside Assistance from the Drive App and skip to step 4.
1 | Click + Create service request.
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1 | Select a vehicle from the dropdown menu. ✱ NOTE: The Roadside Assistance service is currently only available in Canada and the US. If the selected vehicle is outside those regions, you cannot proceed. ✱ NOTE: The vehicle must be in the “vehicle” group and active. |
2 | Click the checkmark icon beside the vehicle dropdown to confirm your vehicle selection.
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3 | If a driver is assigned to the selected vehicle, information will automatically be filled out on the Vehicle Information section using the VIN. If a VIN is not available for the selected vehicle, you will need to enter one manually. You must manually enter the vehicle color. This information will be saved for future service requests. ✱ NOTE: If the Fleet Management Application cannot determine the weight class of the vehicle, you will be prompted to fill in the weight class. ✱ NOTE: If the device is not on GO Plan or ProPlus, you will see a banner for Unsupported Device Plan. |
4 | Select the Service type from the dropdown list and answer the questions that are displayed after you select it. The questions vary depending on the service type. The service types available are:
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5 | Enter the requester and driver information. ✱ NOTE: Select The requester is also the driver checkbox to automatically fill out the driver information if they are the same as the requester.
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6 | Select Yes or No for the Can the driver receive SMS? field. If you select Yes, the driver will receive updates about the request via SMS.
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7 | On the Vehicle location, you will see the selected vehicle’s current location. Review the location displayed to ensure it is accurate because the roadside assistance service provider will send their assistance vehicle to this location. If you need to make changes, type the correct address and press the magnifying glass icon.
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8 | Select a Location type from the dropdown list. Add Comments if desired. |
9 | Click/press Submit new request when you are finished. If you missed any required fields, a popup displays and lists the fields you must complete before submitting your request. If your request is complete, you can submit and view the request details.
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10 | Review the driver contact information and select Confirm if it is correct. Select Modify information if you need to update the driver’s name and/or phone number. |
11 | If the requested service is non-complementary, an Out-of-Pocket Cost warning message will display. Select Confirm to continue to the payment authorization.
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12 | After you select Confirm, the Geotab Service Request page will display with a detailed overview of the new request. Select the Authorize payment button. It will display the total costs that you will need to authorize. If you do not want to proceed, select Cancel request.
If you select the Authorize payment button, a new window will open that displays your service details:
Complete the Credit Card field with the correct month, year, and card verification code (CVC). Enter a contact email in the Send Receipt To field. Select Authorize when you are ready to complete the payment authorization. ✱ NOTE: Payment is required to dispatch your service. Your card will not be charged until service is complete. |
13 | After you authorize your request, you can follow the request status and progress using the timeline on the request page. The progress timeline may look different and have additional phases depending on the service type you chose.
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Finding a technician
A nearby service provider is assigned as soon as you create the service request. When a provider is found, they are dispatched to the vehicle’s location. The map then shows the estimated time of arrival for the service provider, as well as their location live on the map, if available.
Service in progress
During this stage of the process, the page displays information about the service being performed, along with the locations of the driver’s vehicle and the service vehicle (if available). If the requested service is a tow, then the locations of the service provider’s vehicle (if available) and the towed vehicle are updated on the map as the tow moves towards its destination.
Viewing active requests
You can view active service requests by clicking a Request ID listed on the Service Requests page. Administrators and Drive App users can view the service requests currently active in the system to see their status. To understand the details displayed on the right-hand side panel, refer to the information below.
1 | The first section displays the stage of the selected service request.
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2 | On the Request details tab you can review driver and vehicle information, service request information, and service provider information.
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3 | The Map tab displays up to three markers on the map:
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