Broke down on the highway at night with kids, how do you pick a recovery truck?
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Something happened to us on Thursday night that I am still thinking about, so I wanted to write it down and ask for advice. We were driving back from a family dinner in my 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser, with my wife and our two small kids asleep in the back, when the engine suddenly lost power and the car slowed down by itself. I managed to pull onto the shoulder, but the engine would not restart, and there was a burning smell I did not like. It was almost eleven at night, the road was dark, and trucks were passing very fast beside us. I called the first number I found online, and the man said he would arrive in twenty minutes. It took over an hour, and then he asked for a price that was triple what he first said on the phone. I did not have any choice, so I paid, but I felt cheated and also scared the whole time. My brother says I should have called the insurance helpline first, because they send someone for free. My friend says insurance trucks take forever and a private one is faster. I read a page from a workshop in Sharjah about vehicle recovery, and it explained that a flatbed is safer than hooking the front wheels for some cars, and that a good service confirms the price and the arrival time before leaving. That was useful, because I never asked any of that. Since I live in the area, I later typed Trusted car recovery service in Sharjah into my phone, mostly to see how people usually pick one before an emergency happens. So here is what I want to ask. Do you save a recovery number in your phone ahead of time, and how did you choose it? Is a flatbed really better for a heavy SUV like mine, or is that only a way to charge more? Also, what should I ask on the phone so the price does not change when they arrive? One more thing, with kids in the car at night, should we stay inside or wait outside the vehicle? If you had a breakdown on the road, please tell me how it went and what you paid. Thanks everyone.