The end of January 2019, going into February has been a brutally cold month for the entire Midwest US. We battled through the ice and snow dodging vehicles sliding through intersections and battery’s frozen like blocks of dry ice. 

Car insurance companies seeking help increase the average bill for roadside assistance 2-10x. This is causing many private paying customers to shell out big bucks just to get someone to commit to helping them in a reasonable time frame.

There are more dead batteries than can be replaced in Minnesota and for now we will keep working 20 hour days to meet the high demand.

1. Be Prepared 

As a roadside emergency technician you should already have your basic tools; jump pack, car jack, gas can, and lock out tools. If your looking to get into the roadside business my favorite tools – the ones I use every single day and trust in the extreme cold of a Minnesota winter are:

Noco GB150 Jump Pack

Access Tools lockout Kit

Jack that lifts up to 6000 lbs. in just 3 pumps (Pittsburgh Racing Jack @ Harbor Freight Works Great)

4-5 gallon gas can with a cover so you don’t inhale fumes while driving.

55 gallon trash bags are great, you will always find a use for them.

Tire lowering tools for most suv’s, truck’s or van’s can be obtained at junk yards or used auto part stores if your vehicle tools are missing.

Hammer for rims that are stuck on, I prefer 8lb rubber but any hammer will work in a jam.

hazard light with cig lighter adapter or battery powered led lights – don’t store them in the car or they won’t work when you need them, assemble as part of your daily bag.

LED Head Lamp (Buy the expensive one they almost always are worth it!)

Bibs and Raincoat (Carhart)

Mechanix gloves or any thick gloves will do.