When you join AAA, you know that you’ll have someone to call if you ever need a tow. But did you know that, in many cases, AAA can help fix your problem on the side of the road, without needing a tow? Many of our trucks are what we call “light-service trucks” – equipped to repair flats, change tires and even replace dead batteries on the spot. I recently tagged along with one of our light-service drivers, just to see what happens out on the road.

Meet Dave, my host for the day:

One of the very first calls we answered was what AAA calls an expedited service call, which Dave said usually means a baby is locked in the car. In this case, it was a sweet little rescue dog named Sasha who had accidentally gotten locked with the keys inside her owner’s van. Here are Sasha and her owner, just after Dave unlocked the door.

I tried to take Sasha home with me, but Dave made me settle for playing fetch with her while he checked the van’s battery. That’s another cool benefit of AAA membership. The driver can test your battery on the spot to help you avoid a dead battery breakdown – one of the top reasons our members call us for Roadside Assistance. (If your battery is more than 4 years old, or if you’re about to head out on a holiday road trip, it’s probably a good idea to get your battery tested for free.) In this case, Sasha’s owner’s battery was just fine – good for him to know since he said he drives back and forth to Utica a lot.

After lunch, the calls really picked up. We went from lockout to lockout to lockout, which really made me feel better about all those times I’ve locked my own keys in the car. The last call of the day was from a woman whose car wouldn’t start. Dave tested her battery to see if that was the problem …

…but he found that the battery was fine. Unable to get her car started up, Dave told her she would need a tow. She wasn’t at home, she wasn’t sure where she wanted to have the car towed, and she couldn’t call her husband to ask because he was unable to talk on the phone.

What did Dave do? He drove the woman to her house 10 minutes away, so that she could speak with her husband in person. Dave went above and beyond all expectations to help that woman with her car: That’s the kind of service that I believe makes AAA different from any other road service provider out there.

When I got home that day, I was – and still am – proud to say that I work for an organization that helps people in so many ways.

How has AAA helped you? Tell us your story in the comments below.