Who do Texas Tech students call for roadside assistance?
Texas Tech students, faculty and staff can call Lubbock Roadside Assistance at (806) 432-8900 any time. A mobile technician comes to the vehicle in a campus lot, a parking garage or an off-campus apartment complex for jump starts, lockouts and flat tires. Ask about student pricing when you call.
This is an independent Lubbock roadside company, not a university department, so it works the same whether the car is on campus, across University Avenue or at a house in Tech Terrace. A parent in Dallas, Houston or out of state can make the call for a student. The dispatcher needs the location of the car and a phone number for the person standing next to it.
The most useful thing to give is the lot name or number on the nearest sign and the closest building. Commuter West, the area around United Supermarkets Arena, or the Flint Avenue garage each describe a large space, so add the row or level and the color and model of the car.
Is there free roadside help on the Texas Tech campus?
Possibly. Texas Tech Transportation & Parking Services has offered a Motorist Assistance Program for vehicles parked on campus, so check with that office first for current hours and what is covered. Also check whether a family auto insurance policy or motor club membership includes roadside coverage for the student's car.
Free is the right price when it is available and the timing works. University programs typically apply to vehicles on university property and run during set hours. They are not a fit for a car at an off-campus apartment at midnight, a flat on the Marsha Sharp Freeway, or a lockout at a restaurant on Broadway.
Insurance and motor club coverage follows either the car or the member, depending on the plan, and many students do not know which one they have. A two-minute call home settles it. When none of those options is available, or the estimated wait will not work with an exam or a shift, a pay-per-use call is the fallback. It is one visit and one quoted price, with nothing to sign up for.
Is there student pricing for roadside help?
Ask about student pricing when you call. The dispatcher quotes the price for the visit, whether it is a jump start, a car lockout or a flat tire change on and around the Texas Tech campus. Fuel delivery is typically $45 to $75 plus the cost of the fuel, and an on-site tire puncture repair is typically $60 to $100.
Faculty and staff can ask about pricing when they call too. For a lockout, the technician will also ask for something that connects you to the car, such as the registration or insurance card inside it. That check protects every student whose car is parked on campus.
Jump starts include a charging-system check, so you find out whether the battery simply sat too long or needs replacing. More on that is under battery service and jump starts. Lockouts use an air wedge and reach tool, as described under car lockout service. Payment is by card, Apple Pay or cash when the work is done.
Where on and around campus do you respond?
Anywhere a vehicle can be reached: commuter and satellite lots, residence hall parking, the Flint Avenue parking garage, the lots around Jones AT&T Stadium and United Supermarkets Arena, the Health Sciences Center on 4th Street, and the streets and apartment complexes in Overton and Tech Terrace.
Campus is bounded roughly by 4th Street, University Avenue, 19th Street and the Texas Tech Parkway side to the west, with the Marsha Sharp Freeway running along the north edge. The technician reaches it from the freeway, 19th Street or Broadway depending on which side the car is on, so say which entrance is closest.
Parking garages need one extra detail, the level and the nearest stairwell or elevator. Service trucks have height limits, and the technician may park outside and walk in with a portable booster pack or lockout kit. Off campus, the student apartment complexes along 4th Street, Indiana Avenue and the freeway corridor are covered in the same way. Give the complex name, the building number and whether the lot is gated, because a gate code saves several minutes.
What are the most common student car problems in Lubbock?
Dead batteries lead the list, especially after a car sits through winter break, spring break or a few weeks of walking to class. Lockouts are next, followed by flat tires from nails and screws, and empty tanks. Most are fixed where the car is parked in a single visit.
A car that sits is slowly draining its battery through the alarm, the keyless entry and the onboard computers. Add a Lubbock cold snap in January and a battery that was fine in November will not turn the engine over. If you are leaving a car for more than two weeks, start it and drive it for half an hour before you go.
Nails and screws are common around campus because of constant construction and apartment turnover. A slow leak that needs air every few days is a puncture, and it can usually be fixed on-site with mobile tire repair before it becomes a flat in a parking garage. Lockouts cluster around move-in, finals and game days, when routines change and keys end up on the seat.
Can I get help on game day or during move-in?
Yes, but allow extra time. On football Saturdays the streets around Jones AT&T Stadium are congested and some are closed or restricted, and move-in week fills every lot and loading zone near the residence halls. The technician still responds, though they may need to park farther away and walk in.
You can help by making the car easy to reach. If it will move, get it out of a tailgate lot or loading zone and onto a side street or into a regular space. If it will not move, describe where it is in relation to something fixed, such as a numbered light pole, a building entrance or a lot sign.
Stay with the vehicle or within sight of it, and keep your phone on and charged. The technician will call when close. If the car is blocking traffic or parked where it will be ticketed or relocated, tell the dispatcher so the technician knows what to expect. For anything away from campus, the main Lubbock Roadside Assistance page lists every service and price.