What's going on with AAA

[buzzell210]

I am located in Derry New Hampshire and I do not hear AAA at all just wondering what's going on thank you

 

[buzzell210]

AAA towing I forgot to put the towing on there

 

[ScubaJungle]

I can't speak for your area specifically, but I've seen that a lot of towing companies have moved to cell phones as the main communication method.

 

[garys]

AAA New England has laid off a lot of their drivers and dispatchers. Dispatchers seem to be working from home and not using the various radio systems at all. Whether or not this is permanent, I have no way of knowing.

About the only trucks I've seen on the road are the battery sales ones.

AAA had several Talk Groups on the Industrial Communications system, but they have been silent since this Covid 19 stuff started. OTOH, a lot of companies that have contracts with AAA have been very busy with AAA work. Some of those are also on the ICE system, but with their own Talk Groups.

About a month ago I talked with someone whose car had broken down. He called AAA and was told it would be 2-3 days before they could get someone out there to tow it a shop for repair. His car was in his driveway and they seem to be prioritizing emergency work such as break downs on the road and accident tows.

From what I saw a couple of years ago when I had to be towed, the contract companies have a AAA radio and their company radio as well as some sort of computer terminal in the trucks. They may well be using the terminals for a lot of communications now.

 

[wtp]

my stepson worked for a triple A company here and they used phones and/or computers.
the owner said they got tired of other tow companies jumping on their radio dispatched tows.

 

[garys]

AAA up here had some TGs for company owned and operated trucks. They had some other TGs for contractors only. As I recall, each contractor had it's own TG, so there was no jumping of calls.

 

[jmarcel66]

AAA Northern New England, in which the New Hampshire "Local" units had been using a NXDN system based out of Maine with sites in Goffstown, Northfield and some other places. Occasionally, a AAA Southern New England unit might venture into NH or be near the border and as Gary said would be on the ICE 900MHz Mototrbo system.

Lately, I also have only gotten some data bursts on their data TG on the NXDN system and no voice. So I'm guessing they still have units on the road, but don't know where voice ops have gone.

Here is the SNE link to Maine Stream Solutions, where AAA Northern NE is/was.

 

[jmarcel66]

I have seen some AAA trucks in the last few weeks with either no antennas, the VHF removed or a small almost mag mount looking antenna. They had used Mobile Data terminals in the past and I'm wondering if they've vacated all VHF in favor or PTT over Cellular, a voice component on the terminals or simply cell phones.

 

[garys]

The only AAA tow truck, actually a ramp truck, was on the Merritt Parkway in CT. It was towing a car from an accident. I have no idea what, if any radio system they use down there.

In MA, the only AAA vehicles I've seen are battery trucks. I haven't noticed any antennas on them.

 

[jmarcel66]

AAA Southern New England is/was on the Industrial Communications 900 Mototrbo system and covered at least Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Not sure on CT.

AAA Northern New England, based out of Portland was for awhile on 150Mhz analog towing frequencies. Then went to the Maine 150Mhz NXDN Trunked system. Now I'm thinking they're gone from traditional radio to wherever they've now landed. I'd imagine we're done listening to them on a scanner.

 

[garys]

ICE doesn't have any 900 Mhz sites in CT, so it's not that. Neither RR nor the SNE Wiki have any CT AAA information.

Maybe it just coincidental timing that AAA moved to another system at the same time everything closed down due to Covid.