Bosch acquires Illinois-based Roadside Protect Inc., expanding its mobility business
The popularity—and success—of the mobile maintenance business is something big players in the industry want a piece of, and Germany-based engineering and technology giant Bosch is no exception.
Bosch, which currently manages connected services for more than 20 automotive manufacturers and numerous other providers of mobility services worldwide since 2012, has plans to further expand its Bosch Service Solutions mobility service business in the U.S., and the company acquired Roadside Protect Inc., headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, to help achieve its goal.
“The acquisition is a strategic component for further expanding the services we offer in the North American market,” Henning von Boxberg, president of Bosch Service Solutions, said in a release. “With this acquisition, we are combining our global customer network and our expertise in breakdown service with the North American towing industry.”
Roadside Protect employs around 200 people. Bosch and Roadside Protect signed contracts for the acquisition on January 31, 2025.
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Mobile service units will be the future of trucking maintenance, said Jim Xintaris, general manager at Michigan-based Reefer Peterbilt dealership, who made the statement at an industry conference this past fall.
And the industry has indicated as much, with the rise of mobility services from Cox Automotive, Ryder, and others, as FleetOwner affiliate publication Fleet Maintenance outlined in an article from 2024.
Founded in 2002, Roadside Protect provides towing and roadside administration services along with motor club products in North America to fleets, automotive manufacturers, aftermarket, and insurance clients. It handles breakdowns, recall administrations, claims processing, and other services from passenger cars to heavy-duty vehicles.
Further, “Roadside Protect operates a digital platform through which it manages its partner network of more than 12,000 towing companies in the U.S. and Canada,” von Boxberg stated.
This digital platform is something Roadside Protect and Bosch Service Solutions have in common. These platforms enable both companies to transparently and efficiently process service requests. Marrying the platforms together connects Roadside Protect’s regional industry knowledge with Bosch’s global service setup and technology and service expertise.
Bosch’s capabilities provide valuable information to dispatchers—with real-time connected vehicle information, for example—which helps resolve breakdowns on-site, negating the need for a tow.
“By bringing these companies together, we will bring the capabilities and quality of breakdown services in North America to a new level,” Vince Sommer, chief sales officer of Roadside Protect, said. “Innovative technologies, personal service, and very good regional coverage help us to address the breakdowns for our clients as quickly as possible and supports drivers in these stressful situations with seamless and effective customer service."
