Roadar

Inspiration

The roadside assistance industry has long been dominated by subscription-based services that create barriers to entry for independent mechanics, while limiting consumer choice. Many mechanics face low wages and unpredictable job availability, which restrict their earnings. This is particularly prevalent for mechanics that operate outside of corporate networks. On the driver side, those that require urgent assistance must either rely on long wait times through legacy providers such as AAA, or seek out unreliable alternatives.

What It Does

Recognizing this gap, we created Roadar, a crowdsourced roadside assistance platform that enables mechanics to operate independently, set their own prices, and gain direct access to customers without intermediary control. Our platform not only expands earning opportunities for registered mechanics, but also provides drivers with faster, on-demand repairs at transparent, market-driven prices. This approach eliminates the subscription-based restrictions of legacy roadside assistance models, allowing mechanics to build their own businesses while providing drivers with accessible, faster service.

How We Built It

Frontend (React Native + Expo)

The mobile application is built using React Native with Expo Router, ensuring seamless navigation, real-time job updates, and a user-friendly interface. Features include:

SSO Authentication – Secure, frictionless sign-in via expo-authentication.
Intuitive UI – Designed for quick job submissions and easy mechanic selection.

Backend (Go + Fiber + MongoDB)

The backend is written in Go, leveraging Fiber for high-performance HTTP request handling. Key functionalities include:

Database Management: MongoDB stores job data, user profiles, and transaction history.
Dynamic Job Matching: Assigns mechanics based on location
Process Management: Ensures efficient resource allocation by handling concurrent job requests and terminating conflicting processes on required ports.
Scalability: Designed to support increased demand without modifying core architecture.

Challenges We Encountered:

Time management - we took on a very ambitious project that was incredibly hard to implement
Live updating

Impact on Mechanics & Competitive Advantage Over AAA

Empowering Independent Mechanics

Mechanics working under AAA contracts earn pre-negotiated rates that are well below what they would make in direct-service roadside repairs. Roadar removes corporate control, allowing mechanics to:

Set their own prices, ensuring higher per-job earnings.
Work flexibly, accepting jobs on their terms without centralized dispatch restrictions.
Expand into new markets, including rural and underserved areas, where AAA lacks coverage.

What We Learned

We had a lot of ideas that we wanted to implement and cool features that we would've liked to add, but had to learn what to prioritize given the time limit. We learned the importance of taking into account everyone's technical abilities and leveraging them to build something meaningful.
Balancing autonomy with efficiency is critical
Scalability matters: Structuring the backend for high-volume, concurrent job handling ensures Roadar can scale as user adoption grows.

What’s Next for Roadar

To expand Roadar’s reach and capabilities, we plan to:

Use natural language processing (NLP) and image recognition to diagnose common car issues before dispatching a mechanic.
Introduce a multi-step vetting process for mechanics, including certifications, customer ratings, and background checks to ensure reliability.
Allow users to decline an assigned mechanic with a reason selection (e.g., bad reviews, distance) and automatically reassign another. Implement real-time GPS tracking so users can monitor the mechanic’s live location and ETA directly in the app
Create a priority-based job queue, ensuring that users without an immediate match are assigned to the next available mechanic.

Conclusion

Roadar introduces a decentralized alternative to subscription-based roadside assistance, positioning itself as a flexible, high-earning solution for mechanics and a cost-effective, on-demand service for drivers. By eliminating corporate-imposed pricing structures, enabling direct job transactions, and optimizing service availability, Roadar challenges the legacy roadside assistance model and creates new economic opportunities for automotive professionals.