The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has launched its Rural Service Patrol (RSP) in Region 1 in East Tennessee as the next step in a statewide expansion to extend HELP incident response services to rural interstate corridors. The program delivers dedicated roadside assistance, expedited clearance, and enhanced safety coverage in heavily traveled rural areas. While TDOT’s HELP trucks currently serve the state’s four largest urban areas—Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Memphis—the Rural Service Patrol is on track for full statewide deployment by Summer 2026, ultimately covering more than 870 miles of rural interstate.

In Region 1, the program features 40 dedicated staff, 25 fully equipped trucks, 1,344 weekly patrol hours, and 12 defined routes along regional interstates, with real-time coordination through TDOT’s Transportation Management Center. Patrols operate daily from 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., with on-call support overnight for major incidents. Services include free assistance such as fuel and water for stranded motorists, minor mechanical help, first aid, debris removal, queue protection to prevent secondary crashes, hazard reporting, and coordination with other agencies.

The initiative is funded by approximately $16.7 million in new recurring General Fund dollars from the General Assembly’s investment in roadway safety. Following a competitive procurement, TDOT selected AutoBase, Inc., a national incident response leader with extensive experience and resources, to operate the service. Building on the success of the HELP Program since 1999 in reducing congestion and improving safety in urban areas, the Rural Service Patrol extends these benefits to rural corridors where rapid response is critical for preventing secondary crashes and saving lives.