authorizing establishment of a plurality of geographically diverse assistance point facilities;

authorizing establishment of a plurality of geographically diverse wheel component warehouse facilities;

receiving an assistance request regarding the distressed vehicle;

identifying an appropriate assistance point facility in a vicinity of a location of the distressed vehicle;

transmitting information to the appropriate assistance point facility;

transmitting authorization to the appropriate assistance point facility;

directing the repaired distressed vehicle, fitted with a loaner wheel component, to visit one of a plurality of dealer facilities;

providing authorization to the dealer facility to replace the loaner wheel component with a new wheel component; and

directing shipment of the loaner wheel component to one of the assistance point facilities;

wherein each assistance point facility maintains an inventory of loaner wheel components for a plurality of vehicles having differing wheel component requirements,

wherein the assistance request comprises:

information on the location of the distressed vehicle;

information on a nature of damage to the distressed vehicle's wheel component; and

information regarding wheel component requirements of the distressed vehicle;

wherein the transmitted information:

reveals the location of the distressed vehicle; and

enables identification of the loaner wheel component corresponding to the wheel component requirements of the distressed vehicle;

wherein the transmitted authorization:

authorizes a service call to be made to the distressed vehicle; and

authorizes repair of the distressed vehicle by replacing the damaged wheel component with the loaner wheel component.