The ROAD iD Story

The Fateful Phone Call Home.

In college, some friends convinced me to train for a marathon.
“Mara-what?!?” - my father exclaimed during one of our Wednesday evening check-ins.

I filled him in on my 26.2 mile adventure, including the part about long training runs on country roads with no sidewalks. Concerned by my questionable judgement, Dad insisted I carry some form of ID while training, just in case.

I failed to oblige.

The Pick-up Truck

That Saturday (just 3 days later), I was run off the road by a shockingly large pick-up truck. From that roadside ditch, I had two harrowing realizations.

First, had I been hit, I could be fighting for life in the local hospital. Without ID, nobody would know who I was, who to call, or how to access vital medical information.

Second, and wildly more intense, I had to admit that my Dad might actually be right about something. Let’s keep this admission between us.

The Basement Beginning

A few months after that near-miss, Dad and I launched ROAD iD from his humble, leaky, cramped basement in Northern Kentucky. We were both completely broke at the time. We did, however, have two untapped credit cards, a fax machine (under 40? Google it), and absolutely no idea what we were doing. Not exactly a winning formula.

What we lacked in resources and experience, we made up for with heart and hustle.
We worked passionately.
We worked without paychecks.
We worked night jobs so we could pay the bills.

Most importantly, we worked toward one simple goal: to see the day when wearing a ROAD ID would help just one person. 

The Phone Call That Changed Everything

“Thank you for calling ROAD iD, how may I help you?”

“Can I speak with the owner?” the caller asked. 

“Of course, just a moment.” I pulled the phone away from my ear and pretended to transfer the call. 

With a slightly deeper voice, I cheerfully greeted the caller. “Hello this is Edward, how may I help you?”

The caller’s name was Michael. Over the next few minutes, he told me about his son who was hit by a car while training for his cross-country season. Because his son was wearing a ROAD iD, both Michael and his wife were able to race to the hospital to comfort their son and make critical care decisions.

Michael was simply calling to say “thank you.” But that first “ROAD iD Story” was a turning point. It changed our lives and emboldened our resolve to share ROAD iD with the world. 

Today 

A lot has changed since that first ROAD iD story. As I write this, ROAD iD has positively impacted more than five million lives. We now hear “ROAD iD Stories” nearly every day.

Some describe minor wipeouts where a wrist was raised to give emergency responders all the info they need. Others come from grateful parents reunited with their children at crowded theme parks. We also hear loads of stories where a ROAD ID was used to save a life. 

And, yes, we occasionally hear stories that are extremely hard to process and difficult to share. Like Martina’s heartbreaking story when her son’s ROAD ID gave her an opportunity to arrive in time to say goodbye, to hold her son’s hand one last time.

So, what's next?

Every ROAD iD story strengthens our commitment to ROAD iD and its life-changing purpose: to save lives, provide peace of mind, and fuel adventure. 

You can trust that we’re locked in on our mission to share ROAD iD with the world.

Thank you for stopping by our website and for taking the time to read how it all started. If you have a ROAD iD story you’d like to share, we’d be super honored to hear from you. You can reach me directly at EdwardW@roadid.com. 

While you’re here, take a look around, check out our new products, or learn about the incredible athletes currently rocking ROAD iDs. 

Thank you for your continued support. 

Be safe out there,
Edward Wimmer
Co-founder

THE ROAD iD MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is two-fold: First, to educate outdoor enthusiasts about the importance of wearing ID; and second, to create innovative identification products that athletes want to make part of their everyday gear.

OUR DREAM

Our dream is to see the day where wearing an ID is as common for athletes as wearing a seat belt is for motorists.

SPECIAL SAUCE

Our customer service will blow your socks off. We know that EVERY customer interaction is important. You'll find that ROAD iD is not just another faceless company. We are real, down-to-earth people with personality, heart and soul. We will treat YOU the same way WE want to be treated. It's just that simple.

PURPOSE OVER PROFIT

It’s not about the money. Yes, we have to care about the lines (specifically the bottom one) mostly because our staff likes to get paid...and rent is due on the 1st. But, at ROAD iD, giving back is not an afterthought. We put our purpose first. More specifically, we’re laser focused on Saving Lives, Providing Peace of Mind, and Fueling Adventure. Our philosophy is this: if we fervently and ethically pursue our purpose, put our customers first, and put forth our best effort, then the bottom line will take care of itself. Furthermore, we commit to being good corporate citizens by financially supporting non-profits that we believe in. But, we DON’T simply make donations with extra profits that are laying around at the end of the year. Instead, we put that commitment first. Donations come out of revenue, not profit. By way of example, ROAD iD Gives Back is an ongoing promise to donate a portion of every (yes, EVERY) order to charity.

BE REMARK-ABLE

When you interact with us, you’re going to want to tell people about it. That’s because we work really hard to deliver a product, service, and journey so blindingly awesome that you can’t help but share it. When you talk about us, you’ll use adjectives like fun, honest, dependable, super fun, personal, passionate, enthusiastic, funny, tenacious, and really exceptionally fun. Oh, and the font on this core value is larger...for a reason. It’s the core value that all the others ladder up to.

FANATICALLY PERSONAL - OUR SPECIAL SAUCE

We believe that people don’t want to do business with businesses. Instead, they prefer to do business with people. Real people. At ROAD iD, you’re going to interact with people that have personality, heart, and soul. You’re not just a number, and we’re not just another faceless company. To that end, we’re gonna treat YOU the way WE want to be treated. It's just that simple. Be warned—you’re gonna want to strap your socks on tight because this fanatical dedication to keeping it real has a tendency to to blow socks clean off.

CARE DEEPLY

We care deeply. Like Grand Canyon deep. We stand behind everything we do and every product we sell. No shortcuts. No excuses. We’re going to work really hard to do things right the first time. When we make a mistake, we’re gonna own it, and make it right. We’ve got your back.

PURPOSE AND PASSION

We save lives and provide priceless peace of mind. At ROAD iD, we don’t make widgets...we make a difference. Our testimonials provide perpetual inspiration and fuel our relentless passion. We are a great company trying hard to be a great company.

EAR TO THE GROUND, EYE TO THE SKY

Like Vanilla Ice said, “if there was a problem, yo I’ll solve it.” (we know you still have the cassette tape in a box somewhere). We’re never completely satisfied and realize there’s always room for improvement. We listen more than we talk because we know most great ideas come from those closest to the issue. To this end, our ears perk up when someone has a problem or experiences friction, as this usually indicates room for improvement. See something that needs fixin’? Let us know.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

ROAD iD is made possible by the grace of God, the love and support of our families and the freedom provided by our Country.