We just got our van out of the shop. It has a new head on the back side of the engine.
When we first started expediting, we talked to every driver that would visit with us. We new that we could learn from each of them. We were lucky to meet Dave Cunningham for Kirchner, ONT. We both drove for FDCC at that time. One of the things Dave instructed us to do was to set aside .05 cents a mile for each mile we drove for van maintenance. He said to set this aside in a separate account and use it only for maintenance. It does not sound like a lot of money, but it adds up quickly. If you drive 80,000 loaded miles a year, it comes to $4,000 a year. Out of this account you can take oil changes, tires, and minor repairs. If you have a major repair, it will cover your expense without causing you to go out of business or to borrow from who ever. If you don't have major repairs this money adds up year over year and makes a very nice down payment on your next van. This was some of the best advise we were given. If you drive a Sprinter or straight truck you might need to adjust the saving amount to meet your needs. I hope this helps someone else. We are grateful for all of the great advise we have received. 5 years later we still apply all that we have learned to make ourselves better.
When we first started expediting, we talked to every driver that would visit with us. We new that we could learn from each of them. We were lucky to meet Dave Cunningham for Kirchner, ONT. We both drove for FDCC at that time. One of the things Dave instructed us to do was to set aside .05 cents a mile for each mile we drove for van maintenance. He said to set this aside in a separate account and use it only for maintenance. It does not sound like a lot of money, but it adds up quickly. If you drive 80,000 loaded miles a year, it comes to $4,000 a year. Out of this account you can take oil changes, tires, and minor repairs. If you have a major repair, it will cover your expense without causing you to go out of business or to borrow from who ever. If you don't have major repairs this money adds up year over year and makes a very nice down payment on your next van. This was some of the best advise we were given. If you drive a Sprinter or straight truck you might need to adjust the saving amount to meet your needs. I hope this helps someone else. We are grateful for all of the great advise we have received. 5 years later we still apply all that we have learned to make ourselves better.
