Opening a Service Location in Lareado

Johnp3337 · Dec 16, 2013

Hello All -

I'm looking for some feedback. My wife and I have several sprinters and cargo vans that we run ourselves. The units get back and forth to laredo often. We've found no where in Laredo to get the Spritners serviced. The Cargo Vans, as much as I hate to say we've used wal mart and knock on wood all has worked well. The drivers try to watch as much as they can while the van gets serviced there and double check the technicians handy work. I'm "thinking about" opening a service facility in laredo and
targeting the expedite market since there is always so many of us expediters down there!! Although I've been in transportation for 15 years my family also runs 2 maintenance facilities here in Alabama where we service all makes and models, tires, brakes, etc. Other than MB of Boerne in San Antonio i havent found anywhere in Laredo that will touch the sprinter. As an FYI, the last time MB of Boerne did a service for us they didnt even reset the ECM to tell the van it had been serviced, what a crock.
The MB Dealer in laredo doesnt service Sprinter. Would this be helpful to you all? And ofcourse we'll give everyone the Expediter discount.

davekc · Dec 16, 2013

You could probably open a full van and truck stop. They have four dealerships for trucks and a couple of private repair places and most are a revolving door of the same unskilled mechanics. That pretty much ensures poor service regardless of who works on it.
Much better service up in San Antonio.
If you open up, bring your own mechanics.

x06col · Dec 16, 2013

davekc said:
You could probably open a full van and truck stop. They have four dealerships for trucks and a couple of private repair places and most are a revolving door of the same unskilled mechanics. That pretty much ensures poor service regardless of who works on it.
Much better service up in San Antonio.
If you open up, bring your own mechanics.

With some inbound roadside advertising AND outstanding service........you may even consider giving up the expediting gig.

danthewolf00 · Dec 16, 2013

The nearest sprinter mech is in corsicana,tx at berrys dodge then one in dallas somewhere.

geo · Dec 16, 2013

become a sub dealer team up with mb dealer and service and sell sprinter van's

cannedmeat27 · Dec 16, 2013

Dodge in Laredo will service my 2008 sprinter.

xiggi · Dec 17, 2013

danthewolf00 said:
The nearest sprinter mech is in corsicana,tx at berrys dodge then one in dallas somewhere.

Freightliner in Austin.

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Turtle · Dec 17, 2013

xiggi said:
Freightliner in Austin.

There's also San Antonio Dodge 160 miles north of Laredo in San Antonio, on the north side of town on I-35 just north of the 410 Loop split. It's maybe 10 miles from the J.

And the same distance from Laredo to San Antonio is Ed Payne Motors on Hwy 83 in Weslaco, which is maybe 10 miles east of Pharr and McAllen. The Sprinter tech there is very good.

OntarioVanMan · Dec 17, 2013

all the above said....It would be nice to have a tech with ECM and programming knowledge and access to the software.....for those elec. /code problems.....most other stuff is just mech, that usually don't take a special trained tech to do....brakes/ waterpumps/ altenators/wheel bearings.......

xiggi · Dec 17, 2013

Turtle said:
There's also San Antonio Dodge 160 miles north of Laredo in San Antonio, on the north side of town on I-35 just north of the 410 Loop split. It's maybe 10 miles from the J.

And the same distance from Laredo to San Antonio is Ed Payne Motors on Hwy 83 in Weslaco, which is maybe 10 miles east of Pharr and McAllen. The Sprinter tech there is very good.

I think as dodge was sold a year or so ago and no longer service sprinters. The building has a different name and I seem to remember someone calling about service and were told no.

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Turtle · Dec 17, 2013

It's probably been 2 years since I've been to San Antonio Dodge for any service, and maybe a year since I ran by there and bought a part, so I dunno. They come and go so quickly these days. But Ed Payne Motors (Dodge dealer) is still there and servicing Sprinters, as of 2 months ago.