Recent content by trobertson

I have a 2014 Promaster on the road with more than 140,000 miles on it, with $0 in repairs. We also have a couple of Transits out there with considerably fewer miles, also with $0 spent on repairs. Both appear to be getting the job done! I can't at this moment remember the exact number of...

At one time I thought that I may have had Mercedes Benz ear, as I had three meetings with Klaus Tritt, who heads up the US market for Mercedes Benz...that's right Mercedes Benz's top dog for Sprinter in the USA!. Long story short, we were "given" a 2014 4 cylinder extended high roof van for one...

Here's an article I posted on linked in on Apr 24th this year... To be fair we actually had a couple of them reach the 150,000 mile mark without too many problems however, 2 out of the total number is not exactly stacking the odds in anyones favor. If you haven't had any problems with your post...

OVM... Very smart move on your part, as always! I hope you get another 500,000 miles on the rebuild. Tom Robertson A. Blair Enterprises, Inc. Louisville, KY

OVM... No Im in the throws of a mass exodus. We took delivery of one in August of last year - (150,000 mi) on a Promaster. That vehicle has required tires and oil changes only. Then over the next few months we added a fewTransits, and a few more Promasters...the remaining numbers for fleet...

I've got one with about 150,000 miles on it...so far we changed the oil and replaced the tires. A 2013 Sprinter with like mileage cost me more that $15K at that mileage. So far I really like the vehicle. Ours are LWB high roof 3500's. Hope this helps! Tom Robertson A. Blair Enterprises, Inc...

I would STRONGLY recommend that you consider either the Dodge Promaster or Ford Transit with gas engines over the Sprinter. Both the 4 and 6 cylinder models are diesels and the maintenance and repairs on these vehicles accelerates dramatically as your odometer increases. I've owned 47 of them...

Perhaps I can answer some of the questions within this thread. We DO NOT run our “drivers to death”. In fact we hear the usual complaints of all driver’s about sitting too long. Sorry, my friends, it simply the life of an expediter! Our drivers let us know how much rest they need and we do...

Thanks to all who responded to both threads. My reason for asking should now be as clear as a freshly washed windshield. A business owner in any industry has many risks and potentially many rewards. Risks should be analyzed prior to making the decision and weighed appropriately with the...

For current owner operators of vans and sprinter type vans; Please arrange in order of importance the reasons behind your decision to become an owner operator… · Higher net income · The ability to accept or deny load offers and manage your time · The pride of vehicle/business...

COL... It's good to see you're still watching! I see you've added FL to your resume. I assume your enjoying the warmth during the brutal winter weather we've been having further north. Shoot me a note when you get back home to Indiana...maybe we can do lunch one day! Tom Robertson A. Blair...

I appreciate the comments so far, but some of you need to read the entire thread before commenting. Many threads morph into discussions that have nothing to do with the original posters intentions of posting. My first response is to ntimevan & - Don’t believe everything you hear…our trucks...

Thanks for the responses so far... We have been given a reason for wanting to be an owner operator (geo), an very good explanation for the overall van rates being lower than they should be (t-hawk), an actual figure of .50 plm after fuel as a target income (blizzard),and an overall look at the...

Questions in the grand scheme of things…Part 1 (The first of a series of post to gather information from professional expedited drivers) Many of the carrier members on this site participate in the major three elements of the expediting community…Carrier – Broker – Fleet Owner. In my...

Some years ago I posted with regularity on EO. My post were based on my many years of experience in the industry and meant to present a realistic view of our chosen profession. At that time, there were very few Carrier/Owners participating. I have continued to browse the site from time to...