Story by John Schlimmer…Greenville, Ohio

             My Million-Mile Journey…Across The USA

        It was during the summer of 1999…I was facing a career change.  I was involved with a
    marketing business that produced a respectable income for the past several years…but that 
    income stream…began evaporating.

        While doing some errands in Dayton, Ohio that summer…I was thinking…what could I do?  
    The question came to me…well John…what are you good at?  Hmm…what am I good at? 
    Here I am at age 52 trying to figure out how to get my financial legs back.

        Earlier in the year a friend had told me about the expediting business.  He used his van to 
    pick up packages/boxes/skids at different manufacturing plants and delivered them to other 
    manufacturing plants in other states.  I asked if he could make a living at it…he replied…yes.

        By being able to deduct the miles you drive each year…times .32 cents (.50 ½ cents now)…he
    had to pay very little or no income tax.  He was driving around a 100,000 miles a year at the time.

            Watching Airplanes…Opened Up A Door Of Opportunity For Me

        On the way home that day…I happened to drive by the Dayton Airport…just outside of Vandalia,
    Ohio and noticed airplanes taking off and landing at the Emery Hub…a large freight facility…that
    has since been shut down.

        A few weeks earlier…I came across a man in Greenville…that used his cargo van to haul freight 
    out of the Emery hub.  The dots were beginning to connect. My friend in Greenville was in the 
    expediting business…I bump into this stranger in Greenville who was in the expediting business…
    and now here I am watching airplanes take off and land at the Emery Hub.

        I drove over to the Emery Hub…went into the entrance and asked security if there was an expediting 
    office here in the Hub.  They said yes...and put me in contact with a gal named Karen Darlin.  After 
    talking to Karen on the phone…she had me walk down what seemed to be a mile long hallway to her office.

        Karen said they would like to put another cargo van on in September…and if I were interested she 
    would hire me on as and independent contractor…meaning that I would have to provide my own vehicle…
    and in return for each delivery I made…they would pay me .90 cents for each loaded mile. 
    That was the 1st of August, 1999.

        See The USA In My Chevrolet

        ^{After test-driving a couple different makes of cargo vans…on September 7, 1999…I decided to 
    purchase a 1999 Chevy G-3500 Express Van.  My nephew Scott Dohme…the general manager at 
    Paul Sherry Chevrolet in Piqua, Ohio…sold the van to me.  It had 2865 miles on it.}

        ^{Scott installed a vinyl kit inside the cargo area…so I wouldn’t have to look at the white metal walls 
    and ceiling.  That was like an insulating effect…the van is really quiet…easy to cool in the summer and 
    heat in the winter.  He also had it rust proofed and under-coated.}

        ^{This particular van had the extended wheelbase…giving it a very smooth ride.  I also knew if I was 
    out on the road away from home and needed parts or repairs…GM is like McDonalds…their parts 
    are just about everywhere.}

        ^{As I drove my Chevy van off the lot that day and headed home to Greenville…little did I realize…
    I was about to go on a "million mile journey."  I was going to see the USA in my Chevrolet!}

        My Million-Mile Journey Started September 14, 1999

        ^{At around 12 am the morning of September 14, 1999…the telephone rang…it was the Emery 
    hub at the Dayton airport…calling me for my first pickup and delivery.  They wanted me to pickup 
    at 3:30 am and deliver direct to the Lear Corporation in Louisville, KY.  I couldn’t go to sleep after 
    that…my eyes were big as baseballs.}

         ^{At 2:15 am…I departed Greenville and headed southeast down 571 towards the Dayton airport. 
    I arrived at the Emery hub around 3 am in the morning…got through the checkpoint and drove into this 
    mammoth facility.
    
        There were vehicles and people everywhere.  Big jets were starting up their engines…tanker trucks 
    were fueling the planes and tow motors were pulling long trains of 4-wheeled trailers loaded with freight.}

        ^{I found my way to the Expedite office…got checked in…and then went back to my van to get my 
    skid of parts.  Around 3:45 am … I was loaded and ready to go.  I looked at my map…and seen the 
    street I had to deliver to was on the east side of Louisville.}

        <sup>That trip was about 160 miles and by 7:00 am…I had made my first delivery.  That would be one of 
    several hundred deliveries over the next 8 years and 7 months.

        I Love My Chevy Van…It’s Tough…And Dependable

        I soon realized…I could not have purchased a better vehicle.  Even though it was a heavy-duty…
    1-ton cargo van…It practically drove itself down the highway.  The ride was smooth…the bumps in 
    the road did not beat you to a pulp…it was quiet…and a pleasure to drive.</sup>

        ^{Even when I hauled heavy loads…the 350-gasoline engine would step up to the challenge…and 
    quietly power its way down the highway.  I was amazed at the suspension.  It was very tough...yet gentle.
    Even when I had a 3500 pound load…there was no sway…or wondering all over the highway.}

        Primetime Driving…The Night Watch

        ^{For the first three years…I was on what Emery called the ""Primetime" list.  Starting Monday through 
    Friday…they would call me around midnight…for pickup at the Hub around 3:30 am in the morning.}

        ^{The majority of my deliveries went to Michigan…a 200 to 250 mile run…and occasionally into 
    Ontario, Canada.  Crossing the border is about like having a "root canal"… If the paperwork is not 
    in order…get ready for a several hour wait...and a late delivery.}

        My Chevy Van Just Keeps Eating Up Those Highway Miles 
        After two complete years and four months of driving…
        my odometer read...249,308 miles as of December 31, 2001.

        <>    Gas bill for the year...2001:     $10,191.00 … Average price per gallon: $1.31
        <>    Gas bill for the year...2007:     $20,731.00 … Average price per gallon: $2.64 
                Who would've guessed that prices would have doubled...in just six years !!

        ^{By now I had driven in several states…and was getting a good close up of this beautiful…
    free spirited country of ours.  God has blessed America.}

        ^{I still find it amazing…that I can get into my van…and drive for weeks on end…to any location 
    in the USA.  Gas stations…restaurants and hotels are at almost every exit.  Wal-mart keeps me 
    supplied with snacks…drinking water and a parking lot to park my van in overnight.}

        Would It Be Possible…To Drive One Vehicle 500,000 Miles? 

        I got to thinking…I wonder how many miles I’ll get out of this engine?  Would it be possible to 
    go 500,000 miles?  I’m half way there and the engine still runs like new.  At the time…that 
    amount of miles seemed far-fetched. 

    ^{But in the back of my mind…I was being challenged…how many miles can you drive one 
    vehicle with one driver…before it falls apart?  I’m going to find out.  Lord willing.}

        A Driver’s Worst Nightmare…Breakdowns…Hitting Wild Animals

        ^{I have driven through some of the most remote parts of Ontario, Canada…maybe a gas station 
    every hundred miles.  I’ve traveled the remote areas of Texas…New Mexico and the deserts of 
    Arizona and California.  I’ve driven the Cleveland...Buffalo...I-90 corridor in blizzard conditions.}

        ^{A trip to Easton, Maine...155 miles north of Bangor…in the middle of the night…was one of 
    those wilderness trips.  When you drive north out of Bangor on interstate 95…you’d better have 
    a full tank of gas…and hope you don’t have any breakdowns.}

        <sup>Instead of "deer signs" there were "moose signs".  After encountering a large moose scrambling 
    across the road directly in front of me (average moose weighs 1000 pounds) I had my face buried 
    in the windshield until I got back to Bangor.  

    A driver’s worst nightmare…hitting a wild animal…and breakdowns!</sup>

        My Formula For Driving A Million Miles With One Vehicle

        ^{I knew early on…that I would have to develop some type of scheduled maintenance program.
    Parts wear out…and I was about to put all the GM / Delco parts to the "extreme" test.}

        ^{I did not want to wait until a part wore out to replace it.  I cannot afford to have a breakdown in 
    a delivery business where the freight is time sensitive.}

        <sup>After talking with several drivers in the expedite business with GM and Chevy vans like mine…
    I got a pretty good idea of what parts to replace before they wore out.  I made up a maintenance 
    schedule and printed it onto a post-it-note…and attached it to my spiral note pad that I carry with 
    me inside my vehicle. I refer to it often.

            My Maintenance Schedule</sup>

    ~Lube:                                                ______________ @12,500 

    ~Chg Motor Oil/Filter:                          ______________ @25,000

    ^{~Clean Air Filter/Chg Fuel Filter:           ______________ @25,000 / 40,000}

    ^{~Chg Serpentine Belt:                         ______________ @100,000}

    ^{~Chg Fuel Pump:                                ______________ @130,000}

    ~Chg Trans Oil/Filter:                           ______________ @150,000 
    ^{~Chg Rear/Diff Oil:                               ______________ @150,000}

 

 

 

 

    ^{~Chg Water Pump/Hoses:                    ______________ @300,000}

    ^{~Chg Anti-Freeze:                                ______________ @150,000}

    ^{~Battery/Alt/Tension/Idler/Pulleys:         ______________ @220,000}

    ^{~Rotate Tires:                                      ______________   @20,000}

    ^{~Chg Spark Plugs/PCV:                       ______________ @100,000}

    ^{~Change Spark Plug Wires                   ______________ @200,000}

         ^{I Always Have Peace Of Mind…When I Hop Into The Seat Of My Chevy Van}

        ^{I will fill in the mileage to the left of the miles that you see.  Example: I change my oil and 
    filter every 25,000 miles.  Whatever the mileage was on my speedometer when I changed the 
    oil…if it was 950,000 miles…I would add 25,000 miles to that…so I would write in 975,000 
    miles…that would be my next oil change.}

        ^{I have my AC serviced each spring in April or May…checking the pressure and freon levels.}

        ^{Whenever I have my tires rotated at 20,000 miles (about every 2 months)…I will personally 
    take a visual look at the front brake pads to see how they’re wearing…and check the air 
    pressure in each tire.}

    ^{When I replace the front pads…I have the rear brakes cleaned and adjusted.  The rear brakes 
    last forever.  I may have replaced them two times.  The drums have been replaced one time!}

    ^{I have found that replacing parts on my Chevy van before they wear out…is good insurance 
    against breakdowns!  When I hop into the seat of my Chevy van…I always have peace of mind…
    that it will take me anywhere I want to go.}

        ^{From The Stone Age…To The Synthetic Age…
        Synthetic Oil Can Make Your Engine And Drive-Train…Almost Immortal}

        <sup>At 68,250 miles…I switched the engine…transmission and rear differential over to Amsoil 
    synthetic oil.  I use synthetic grease to lubricate the front suspension…driveshaft and pack the 
    front wheel bearings.

        I went from changing my engine oil and filter every 5,000 miles (twice a month) to every       
    25,000 miles!  The transmission and differential oil from 50,000 miles to 150,000 miles!</sup>

        ^{Very few drivers have caught onto the synthetic phenomena.  High Quality Synthetic 
    products will bless you with less maintenance and repairs…better fuel mileage…increased 
    horsepower…saving you big $$$$!}

        ^{Shutting Off A Hot Engine…Would Be Like Crawling Into A Hot Oven}

        <sup>Whenever I run the interstate and pull off to rest or get fuel…I never shut off the engine 
    right away.  You should leave it run for about five minutes to cool down.  If you shut a hot
    engine down…there’s no air or anti-freeze circulating to cool it down.  So all the heat builds 
    up in the head of the engine…causing gasket and metal fatigue.

        A Good Chevrolet Dealer Is Priceless</sup>

        ^{I cannot say enough good things about Ron Garrett here in Greenville, Oh…owner of Garrett 
    Chevrolet.  His service and parts department personnel are kind, caring people.  Along with their 
    technicians…they’ve been a very important part of my "million mile journey"…helping keep my 
    Chevy on the road.}

        I Live In My Van…But I’m Not Homeless

        <sup>A typical work week is 40 hours. Take that times 50 weeks (2 weeks off for vacation)…
    equals 2000 hours.  If you work 45 hrs…2250 hours…If you work 50 hours…2500 hours.

    <>    In 1999…....I spent 570 ¾ hours in my van.......drove  25,135 miles
    <>    In 2000…....I spent 2,426 hours in my van .......drove 109,139 miles
    <>    In 2001…....I spent 2,759 hours in my van........drove 111,399 miles
    <>    In 2002…....I spent 3,318 ¼ hours in my van....drove 118,407 miles
    <>    In 2003…....I spent 3,596 ½ hours in my van....drove 119,410 miles
    <>    In 2004…....I spent 4,308 ¼ hours in my van....drove 122,755 miles
    <>    In 2005…....I spent 3,000 hours in my van........drove 130,500 miles  (started my own) 
    <>    In 2006…....I spent 2,422 hours in my van........drove 107,744 miles  (expediting business)
    <>    In 2007…....I spent 2,481 ¼ hours in my van....drove 112,469 miles
    <>    In 2008.......I spent    836 hours in my van........drove  39,410 miles  (Jan through May 18th)

    <>    Total Hours: 25,716...Total Miles:  997,165 plus the 2835 miles my van had on it when I purchased it...
            Total Miles:  1,000,000 miles. 

        About midway in 2002…Emery Switched me from "Prime Time" do "Daytime"…which means 
    the runs coming out during the day…are usually longer runs.  

        I started running to Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, Georgia, 
    Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin.  I enjoyed the adventure 
    and the challenge of the longer runs.</sup> 

        ^{Emery Expedite had offices in Kansas City, El Paso and Charlotte.  I discovered they could 
    find me loads coming out of the area I just delivered to.  The key was…to sit and wait.  I didn’t mind.
    It allowed me to get rested up for the next run.}

        Sitting…Waiting…My Chevy Van Was Like An Ole Shoe…
        It Kept Me Comfortable And Secure

        <sup>I would sit and wait sometimes for two or three days.  If it was a Texas run…I would stay the week…
    because I would normally get a run back north on the weekend.  

        I stayed in my van sitting and waiting…listening to the radio…reading…resting…going to a mall or to 
    a Wal-mart store to pass the time.  I did not get a room at a hotel…didn’t want to spend the money. 
    I slept in a lawn chair that folded out in the back of my van.  Took showers and done laundry at the 
    truck stops. 

        This is the life of an expeditor.  Away from home…sometimes for weeks.  Flying J is my
    favorite Truck Stop…although Love’s, Pilot and TA are all very nice.</sup>

        ^{My Chevy van became like an ole shoe to me…it kept me comfortable…secure…and was making 
    me a decent living.  I didn’t have to answer to a boss…had no time clock to punch…and got paid to 
    see the USA.  Downside…driving on ice and snow in the winter…and being away from home and the family.}

        It Was So Hot…The Thermometers Were Sweating

        <sup>I remember one particular trip to Laredo, Texas in July … the temperature was 109 degrees and the 
    humidity was 95% when I arrived on a Sunday afternoon.  It was so hot…the thermometers were sweating! 
    When I got out of the van to fuel up…it felt like a blast furnace. 

        The winds were howling at 20-30 mph and grains of sand were pelting me in the face.  When I opened 
    the door to get back inside my van…sand was everywhere…on the seat…the dash and all over the floor!</sup>

        My First Breakdown…A $30 Part…That May Have Cost Me A "Million"

        ^{It was a beautiful Sunday morning around 11 am…the day was November 7, 2004…my speedometer 
    was reading 593,048 miles.  I was traveling west on interstate 30...about 55 miles east of Texarkana, AR 
    heading to Laredo, TX for a Monday AM delivery.}

        <sup>The sun was shining brightly into my van…and onto my dash.  I hadn't noticed the engine light 
    being on...but just happened to glance at my temperature gage.  I could not believe what I was seeing!
    The temperature gage was pegged at 260 degrees! 

        I took a closer look...and noticed the alternator/battery light was on.  Because the sun was 
    shining so brightly on the dash…it made it very difficult to see the warning light!</sup>

        ^{I immediately turned the ignition off...and coasted to an off ramp…exit 54.  When I opened the hood…
    I could barely touch it because it was so hot.  The anti-freeze was boiling and the engine was popping 
    and cracking.}

        ^{Evidently I had driven several miles with the temperature at 260 degrees.  I’ll never forget the sound 
    coming off that engine.  It sounded like chicken being dropped into a deep fryer!}

            <sup>Watching the anti-freeze boiling...and listening to the engine cracking 
            and popping...was the perfect recipe for a blown engine.  

        I immediatelly spotted the serpentine belt (fan belt) hanging loose on the engine.  It took me another 
    15 minutes to discover the problem.  The idler pulley between the AC and the alternator…was gone!  
    Evidently it froze up…and turned the bolt out that held it on…it was nowhere to be found.</sup>

        ^{I had no clue there was a pulley hidden behind the radiator…(rookie me)…I overlooked that particular 
    pulley…and had never replaced it.  So at 593,048 miles…when it fell off…the cooling of the engine stopped!}

        I Had To Come Up With A Solution… And Do It Fast

        ^{Thanks to AAA…within an hour…a tow truck arrived...loaded up my van…and took both of us to 
    Texarkana, AR.  On the way to Texarkana…I called an Auto Zone store…and asked if they had an 
    idler pulley for my Chevy van.  They said no, however they could have one in Monday afternoon. 
    My delivery had to be in Laredo, TX Monday morning.  I had to come up with something and do it fast.}

        ^{I got the directions to the Auto Zone store…and asked the tow truck driver to take me there 
    and drop my van in their parking lot.  In the meantime…I began to pray…Father … you know the 
    problem I have…show me how to fix it.}

        ^{It wasn’t long until my prayer was answered.  Install a smaller serpentine belt!  Your engine 
    can run without the idler pulley.}

        ^{I called the Auto Zone store and told them my idea.  They didn’t think it would work…because 
    without the idler pulley…the serpentine belt would not wrap around the pulley of the alternator and 
    the AC pulley enough to run them.}

        ^{I asked if they would lay out three serpentine belts…all-shorter in size than what I presently had. 
    They said they would.}

        ^{The tow truck driver located the Auto Zone store and unloaded my Chevy van in the parking lot. 
    I ran into the store and introduced myself.  The person I’d talked to earlier had the three shorter belts 
    laying out for me.}

        Holding My Breath…Listening…And Looking

        <sup>I crawled under my van…put the first belt on…it was too long…put the second one on…it was too 
    long…the third one…Bingo...it worked!  

        So the next test was to start the engine…will it be okay?  I turned the key and the engine fired right 
    up.  I was holding my breath…listening...listening…no knocking noise…no tapping noise. 

        Then I crawled underneath to see if there was any oil or anti-freeze leaking anywhere.  
    There was none…much to my surprise!</sup> 

        ^{I checked the serpentine belt…it appeared the alternator was working just fine…so I turned the AC on.
    That would be the big test…and sure enough…the AC worked.  There was probably about 50 per cent less 
    belt surface on the AC and alternator pulley…but it appeared to be enough.}

        ^{With the engine still running…I popped the radiator cap…and added a gallon and a half of distilled water 
    to the radiator…that’s how much had boiled out.  I’m thinking…it will be a miracle if this engine has not 
    been damaged.}

        ^{At 2 PM that Sunday afternoon…I was back on the highway…just 3 hours after my breakdown.  I made 
    my delivery to Laredo, Texas Monday morning and kept in tact...my 100% delivery.}

        ^{I do feel this particular breakdown…the overheating of the engine…was the one incident that 
    kept me from reaching that "million miles" with one engine.} 

        My Second Breakdown…

        ^{Saturday afternoon…December 9, 2006…close to Chillicothe, Ohio…at 843,845 miles… the alternator 
    stopped working.  Fortunately I was empty and coming back from a delivery to Virginia Beach.  I was a 
    100 miles from home.
    
        I had to be towed back to Greenville.  That particular alternator had 167.542 miles on it.  Far shy of the 
    220,000 mile replacement goal.}

    ^{However…still batting a thousand on deliveries!}

        My Third…Major Breakdown…Engine Replacement @ 930,599 Miles

        <sup>It was Friday...September 28, 2007...around 5:30 pm...I received a call from a vendor in Troy, OH...
    wanting me to make a delivery to another vendor in Kentwood, Louisiana.

        What I thought would be another typical...routine delivery...turned out to be the last for my Chevy 
    350 gasoline…original engine.

        After delivering early Saturday morning in Kentwood, LA...just across the border a few miles out of 
    southern Mississippi...I headed my Chevy Van north on interstate 55 back into Mississippi.

        I pulled off at Exit 17...into a little town called McComb, MS...to take a much needed nap.  At the 
    exit ramp stop sign...I noticed my engine was missing.  I went down the road about a quarter mile and 
    pulled into a hotel parking lot.</sup>

        <sup>My immediate thought was I must have a bad spark plug...so I closed the hood...and proceeded 
    down the road to an Auto Zone store.  

        I purchased 8 spark plugs...and after changing the spark plugs and replacing a couple plug wires...
    I fired up the engine.  It was still missing.

        By now...I looked like a grease monkey...so I went back into the Auto Zone store...cleaned up ... 
    handed the tools back to the clerk...and thanked him.</sup>

        <sup>It was now Saturday afternoon...I was tired...dirty...sweaty...and pretty discouraged.  It was the 
    weekend...and no repair shops were open.  

        I noticed a Comfort Inn back up the highway...so I drove there and put up for the weekend.</sup>

    Two Days At A Repair Shop…The Technician Was Stumped

        After spending two days at a repair shop in McCombs…and replacing several parts…I could tell 
    the technicians were running out of ideas.  I told them to put everything back together.

        ^{I paid the bill and headed north down interstate 55.  I made it about 13 miles to Exit 30.  The engine 
    was losing power…so I pulled into a truck stop.}

        <sup>I called AAA and they sent a tow truck.  While waiting on the tow truck...I fired up my laptop and 
    logged onto the Internet to see if I could find a dealership in Jackson, MS.  
    
        I came across the Gray-Daniels dealership in Jackson.  It appeared to be a large dealership...which
    is what I wanted...and it was located along interstate 55.  I asked the tow truck driver to take me there. 
    It was about 80 miles away.

        At 11:15 pm Tuesday evening...the tow truck driver unloaded my Chevy at the Gray-Daniels Chevrolet 
    dealership...and that is where I spent the night...sleeping in a sleeping bag...inside my van.</sup>

        ^{At 7:30 am Wednesday morning…I walked into the dealership and located the service manager,
    Mr. Garner.  I gave him a quick summary of what had happened to my Chevy van.}

        Out With The Old…In With The New

        ^{They took my van into the shop right away…and after about an hour… Mr. Garner called me into 
    his office...he said they felt there was a valve stuck...thus the reason for no compression on #6 cylinder.  
    He went on to say...there’s no doubt you've probably worn the seats out where the valve rests.}

        <sup>He said we could do a valve job for around $2000...but that would most likely put stress on the lower 
    part of the engine due to the increased compression...causing increased oil consumption.

        He suggested a long block be installed.  That's a new engine with the oil pan and valve covers.  I would 
    have to use my intake manifold...and all the outer accessories like the alternator, power steering pump, 
    AC, distributor cam shaft...etc.  Cost $5900 including new fuel injectors and transfer case.</sup>

        <sup>I was broken hearted with the news.  I asked Mr. Garner…to give me a few minutes to decide what 
    I wanted to do.  I went outside the building into their parking lot.  It was a beautiful fall sunny day…
    temperatures were in the upper 60’s that morning.

        I Shed A Few Tears…

        I must admit…I shed a few tears.  I prayed for the Lord’s wisdom on what to do.  I wanted to keep 
    the engine.  And yet...knowing that when you tear down an engine…just doing a partial overhaul…would 
    be like putting a band-aid on a potentially bigger problem down the road.

        That was Wednesday morning October 3, 2007.  Thursday, October 4, at 5:30 pm...my Chevy van had 
    a brand new 350 Chevy engine in it.  The fella that switched the engine...his name was Bill...this guy 
    was like a robot...he was fast...efficient...and very thorough.  I called him a gold nugget.  Most dealerships 
    would love to have a technician like him.</sup>  

        <sup>To date...I haven't noticed one bolt or screw missing and no hoses leaking.  He treated my Chevy van 
    as if it was his very own.  How refreshing in this day and age.

        Mr. Garner and Mr. Eskew the two people I dealt with at Gray-Daniels...were incredibly nice to work with.
    I was in a strange place...I knew no one...I was completely at their mercy...and they treated me like one
    of their own.  Many thanks to the Gray-Daniels Chevrolet Dealership in Jackson, MS.</sup> 

        ^{Did the overheated engine back in 2004 contribute to the breakdown of the valve?  One can only guess.
    It certainly did not improve my odds of going a million miles.  I’m still amazed that I got over 930,000 miles 
    out of a gasoline engine…while changing the oil every 25,000 miles.} 

        Million Mile Transmission…

       Transmissions normally make it to 100,000 to 150,000 miles…a few may get to 200,000 miles. 
    In my type of business (Over the road)…I’ve seen a few drivers make it to 400,000 miles 
    before breaking down. 

       ^{One of the main reasons transmissions fail…when the oil breaks down…it begins to thicken.  
    Transmissions do not like thick oil…it needs to stay thin…so it can lubricate.  Most people forget 
    about their transmission…and spend all their time changing their motor oil. 
    That’s why the engine always out-last the transmission!}

       ^{My Chevy still has the original transmission…at 1,036,000 miles.  It has never been overhauled.}

       ^{What’s the significance of that?  By changing your transmission fluid regularly…and installing 
    a high quality synthetic oil…could possibly make your transmission…almost immortal!}

        Some Fun Statistics … From September 7, 1999 To May 18, 2008

• Total Miles Driven:                            1,000,000
• Total Gallons of Gasoline                   68,461 (average mpg: 14.6)... 6,112 hours of idle time of not moving!
• Total Gas Bill                                    $125,486 (cost per mile: .12 1/2 cents per mile)
• Oil Changes                                     50 (192 oil changes…If I’d used regular petroleum oil)
• Original Ball Joints replaced @          792,700 miles
• Original Radiator replaced @             843,845 miles
• Original AC replaced @                     872,538 miles
• Original Engine replaced @               930,599 miles
• Exhaust System                                1,000,000 miles...still has the original exhaust system
• Transmissions                                  1,036,000 miles...still has the original transmission
• Tie Rods / Steering arms                   Front suspension…still original @ 1,000,000 miles
• Bridgestone Tires                             4 sets (got over 230,000 miles out of each set)
• Windshields Replaced                      5 … Rocks coming from tires…almost like a bullet fired from a gun…
• Total Deliveries                                 1,346 (never missed a delivery)
• Traffic Tickets                                  1
• Drivers                                            1
• Wives                                              1 

 ^{In Summary…Wrapping It Up}

 

 

 

        ^{Looking back over the past 8 ½ years…knowing what I know today…did I make the right decision 
    purchasing the Chevy van?}

        <sup>Yes…I would do it all over again.  I would still purchase the Chevy van…and most likely stay with the 
    gasoline engine.

        I feel the preventive maintenance plan and the synthetic oil...played a crucial role in keeping 
    my Chevy van on the road.  And will most likely keep it on the road for another 2-3 years. 
 
        I want to give thanks to the Lord for His generous protection.  To drive one vehicle a million miles...
    is an incredible blessing!  I heard a preacher say...when you're driving down the highway...you're just
    three feet from eternity!  That's the distance between the yellow line and the other vehicle coming at you!  

        The one thing interesting about the expediting business is…the adventure of it.  You’re always going 
    to a different place…taking a different route…seeing different people…eating different food and seeing the 
    diversity of America.  It has been a very fulfilling adventure.</sup>

        ^{In 2005 I held my nose and jumped…by starting my own expedite business.  After five years of working 
    for Emery/Menlo/UPS…I had observed and studied the business from a distance.}

        ^{I really enjoy being self-employed…although the headaches of bookwork and being on call 24/7 can be 
    a little hectic.  Financially…it has been very rewarding.  I’ve been blessed with five part-time drivers that 
    know how to handle time sensitive freight…and gives me a break whenever I need one.}

        ^{The icing on the cake…my wife of 42 years…Barbara…has supported me with her prayers of protection 
    around my van and lends a helping hand at the home office.}

    ^{Happy Trails…}

    ^{John Schlimmer
    Greenville, Ohio
    937-417-1127...cell...937-548-0239...office}

    ^{You can contact me @
    jbs33@embarqmail.com or for the "rest of the story" go to  ...   www.millionmilechevy.com}  

    ^{Copyright...2009...By John Schlimmer}