hello everyone! I have been in the small livestock transport business for about 6 years now - I am the premier transporter now making regular coast to coast trips for the sole purpose of moving your sheep, goats, and LGD dogs about the country - when I first starting considering the transport service as a full time business I was appalled at some of the horror stories I heard about transport services who picked up animals and then disappeared for days at a time with no word going to the seller or buyer - I resolved to NEVER leave my customers in limbo no matter what the situation
a second thing that appalled me were the stories about how the animals were caged and (mis)treated during transport - I resolved to develop and obtain the best transport equipment I could come up with - I started with minimal equipment because that was the best I could afford (due to the financial situation Workers Comp left me in after five years of medical disability) - I used inadequate equipment at first but I was learning what was needed to do the best job for the buyers, sellers, and the animals I determined that the best way to maintain communication with everyone when I was on the road was to establish an internet based communication system - the Yahoo TravelWithRonK group was born - this allowed each person to follow their animals' travels at their convenience - I was able to keep every person informed of where their animals were and how they were faring on a daily basis - it allowed people to plan for being prepared for the pick up and drop off of their animals I also resolved that I would not hide ANY details about my situation while on the road - if I was making good time I wanted everyone to know - if I was broken down I wanted everyone to know where I was, what the problem was, and how I was resolving the problem there have been some comments about my 'breakdowns' - some people take this to mean that I am an unreliable service - but think about it - I am driving 100,000 miles per year pulling an 8-10,000 lb trailer - that is hard work! - in 'normal' miles that is roughly equivalent to 250,000 miles of driving per year - would you be willing to jump into your personal vehicle to drive a quarter million miles without expecting to have some mechanical problems? - of course you would have problems! - I have taken tremendous pains and spent lots of money to do extensive preventative maintenance to keep my two tow vehicles ready to handle long hard working trips but I NEVER start a trip expecting that I will be trouble free the entire trip when I have a problem on a trip I let everyone know where I am and what my plan is to get back on the road - I have a tremendous amount of automotive experience including building and racing a sports car - I am able to analyze the problem, understand the possible solutions, pick the best solution, and (most importantly) find a repair shop that is qualified to provide the best solution - do you feel qualified to pull into a small rural town with a broken FRAME on your vehicle and find an experienced mechanic who will get you (and the animals) back on the road in the shortest time possible? - very few people would be comfortable in that situation! - that situation happened to me last fall in remote North Carolina - within a few hours I was able to find probably the most qualified repair person in the region - he was a truck repair shop owner who built race cars in his spare time - he personally took on the unusual job of getting me back on the road because of the rapport I was able to establish with him on a person to person basis - very few repair shops would have been willing to even touch the project on a long term basis let alone an emergency basis - he had me back on the road within hours with repairs adequate to get me back home to Texas where I switched tow vehicles and continued on my coast to coast trip I also resolved to always have two ready to go tow vehicles - my primary tow vehicle is the van/RV that you see in the pictures - it has been built from the ground up to do the job I need it to do - the only thing left of the original vehicle that is stock is the front suspension and the outer skin! - the engine and transmission were replaced with a heavy duty 454/4L80 combination that has proven itself to be an exceptional combination - the rear end has been upgraded to a 10,000 lb rated system with a 5000 lb airbag system on top of that - the rear half of the frame has been totally replaced with a custom made tubular steel frame - I have installed three gas tanks and have plans for a fourth so that I have extended range between fuel stops - the RV interior has been totally stripped out and rebuilt to provide climate controlled riding space for fragile animals - as far as I know I am the only transport service that provides 'in cab' transport for those special animals that need constant attention - I have had nine goat births in that cabin during transport (this was a planned situation that I was prepared for and expecting!) and have transported hundreds of puppies and baby critters safely the second tow vehicle is the white one ton van - it had a new 350 truck engine installed last year and is getting a new 4L80 transmission right now - the rear end has been replaced and an airbag system installed - after the close encounter with a deer last fall it has had a major rework of the front end giving me more protection from deer collisions and more cooling capacity for the engine and transmission - my goal is to have it ready to hook up to the trailer at any time to continue a trip if the van/RV is incapacitated for some reason another key element of my tow vehicle plan is to have a highly reliable and competent mechanic who is willing to go the extra mile to keep me on the road - Don is that man - he has proven that he is willing to pull parts off his own personal vehicles to keep me on the road - I know that when I pull into home during a trip that he will drop all that he is doing to concentrate on my needs - do you think your mechanic would be able and willing to tackle the job of a frame fabrication and replacement? - Don just got a twinkle in his eyes and started planning - all of you are welcome to look at his work at any time and the most important aspect of a transport service is animal comfort and safety - I determined early on that the ideal small livestock trailer was not available on the open market - as I was wearing out my first trailer I was mentally planning a 'one of a kind' trailer specifically tailored to fit my needs - you can see pictures of the trailer while under construction at http://TravelWithRonK.com - the totally aluminum double deck trailer has proven itself in 140,000 miles of travel to be a near ideal solution to the unique needs of transporting single and small groups of animals comfortably over long distances - shipping fever problems have been almost totally eliminated - even the most rambunctious have been transported with no injury to them or the other animals - small and young animals are transported safely and securely - I can change the pen configuration within a few minutes to provide an ideal pen for your animals so that they travel in comfort at all times - the choice of a bumper pull trailer over a fifth wheel configuration was deliberate - the bumper pull configuration is able to get into and out of many barnyards that a longer fifth wheel would not be able to navigate - long trailers may look nice but they are not ideal in the real world of small livestock transport the final aspect of my business philosophy is to operate with honesty and integrity while providing personal service at a fair price - my fee plan has been called complex but it lets me offer you the best price I can while covering my expenses and making a fair profit - I do not require up front deposits and I trust that you will pay for my service when I deliver the animals - coming from my background of an Iowa farm boy I know no other way to do business! thank you for your time - the late APR/MAY/JUN coast to coast trip is being planned now - please get with me privately to arrange transport for your animals -- Travel with Confidence with TravelWithRonK! see pictures of my rig at http://TravelWithRonK.com and http://www.raresoaysheep.com/TravelByTruck.html ron keener near Austin, Texas http://MidAmericaBreedingTech.com _______________________________________________ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
