Frequently Asked Questions

How many cars and employees do you have?

• Two cars, one driver.  Me. I have an Acura MDX, which is very comfortable, all wheel drive, fits 4 adults comfortably, and a third row seat for smaller statured types. More luggage space and can add a cargo carrier in the hitch.

• My second car  is a Toyota Camry.  Smaller, perfect for one or two passengers providing you don't have long legs.  Limited luggage space.  

How long have you been in the shuttle business? (Visit my webpage too.)

• I started at the end of 2023.  It occurred to me there might be a need so I floated the idea on Facebook to friends and they said go for it.  I created a simple web page, ordered business cards, and posted on Facebook that my services were available.  

How do you market your business? 

1. Mostly Facebook.  Try it.  Visit your favorite group on Facebook as ask for suggestions for shuttle companies in the area.  Hopefully, I will show up in there.  I do have a web page which many people find comforting and communicates this is a serious business; not a fly by night organization. Word of mouth in this town helps a lot.

How do you determine your fees for rides?​

• Generally, the Camry requires $50/hour.  The Acura, closer to $60/hour.

• An approximation of time and expenses: gas, car maintenance, insurance, and office admin.  

• I also look at what similar shuttle services are charging.  I try to keep it below everyone else for those that are price shopping.  

• I compare prices offered by Uber even though it is unlikely anyone can get a long distance ride from them originating in Boone. 

What expenses are there to running this business?

1. Obviously the car, car maintenance, car cleaning, and commercial insurance (about 3x regular insurance)

2. Marketing materials: roof top signage, magnetic signs, business cards, web page fees.

3. Office administration: this is time devoted to keeping things organized, email and text communication, spreadsheets, invoices, receipts, calendar updates, etc.  There’s more behind the scenes you don’t see.

What type of rides do you usually offer?

• Mostly down the mountain, e.g. airports ie back up. A number of clients will make reservations for both rides at the same time.   

• I will also run a client to a medical appointment, then wait for them to get done, and then bring them back.

• Once in a great while, I run a client to a second home for a holiday visit, and then pick them up a few days later. 

• Even more rarely, I will provide transportation locally, for example to pick up a car at Enterprise.

• Occasionally, I will be the “designated driver” for up to four passengers for a night out on the town, a long dinner, or a party, such as a wedding reception.  

Is this a “full time job?” or How many hours do you work a week?

• I'm a retired middle school shop teacher.  My hours vary and are determined by appointments. I rarely drive more than 4-5 hours a day, but have done eight hour days of driving with a few hours of waiting in between making for 10-12 hour days.

• Some weeks, I may drive every day, but others, I might only have one or two rides.   It varies.

• I really don’t want to work full time.  It’s not healthy sitting that much at my age.

Have you ever had a bad ride?  

1. Rarely.  I try to gather lots of information prior to committing.  The few times rides were less than idea is emergency desperate rides where I forget to gather enough information to properly assess the situation.   I’m learning to say “no” if my intuition smells trouble, drugs, or alcohol. 

What did you do before you started this business?

• I moved to Boone  in '84 to get my masters degree in teaching.  Professionally, I was a “shop” teacher, mostly in middle school, in four different counties, in 12 different schools. I spent 20 years teaching in Watauga County, in 8 out of their 9 schools.  

• I usually taught at two or three different schools during the week.  Schools in Watauga are too small to keep some teachers full time, so we traveled.  Career and Technology teachers, art, music and a few others traveled as well. 

• Depending on the school, I taught a variety of introduction level skills like: carpentry, small engine repair, photography, videography, character education, keyboarding (aka typing), problem solving, gardening, cooking, etiquette, drafting, desktop publishing, and even knot tying.  

• I also acquired my bus driver’s license and drove occasionally for field trips but not on a regular basis.

How do you accept payment?

• Cash, check, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App and credit card (on Square: swipe or manual input)

Can I get a receipt? 

•  Yes, many clients are taking business trips, and I will email a receipt if desired. I can also do a simple handwritten one but the official one I email looks more authentic.

How do I reserve a ride?

• Call 828-414-4969 first, or text to make sure I'm available on the date you need a ride. I'll give you an estimate of the fee. Once confirmed, then go HERE.

What do I do if you are not available?

• I can’t fulfill all requests, either due to previous reservations.   I try to refer people to other shuttle services that can fulfill their need and pocketbook. There are lots of options to get where you want to go.  

What can I expect the ride to be like?

• You, the rider, set the tone. Some like chill, peace and quiet. Others are chatty. I like both and everything in between.

• I am a careful driver, and strive for the most comfortable ride as possible for the client.