# Mileage Limitations



## mreid99 (Jul 8, 2007)

In Florida is there a state statute on milage limitation on private company ambulances?

Just curious...


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## Tincanfireman (Jul 8, 2007)

I won't mention the state I work in (SE U.S.) but I work part-time at a private service. We have taken patients several states away and routinely do out of state transfers between medical facilities. I believe that we would carry a patient to the Moon if they or their insurance carrier is willing to pay; though I believe there is probably a break-even point somewhere in there between ground and air ambulance transportation.


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## KEVD18 (Jul 8, 2007)

if im interpreting the question correctly, the op was asking if there is a limit to how many miles a rig can have on it before it has to be retired, not how many miles you can t/p a pt.

btw, i have the foggiest idea


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## Tincanfireman (Jul 8, 2007)

Well, that's an easier answer: "When the wheels fall off"


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## MMiz (Jul 9, 2007)

I've never heard of such a limitation imposed on the state level.  I know it's fairly common for age/mileage limitations to be stated in contracts though.  

One city we served required all of our vehicles to be less than five years old.

Vehicles, much like most mechanical devices, are able to run as long well as long as they're properly maintained.  I can say that I find private EMS not to be conducive to the proper maintenance of an EMS vehicle.  My private service would rather ditch the junkers or keep them in the lot and buy a new one.


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## divinewind_007 (Jul 9, 2007)

i know at my 911 service here in TN once our rigs get 100,000 miles then were getting ready to refurbish or buy a new one. We don't let them get over 125k.  Now i have seen private convolescent services in nashville with 350k plus.


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## emt9577 (Jul 12, 2007)

I agree with the "when the wheels fall off" comment. I have worked for multiple private services, and the common consensus, is that when the mechanics cant patch it back up, it might be time to replace it. I have however learned that the current company I work for, will retire a Horton, any chance they think the circuit boards are bad, even if it is only a loose wire.  We have over 85 active squads, and in the last 9 months only one truck has been retired and that was only because the frame was too rotted to even think of being repaired.  On the plus side, our company has taken a new approach, and last year we purchased 20 brand new wheeled roach type II, and are ordering 15 new wheeled roach type II's again this year, along with a couple Medtech II's, and III's. I personally think that 200k is too many miles on an ambulance, even if it is for just convalescent tranports.


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## Rattletrap (Jul 13, 2007)

Talk about hitting a sour note. I could not reply to this thread until now because I just got over having to sit on side of interstate waiting on a replacement rig.

Wheels falling off is true but not funny as that has happened to me but not with current employment.


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## 94accord (Jul 15, 2007)

never had a wheel fall off an ambulance... i have however, had a wheel fall off a stryker stretcher with a 450lb+ pt on it... that was fun


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## Jon (Jul 18, 2007)

Around here it seems to be "until the wheels fall off" too. In fact, my part-time transport Co. has gotten OLD ambulances from other bases that have closed down over the last 3 years... and the rigs are now the pride of our fleet! Our problem is that we've been wrecking rigs as often as we replace them... 2 or 3 rigs a year.... and the rigs that get totalled are "newer" rigs compared with some of our other rigs.


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## rmellish (Sep 11, 2007)

Tincanfireman said:


> I won't mention the state I work in (SE U.S.) but I work part-time at a private service. We have taken patients several states away and routinely do out of state transfers between medical facilities. I believe that we would carry a patient to the Moon if they or their insurance carrier is willing to pay; though I believe there is probably a break-even point somewhere in there between ground and air ambulance transportation.



Working private, you couldn't be more right. And as far as the mileage goes, until the wheels fall off, then some more. 

I wasn't on the truck in question, but it broke an axle on the interstate w/ a pt. on board. The left wheel came off and hit another vehicle. And that was a few years ago. Truck's still in service though. 300k miles aren't unusual for our trucks, but I think that has something to do with the above statement.


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## Corl-Grove (Sep 17, 2007)

*As long as they are properly maintained.*

I glanced at the FLA EMS Statutes and didn't see anything about ambulance retirement guidelines. Ambulances can serve well past the expected years that you would generally believe. If you have a good solid truck, putting a new chasis or just putting a new motor in one can save quite a bit of $$$ which can be turned into raises, etc. My last position as a manager the service never had purchased a new truck we always bought used ones. We had some maintenance problems but a trip to the garage can fix most anything.

Take care, Be Safe


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## fm_emt (Sep 20, 2007)

For a 911 provider, it's probably in the contract somewhere. I think that I read AMR has to rotate rigs out of 911 service here when they hit 100,000 miles, but I could be wrong.

We have some rigs that have 270,000 miles on them. It just depends on how maintenance is performed.


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## hitechredneckemt (Oct 11, 2007)

Never had anything fall off of my rig but one of the rigs at the private company i work for did have the steering wheel fall off. The current truck im running in has 277k and change on it.


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## mattulance (Jan 16, 2008)

Private ambulance company "maintence" is shocking. It seems like they don't care unless it stops running or it is time for inspections. Then they want everything fixed yesterday. I saw a rig loose a light bar lense in the desert, would hate to have been behind it when that happened.


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