Successful business owner reflects on decisions that have helped drive his success

Growing up on a farm in Midland, VA, where he spent part of his youth working at a local grocery store that his parents owned, Ronnie McLeod, 55, says he realized one thing very early on.

“There was absolutely no way I wanted to have a career where I was stuck in an office every day,” McLeod said. “I knew I wanted a career that revolved around trucks and working with heavy equipment and, most important, would allow me to be my own boss.”

Today, as the owner of two thriving businesses, McLeod Trucking, a 42-vehicle trucking fleet, and Midland Equipment, which specializes in off-highway construction and mining customers, McLeod is proud to say that he’s “accomplished many of the goals I set for myself as a kid”.

“After I graduated high school, we bought my first truck, a Ford LT 880 in June 1972, and I worked with my dad, (the late Earnest McLeod), in the grocery store and did some trucking for a local mining quarry,” McLeod says. “After a few years, I went into business for myself, using all the things I learned with my dad while also building my own business, my way.”

In terms of what he learned from his dad, McLeod says, “I learned how critical it was to always stay on top of your vehicle maintenance.”

“To be successful, you need your vehicles on the road being productive for you at all times," McLeod said. “I have a responsibility to meet the needs of my customers. And, a big part of that is them knowing that my equipment is kept in great condition and will be there to get the job done for them.”

While McLeod learned the value of proactive vehicle maintenance from his dad, he admits that his specific maintenance practices are a bit different.

“When I first started my own business, I followed a lot of what my dad did, including using the same oil he had used,” McLeod said. “But then, as my business evolved and got bigger, well, I guess you can say it like this . . . as I got a little older - I got a lot smarter - and switched to Mobil Delvac."

“For the past 24 years, I have used Mobil Delvac 1300 Super in every vehicle I have had and it’s provided exceptional performance,” McLeod said. I always know that Mobil Delvac will help me get the most life of my vehicles’ engines, whether it’s getting more than one million miles from my (Class 8) trucks, or having my favorite personal vehicle, a Ford Powerstroke diesel pickup, on the verge of reaching 350,000 miles.

“As I look back on my career, I’m thankful for what my parents taught me, and I am proud to have made some wise decisions on my own as well that have helped me be successful.”

Including the decision to switch to Mobil Delvac.