Photography by Spacecrafting
Charlie, Dave and Nick Murray
Entrepreneur Dave Murray bought his first vehicle for the Total Transportation fleet, a six-passenger limo, in 1987. He ran the business out of his Woodbury home until he had four limos, then it was time for more space. His son Charlie explains that the company’s current location — a 50,000-square-foot facility in Mahtomedi — is a far cry from that two-car garage.
Charlie and his brother Nick, who now help run the family business, grew up cleaning cars in the driveway. After leaving the nest and pursuing entrepreneurial dreams elsewhere, they returned to Minnesota in 2010 to be closer to family. But some things never change, Charlie says: “We’re still very customer service–focused, in a business that never closes.” And he means that literally. Someone answers the phone 24/7 every day of the year, fielding calls for everything from last-minute airport drop-offs for redeye flights to transportation for organs ready for donation.
“When you’re literally saving lives, companies need to know transport will be there on time,” Charlie explains. “We live, sleep and eat this business. We do our best to provide the safest, cleanest vehicles and transportation in our market. We never stop.”
And they continue to innovate, adding an app and online booking as well as diversifying the company’s fleet to accommodate logistics for large events. Today, Total Transportation has four divisions: corporate, luxury, motorcoach and an affiliate network encompassing 450+ cities. All this without ever losing sight of the small details clients appreciate: opening and closing doors, carrying luggage, and the like. And while Charlie handles the books and advertising, Nick handles operations and Dave handles the shop, no one is above a job. “It’s fun,” Charlie says. “We have a phenomenal team that works tirelessly to make sure we’re successful.”
Total Transportation offers a vast range of vehicles, from a 1957 stretch Chevy (modified by Dave himself) to sedans to limos, stretch Escalades, motorcoaches and party buses, meaning they can move one person or one huge event comprising 300 people without a hitch. And they’re doing so cautiously, sanitizing and cleaning vehicles multiple times a day to ensure your ride is dependable and safe — just as it ever was.
