A Wisconsin man and his pick-up truck are on the verge of making history.
Frank Oresnik of Catawba, Wis. says his 1991 Chevy Silverado is about to pass the one million mile mark.
"It's like being married to the same woman for 800 years," said Oresnik.
Make no mistake about it, when Oresnik said he has been married to his Chevy truck he means it, and he's loved every minute of their marriage.
"To merely describe it as dependable and reliable doesn't touch it at all. This truck has never, ever, ever, left me in a lurch," said Oresnik.
Oresnik would know because he bought the truck used in June of 1996 when it had 41,000 miles on it. He immediately made it his work vehicle, and as a seafood delivery driver, that meant long drives from Minnesota to Michigan. He's averaged putting about 85,000 miles a year on his truck.
"I'm on my fifth transmission and I'm on my third gas tank," said Oresnik.
Now he's on the verge of making automotive history. On Friday, Oresnik's truck will reach the million mile mark during a delivery trip to Chicago.
To put it in perspective, one million miles is the equivalent of driving around the world 40 times. It is also the same as driving to the moon and back twice.
Despite its longevity, the truck is starting to show its age.
"Last week both the clock and the radio went (out)," said Oresnik.
However, he says a little luck and a lot of maintenance, including 14 feet of oil change documentation, have gotten his truck this far. He does have plans for when the Chevy's odometer rolls back to zero.
"Then I can go sell it as a low mileage '91 (Silverado)," said Oresnik jokingly.
Through it all, the Chevy's engine has never been replaced. However, he has had more than 300 oil changes. Oresnik is hoping General Motors will buy the truck from him and replace it with a brand new Chevy.
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