Three years ago, he started his own business, a ride service called “Freedom Express.”
“I wanted to work for myself and heard from a nurse friend of mine what the other transport companies were charging people, going to Fargo round trip from Park Rapids,” he said. “And I thought, wow, I could charge a lot less than that and still make money.
“I wanted to give people a cheaper option and I really like helping people. It's more rewarding than the money. The name for my business came from the patriotic side of me.”
While people in metropolitan areas have buses, light rail and taxis to bring them to appointments, choices are much more limited in small towns. There is no taxi service here, and the Heartland Express bus only provides service on designated routes and times and only serves Park Rapids area residents within two miles of city limits. Living at Home of the Park Rapids Area offers rides using volunteer drivers, but only for those 65 and older.
Freedom Express offers on-call service 24 hours a day. That means if someone ends up in the emergency room by ambulance, they have a way to get home. The van is also wheelchair accessible.
About a year after he started his business everything changed.
Two years ago, Dozier sustained multiple fractures and other serious injuries when he was riding his motorcycle and had to hit the ditch to avoid a head-on collision with another vehicle.
Having worked as a personal trainer at the gym in Menahga, he worked hard to rehabilitate his body so he could be active once again.
“I had over 30 broken bones,” he said. “Feet, vertebrae, ribs, fingers, collarbone and shoulder blades. The impact tore my liver in two and made a hole in my kidney.
“I kept my faith strong and I knew God would heal me. Even through unbelievable pain. I just kept believing. I knew he had plans for me still in this life to do something, to help people. I made a full recovery in six months.”
Dozier uses the lessons he learned from his own accident to bring hope and encouragement to those who are on their own healing journeys.
In addition to providing rides, Dozier gives his clients a listening ear, support and encouragement along the way, and offers a helping hand to others who are going through a tough place in their life.
No distance is too great or too small. "I'll go anywhere people need me," he said. "In a couple of weeks I'm taking a woman and her husband to Louisiana. They were up here camping with family and she fell and broke her leg, and now they need help getting back home."
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Dozier was looking at adding another van but decided to wait.
“I’m glad I did, because people needing rides to doctor appointments slowed way down during that time,” he said, adding that business has gradually been building up this year as restrictions have lifted.
One of the riders Dozier has helped is Mary Ann Pech, who is in her 80s and lives in the Nevis area. She needed a ride home this winter after she was discharged from CHI St. Joseph’s Hospital in Park Rapids. A staff member there gave her information about Freedom Express.
“I was amazed at how accommodating and helpful Mike was,” Pech said. “He just didn’t give me the ride. On the way home, he took me to the drug store to pick up a prescription. He was very gracious and kind.
“He could have just dropped me at the door when the ride was done, but he took me inside to a chair where I would be comfortable, asked about numerous things to make sure I would be taken care of and didn’t leave until he was sure I had neighbors who could help me.
“It wasn’t just a job for him. I felt like he was sent by God. He’s not just in business for the bottom line. He is so compassionate and understanding and has so much empathy for people. I think there are lots of people who would be blessed by this service. He was so wonderful.
“When you’re not yourself, not feeling well, you don’t need just the ride. You need someone who is loving and kind. He is a friend when you are greatly in need. Providing the ride is just the beginning of the story. It’s the person giving the ride that makes it special. When you're needing that ride there’s a reason behind it. You need that helping hand. He’s a God man all the way and was such a blessing to me.”
Dozier is especially sensitive to the needs of area veterans who often need to travel all the way to the VA Hospital in Fargo, N.D. to receive the medical care they need.
"The Disabled American Veterans organization does an excellent job of taking veterans to appointments at no charge, but they can't get everyone where they need to go, so that's where I come in," Dozier said. “The price of some medical driving services is too expensive for those not covered by insurance, and that’s why I’ve worked hard to keep ride fees as affordable as possible.”
“I’m thankful that there are veterans out there who are able to assist other veterans,” said Hubbard County Veterans service officer Jerry Bjerke. “We took care of each other in service and now we’re able to do it out of service. It’s great that he has an ADA accessible van. That fills a niche that most other organizations can’t.”
For more information on Freedom Express services call 218-616-2679.
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Riders find hope on Freedom Express - Park Rapids Enterprise
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