Happy Birthday! We’re two! & MOTORCOACH NEWS —MarchMarch 1, 1, 2005 2005 — 1 INDUSTRY NEWS

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF MOTORCOACH EXPO 2005 Proposed ADA rules would have big impact on industry WASHINGTON — The U.S. U.S. Small Business Administra- stalls in an office building. proposed rule, 60 percent of public the proposed rules, operators may Department of Justice has launched tion says the proposed changes Here are just two of dozens of entrances must be wheelchair be required to make employee-only a massive overhaul of the compli- could impose billions of dollars of ways the proposed rules could accessible. That means if there are areas wheelchair accessible. So- ance rules for the Americans with regulatory costs on small businesses impact operators: two public entrances to a facility, called “paths of access” through Disabilities Act, with many of the across the U.S. Under current ADA rules, half both must now be accessible. employee work areas would be proposed changes likely to have a The new standards span about of the entrances to a bus terminal Coach companies, under exist- required regardless of whether the profound impact on bus and motor- 300 pages and cover everything or station must be accessible. That ing ADA rules, must provide public ever entered these areas or coach companies, especially line- from the width of paths in restau- is, if there two entrances from the wheelchair access up to employee the firm had an employee with a haul operators. rant kitchens, to the number of same thoroughfare, usually only work areas, but access through the disability. Such a change would The Office of Advocacy in the wheelchair-accessible bathroom one must be accessible. Under the work area is not required. Under CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 þ IRS begins crack down on use of red-dyed fuel BRIGHTON, Mass. — The any enforcement rules,” said Kevin Internal Revenue Service appar- Sheehan, general manager of Crys- ently has begun passive enforce- tal Transport. ment of the new red-dyed fuel reg- Although all 50 Crystal coach- ulations for motorcoach operators es had red-dyed fuel in their tanks, and plans to launch a full-scale the IRS did not fine the company. nationwide enforcement around Instead, the agents acknowledged the middle of this month. that there might be a problem with At least one carrier — Crystal notification regarding the new reg- Transport of Brighton — already ulations and they likely would wait has had one of its coaches stopped until the second or third week in on the highway by the IRS and March before beginning their checked for the marked fuel and a enforcement program nationwide. follow up visit by federal agents to “I had heard there was going to its garage the following day. be some kind of notification in A Fly-In will bring motorcoach and other private operators to Washington to lobby Congress. The inspections occurred dur- March, but we haven’t heard a ing the third week in February. thing,” said Sheehan. “I would “It was a real surprise to us think that everyone who files 720 because we haven’t seen anything (tax) forms and fuel suppliers would Major lobbying push planned posted to the Federal Register or CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 þ WASHINGTON — With possible to come to Washington and improve enforcement of feder- Congress gearing up to take anoth- during the two days to lobby their al rules that protect private opera- er crack at adopting a federal high- congressional representatives, both tors from unfair transit competi- Forecast: High diesel prices way and public transportation bill, Senate and House, on key aspects tion. a group of trade associations repre- of the highway and public trans- Members of the coalition, WASHINGTON — The Ener- gallon, which was 20 percent senting private-sector bus, limou- portation bill. which includes the National gy Information Administration has higher than 2003. sine, shuttle and taxi operators are As Bus & Motorcoach News has School Transportation Association, revised upward — substantially The highest price diesel fuel organizing what they hope will be a reported (most recently Feb. 1), the International Motor Coach upward — its projection for diesel reached last year was $2.21 a gallon major lobbying drive this month. several aspects of the massive high- Group, the Trailways Transporta- fuel prices this year. on Oct. 25, which also was an all- Members of the Coalition of Pri- way bill have the potential of tion System, the California Bus The agency, a unit of the U.S. time high, and the national average vate Transportation Associations, severely undermining — and even Association and the Alabama Department of Energy, is predicting remained over $2 for 11 straight which includes the United harming — private-sector passen- Motorcoach Association, plus other diesel fuel prices will average $1.95 weeks. Previously, the record high Motorcoach Association, the ger providers if Congress adopts national, regional and state ground a gallon for 2005. That’s 8 cents a was $1.77 in March 2003. American Bus Association and four them. transportation associations, are gallon higher than it forecast just a The most expensive region for other motorcoach industry associa- One key goal is to convince sending out calls for their members month ago. diesel fuel last year was the West tions, have announced plans for a Congress it should keep public to come to Washington or to send In its latest Short-Term Energy Coast where prices averaged $2.03 Washington Fly-In on March 15-16. transit agencies from expanding letters and e-mails to members of Outlook, the EIA said diesel would a gallon for the year, although all The associations want as many their ability to provide charter bus two key Congressional committees. average 14 cents a gallon higher regions saw large increases over members of their organizations as services, which they want to do, CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 þ than 2004’s average of $1.81 per 2003. How Can We Serve You Better?

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The

Feds want to shield Fuel taxes UMA challenges design of HOS rule from suits climb in 3 federal bus crash study WASHINGTON — The U.S. dents and fatalities are not yet WASHINGTON — The ment program it has fewer acci- Department of Transportation has available, but the industry has more states United Motorcoach Association dents. says that a soon-to-get-started fed- “It has been UMA’s experience proposed converting the current already concluded that the rule is , North Carolina eral study of bus crashes may be that states employing strict bus- hours-of-service rules for truckers responsible — directly and indi- and Illinois have raised their fuel doomed to failure because of the enforcement programs are the least into statutory law, a move that rectly — for producing more rest taxes, but rates won’t be going up way it is designed. likely jurisdictions to have high would keep the regulations in for drivers, better use of driver in Nebraska. In comments filed with the crashes rates. Over the past several effect despite federal court action time, more efficient handling of In New York, where motor to overturn them. freight by shippers and receivers, Federal Motor Carrier Safety years, the greatest number of seri- fuel is subject to a state sales tax, The department also is propos- and increased productivity for Administration, the trade associa- ous bus crashes has occurred in the rate of the fuel-use tax report- ing to limit the Federal Motor motor carriers.” tion asserts that the narrow focus of states that either have weak able through the International Carrier Safety Administration’s The explanation also noted the study will produce flawed con- enforcement practices or have no Fuel Tax Agreement is reset each jurisdiction over driver health to that work on the hours’ rules is clusions that could lead the agency bus inspection programs,” UMA quarter according to the price of conditions that would cause death time-consuming and involves a down the wrong in develop- said in its filing. fuel. or serious injury, FMCSA Ad- tremendous allocation of agency ing policy. Even if by some fluke those For the first quarter of this ministrator Annette Sandberg resources. “The lives of the traveling pub- conducting the study are able to year, the rate on diesel fuel is ris- announced. “Because the safety and opera- lic are far too important to consid- find 50-100 “serious” bus crashes In a ruling last July, a federal tional results of the 2003 final rule ing from 19.9 to 22.5 cents, and er anything less than commission- during the next year in Jersey, appeals court threw out new hours- appear to be favorable, and the tax on gasoline is going from ing and conducting a complete and UMA contends the data still won’t of-services rules for truckers, saying FMCSA may be required to under- 20.3 cents a gallon to 21.1 cents. accurate picture of why buses be meaningful because the study the FMCSA had failed to consider take additional rulemaking activi- The increases push the total crash,” said UMA Senior Vice has been limited to one relative driver health to the extent the ties without a significant increase diesel-fuel tax in New York to President of Government and small region and that region could court claimed it was obligated to in staff, the department believes 35.35 cents per gallon and the Industry Relations Norm Littler. easily produce a distorted picture of do so. that it would be beneficial to end gasoline tax to 35.7 cents. Both The FMCSA published a what causes bus crashes. Speaking last month at the the prolonged struggle over hours rates are the highest in the U.S. notice last month seeking public UMA suggests the study be sig- American Trucking Associations’ of service and to ratify permanently Soaring fuel taxes may not be comments on what is being called nificantly modified. It proposes — Winter Leadership Meeting in the 2003 rule. This will also enable the only rising tax rates that New the Bus Crash Causation Study. The among other things — that: Washington, D.C., Sandberg said the motor carrier industry and state York operators will be facing. Congress failure to enact a high- and federal enforcement officials to potentially far-reaching study is • The data-collection effort be There are reports that higher reg- way and public transportation plan their training and compliance supposed to shed more light on widened to include all states. Be- istration fees are fairly certain to reauthorization bill last year pre- activities without having to worry what’s behind most bus crashes. cause every state gets FMCSA be enacted this year and a 25 per- sented an opportunity to end the about the expense and effort of (See Dec. 15 issue of Bus & Motor Carrier Safety Assistance cent increase, or possibly more, litigation initiated by Public adapting to some as-yet-unknown Motorcoach News.) Program money, all states should seems likely. Citizen and its allies. hours-of-service regulation.” However, UMA contends the be required to provide data to North Carolina indexes its tax Under the Bush Administra- The proposed legislation on study, as it’s currently envisioned, develop a clearer picture of what is, rate, which is the same for both tion’s proposed new highway and driver health would establish that has little chance of generating in reality, a rare occurrence — a gasoline and diesel fuel, according public transportation bill, the FMCSA authority over driver meaningful information and may, serious bus crash. hours-of-service rules issued for health in all regulations is limited to the average wholesale price of in fact, produce a highly skewed • The FMCSA pay particular truckers in April 2003 and imple- to ensuring that “the operations of fuel. The new rate in North Caro- picture of bus crash causation fac- attention to the frequency or mented in January 2004 would be commercial motor vehicles are free lina is 26.6 cents a gallon, versus tors. severity of crashes occurring in “adopted and confirmed as fully from recognized hazards that cause the previous rate of 24.6 cents. In a nutshell, here are the states that have strong bus inspec- legalized, as if it had, by prior act of or are likely to cause death or seri- The new rate will remain in effect basics of the study: tion and enforcement programs Congress, been specifically adopt- ous physical harm to the operators.” through June. It will analyze “serious” bus versus states having weak or non- ed on the date that rule (including Sandberg told reporters the An increase in the sales tax crashes occurring in northern and existent bus inspection and en- the subsequent technical amend- court’s broad reading of FMCSA’s component of fuel taxes in Illinois central . Traditionally, a forcement programs. ment) was originally issued.” obligation to consider driver has boosted the diesel tax in that “serious” bus crash has been • The study pay particular The proposed legislation health made it very difficult for the state to 31.4 cents a gallon from would, however, give FMCSA agency to pinpoint whether health defined as one involving fatalities, attention to commercial vans that 29.6 cents. The tax on gasoline authority to make changes to the conditions were truly related to the serious injuries or significant prop- are exempt from regulation except has gone to 28.7 cents a gallon rules in the future through the nor- hours rules or to numerous other erty damage. for accident recording and vehicle from 26.9. mal rulemaking process. factors, including drivers’ own The study’s designers expect to marking. In Nebraska, a 2-cent a gallon If enacted by Congress, the decisions regarding exercise, diet collect data on 50-100 “serious” • Include church-owned buses increase in fuel taxes had been proposed legislation would trump and so on. bus crashes occurring in the study or state-operated school buses, considered by the state legislature, the ruling by the U.S. Court of The White House hopes a new area this year. which are either partially or com- but was not acted on — appar- Appeals for the District of highway bill will be enacted by Buses are being defined as 9-15 pletely exempt from FMCSA regu- ently because fuel prices already Columbia because the court’s opin- May. If Congress does enact the passenger vans, plus midsize and lations. ion was based on its interpretation bill and includes the codification are too high. larger buses seating 16 passengers • Determine if there were of congressional intent. of the hours rules into law, Rising fuel prices also may or more. “indictors” of problems with carri- In an explanation that accom- FMCSA will stop work on its cur- thwart a ballot proposal in Okla- UMA is highly skeptical that ers involved in serious crashes. The panied its proposal to Congress, rent rulemaking to reconsider the homa to raise fuel taxes to pay for there will be 50 to 100 “serious” indicators might include elevated the Bush Administration said regulations, Sandberg said. She an ambitious road and bridge bus crashes in northern and central vehicle or driver out-of-service vio- many motor carriers have reported emphasized, however, that in the rebuilding program. With gaso- New Jersey this year for the lations or accidents, lapses in insur- accident experience under the new meantime, the agency will proceed line averaging 30 cents a gallon FMCSA contractor and state offi- ance elevated numbers of moving regulations that is comparable to, if with the rulemaking and strongly more than last year, the road ini- cials to study. The association con- violations, and information in fed- not better than, their experience encouraged interested parties to tiative faces a steep uphill climb tends that because New Jersey has eral or state databases. under the old rules: submit comments. Comments are to win approval. “Definitive statistics on acci- due March 10. an aggressive bus safety enforce- CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 þ BUS & MOTORCOACH NEWS — March 1, 2005 — 5 THE DOCKET Legislation aims to revive bonus depreciation WASHINGTON — The and renewed under the Jobs and ciation over the life of the coach. Reinstatement of the provision chased after May 5, 2003 and put United Motorcoach Association is Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation The laws were designed to pro- would certainly be a welcome into service before Jan. 1, 2005. supporting a bill that would rein- Act of 2003, allowed coach opera- vide businesses with incentives to incentive for profitable operators After its introduction, Wilson’s state and extend bonus deprecia- tors to deduct 30 percent (under make asset purchases during the looking to make new-coach pur- bill was referred to the House Ways tion for an additional two years for the 2002 law) and later 50-percent post-9/11 economic slowdown and chases. Such depreciation cannot and Means Committee. most business taxpayers. (under the 2003 law) of a qualified help stimulate the U.S. economy. only reduce a profitable company’s “Rest assured, this is a measure U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, a Repub- asset’s value in the first year it was Coach manufacturers indicated tax liability but it may also boost UMA approves of and supports,” lican from South Carolina’s second placed in service. This is in addi- last year that some operators were near-term cash flow. said Norm Littler, senior vice pres- district, has introduced a bill that tion to taking Modified Acceler- able to take advantage of the bonus The 2003 bonus depreciation ident of government and industry would reinstate 50-percent bonus ated Cost Recovery System depre- depreciation to update their fleets. law applied to equipment pur- relations at the association. depreciation as of the first of this year. H.R. 364 not only would rein- state bonus depreciation as of Jan. 1, 2005, but extend it to Jan. 1, 2007. For an asset-intensive industry like the motorcoach industry, the replacement of coaches during the two-year period of the bill would provide an immediate tax benefit for profitable operators. Bonus depreciation, first passed under the Jobs Creation and Worker’s Assistance Act of 2002 Study

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Determine if carriers involved in crashes have ever undergone a compliance review that yielded a conditional safety rating and, if so, was there any follow-up action by either federal or state officials. “UMA strongly encourages the FMCSA to undertake bus crash causation research, but only if the end-result is likely to yield meaningful data from which an accurate picture can be drawn,” says Littler. To do less will only produce a distorted picture that could lead to bad policy, UMA contends. The drafting of the study results are expected to be complet- ed in 2006, at which time the information will be made public. The study was mandated by the federal Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999. Anyone can submit comments on the proposed study. Mail or hand deliver comments to the U.S. Department of Transporta- tion, Dockets Management Facil- ity, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Or, submit comments elec- tronically to http://dmses.dot.gov/ submit. The docket number — FMCSA-204-19185 — should appear prominently on submitted comments, which are due by March 16. To learn more about the study, see the Aug. 23, 2004 issue of the Federal Register (69 FR 51879). A similar study of truck crashes is nearing completion. 6 — March 1, 2005 — BUS & MOTORCOACH NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS CUSA completes purchase of Roesch Lines, AirportBus ANAHEIM, Calif. — CUSA Gray Line brand in both Southern eastern Los Angeles metro area, Carroll. ing sightseeing services in Orange of Dallas, the largest charter and and Northern California, including Palm Springs and the Inland As part of the transaction, County and around the Disneyland tour operator in the U.S., has San Francisco. Empire. CUSA acquires a maintenance resorts. completed the purchase of Air- “The Gray Line brand comple- Roesch’s charter services in Las facility in San Bernardino. Roesch AirportBus service will be im- portBus of Anaheim and Roesch ments the sightseeing services now Vegas and Los Angeles will be fold- traditionally operated a fleet of proved by increasing the service Lines of San Bernardino, Calif. provided by our existing Anaheim ed into CUSA’s existing operations about 25 coaches. frequency from hourly to 30-min- (See Feb. 1 issue of Bus & Motor- operation,” said David Carroll, sen- in those markets. “Roesch has a AirportBus offers scheduled ute departures. And, there are plans coach News.) ior vice president of operations for rich history dating back to 1923, services, including an airport shut- to upgrade the 50-coach Airport- Included in the acquisition is CUSA. and a good book of charter busi- tle and transportation between Bus fleet. the Gray Line of Southern Cali- The purchase also will enable ness. We have already begun put- Disneyland resort hotels and Uni- Bryan O’Connell, general man- fornia franchise that was held by CUSA to expand its charter pres- ting some newer equipment into its versal Studios. Carroll said Airport- ager of CUSA Anaheim, will over- Roesch. CUSA now holds the ence in the region, including the fleet to upgrade the service,” said Bus will fit well with CUSA’s exist- see both Roesch and AirportBus.

pendent federal agency set up by coach Association has aligned itself tol Hill Club. Attendance limited ADA rules Congress to work on issues related with one small business advocacy Fly-In to contributors: $500 individual, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 to accessibility for people with dis- group and established contact with CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 $1,000 PAC. Individual contribu- represent a major shift in the appli- abilities. It has a staff of 30 people the office of the chief counsel of tions must be made by personal cability of the disabilities act. and is governed by a board com- the U.S. Small Business Adminis- The committees with the most check and are not tax deductible. Just how detailed is the Justice posed of representatives from big tration Office of Advocacy which influence on the highway bill are Wednesday-March 16, 8-9 Department’s 300-page proposal? federal agencies and public mem- is expected to serve as a clearing the House Transportation and a.m. Fundraising breakfast for Sen. Consider the proposed rule for bers appointed by the president. house for small business input into Infrastructure Committee and the Richard Shelby, R-Ala. (Could windows. Currently, there is no As most anyone in business the proposed rule. Senate Banking, Housing and become a lunch.) Attendance lim- ADA requirement for windows. knows, the Americans with Disa- At this point, the Justice De- Urban Affairs Committee. ited to contributors: $500 individ- Under the proposed rules, one win- bilities Act forbids businesses from partment rulemaking is 300 pages Operators who are interested in ual, $1,000 PAC. Individual contri- dow in each room that has win- discriminating against people with of proposed changes. Nothing has participating in the fly-in should butions must be made by personal dows would have to be accessible to disabilities. The Department of gone into effect. contact the government or legisla- check and are not tax deductible. a person with a disability, including Justice makes — and often enforces The Justice Department is giv- tive affairs representatives at their 9-9:30 a.m. Progress report and a wheelchair-accessible path of — the rules on what a business ing businesses until May 31 to sub- association. orientation access to the window and clear must do to make sure it doesn’t mit comments on the impact and Association lobbyists can pro- 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Congres- floor space in front of the window. have barriers to equal access and potential costs of the proposed vide sample letters that can be writ- sional appointments Additionally, whatever mechanism enjoyment by the disabled. ADA requirements, as well as pro- ten to request an appointment with Noon. Capital Hill news con- is used to open the window would The proposed rules would im- viding recommendations for reduc- a particular House or Senate mem- ference on coalition goals have to be within easy reach of pose their requirements on owners ing the proposed burdens. ber. Plus, they can provide addi- 4:40-5 p.m. Fly-in debrief & someone in a wheelchair and it of buildings, as well as landlords The Department of Justice’s tional details about the fly-in, wrap-up. must be operable with less than five and tenants of leased properties, to advance notice of proposed rule- including suggested hotels for stay- Here are the associations that pounds of pressure. remove architectural and other fea- making can be found at ing in Washington. are members of the coalition: The Justice Department wants tures that could hinder the full www.adaanprm.org. The new stan- Here’s a schedule of events for • Airport Ground Transportation access and enjoyment of the prem- dards themselves can be found at to revise the existing ADA rules in those participating in the Fly-In: Association ises by the disabled. www.access-board.gov/ada-aba.htm. response to new standards that Tuesday, March 15, 1:30 p.m. • Alabama Motorcoach Associa- Organizations representing small Comments may be submitted elec- were adopted last summer by the — Opening briefing & orientation, tion and large businesses are starting to tronically to the Justice Depart- Architectural and Transportation Dirksen Senate Office Building, • American Bus Association Barriers Compliance Board. gear up for a battle over the pro- ment via the www.adaanprm.org Room 534. • American Transit Services The access board is an inde- posed rules. The United Motor- Web site. Attending: Sen. Richard Shel- Council by, R-Ala, chairman of the Senate • California Bus Association Banking Committee; Sen. Wayne • International Motorcoach Group Transits seek Allard, Senate Housing and Trans- • National School Transportation portation Subcommittee; Sherry Association charter firms Little, staff member, Senate bank- • Ohio Taxicab Association The following public transit ing committee, and Tewana Wil- • Taxicab and Para- providers have informed the kerson, staff member. transit Association United Motorcoach Association of 2:30 p.m. Fly-in staff briefing • Taxicab, Limousine & Para- their intent to provide charter bus 3-5 p.m. Congressional ap- transit Association service unless willing and able pri- pointments • Taxicab Paratransit Association vate operators step forward to offer 6-7:30 p.m. Fundraising din- of California their services or to bid on contract ner for Rep. Jim Duncan, R-Tenn, • Trailways Transportation System opportunities. UMA urges appro- House Subcommittee on High- • United Motorcoach Association priate operators to take the time to ways, Transit and Pipelines, Capi- • Virginia Taxicab Association respond to these notices: Topeka, Kan. Deadline: 4 p.m. Feb. 28, 2005. Write to: Janlyn Nesbett-Tucker, General Manager, Indiana state senate approves Topeka Metropolitan Transit Au- thority, 201 N. Kansas Ave., Topeka, hike in highway speed limits KS 66603. Phone: (785) 233-2011. Johnson City, Tenn. Deadline: INDIANAPOLIS — The 65 mph for trucks. March 4, 2005. Write to: Donna Indiana Senate has approved legis- The Indiana House has passed Bridwell, Johnson City Transit lation that would raise the speed similar legislation several times System, 137 W. Market St., John- limit for motorcoaches to 70 mph since Congress repealed the son City, TN 37604. Phone: (423) on some of the state’s interstate national limit of 65 mph in 1995, 929-7119. highways. but similar proposals have died in Dayton, Ohio. Deadline: March 18, 2005. Write to: Minnie Fells The 34-15 vote was the first the Senate. Johnson, Ph.D., Executive Director, time the Senate has approved the If the bill passes both bodies, it Valley Regional Transit change, which would increase the would go to Gov. Mitch Daniels Authority, 600 Longworth St., speed limit on rural interstates who has indicated he supports the Dayton, Ohio 45401. Phone: (937) from 65 mph to 70 mph for buses higher speed limits. 425-8400. and cars, and 60 miles per hour to

8 —March 1, 2005 — BUS & MOTORCOACH NEWS OPINION INDUSTRY NEWS Hiring smart to avoid problems Setra technicians, operators By Fred Spears managers using behavioral-based applicant. Make sure your to receive hands-on training Leadership Systems questions. employment application includes The use of appropriate, job- a release by the candidate for you GREENSBORO, N.C. — For • Aug. 8-12 at Setra headquar- the third year, Setra of North ters in Greensboro, N.C. Ad- If you are a business owner or a related assessments that measure to conduct reference and back- America is offering training pro- vanced suspension and pneumatics, manager with people reporting job fit, reliability, dependability ground checks. grams on its S 417 coach, providing including brakes and ABS. you, you probably spend a signifi- and other critical factors. Now you are ready to put all field expertise to operators and • Sept. 26-30 at a location to cant portion of your time address- Background and reference the steps together into an effective technicians. be determined in the Northeast. ing performance problems. checking — generally the use of process which offers the highest “We believe our customers bene- Basic introductory class. Solving performance issues an outside service is more effective probability of making effective fit from the technical information • Nov. 14-18 at a location to will benefit your business, but the and efficient than having your hiring decisions. The employment and hands-on training they receive be determined in the Midwest. Ad- resolution process itself is a dis- human resources department per- application, background and ref- at our training sessions,” said Joe vanced HVAC and electrical sys- traction from essential duties for form this function. erence checks and benchmark- Davis, assistant vice president of tems. both you and your employees Substance abuse testing for all ing/job matching all have been service and engineering at Setra of Classes are free and include When attempting to solve or positions. addressed. North America. “It’s a great way for training, materials and lunch each customers and service center em- day. Attendees must arrange their avoid these problems, three oppor- The first step in an effective For maximum effectiveness, ployees to acquire the first-hand transportation and hotel. To attend tunities to improve the perform- hiring process is to clearly define add assessment instruments which knowledge and experience necessary the advanced classes, individuals ance of your organization and your your hiring focus. This includes cover the following areas: integrity, to become top-quality technicians.” must have completed a previous people exist: clearly defining the requirements personality, ability and interests. Here are the Setra training ses- introductory class. 1. Selection Process and Job of the position. Too often the This comprehensive approach sions for the remainder of the year: Contact Yvette Aramendiz at Fit (prevention) focus is on credentials and experi- to the recruitment and selection • March 14-18 at Setra (800) 882-8054 Ext. 5412, to regis- 2. Leadership and Manage- ence rather than on what is to be process will enable you to increase CoachWorld in Winter Garden, ter for training and make hotel ment (coaching and training) achieved. Focus first on results — the probability of an effective hir- Fla. Advanced HVAC and electri- reservations, or go to www.setra- 3. Separation (frequently the key result areas of the position. ing decision from the low of 14 cal systems. coaches.com for more details. overused, never used in a timely Next, identify your top per- percent with an interview, alone, said. fashion) formers in that or in essentially to 75 percent. (Psychological Bulle- Red-dyed fuel There has been concern The best and lowest-cost similar positions who are perform- tin Vol. 96, No. 1, August 1994, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 throughout the industry that many opportunity is to hire more effec- ing at or above the required level. Prof. Mike Smith, University of be on the list for notification.” coaches still would have some of tively to prevent performance Use objective measurements that New Hampshire.) IRS forms 720-CS and 720-TO the marked fuel left over in their problems. quantify their performance to Making effective hiring deci- are filed by carriers and terminal tanks even though they stopped Organizations generally hire determine what makes them suc- sions, utilizing the resources and operators to report fuel usage. using it weeks and sometime on skills and experience but fire cessful. Because these are your steps outlined above will go a long The new law, which became months earlier. because the individual does not fit best people, it makes good busi- way in reducing your people prob- effective Jan. 1, prohibits operators Many carriers have complained from using red-dyed fuel in coaches about the rule change because in with the organization. This is ness sense to try to hire candidates lems, increasing your company’s that qualify for tax exemptions. the past they could hold on to where hiring smart comes into with similar characteristics, be- productivity and profitability — Instead, they are required to use thousands of dollars of their own play. haviors, abilities and interests. and very probably allowing you to fully taxed clear fuel in all of their money before paying the tax each Hiring smart is more than sim- Through the use of appropri- sleep better at night. buses, pay the full tax and then file quarter. Under the new rules, they ply interviewing. ate, job-related assessment instru- Next: The new-employee ori- for refunds of that portion of the have to pay the full tax whenever All too often, managers rely ments you can measure how appli- entation process. tax from which they are exempt. they fill up their coaches or storage on the interview alone when cants compare to your best Violators can be fined a mini- tanks and then file for a refund selecting a job candidate. Employ- employees and hire those that will Fred Spears is a principal of mum of $1,000 or $10 for each gal- later. ers who rely solely on the inter- provide similar results. Leadership Systems of Overland lon of fuel in their tanks, which “It really is sad to have them ever is larger. change the law this way and have view have only a 14 percent prob- Have all candidates Park, Kan., a results improvement ability of making a successful hir- complete an employment applica- Sheehan said he told the IRS bus companies pay up front because company that focuses on staff agents who visited his garage he they can’t enforce and control the ing decision. An effective hiring tion. It is important to understand development, hiring and skills devel- would begin immediately cleaning correct use of red-dyed fuel,” sug- process must include several steps: that an employment application is opment and improvement. Contact out his tanks of the red-dyed fuel. gested Sheehan. “It seems they The interview — we suggest a a legal document, versus a resume him at (913) 681-0142 or by e-mail “But that’s going to take us at least can’t do their job with policing it so series of interviews by involved which is a marketing tool for the at [email protected]. a month to go through it all,” he they have to penalize everybody.”

How to contact us: ISSUE NO. 49 Jeff Polzien To submit or report news, Letters to the Red Carpet Tours To contact the Oklahoma City Editor, articles: United Motorcoach Association: A PUBLICATION OF THE UNITED MOTORCOACH ASSOCIATION E-mail: [email protected] Robert L. Quick Call: (800) 424-8262 Quick-Livick Inc. Fax: (866) 930-8426 Online: www.uma.org Staff Advisory Board Stauton, Va. Mail: 4930 W. Glendale Ave., Suite 6 To send advertisements or Editor & Publisher Alex Allen Todd Holland Tom Ready Glendale, AZ 85301 Amador Stage Lines Ramblin' Express Ready Bus Lines photographs via the Internet: Victor Parra Call: (623) 930-8423 Sacramento, Calif. Colorado Springs LaCrescent, Minn. E-mail: [email protected] Bob Brisman Robert Hume Bill Rohrbaugh Upload: www.jezac.com/uploads Sales Director Senior Editor To advertise or to mail advertising- Johnny Steger West Point Trailways Travel Mates Trailways Bill Rohrbaugh's Charter Services Bruce Sankey Vails Gate, N.Y. Harrisonburg, Va. Manchester, Md. related materials: To subscribe or inquire about your Call: Johnny Steger subscription: Government Editor Associate Editor David Brown Daryl G. Johnson Brian Scott (602) 980-0840 or (623) 930-8422 Holiday Tours J & J Charters Escot Bus Lines Call: (623) 930-8421 Norman Littler Ellen Balm Randlemann, N.C. Crosby, Texas Largo, Fla. E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Mail: 4930 W. Glendale Ave., Suite 6 Editorial Assistant Editorial Assistant Bob Foley Godfrey LeBron John Silvanie Fax: (866) 930-8426 ABC Companies Paradise Trailways Suburban Charter Services Glendale, AZ 85301 Tara Sheehan Amy Stalknecht Faribault, Minn. West Hempstead, N.Y. White Plains, N.Y. Mail: 4930 W. Glendale Ave., Suite 6 To complain: Glendale, AZ 85301 Accountant Editorial Assistant Steve Haddad Joan Libby Alan Spachman Carl R. Bieber Tourways Cavalier Coach National Interstate Insurance Co Call: (623) 930-8421 John Giddens Melissa Harden Kutstown, Pa. , Mass. Richfield, Ohio E-mail: [email protected] ©2005 by the United Motorcoach Association. Reproduction in whole or in part without Art Director Rick Hillard Warren Miller T. Ralph Young written permission is prohibited. Tri-State Tours Pacific Coach Bus Service Young Transportation Mary E. McCarty Galena, Ill. San Francisco, Calif. Ashville, N.C. BUS & MOTORCOACH NEWS — March 1, 2005 — 9 INDUSTRY NEWS Focus on Seats: Clean means happy customers Method No. 1 requires applying be considered if the fabric looks service. On average, operators All in all, clean seats make for a a nonflammable solvent (trichlor- faded, loose or begins splitting. replace seat fabric every four to good impression and happy cus- ethylene) with a clean, white ab- When replacing foam, high- six years, according to Kathy tomers. sorbent material. Treat small areas, density polyurethane foam is Cruse of Sardo Bus and working from the outer edge recommended for long-term Upholstery. Bryan Couch is director of product towards the center of the stain. Blot development at MCI. frequently to avoid rings. Any cleaning fluid should be used sparingly. Keep in mind that it’s best to go with repeat applica- By Bryan Couch tions of the cleaner rather than one heavy application. Adequate venti- lation is required during this type of Drinks, ink, chewing gum, ice cleaning procedure. cream, even graffiti. Stains and Method No. 2 suggests using a spills of every sort can end up on sponge on the stain with a solution the seats and fabric side-walls of a of household detergent and luke- motorcoach. And, if not removed warm water. Do not soak. Follow quickly and properly, virtually any this by blotting with a damp cloth, stain can easily offend customers. rinsing the cloth between each Seat upholstery also serves as a treatment. magnet, collecting odors from a Prompt and correct cleaning variety of sources. will remove most stains. Using the Most seat fabrics today com- wrong treatment, however, could bine different materials, consisting make the damage worse. Manu- of both synthetic and natural fab- facturers caution not to use: soap, rics woven together. Cut pile wool- washing powder, ammonia, bleach blend fabrics are favorites in the (especially), soda or any product coach industry. Leather upholstery containing these items. Do not use is starting to become more popular rubber feet for vacuum cleaning. and requires special care. Recom- Do not add water for dry cleaning. mendations from the specific man- Seek expert advice from the manu- ufacturer should be consulted facturer. before cleaning leather. Chewing gum is a common General dirt and grime should problem on seats. Specific treat- be eliminated quickly and safely ment to remove gum depends on — meaning without hurting the the fabric. Generally, to take off seat and side-wall fabric. chewing gum use a freezer spray or We’ve consulted a variety of ice cubes wrapped in a plastic bag fabric manufacturers to glean tips to chill the gum followed by scrap- on how to keep coach fabric in ing it off gently. top shape. Guidelines vary de- Annually, we would suggest a pending on the seat fabric, which cleaning of all seats in a coach means you should consult the using a spray extraction system. manufacturer of your fabric for Warm water with a pH neutral (pH specific procedures. However, gen- 7) detergent is sprayed on the seat, eral cleaning is done by beating and is immediately extracted by the pile with a brush and vacuum- vacuum. ing off the dust. Of course, you also will need Now, for the tougher problem — to go beyond routine cleaning removing spots or stains. There are when seats begin looking tired. two general methods of cleaning. New fabric and or foam should

equipped with a Caterpillar C-13 Gotta Go Trailways engine and ZF transmission. The CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 other two also have Cat engines he would rather have 100 percent and ZF AS-tronic 12-speed trans- of the revenue his tours and char- missions with intarders. ters were generating, instead of the “We liked the first one so much 10 percent he was getting by not we went back and got two more,” having his own buses. said Dinger. He said his first Cat- He bought two coaches and powered Van Hool, which was never looked back. named Kitty CAT, is getting 7 Today, the company has a fleet miles per gallon. of 36 Van Hool coaches and one The coaches also have Amaya MCI F3500, which he describes as seating with Holdsworth fabric, the most-popular bus in his fleet. Isringhausen driver seats, Carrier- In recent weeks, Dinger has Sutrak A/C units, Meritor- added three new C2045 Van WABCO ABS, and Firestone tires Hools, including the very first mounted on Alcoa wheels. E-MAIL: [email protected] 10 — March 1, 2005 — BUS & MOTORCOACH NEWS NEW DELIVERIES Coach USA will buy 23 new-look MCI D models MAHWAH, N.J. — Coach coaches to look after our customers, USA has ordered 23 D4505 buses and to give them as a good as ride as from Motor Coach Industries, mak- they would get in their car,” said ing it among the first operators to Bowker. “People are very discerning get the restyled D-model. today. They want the very best.” The bus order is headed to The D4505s will be equipped Coach USA’s Shortline subsidiary with wheelchair lifts, Detroit in Mahwah, where they will be Diesel Series 60 engines and ZF As- used for express commuter service stronic transmissions. and line-run operations to New The Coach USA buses will be York City. “Phase 1” models of the redesigned and other transit-specific needs. Coach USA has been an active Coach USA, has ordered 15 J4500s Roger Bowker, chief operating D4505. They will have flared head- The “Phase II” new-style buyer of MCI coaches during the for delivery this month. officer for Coach USA’s Northeast lights and new front-end restyling D4005 and D4505 coaches, which past year. Its Northeast and North Coach USA’s Northeast region region, said the D4505 was picked but retain the traditional D-model are aimed at tour-and-charter oper- Central divisions took a combined has nine subsidiaries: Shortline, because of its customer appeal and cap. The Phase I coaches are pri- ators, have a completely restyled 61 wheelchair-equipped J4500s last , Community low profile, which allows it to fit marily intended for line-run and front end, roof cap and lights, plus spring, shortly after taking 17 Coach, Red ’n Tan, Olympia, into the underground terminal at public-sector customers that want a number of other exterior modifi- D4500s. ONEBUS/Independent Bus, Su- the New York Port Authority. the updated D look but need to cations. Production has started on Coinciding with the D4505 burban, Cape Transit and Perfect “We want to invest in new accommodate destination signs the Phase II models. order, Coach Canada, an affiliate of Body, a collision repair facility. Holiday Tours Marietta, Ga. Holiday Tours of Marietta, Ga., The navigation system not only has purchased three Setra S 417 informs and entertains passengers it motorcoaches equipped with global also provides visual and verbal positioning system navigation that directions for drivers, and has the allows passengers to monitor trip capability to save tour routes that progress on coach monitors. reoccur throughout the year. “In the past, passengers really “The ability to program the enjoyed plotting their trips on the navigation system once saves time maps we provided,” said Joyce Neal, and makes it easier for the driver,” owner of Holiday Tours. “Now, with said Neal. the new technology of the GPS In addition to GPS, the new Hol- ing with leather headrests, airline- Holiday Tours operates an all- ated business owned by Betty Joyce navigation system on the coaches, iday Tours’ S 417s have Detroit style tray tables, a refrigerator for cold Setra fleet with six S 417 and two S Neal. For more information about they can see on a display screen Diesel Series 60 engines, Allison B refreshments, a 10-disk CD changer, 217 coaches. Established 15 years the tour-and-charter operator go to exactly where the coach is en route.” 500 transmissions, luxury Setra seat- DVD/VCR and safety deposit box. ago, Holiday Tours is a family-oper- www.holiday-tours.biz. Southern Coaches Capital Area Dothan, Ala. Transit Career moves can be tricky and John Adams recognized an oppor- Baton Rouge, La. changing businesses risky. tunity and purchased their first Yet, armed with the knowledge tour-and-charter coach, a used CATS, the transit system for gained from running a successful MC-9. Baton Rouge, has taken delivery of trucking company, Milton Adams Within a year, the father-and- 28 Blue Bird Ultra LF buses, with an option for 25 more over the turned a hobby of taking customers son team added eight more coaches next five years. and friends on fishing trips into a to keep up with demand fueled by a The addition of the low-floor successful charter company: South- strike at Greyhound. Today, units means approximately one- ern Coaches. Southern Coaches operates 20 third of the buses operating in the Now 91, and still involved in coaches and serves high-end tour CATS fleet are Blue Birds. the business, Adams founded and travel agencies, schools and have National passengers seats, by what their father taught them “The people of Baton Rouge Southern Coaches 16 years ago, colleges. while the other three have Amaya — customers come first, be fair deserve a first-class public transit along with his sons John and The company recently added seating. with everybody, and get a reason- system ... and thanks to our part- George, following the sale of the five new MCI J4500 coaches. MCI marked the delivery of the able price for your services. nership with Blue Bird, now they family trucking company. The Three are equipped with Detroit coaches and Milton Adams’ 91st Expert in engines and trans- have one,” said Dwight Brashear, trucking outfit had grown from a Diesel Series 60 engines and ZF birthday with a special tribute at missions, the elder Adams still par- CATS’ chief executive. bare half-dozen trucks and $300,000 AS-Tronic transmissions, and the MCI’s customer appreciation event ticipates in equipment decisions The Blue Bird Ultra LFs added in business in 1956, to a 1988 peak other two feature Allison B500 in Dallas in mid-November. and maintenance issues. When he to the CATS fleet are 35-feet long, of $16 million with 300 trucks, 400 transmissions. “The motorcoach business is can tear himself away from the 102-inches wide and equipped with trailers and 13 terminals. The coaches also have REI friendlier and a lot more fun than service shop (which he visits every- Cummins ISB 230-horsepower en- By the late 1980s, deregulation entertainment systems with six the truck line,” says South Coaches day, including Saturdays and gines, Allison B300R transmis- was affecting both the truck and monitors and DVD players; Alcoa president, John Adams, who runs Sundays), Milton Adams can be sions, Meritor independent front bus industries. After seeing some wheels, Isringhausen air-controlled the day-to-day operations. found hunting quail at least three suspensions, all-wheel disc brakes, success from taking groups on trips driver seats, Carrier A/C units and He and his brother George, times a week or fishing on his pri- Twin-Vision LED signs and GFI in an executive coach, Milton and Firestone tires. Two of the coaches company secretary-treasurer, abide vate pond. fareboxes. They seat 31. BUS & MOTORCOACH NEWS — March 1, 2005 — 11 INDUSTRY NEWS ABA picks executive committee, board WASHINGTON — The Eyre, who has been involved in Eyre Bus & Travel. Since then, the man after serving three years as American Bus Association has the industry for more than 35 years company has expanded into a tour vice chairman. named its executive committee for began his industry career by driving and travel and destination manage- Eyre and ABA President Peter the next year, headed by new ABA a school bus for his family bus busi- ment company. Pantuso praised outgoing ABA Chairman Ron Eyre of Eyre Bus ness. After graduating from the Eyre is a past president of the Chairman Charles Zelle for his Lines in Glenelg, Md. University of , he worked Maryland Bus Association and three years of committed leadership Others named to the committee in all facets of the company. chaired the ABA Marketplace in and service to the industry and are Vice Chairman Doug Anderson In l990, he became president of l987. He moves up to ABA chair- association. Ron Eyre of Anderson Coach and Travel; Past Chairman Charles Zelle of Jef- ferson Lines; Secretary-Treasurer Frank Henry (1-year term) of Frank Martz Coach Company/Martz Trailways; ABA President & CEO Peter J. Pantuso (1-year term); Jim Jalbert (3-year term) of C&J Trailways; Woody Blunt of Concord Trailways; Steve Gorman of Grey- hound Lines; Craig Lentzsch of CUSA; Gordon Mackay of Indian Trails and Francis Tedesco of . Joining the ABA board of directors for three-year terms are: Gaeton Bolduc of Prevost Car; Bob Chafey of Cendant Hotel Group; Bill Gentry of Gentry Trailways; Dave Eaton of Conway Tours/Gray Line Rhode Island; Peter Hunter of Hunter Motor Coach; Butch Spyridon of Nash- ville Convention & Visitors Bu- reau, and Jennifer Hopkins-George of Palladin Travel & Tour, who will serve a one-year term on the board as the chairperson for the 2006 Marketplace in Nashville. Renominated to the ABA board were: Butch Beckwith of Turner Coaches; Ron Cornell of ABC Companies; Joe Cyr of John T. Cyr & Sons/Cyr Northstar Tours; Don Ferrone of American Sightseeing Tours-Chicago/Prairie Trailways/Chicago Gray Line; Sara Loaded with everything except the high price tag. Fuller of the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau; Billy Hughes of Southeastern Stages; Dennis Mariola of Bridge- stone/Firestone North American Tire; Tom Sorrells of Motor Coach With a significantly lower price point than competitive coaches, virtually any application and environment. Industries; Buddy Young of Capitol the all new Express multipurpose coach has been An all stainless steel construction guarantees Bus Lines Inc.; Jot Bennett of engineered from the ground up to deliver structural integrity. The independent Capitol Trailways; Eugene Berardi exceptional performance and value in front suspension system delivers of Adirondack Trailways, and the commuter coach and shuttle mar- improved maneuverability. The Gorman, Henry and Pantuso. kets. The Express doesn’t compromise ergonomic driver area is designed for Leaving the board are: Charles on quality either. Available in two convenience. And the panoramic insulated lengths–40 and 45 feet–this American windows and wide passenger seats ensure Carns Jr. of Mears Transportation made coach is loaded with the very latest rider comfort. Group; Scott Carson of West performance and safety features demanded When you consider the cost savings, durability, comfort, Virginia Coach Co.; Bill Hanbury, by North American operators. driveability and overall value of the Express, you’ll realize this is of the Washington, D.C., Conven- With seating for up to 55 passengers, the Express is 12-year one coach you can’t afford to pass up. tion & Tourism Corp.; Ronald Lee Altoona designed and possesses the versatility to handle of Group Sales Box Office; Wayne Phillips of Capital Trailways of Alabama, and Tom Ready of Ready To learn more about the Express contact Blue Bird Coachworks at 1-800-486-7122. Bus Line. BLUE BIRD In taking over as ABA chair- www.blue-bird.com ® man, Eyre said he was looking for- Blue Bird Corporation, Coachworks Division, One Wanderlodge Way, Fort Valley, GA 31030 Coachworks ward to working to further enhance the image of the coach industry. SMART SOLUTIONS

SMART COACHES

At Prevost, finding smart solutions is more than an idea—it’s a core philosophy. In fact, we’ve been building leading-edge ideas into every one of our coaches for over 80 years. Now with its new, advanced, multiplex electrical system, Prevost delivers unequaled reliability and unique features—tested for years to ensure long-life dependability and operational efficiency. For us, finding smart solutions in everything we do is both a proud tradition and a core philosophy. For you, it’s another reason you can count on Prevost products and services to take you further, time and time again.

www.prevostcar.com For sales inquiries: USA 877-773-8678 • Canada 418-883-3391 THE SMART CHOICE