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JULY/AUGUST 2020 Published by Rankin Publishing, Inc. MAGAZINE www.buslinemag.com

Washington State Transit Agency Considers Riders ‘Guests’ Link Transit...... 8 When Demand Heats Up, Dean Trailways Is Ready ...... 20

BUSLINE VEHICLE SHOWCASE: Small & Mid-Size • Micro Bird Commercial 56 • ARBOC Specialty Vehicles 58 • Driverge Vehicle Innovations® 60 • BYD 62 • ABC Companies 62 • Hometown Manufacturing 63 • CHTC 63 • TEMSA 64 30 • 65

ON THE COVER: Link Transit services an urban core of about 70 RAPID RESPONSE...... Page 6 square miles in the Wenatchee Valley in state. Left to right are General Manager Richard DeRock, Operations Manager Howard Johnson, Chief of Staff Nick Covey, Maintenance and Tech- INDUSTRY NEWS...... Page 65 nology Manager Ed Archer and Administrative Services Manager

CONTENTS Lynn Bourton. See page 8.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS EDITORIAL & CORPORATE OFFICES NOVEMBER 2020 November 15-19 MARCH 2021 November 7-10 Community March 3-7 Rankin Publishing Co., Inc. National Association Transportation United Motorcoach Linda Rankin, Publisher For Pupil Transportation Association of America Association (UMA) (NAPT) Annual Conference & (CTAA) Expo Motorcoach Expo 204 E. Main Street • P.O. Box 130 Trade Show Louisville, KY Orlando, FL Arcola, IL 61910-0130, USA Grand Rapids, MI Info: 800-891-0590 Info: 800-424-8262 Email: [email protected] Info: 518-452-3611 Website: www.rankinpublishing.com JANUARY 2021 March 14-17 November 15-17 January 28-30 APTA TRANSform (800) 598-8083 (U.S.) • (217) 268-4959 America’s & Coach Expo Busworld Conference & Expo Fax: (217) 268-4815 (formerly known as BusCon) North America Anaheim, CA Philadelphia, PA Baltimore, MD Info: 202-496-4800 Editorial: Harrell Kerkhoff, Editor Info: 800-576-8788 Info: busworldnorthamerica.org JULY 2021 Rick Mullen, Associate Editor November 15-18 January 29 - February 2 July 17-21 Design: David Opdyke, Kris Bott Canadian Urban Transit American Bus National School Reception: Mary Jo Dunn Association (CUTA) Association (ABA) Transportation Association Annual Conference Marketplace 2021 Annual Meeting & Convention Advertising & Transit Show Baltimore, MD Milwaukee, WI Québec City, QC Info: 800-283-2877 Info: 703-684-3200 Contact Kevin Kennedy @ 813-502-6672 Info: 416-365-9800 Email: [email protected] Or Busline Magazine is published 6 times a year by Rankin Publishing, Inc., 204 E. Main, P.O. Box 130, Arcola, IL 61910-0130. Publisher assumes no liability whatsoever for content of any advertisement or editorial material contained herein. Copyright 2020 Rankin Publishing, Linda Rankin @ 800-598-8083 Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written consent of Rankin Fax: 217-268-4815 Publishing, Inc. Subscription Rates in United States: 6 issues $25. Single Copy rate: $10 including postage/handling; Buyer’s Guide $15 including postage/handling. International rates: 6 issue annual Air Mail Subscription $60 U.S. dollars net Email: [email protected]

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ABA/Busworld North America busworldnorthamerica.com 51 Irizar USA irizarusa.com 71 ABC Companies abc-companies.com 72 J & J Chemical jjchem.com 69 Altro altro.com 12 Kelderman Air Suspension Systems kelderman.com 25 America’s Bus & Coach Expo americasBusCoachExpo.com 23 LiquidSpring LLC liquidspring.com 18 ARBOC Specialty Vehicles ARBOCsv.com 31 Micro Bird Commercial mbcbus.com 36 Better Life Technology BLTLLC.com 16 Midwest Bus Corporation midwestbus.com 29 Bird Bus Sales 888-275-7425 x122 13 QMF Steel qmfsteel.com 9 Bitimec Wash-Bots wash-bots.com 27 Rel-Tek rel-tek.com 10 Bitzer bitzerus.com 33 Reyco Granning reycogranning.com 22 BRC Group brcgroup.ca 24 Safety Step safetystep.net 70 BYD byd.com 7 Safety Vision safetyvision.com 14 CBM NA cbmcompany.com/en/ 35 SanUVAire SanUVAire.com 67 Chestnut Ridge Foam CRFOAM.com 43 Service Insurance serviceins.com 66 CHTC Bus Group chtcbusgroup.com 17 Sutrak sutrakusa.com 49 Clean Seal cleanseal.com 39 TAPTCO (Transit And Company) taptco.com 2, 3 Diamond Manufacturing diamondmfg.com 68 Temsa temsa.com 21 Dixie Electric Ltd. delstar-hd.com 45 Thermo King thermoking.com 11 Driverge® Vehicle Innovations driverge.com 28 Transign transignllc.com 19 Freedman Seating freedmanseating.com 15 Transit Sales International TransitSales.com 41 Hometown Trolley hometowntrolley.com 5 Vanner Power vanner.com 6, 26 Hudson River Corporation lavdump.com 47

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Serving People Who Can’t Drive Primary Goal

Washington State Transit Agency Considers Riders ‘GUESTS’

By Rick Mullen, Busline Magazine Associate Editor

To help keep its staff safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Link Transit’s employees wear masks in public spaces. Left to right are Chief of Staff Nick Covey, Maintenance and Technology Manager Ed Archer, Administrative Services Manager Lynn Bourton, Operations Manager Howard Johnson and General Manager Richard DeRock.

As a result of measures put in place by the state of Washington to battle flu outbreaks in 2005-2009, including H1N1, Link Transit, of Wenatchee, WA, was more prepared than many transit agencies when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic on March 11 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“We were able to get ahead of the game. Because of the Wenatchee is the county seat of Chelan County, where, as state’s pandemic planning measures put in place for flu out- of June 21, there were 285 reported cases, with six deaths. breaks in the mid-to-late 2000s, including H1N1 in 2009, we East Wenatchee is located in neighboring Douglas County, already had masks, sanitizers and prevention equipment whenwhere there were 193 cases of coronavirus and three deaths, COVID-19 hit,” saidLink General Manager Richard De- as of June 21. Rock, during a recent interview withBusline Magazine. “We “We reduced service at the beginning of April because of have maintained what we call ‘flu kits’ for our operators to some operator shortages, but we have brought 85 percent of protect them during an outbreak of a transmissible disease.” it back,” DeRock said. “Ridership is still down by about 55 Between the spring of 2009 and the spring of 2010, the percent from where it was before the pandemic. Relative to H1N1 swine flu infected as many as 1.4 billion people acrossthe transit industry nationwide, our ridership numbers are the globe and killed between 151,700 and 575,400 people, higher than most, which speaks to the dependence of our core according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.riders on public transportation.” As of June 21 this year, the state of Washington re- Wenatchee is known as the “Apple Capital of the World,” ported 28,680 cases of coronavirus, resulting in 1,270 because of the many orchards and processing plants in the area. deaths. The Wenatchee Valley also supplies other fruits, including

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cherries and pears, that are processed, packaged Link Transit has also emphasized social dis- and shipped nationwide. tancing to help keep operators and passengers “We transport a lot of lower-income service safe. workers to and from the processing facilities,” “Our routes are not quite as before because of DeRock said. “Also, a high percentage of our our efforts in social distancing,” DeRock said. “Our population is elderly. There are a number of sen- board of directors decided to not cut service to any ior housing facilities where workers are clean- of the several communities in the region we serve. ing, cooking, etc., and are very dependent on As a result, we reduced frequencies in our urban our services. What we have lost since the center, rather that reducing coverage. We have been COVID-19 shutdown has been ridership for restoring service where we had the most ridership. schools and governmental agencies.” “A significant amount of additional capacity was As the scope of the coronavirus became evi- added on the system’s busiest routes in an effort to dent, Link Transit officials knew they had to go reduce the number of passengers on buses, to give beyond the pandemic measures already in place. room for social distancing. In addition to supplying Link bus operators with “It is a strange new world where we now define masks, goggles and gowns when needed, the a full bus, on our 40-footers, as 10 people. We pur- transit system is also installing shields to sepa- chased a lot of low-floor cutaways to operate on rate drivers from passengers on the bus. lower ridership routes, but they are difficult to use “We are trying to create an environment now because of their capacities.” where the operator does not have to drive As states and communities across the country masked,” DeRock said. “They can just mask are in various stages of “opening up” the economy, up when they go into the passenger area. Fur- Maintenance Supervisor Sergio Rodriguez how seriously people are taking such measures as thermore, the state has mandated that all em- wipes down a BYD bus interior. Since wearing masks, staying home, practicing social ployees need to be masked when they are in a 2009, Link Transit has used distancing, avoiding crowds, etc., has political public area. germicidal sanitation on its vehicles. overtones. “During the H1N1 pandemic, we added a Wenatchee is located in the central part of the sanitation element to our cleaning, and we never took it away. Since state about halfway between Seattle to the west, Spokane to the east, Ore- 2009, we have been using germicidal sanitation on our vehicles. At gon to the south and Canada to the north. The city lies on the western that time, we added mid-day sanitation to let people know we were edge of the Cascade Mountains, at the confluence of the Columbia and trying to keep them safe.” Wenatchee rivers.

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On the whole, Washington politically is considered a “blue” state, as real mix of how people are reacting to the pandemic. the majority of people tend to vote for Democratic Party candidates. How- “Maybe 30 percent of the population is walking around in masks, but ever, west of the Cascades is “red” state territory, as people tend to be more there is a large number of people who are not. Our health department in the Republican Party camp. These political distinctions are significant is having a hard time making it ‘real’ for people. We were one of the when it comes to how much, or how little, coronavirus is taken seriously. first states that went into lockdown, and we are technically still at level one. However, many non-essential businesses that are supposed to be working from home have opened again. “The state has been opening county by county and, of the 39 counties, there are six that have not been allowed to open, including our county. We have not been allowed to open as our COVID-19 cases are higher than the average, be- cause of outbreaks at some of the agriculture pro- cessing facilities.” DeRock said people need to realize COVID-19 is a crisis and is to be taken very seriously. “If we ever hope to get back to a rational (Left) Dispatcher Mike Aspen works in the Link Transit dispatching office. place where people trust transit again, we need (Right) Guest Services Supervisor Deborah Paine tracks buses using Link Transit’s to keep taking it seriously and do the right MyStop app at the downtown Wenatchee Columbia Station. things,” DeRock said. “The reality is, we are transporting people to and from agricultural facil- “Washington is politically divided. The urban centers of western Wash- ities that are having outbreaks, so we need to assume there is a chance we ington are where the COVID-19 outbreak initially hit,” DeRock said. “We are getting people exposed. That is why we need to do the right things.” have 7.5 million people in the state and 5.5 million live in the Seattle metro Fortunately, none of Link’s employees have contracted the virus. area, which is the big urban core. Some have suspected they were exposed, but there have been no posi- “On the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains, we have maybe 1 tive tests recorded. million people. Washington is a ‘blue’ state, but on our side of the moun- “I base that mainly on luck more than anything else,” DeRock said. “We tains it is very ‘red.’ COVID-19 didn’t hit here significantly at first. do our best to keep our employees and passengers safe and healthy, but, “Now, coronavirus cases are rising among our agricultural workers, until it affects them personally, many people are not seeing the seriousness but it hasn’t spread to the general community in a big way, so there is a of the situation.”

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GOING ELECTRIC ink Transit is one of the smallest urban systems in the state, but, at the same time, it is the largest rural transit agency. The urban core is about 70 square miles in the Wenatchee Valley, with a population of about L80,000 people, DeRock said. “Wenatchee is both the economic and medical hub in this part of the state,” DeRock said. “People in the region come here to shop and receive medical care. We also service Wenatchee Valley Community College, carrying students back and forth between the outlying communities to the central core.” In addition to the large fruit industry, tourism is a major economic driver in the region. About 22 miles northwest on the Wenatchee River is Leavenworth, WA, which is visited by several million tourists a year. The center of the town is modeled after a Bavarian village, and is a major attraction. “We have a commuter service that runs up there,” De Rock said. “About 40 miles north of here is the Lake Chelan recreational area. Lake Chelan is also a major tourist desti- nation, attracting several million visitors a year. It is the entry point to North Cascades National Park. Similar to Leaven- worth, we run a commuter service there as well.” Link Transit was averaging more than 1 million rides a year and was growing ridership before the pandemic hit. “In January and February, we set records in ridership, Link Transit uses Momentum Dynamic (MD) Wireless charging infrastructure to which was up about 16 percent from where we had been charge its electric BYD buses. Top left is a MD charging cabinet. Top right is the past year or so,” DeRock said. “We were implement- a BYD electric bus on a MD charging pad. Bottom left is a hot start charging station. ing a fairly extensive service expansion. Our voters ap- Bottom right is a MD charging pad alignment accuracy gauge. proved an increase in our local sales tax funding in August

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2019 to add Sunday service and extend evenings to make us a more temperature extremes here are pretty significant. Batteries don’t like it comprehensive system.” below 30 degrees and they hate it above 90 degrees,” DeRock said. Another important economic factor that makes the region attractive is The batteries in buses parked outdoors overnight in temperatures below the low cost of electricity. 30 degrees lost enough energy that they did not start the next morning. “There are three publicly-owned dams on the Columbia River in our Also, in temperatures above 90 degrees, the batteries could not be charged service area. In addition, we have two locally-owned utilities. As a result, as they would overheat, DeRock explained. we have the lowest electricity rates in the United States,” DeRock said. In 2015, Link received a second TIGGER grant to expand its electric Chelan County is also home to world-class, ultra-fast fiber optic internet, bus program. At that time, the transit agency decided to purchase electric according to www.chelanpud.org. buses from BYD, which was new to the U.S. market. The bus manufacturer “Because of the cheap electricity and the fiber optic infrastructure for said if there were any temperature issues, it would resolve them. Link data transmissions, Wenatchee is one of the major data centers in the United placed an order for five buses and took delivery of them in 2017. States,” DeRock said. “Because our route distances here are long enough, we included a wire- Because of cheap electricity, Link Transit has purchased electric buses less charging system in our purchase agreement. We were the first BYD for its fleet. wireless powered customer,” DeRock said. “We have Momentum Dynamic “We have probably been running electric buses longer than just about any- Wireless charging infrastructure and it has been amazingly trouble-free.” body in the country. We started with battery-electric vehicles in 2010. We were There were still temperature issues with the new buses, so BYD re- one of the first recipients of what was then the TIGGER (Transit Investments designed the batteries, going to a liquid cool system, DeRock said. for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction) program,” DeRock said. “BYD agreed to take back the original five buses they sold us and replace Why would a small rural transit system like Link jump into the electric them with the new generation vehicles with redesigned batteries,” DeRock technology arena? said. “We agreed to buy five more of the new generation, which we have “We don’t have natural gas lines in the area, because electricity is so put into service during the past couple of months. They are amazing. The cheap. It really wasn’t an option for us to use compressed natural gas, which performance of the new buses has been far beyond expectations. BYD fully would have been a more logical technology costwise for a system our size,” resolved the temperature-related issues. DeRock said. “As for running biodiesel fueled buses, it gets cold here, often “We also have a ‘hot start’ battery heating system that keeps the batteries down to 10 degrees below zero. Biodiesel turns to gel below 20 degrees, warm in the winter. When the buses are turned on in the morning, the bat- so we didn’t think that was a workable option. When the TIGGER grants teries are at least 50 degrees ambient, which means they haven’t lost any became available, we said, ‘Let’s see if electric buses are the way to go.’” energy and they will be fine for the rest of the day. In the beginning, Link purchased five electric battery buses from a com- “The cooling system in the buses keeps the temperature below 90 de- pany that is no longer in business. grees, so we can charge whenever we want. The buses are working ex- “We discovered a bunch of limitations with the battery technology. Our actly as BYD promised.”

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The effective range of the new buses is 215 miles between charges. The experience, as they can hear passengers talking to one another,” DeRock earlier generation buses had a range of about 135 miles. said. “We get a lot of community accolades because the electric bus tech- “With wireless charging, we can run the electric buses 24 hours a day nology is clean, reducing greenhouse emissions.” without any issues,” DeRock said. “Buses In total, Link has 10 new generation BYD charge at a pretty high kilowatt rate. The cur- electric buses. rent version of our wireless charger charges While Link’s electric buses are on the cut- at 200 kilowatts. The new ones that are being ting edge of today’s technology, there is an installed charge at 350 kilowatts, which ongoing debate in transportation circles about means we can take the bus from zero to full what will be the role of autonomous vehicles charge in an hour.” as that technology is being developed. The way the wireless charging system “I am a big fan of autonomous technolo- works is a bus parks over a charging pad that gies in terms of safety protection, intrusion is installed in the road. The driver lines his alarms, and other features used to improve door with a mark on the curb. There is a de- daily performance,” DeRock said. “I know vice on the dashboard that tells him/her the there are people who are very nervous bus is aligned properly. Charging begins about autonomous buses in a transit envi- when the driver kneels the bus. ronment, but I don’t think it is as big a risk Bus batteries are charged while passen- as they think. On the other hand, I don’t gers are getting on and off at the Link trans- see it as being close to becoming a viable fer center, which takes about three to five option as some people think. My rationale minutes. for that is two-fold. For one, I have not yet “In three to five minutes, we can add 12 found autonomous technology that works Bus drivers take a break before going back out on to 15 miles to the range of the bus. If that is in the snow.” the road from the Wenatchee Columbia Station. done two or three times during a day, the ef- The challenge is designing a fully au- Left to right are Darin Landers, Ramon Cox and Kat Smith. fective range of 215 miles can be extended tonomous bus that can navigate through to 270 miles, which covers all the routes in changing road and weather conditions. For our system,” DeRock said. example, during a heavy snowfall, fog or rain, self-driving sensors and Another added feature of the new generation of BYD electric buses is cameras cannot visualize a street’s markers and lane dividers. how quietly they run. “Secondly, while I believe someday they are going to figure out how to “One of the comments drivers make is the electric buses are a totally different Continued On Page 54

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By Harrell Kerkhoff, Busline Magazine Editor

ard times don’t last, but good companies can — if they place a strong emphasis on innovation, improvement and new technology. A healthy dose of entrepreneurship doesn’t hurt either.

HCase in point is Dean Trailways, of Lansing, MI, which is heading into the future with enthusiasm despite the COVID- 19 pandemic; a crisis that has shut down much of the North American bus/motorcoach industry. “It’s been a challenging time, but we have been trying to take those challenges and turn them into positives— any way possi- ble,” Dean Trailways Vice President Patrick Dean said. “On March 9, we began to receive cancelations for travel that was scheduled in March, April, May and into June. By March 16, all schools in Michigan shut down, initially for three weeks, and then for the remainder of the school year. Therefore, between March 9 and March 16, we lost our entire spring booking season. Dean Trailways is a family business. “Like many charter coach operators, spring is our busiest time of Shown in the middle photo is Kellie Dean, the year. It’s when we make the majority of our income, as it pertains along with sons Christopher Dean (left) and Patrick Dean. to charter work. It was, and still is, a very challenging time.” “At Dean Trailways, we think of ourselves as entrepreneurs.”

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“As a company, when the shutdown As of the middle of June, officials at Dean Trailways are see- ing what Patrick Dean described as “little glimmers” of busi- in business began, we took the ness coming back. There are some customers starting to philosophy that it was time to restart schedule trips for the fall and into 2021, but he added, it’s going to be awhile before business resumes to the level the company our entire business from ground zero. was experiencing prior to the pandemic. It was time to leave no stone unturned, “Right now (in mid-June), I would estimate we have reached 50 percent of what we originally planned for regarding our and figure out how we could make company’s bookings for the fall of 2020,” Dean said. “There is Dean Trailways a better company.” still a lot up in the air. Different states have different reopening plans. Many unknowns remain when it comes to schools, sports events and business travel. More calls for business are coming in, COMMUNICATION IS but not nearly at the volume that we would consider normal.” CRITICAL IN COVID-19 WORLD What is frustrating for many North American bus/motorcoach operators is that 2020 originally looked to be a very bullish year ne major objective all bus/motorcoach operators are now as far a travel demand was concerned. having to address is making sure passengers feel as safe “It appeared to us that the (bus/motorcoach) industry was in a as possible, from the virus, once they decide it’s OK to strong position, with possible record levels of travel, prior to get back on a company vehicle. It really is the case of “cleanliness COVID-19. As a company, when the shutdown in business began, Ois next to godliness.” we took the philosophy that it was time to restart our entire busi- At Dean Trailways, the company has implemented an advanced ness from ground zero,” Dean said. “It was time to leave no stone cleaning process for the interiors of all vehicles, using approved unturned, and figure out how we could make Dean Trailways a chemicals that are certified by the Environmental Protection better company for when business returned to pre-COVID-19 lev- Agency (EPA) and recommended by the Centers for Disease Con- els. We asked ourselves: How can we become better for our cus- trol and Prevention (CDC). tomers? How can we become better for our employees? How can “We have also taken steps to screen drivers and other staff we become better as an organization? members, as they report to work, for any possible exposure to “Those have been the questions we have focused on for the past COVID-19,” Dean said. “We have a COVID-19 response coor- 14 weeks, and will continue to do so over the next couple of months.” dinator appointed within our organization. That person monitors

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our compliance day-to-day, along with our best practices.” Dean added that the learning curve to properly protect employ- To get the word out on how representatives at Dean Trailways ees and passengers from the virus has been steep over the past are protecting passengers, the company has developed a video several of months. showing its cleaning process. Also included in the video are “There has been a lot of innovation and collaboration to find “best practice tips” in terms of social distancing, how to prop- the best ways to keep people safe,” Dean said. “One challenge is erly handle luggage and common touch points to be aware of that the ‘goalpost’ seems to keep moving. What we know today while traveling via bus/motorcoach. about the virus, in relation to our industry, may be different next “A number of steps have been taken to ensure we are doing week. Therefore, it’s important our plans are adjustable.” everything possible to suppress the spread of the illness,” Perhaps the biggest challenge Dean Trailways, and the entire Dean said. “We are also working hard to follow all protocols bus/motorcoach industry, is facing right now is uncertainty. that certain passenger groups have in place, such as when “In business, we all like certainty and stability, but that is not transporting college sports teams.” possible right now. No company could have properly prepared Along with implementing an advance cleaning process, Dean for the impact COVID-19 has brought to our industry. There was Trailways has added equipment inside vehicles to better protect no business practice that could have prevented this total shut- drivers, and has installed upgraded air filtration systems. down,” Dean said. “The reality is, everyone is trying to suppress the spread of COVID-19. Steps have been taken. Now, we are all trying to rebuild our cus- tomer base, and find ways to make passengers feel comfort- able when demand for travel improves.” And that is a key point for fu- ture success — not only at Dean Trailways, but bus/mo- torcoach operators across North America. When demand does pick up, will operators be ready? “We know demand can change quickly, and so being prepared when that demand heats up has never been more important,” Dean said. “Until that happens, it remains a chal- lenging time, but again, we are trying to take advantage of every opportunity that comes out of the current situation. That includes building up our business as entrepre- neurs. “At Dean Trailways, we think of ourselves as entre- preneurs.”

A FAMILY HISTORY OF SERVING MICHIGAN AND BEYOND

ean Trailways’ sister company, Dean Tran- sportation, formerly known as Special Transporta- Dtion, was established in the early 1950s by Eric Chris- tensen, who transported indi- viduals affected by polio to Lansing area schools. In 1969,

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Special Transportation was incorporated by Lyle Stephens, a ter of the state. It was just too long a ride in a . We were former Michigan State Police motor carrier lieutenant and a having to stop every couple of hours for restroom breaks. It was leader in passenger safety. decided to purchase a used motorcoach with a restroom. Eventu- In 1986, Kellie Dean (father of Patrick Dean and current ally, one motorcoach became two, and then three and four. Today, president and CEO of Dean we have approximately 30 vehi- Trailways/Dean Transportation), cles in Dean Trailways’ fleet. It joined Stephens, leaving a posi- includes full- and mid-size mo- tion with the Lansing school torcoaches, black cars and district after 14 years. While sprinter vans.” working for the district, Kellie Over the years, Dean Trail- Dean was a special education ways has expanded its service teacher and later special edu- reach to include luxury trans- cation administrator, in charge portation for a wide variety of of programs for the physically customers, often involving K-12 or otherwise health and hear- schools, colleges/universities, in- ing impaired. dividual charter groups, tours, In 1991, Special Transporta- line runs, sports packages and tion’s name was changed to Dean Located in the Great Lakes region, Dean Trailways takes black car services. Transportation, Inc., and in 1995, passengers to many popular destinations. “We work closely with individ- Stephens retired after 26 years in uals, tour companies, casinos, the school transportation industry. Meanwhile, Dean Charters and professional event organizers, professional sports teams, corpo- Tours, known today as Dean Trailways, was started in 1994 to rate event organizers and major colleges/universities in Michi- support Dean Transportation’s efforts in transporting students to gan,” Patrick Dean said. “We also service a lot of school districts, schools throughout Michigan. providing trips to such places as Washington, D.C., Chicago and “Our motorcoach company began out of a need to better trans- Florida. Dean Trailways even operates a nighttime shuttle services port individuals with disabilities,” Patrick Dean said. “Prior to on Michigan State University’s campus, in nearby East Lansing.” 1994, we were picking up children in northern Michigan and Dean Transportation’s school bus operation, meanwhile, serv- transporting them on school buses to Lansing, located in the cen- ices over 80 school districts and intermediate school districts

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throughout Michigan, transporting nearly 60,000 students daily. ganizations as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America could reach im- Along with his father, Patrick Dean is joined at Dean Trailways portant destinations,” Dean said. “The focus on being a commu- by his brother, Christoper Dean, who holds the title of business nity resource has helped our organization grow over the years, intelligence and analytics coordinator at the company. All three while building key relationships with community members and Dean men bring with them specific areas of expertise. customer bases. “My dad is a teacher by trade. He taught special education in a “Success always comes back to public school before taking a leap of faith to get into the bus busi- relationships, often starting at the ness. My brother is an engineer, and I have a background in busi- ness,” Patrick Dean said. “We often have three different very beginning with new customers approaches when it comes to running a company, but have worked participating in our booking process.” extremely well together.” Another key figure in the company’s administration is Brandon Knepp, who is general manager. “Success always comes back to relationships, from the very be- “Brandon joined our company two years ago. He was in our ginning with new customers participating in our booking process. school business division for awhile, before moving into our mo- It’s important to have friendly and knowledgeable sales people torcoach side and leading our operations,” Dean said. “Brandon who can, not only communicate well through email, but properly has a background in passenger transportation and trucking, and follow up with phone calls as needed. That helps ensure a good has been able to help us with innovation, continual improvement experience with our company. It’s also important to look at dif- and implementing new technology.” ferent situations with customers and provide solutions as needed. A key objective at Dean Trailways is to be thought of as a Examples would be the offering of bottled water for passengers “community resource,” rather than just “the local bus com- just returning from an international flight, or communicating via pany.” It’s important to company representatives that they are text message or automated system beforehand to remind cus- able to help passengers, of all ages, find true value in both the tomers of an upcoming trip. That is all done in an effort to provide transportation experience being provided as well as the desired a higher-level of personal customer service.” destination. Another key to Dean Trailways’ success has been its location. “For example, Dean Trailways has transported kids from large With an estimated population of 118,000 residents, Lansing is the metro areas so they could experience the shores of Lake Michigan. state capital of Michigan, while neighboring East Lansing, with We have also provided the only way many members of such or- an estimated population of 48,000 citizens, is home to Michigan

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State University. MSU is a public MODERN EQUIPMENT/ research university with an enroll- VALUED EMPLOYEES ment of over 50,000 students. MAKE A DIFFERENCE “Lansing is not only the state capital, and very near the largest mong the vehicles in Dean university in Michigan, but it’s Trailways’ fleet are nine also located in the center of the Van Hool CX45 and two state. We are capable of reaching CX35 motorcoaches. The com- many popular destinations in the Apany’s history with Van Hool, and state within a couple of hours,” its U.S. distributor ABC Compa- Dean said. “That includes travel to nies, has been a long and successful such large cities as Grand Rapids one, according to Dean. and Detroit.” Dean Trailways transports passengers to and from metro areas, “I have a very fond memory of Michigan, however, is not the as well as servicing university athletic teams. traveling to ABC Companies’ loca- only place where Dean Trailways’ tion in Faribault, MN, with my dad equipment can be seen. The company transports passengers to and brother, picking up several Van Hool motorcoaches, and driv- destinations throughout the Midwest and East Coast, including ing them home,” Dean said. “As part of a family organization such major cities as Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, themselves, I think officials at ABC Companies understand what Philadelphia and Chicago. motorcoach operators are going through right now, and are able “We are constantly taking passengers to and from major to support us beyond the sale. They take a holistic approach to a metro areas, as well as transporting college and university ath- relationship, and that is valued by operators like us. letic teams to all kinds of locations,” Dean said. “Our company “As for our Van Hool motorcoaches, passengers enjoy the larger also transports the Lansing Lugnuts, a Class-A minor league monitors and creature-comforts found on those vehicles. That in- baseball team. We have been that team’s transportation provider cludes leather seats and Wi-Fi. Our drivers also love the Van for 25 years, although their season was canceled this year due Hools. They operate very well.” to COVID-19.” All vehicles within Dean Trailways’ fleet include electronic Dean added his company’s involvement with Trailways Transporta- outlets for personal devices and unlimited Wi-Fi, along with tion System has also helped the business, in a variety of ways. DIRECTV.

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“In the past year, we have also installed forward-facing camera group, company representatives have updated the company’s mes- systems on our vehicles, providing added support for drivers,” Dean saging capabilities, making sure it relates well to online traffic. said. “And, we have advanced booking software in place. Dean Trail- “I feel our company’s clean and modern presentation online, ways is invested heavily in technology to make our overall operations paired with the strong brand name of Trailways, has helped many safer and easier, ultimately providing a good passenger experience. new people reach out to us,” Dean said. “We also focus hard on providing updated services for established customers such as schools, universities, non-profit organizations and corporations. Over the years, Dean Trailways has been successful in building strong relationships within different niche markets.” Making available quality and modern equipment and tech- nology is great, but without dedicated and talented employees, no bus/motorcoach operation is going to last very long in this people-centric industry. That fact is not lost on company officials at Dean Trailways. “Our employees are fantastic people, dedicated toward cus- tomer service and safety — every day,” Dean said. “When it comes to our drivers, they are experts in safely operating our vehicles, including high-end motorcoaches. A modern motor- coach is just as advanced as an airplane. The skill it takes to Dean Trailways has installed forward-facing operate one of those vehicles is tremendous. camera systems to support its drivers. “On top of that, our drivers must excel at customer service. As a company, we serve as a conduit to passengers successfully “We have used customer and sales data, along with other oper- reaching their desired destinations. That can be anything from a ational information, to improve our overall company and become ball game, to a wedding, to a trip to Washington, D.C. It often in- more cost efficient. That process helps Dean Trailways go after volves exciting events that passengers have been looking forward new business as it presents itself.” to for a very long time. Having good drivers can lead to more pos- Dean noted that many potential customers are learning about Dean itive experiences for passengers.” Trailways through their smartphones and tablets. To better reach that A dedicated trainer is on staff to provide ongoing training for

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the company’s drivers, as well as “We feel good about the future of about the future,” Dean said. “I to conduct random checks and our organization, due to the building currently see a glimmer of de- ride-alongs as needed. mand for bus/motorcoach serv- “We also have training trips to blocks put in place. Dean Trailways ices as we move forward. That certain locations to help new will be ready once demand comes back. glimmer could be delayed for drivers become familiar with several more months, but if there specific cities, before they trans- I feel we are well positioned and is one thing I know, the trans- port passengers,” Dean said. “A excited about the future.” portation industry is resilient. lot of our drivers had prior ca- There are a lot of innovators in- reers. They are retired and able volved in this line of business. to supplement their income by driving for Dean Trailways. We They will be ready to transport people at a moment’s notice.” have different driver categories for those who want to work full- Having grown up in the bus business, Dean said it’s easy to fall or part-time. That flexibility has allowed us to, not only recruit, in love with this type of work. but retain our strong group of drivers.” “Every day there are different challenges and opportunities. There are also a lot of fabulous people who work hard in our in- DESPITE CURRENT CHALLENGES, dustry, making sure their customers safely reach their destinations. INDUSTRY IS STILL SPECIAL As transportation providers, we get to become a small part of something big, whether it’s a wedding or a Big 10 football cham- hallenges have been plentiful for bus/motorcoach op- pionship,” he said. “Another great thing about our industry is the erators located throughout North America since the be- number of family businesses involved. I know it means something ginning of COVID-19. As of late June, those to my family when we see our name on the side of our vehicles. challenges continue. No one knows for sure when travel will That translates into a shared responsibility of taking good care of Cresume to pre-COVID-19 levels. However, one thing is for people. The Dean family is also pleased to work alongside other certain, according to Dean, his company will be ready when great bus/motorcoach companies that do things the right way.” better days arrive. “We feel good about the future of our organization, due to the Contact: Dean Trailways, 4812 Aurelius Rd., building blocks put in place. Dean Trailways will be ready once Lansing, MI 48910. Phone: 517-319-3326. demand comes back. I feel we are well positioned and excited Website: deantrailways.com.

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____5STAR SPECIALTY PROGRAM____ tential hazards. Insurance is 5Star’s only business. specialty vehicles. ABC supports customers with a Its experienced associates and underwriters are comprehensive after-sale service network for serv- committed to supporting the company’s business ice and repairs, collision services, extensive OEM 5Star partners, and are continuously looking for ways to and quality aftermarket parts needs for transit, mo- enhance and improve 5Star’s operations. 5Star’s torcoach and heavy-duty equipment from 10 strate- goal is to be its customers’ public auto insurance gically placed locations throughout the U. S. and market provider. 18 Canada. Additionally, private and municipal financ- 158 N. Harbor City Blvd. ing and leasing options are available through the Melbourne, FL 32935 USA ABC COMPANIES company’s financial services group – one of the 321-421-6777 largest financial service providers in the industry. 20 Website: www.5starsp.com Products: For over 30 years, 5Star Specialty Pro- AbiliTrax grams has been a leading provider for Public Auto 26 Center St. Transportation. The company’s Public Auto Under- Randolph, NY 14701 USA writers bring a level of knowledge, expertise and 716-484-7014 professionalism garnered from years of experience SEE AD ON PAGE 72 Website: www.abilitrax.com in the public livery industry. 5Star is a client-driven 17469 W. Colonial Dr. Products: AbiliTrax universal, flexible flooring organization that considers the needs of its clients Winter Garden, FL 34787 USA systems, stationary and quick disconnect seating so- to be paramount to maintaining its position in the 800-222-2871, 407-656-7977 lutions (CAM Lock, CAM2, and StepNLock). Also marketplace. Its carrier partners are industry leaders Email: [email protected] available are state-of-the-art ShiftNStep dual access Website: www.abc-companies.com that provide a comprehensive product in addition to lift system and more. All products are FMVSS com- superior claim service. Company Officers: Dane Cornell, CEO; Roman pliant and patents are pending. 18 5Star has a longstanding market presence. Its Cornell, President/Chief Commercial Officer; Chuck program specializes in airport transportation; char- Carns, Chief Financial Officer; Tom DeMatteo, Advantage Funding ter; sightseeing; transit and contract school buses; en- Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Secretary; 1 Marcus Ave. tertainer coaches and limousines, operating in most Jay Oakman, Senior Vice President Commercial Op- Lake Success, NY 11042 USA states. 5Star has dedicated itself to achieving the best erations; Brenda Borwege, Senior Vice President for 888-246-4091 possible result for its brokers and their insureds by Midwest/Southwest Sales; Mike Laffan, Senior Vice Website: www.advantagefund.com relating to, and satisfying, their client needs while President East Coast Sales; Brian Pinckney, Regional Products: Specializing in ground transportation fi- providing a high level of customer service excel- Vice President Southeast Region; Bryan O’Connell, nance. 20 lence. Its associates strive through service, teamwork Senior Vice President Western Sales; and, Thom Pee-

and integrity to achieve these results. bles, Vice President of Marketing Alliance Bus Group 5Star’s loss control department has over 35 Products: ABC Companies is a provider to the 866-287-4768 years of transportation experience. This experience transportation industry with diverse product and Email: [email protected] allows the department to analyze the strengths and service offerings that cover a full spectrum of op- Website: www.alliancebusgroup.com weaknesses within an insured’s organization, and erational needs, including new and pre-owned full- Products: Manufacturer of intercity and midsize provide resources to assist in readily identifying po- size highway coach equipment, along with transit buses. 20

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Allison Transmission Company Officers: Donovan Albarran, Vice One Allison Way President Export Sales; Rose Arellano, Sales and Indianapolis, IN 46222-3271 USA Customer Service 317-242-5000 Products: Amaya-Astron Seating has been produc- Website: www.allisontransmission.com ing 3-point seat belted seats for over 20-plus years Products: is a manufacturer of on all models of seats available to North American fully automatic transmissions for medium- and coach manufacturers. Amaya has introduced several heavy-duty commercial vehicles as well as electric new models in the past two years, developed to ful- hybrid-propulsion systems for city buses. 18 fill customers’ needs and expectations. Amaya-As- tron Seating has its own engineering and research & Almott development departments that have the experience, 765-621-5519 All products are lightweight, easy to install and knowledge, and expertise to create new and innova- Website: www.almottusa.com maintain, and have been developed specifically to tive seats. Contact North American Sales Represen- Products: Alternators and electric motors that are meet the demands of moving vehicles. Altro tatives: Bob Greene [email protected] or Jeff designed for transit buses. 18 floors are engineered for the latest international Goldwasser [email protected]. 20 smoke, fire and toxicity regulations. Investing in __ ALTRO __ an Altro product is an investment in a complete American Cooling Technology, Inc. (ACT) SEE AD ON PAGE 12 system – a full range of accessories, including ad- 715 Willow Springs Ln. 12648 Clark St., hesives, color coordinated weld rods and sealants, York, PA 17406 USA Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 USA nosings, trims and moldings are available. Cus- 877-228-4247 800-382-0333 tomers can also take advantage of Altro’s kit-cut- Website: www.actusa.us.com Email: [email protected] ting service to save time on installation and get Products: American Cooling Technology (ACT) Website: www.altro.com their vehicles back into service quickly. Family designs, tests and manufactures a complete line of Products: Altro is a leading manufacturer of slip- owned and run since 1919, Altro is committed to advanced bus air conditioning systems for all sizes resistant floors and has been in the forefront of in- providing customers with innovative products to and makes of buses, including both conventional novation for 100 years. Being the inventors of serve their needs. 17 and hybrid drive buses. Products include split type safety floors, Altro’s transport floors have been sat- air conditioning systems as well as complete roof Amaya-Astron Seating isfying the diverse needs of the transportation in- mount air conditioning systems for all buses. ACT dustry for decades in both bus and rail applications. Pirules 16E, Industrial Cuamatla, also offers specification preparation assistance, Put passenger safety first with Altro’s unique com- Cuautitlán Izcalli, 54730 MEXICO product testing, replacement air conditioning parts bination of aluminum oxide, silicon carbide and +52(55)5881-2007 for most air conditioning brands, and on-site prod- Email: quartz aggregate. [email protected] uct training classes. 17 Website: www.amaya-astron.com.mx

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American Public Transportation Association 630-348-3380 all sizes of fleet vehicles. The company has serv- (APTA) Website: www.tibinsurance.com ices and parts for all of its machines since 1991. 16 1300 I St., NW, Suite 1200 East Products: Insurance brokerage services for the bus Washington, DC 20005 USA industry. 16 Ays Dispatch, Inc. 202-496-4800 P.O. Box 18121 Website: www.apta.com AngelTrax Chicago, IL 60618-0121 USA Products: APTA members are public organizations 119 S. Woodburn Dr. 773-279-0000 that are engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light Dothan, AL 36305 USA Email: [email protected] rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne passenger 800-673-1788 Website: www.aysdispatch.com services, and high-speed rail. Members also include Email: [email protected] Products: Dispatch and reservation center service large and small companies that plan, design, construct, Website: www.angeltrax.com provider. 20 finance, supply, and operate bus and rail services Company Officers: Richie Howard, President and worldwide. Government agencies, metropolitan plan- CEO; Scott Lisenby, Vice President; Katherine B.C.E. srl ning organizations, state departments of transporta- Howard, Vice President of Operations Via Valdellatorre 194, tion, academic institutions, and trade publications are Products: AngelTrax designs, manufactures and 10091 ALPIGNANO (TO) ITALY also part of its membership. 16 provides high-definition in-vehicle video surveil- + 39 011.9664314 - 9664676 lance and fleet management solutions. 20 Email: [email protected] _ __AMERICAN SEATING ___ Website: www.bcesrl.it Apollo Video Technology Products: B.C.E. srl is an Italian company with 24000 35th Ave., SE over 40 years of experience in the production of Bothell, WA 98021 USA electric and pneumatic door opening devices for 888-288-8721 buses. 19 Website: www.apollovideotechnology.com Products: A manufacturer of mobile video surveil- BAE Systems lance and fleet management solutions for motor- 1098 Clark St. coaches, transit buses and school buses. 18 Endicott, NY 13760 USA 801 Broadway Ave. NW 607-770-2083 Grand Rapids, MI 49504 USA _____ARBOC SPECIALTY VEHICLES_____ Website: www.hybridrive.com 616-732-6600 ext. 6416 Products: Electric bus, zero-emission and near Email: [email protected] zero-emission transportation solutions, including Website: www.americanseating.com hybrid-electric options. Also available are electric Products: Since 1886, American Seating has set accessories for diesel and CNG powertrains, as well the standard for product design, durability and com- as parallel-hybrid options for motorcoaches. 18 fort. Its first transportation seat was introduced in SEE AD ON PAGE 31 1931, and today the company remains committed 51165 Greenfield Pkwy. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC to exceeding the expectations of customers as the Middlebury, IN 46540 USA 901 Cleveland St. leading provider of bus seats in North America. Its 574-825-1720 Elyria, OH 44035 USA achievements serve as a platform for new and in- Website: www.ARBOCsv.com 440-329-9000, 1-800-AIR-BRAKE novative products that are the benchmark of the in- Products: ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, a NFI Products: North American leader in integrated dustry. American Seating is a leader in all kinds of Group company, is North America’s low-floor, commercial vehicle active safety, air management, transportation seating, including city service, light body-on-chassis (cutaway) bus leader serving and braking system technologies. 18 rail, motorcoach and securement markets. Head- transit, paratransit, and shuttle applications. With quartered in Grand Rapids, MI, U.S.A., American more than 3,500 buses produced, ARBOC leads Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC Seating employs a U.S.-based, UAW (United Auto the low-floor cutaway bus market, providing un- 901 Cleveland St., Elyria, OH 44035 USA Workers) union workforce. 20 surpassed passenger accessibility and comfort. 440-329-9709, 866-610-9709 With the full ADA-compliant product line con- Products: Develops and produces the full lineup of Ametek, Inc. sisting of the Spirit of Independence, Spirit of Bendix actuation solutions plus foundation drum 1100 Cassatt Rd. Freedom, Spirit of Mobility, and Spirit of and air disc brakes. 18 Berwyn, PA 19312 USA Equess, ARBOC offers a solution for any trans- 610-647-2121 portation need. 20 Bergen Auto Upholstery Co., Inc. Email: [email protected] 135 N. Michigan Ave. Website: www.ametek.com Atlantic -Allison Kenilworth, NJ 07033 USA Products: Global manufacturer of electronic instru- 180 Route 17 South 201-457-9100 ments and electro-mechanical devices for the bus Lodi, NJ 07644 USA Website: www.bergenseat.com industry. 18 201-489-5800 Products: Seat replacement and complete interior Website: www.atlanticdda.com refurbishing, including seat covers, ceilings, side- AMF Bruns America Products: Engaged in the sale and servicing of walls, lav area, under racks, dash, and entrance 1797 Georgetown Rd. diesel and alternative fuel engines, transmissions door. Bergen offers a complete cleaning service, Hudson, OH 44236 USA and related components, parts and accessories, for seat cover shampooing, seat frame cleaning, clean- 877-506-3770, 234-284-2073 equipment serving various on- and off-highway ing of sidewalls and A/C ducts, and shampooing of Email: [email protected] markets. 18 any carpeted surface. Bergen road crew is available Website: www.amfbrunsamerica.com to install on location. 20 Products: Wheelchair securement products and oc- Awash (Ecowash) Systems Corp. cupied restraint systems. 20 19 Community Ave, Unit 2 ______BETTER LIFE TECHNOLOGY______Stoney Creek, ON L8E 2X9 CANADA SEE AD ON PAGE 16 Anderson Insurance 800-265-7405 9736 Legler St. TIB-Transportation Insurance Brokers Website: www.awashsystems.com Lenexa, KS 66219 USA 799 Roosevelt Rd., Bldg. 6, Suite 220 Products: Awash Systems Corp. manufactures the 913-890-4619 Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 USA Tower Wash system for buses, motorcoaches and Website: www.bltllc.com

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____BITIMEC INTERNATIONAL, INC.____ tioning compressors. BITZER’s product range cov- ers all compressor technologies, from reciprocating to scroll and screw compressors. BITZER bus air conditioning compressors are designed specifically to excel within the harsh environment of today’s en- gine compartments. BITZER’s bus air conditioning Products: G-Floor universal flooring is Better SEE AD ON PAGE 27 compressors offer capacity to cool coaches, school Life Technology’s signature line of high quality 15 Putnam Ave., #290 buses, transit buses, including larger articulated and 100 percent polyvinyl flooring, purposefully de- Greenwich, CT 06830 USA double-decker buses. 18 signed for easy installation and maintenance and 203-637-1900 for long lasting beauty and protection. This transit Website: www.wash-bots.com ______BRC GROUP, THE______flooring won’t scratch, crack, peel, tear, and pre- Products: Bus washing for the 21st century. State- vents moisture damage, denting, puncturing, and of-the-art single-brush machines feature: all-stain- ripping. 18 less-steel frames; brush-only inclination; electric, battery or diesel power; double controls, to work in two directions; totally self-contained; low mainte- ______BIRD BUS SALES______nance; and soap, wash and rinse a full-size coach in approximately 6-8 minutes. 18 SEE AD ON PAGE 24 ______BITZER US, INC.______6061 - 90 Avenue SE Calgary, AB T2C 4Z6 CANADA 403-243-7400 SEE AD ON PAGE 13 Email: [email protected] 1 Warehouse Ln. Website: www.brcgroup.ca Elmsford, NY 10523 USA Products: Collision repair, refurbishment, fire 155 Terminal Dr. restoration and mechanical services. Located in Plainview, NY 11803 USA SEE AD ON PAGE 33 Calgary, AB, and Las Vegas, NV. 19 914-592-2872, 516-767-2700 4080 Enterprise Way Website: www.birdbussales.com Flowery Branch, GA 30024 USA Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC Products: Bird Bus Sales was formed in 2010 to sell, 770-718-2900 535 Marriott Dr., 8th Floor service, and supply parts to, Blue Bird Buses. 20 Website: www.bitzerus.com Nashville, TN 37214 USA Products: BITZER produces bus/coach air condi- 330-697-4497

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Website: Email: [email protected] Camira’s transport fabrics are designed to coordi- www.bridgestonefirestonemileagesales.com Website: www.byd.com nate with a wide range of other materials and trims Products: Provides lease, sales and service of light Products: BYD Company Ltd., is a leading high- to provide flexible options for combination seats truck, commercial and specially-designed mileage tech multinational company based in Shenzhen, using more than one material type. tires, retreads, wheels and tire service equipment. China. Since its establishment in 1995, BYD has Camira is represented by Wagner & Associates 15 developed expertise in rechargeable batteries, be- (Phone: 919-552-4466) and Transportation Products coming an advocate of sustainable development. It Sales and Service (Phone: 724-640-8826). 19 Budget Truck and Auto Body, Inc. has expanded its renewable energy solutions glob- 2027 W. Avalon Rd. ally with operations in over 50 countries and re- Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) Janesville, WI 53546 USA gions. After 24 years in development, BYD has 55 York St., No. 1401 608-756-0861 created a Zero Emissions Energy Ecosystem – af- Toronto, ON M5J 1R7 CANADA Website: www.budgettruckandauto.com fordable solar power generation, reliable energy 416-365-9800 Products: Budget Truck and Auto is an established storage, cutting-edge electrified transportation and Website: www.cutaactu.ca one-stop shop, guaranteed to satisfy fleet repair a state-of-the-art monorail. 19 Products: CUTA is a member-based association needs. With over 40 years of experience, Budget that supports public transit as the core of integrated Truck and Auto is a premiere full-service collision Cable Car Classics, Inc. mobility across Canada. 16 center in the Midwest. Recommended by leading 3239 Rio Lindo Ave. insurance companies for quality work and cus- Healdsburg, CA 95448 USA ______CBM NA______tomer service, Budget Truck and Auto offers colli- 707-433-6810 sion, fabrication, frame straightening, vinyl Email: [email protected] graphics, and custom paint. Technicians are trained Website: www.cablecarclassics.com and certified by the industry’s leading manufactur- Products: Cable Car Classics has been building ers, including Prevost, Motor Coach Industries, motorized trolleys since 1993. 20 Van Hool, , , Temsa, and many more. Budget Truck and Auto partners with many ______CAMIRA GROUP, INC.______leading associations including HD Repair Forum, IMG, UMA, and Trailways. In this industry, ur- gency is everything and Budget Truck and Auto SEE AD ON PAGE 35 goes above and beyond to service client’s needs. 8477 Chemin Dalton Services include: custom paint, fabrication, fiber- Ville Mont Royal, QC H4T 1V5 CANADA 2476 Waldorf Ct. NW glass, lifts, vinyl graphics, collision repair, frame 877-332-3163 Grand Rapids, MI 49544 USA straightening, certified welding, boats, buses, mo- Email: [email protected], 616-288-0655 torcoaches, and free loaner cars. 19 [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.cbmcompany.com Website: www.camirafabrics.com Bus Advisors Products: Spare parts for motorcoaches, buses and Twitter: @camira 14508 Smith St. trams, including engines. 18 Products: Global textile manufacturer Camira Charlotte, NC 28273 USA never underestimates the power of the journey. Un- 980-999-8484 Champion Bus Inc. derstanding those minutes spent travelling from Website: www.BUSadvisors.org 331 Graham Rd. one place to the next can be the most peaceful, ex- Products: Bus Advisors can help customers with their Imlay City, MI 48444 USA citing, or anticipatory of a person’s day – and, DOT compliance needs — from driver files to on-site 800-776-4943 through its fabrics, the company works to make compliance review audit representation. The company Email: [email protected] sure they are as comfortable and safe as they can provides consulting on federal & state DOT regula- Website: www.championbus.com possibly be. Using decades of design and manufac- tions, quarterly DOT audits with post-audit corrective Products: Champion Bus, Inc. manufactures small- turing experience, Camira makes forward-thinking action plans, compliance safety policies development, and medium-sized commercial buses. 20 textiles for motorcoach and rail interiors, ensuring federal DOT drug and alcohol testing, background style always has substance. checks, previous employer safety performance history, Chassijet USA With an extensive option of stocked fabrics, the abil- electronic DQ files, and electronic vehicle files. 19431 Business Center Dr., #17 ity to supply ancillary fabrics, and weaving on dobby, Bus Advisors can monitor a customer’s ELD and Northridge, CA 91324 USA jacquard and plush looms, Camira is a total textile in- safety camera systems, reporting back to clients 818-349-3926 terior solutions provider – offering its traditional daily with any concerns. Also provided are safety & Website: www.chassijetusa.com plush wool moquettes, lighter weight pile fabrics financial audits, cost savings, growth strategies, ne- Products: Automatic undercarriage chassis washer. with added design and texture, contemporary flat gotiations, product knowledge, DOT compliance, 19 weave fabrics for seating, vinyls, leathers and a wide and improving your bottom line. Ready for results? range of ancillary interior trim fabrics for other sur- Call us today at 980-999-8484. 19 ____CHESTNUT RIDGE FOAM, INC.____ faces within motorcoaches. Producing 10 million ______BYD MOTORS______yards of fabric a year, and supplying to more than 80 countries across the world, the company is a leader in the textile industry – and provides the background to thousands of people’s journeys every day. Transportation fabric collections include Aura, Aura Twist, Fusion, Vigor, Vision, Vita, Wired and Rhino. Added fabric protection comes from De- SEE AD ON PAGE 43 fender, Camira’s triple action, long-lasting fabric 443 Warehouse Dr. treatment which has in invisible protective shield Latrobe, PA 15650 USA making fabrics anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and 800-234-2734 SEE AD ON PAGE 7 anti-stain. Camira has an in-house design team Website: www.crfoam.com 1800 S. Figueroa St. that can develop something more bespoke, adding Products: SAFGUARD and SAFGUARD XL fire- Los Angeles, CA 90015 USA personality and flair to any vehicle interior. resistant seat cushioning per “Docket 90-A” FTA fire 800-BYD-AUTO (293-2886) Whether a stocked range or custom-made, safety criteria. 20

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______CHTC BUS GROUP ______Contact Clean Seal’s customer service department for more information. 18

CMI Enterprises 13145 NW 45th Ave. Miami, FL 33054 USA 800-426-4826 Website: www.cmi-enterprises.com Facebook: completecoachworks Products: Bus/coach upholstery, fabric. 20 Twitter: CCWbus SEE AD ON PAGE 17 LinkedIn: complete-coach-works 15780 El Prado Rd. __ COMPLETE COACH WORKS __ Products: Retrofits, rehabilitations, repowers, Chino, CA 91708 USA SEE AD ON PAGE 41 CNG conversions and re-tanking, electric bus 800-216-6788 1863 Service Ct. conversions, body work, painting, major colli- Email: [email protected] Riverside, CA 92507 USA sion and fire repairs, brakes and suspension, in- Website: www.chtcbusgroup.com 800-300-3751 terior repairs, lift ADA systems and HVAC Products: Founded in 1998, CHTC Corp. has mul- Email: [email protected] systems. 20 tiple worldwide operations, with the CHTC Bus Website: www.completecoach.com Continued On Page 38 Group being a major subsidiary. The company employs more than 50,000 people, and operates 22 subsidiaries in 20 countries. The CHTC Bus Group has devel- oped an integrated approach to bus de- sign, research and development, while manufacturing luxury motorcoaches. Manufacturing is done out of a state-of- the-art 2 million-square-foot factory in Nanchung, in southeastern China. Great pride is taken with the company in de- signing and selling safe and reliable buses around the world. 20

_____ CLEAN SEAL, INC. __ __

SEE AD ON PAGE 39 20900 West Ireland Rd., P.O. Box 2919 South Bend, IN 46680-2919 USA 800-366-3682, 574-299-1888 Website: www.CleanSeal.com Products: Since 1978, Clean Seal, Inc. has provided superior service to diverse industries. Its sales personnel and in- house staff have many years of experi- ence to help guide customers from the start of their projects to the application of the product selected. Strict adherence to quality assurance procedures and ISO 9001:2015 certification assures that cus- tomers will receive products that meet their requirements. Clean Seal’s extensive product line includes stock extruded rubber seals, custom extruded rubber seals, grip seals, trim seals, trim moldings, automotive hoses, EHPA hose protection parts, ex- truded plastic parts, EMI shielding, and custom manufactured metal springs. In addition, it has a variety of secondary operations to make the application of any part easier. Such examples of this are: die cutting, cutting and notching, cut to length and splicing (hot and cold).

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Suppliers Directory: your company logo and information. Offering over Tekstil, DLT offers moquette velvets, flat woven Continued From Page 35 70,000 different products for all events, trade fabrics and vinyls for bus, motorcoach and light shows, groups, and to fit every budget. 20 rail to public and private transportation industries. Continental Corporation With 100-plus years combined, De Leo and Epen- 6755 Snowdrift Rd. Creative Bus Sales gle have provided a variety of pile compositions Allentown, PA 18106 USA 14740 Ramona Ave. including 85/15, 30/70 wool blend, 100 percent 610-289-0488 Chino, CA 91710 USA polyester, 100 percent acrylic and 100 percent Email: [email protected] 800-326-2877 polyester flat woven to meet the highest standards Website: www.trucks.vdo-instruments.com Email: [email protected] of the transportation industry. All qualities meet in- Products: The Commercial Vehicles & After - Website: www.creativebussales.com ternational FR requirements, as well as FMVSS- market business unit of Continental is a global sup- Products: Transit, paratransit, executive coach, 302. Specialty and custom design work is available plier of systems and components to automobile, wheelchair vans and buses, shuttle and tour buses, to fit customer needs, along with anti-bacterial, truck and bus manufacturers. Continental develops trolleys and limo buses. 17 stain repellant and water proofing finishes. DLT of- and produces products that make transportation fers short production lead times, lower MOQs, New safer, cleaner and more fuel-efficient. 16 Inc. Jersey-based customer service and on-time deliv- Box 3005 eries. Warehousing in South Carolina offers quick Community Transportation Association of Columbus, IN 47202-3005 USA shipping and easy logistics. 20 America (CTAA) 800-286-6467 1341 G St., NW, 10th Floor Website: www.cumminsengines.com Detroit Diesel Corp. Washington, DC 20005 USA Products: Cummins designs, manufactures, sells and 13400 W. Outer Dr. 800-891-0590 services diesel and alternative-fueled engines from Detroit, MI 48239 USA Website: www.ctaa.org 2.8 to 95 liters, diesel and alternative-fueled electrical Website: www.demanddetroit.com Products: National, nonprofit membership associ- generator sets from 2.5 to 3,500 kW, as well as related Products: Detroit is an original equipment manu- ation advocating for mobility for all Americans. 16 components and technology. 18 facturer of engines, axles and transmissions specif- ically designed for integrated performance and Curved Glass Distributors efficiency. For maximum uptime and productivity, Cooper Tire SM 701 Lima Ave. 72 Chapel St. Detroit™ Connect Virtual Technician remote di- Findlay, OH 45840 USA Derby, CT 06418 USA agnostic service comes standard on all Detroit en- 419-423-1321 800-243-6546 gines. 18 Email: [email protected] Website: www.curvedglassdist.com Website: www.coopertrucktires.com Products: Coach, transit and school bus wind- Diamond Coach Products: The WORK Series™ line, which has shields, auto and light rail glass. Products include 2300 West 4th St. been developed specifically for buses––as well as tempered, annealed and special order glass. 18 Oswego, KS 67356 USA regional-haul, pick-up and delivery applica- 800-442-4645 tions––offers a wide tread footprint to maximize CzechMate Lumber Corp. Website: www.diamondcoach.com traction. The tire balances fuel efficiency and P.O. Box 3352 Products: Diamond Coach bus models vary in de- tread life with scrub-resistant properties, and of- Mooresville, NC 28117 USA sign and size, accommodating 14 to 32 passengers, fers a full-width, four-steel belt package to pro- 704-660-9194 with lift and wheelchair options. 17 vide the casing integrity needed to handle multiple Products: Laminated flooring (plymetal, fire-retar- retreads. 18 dant), interior plywood-core panel with Micarta/ ____DIAMOND MANUFACTURING INC.___ Formica/WilsonArt laminate faces. 19 ______CREATE-A-CARD, INC. ______Davey Coach Sales 7182 Reynolds Dr. Sedalia, CO 80135 USA 800-873-1856 Email: [email protected] Website: www.daveycoach.com SEE AD ON PAGE 68 Products: For over 20 years, Davey Coach has 2330 Burlington St. worked to provide new and used buses for sale and N. Kansas City, MO 64116 USA service for customers and bus industries across the 800-343-1009, 816-421-8363 USA, whether a customer operates a single retire- Email: [email protected] ment shuttle or an entire bus fleet. Davey Coach of- Website: www.diamondmfg.com 155 E. Main St., Suite 270 fers national buses for sale, with a strong presence Company Officers: Todd and Pam Cull Smithtown, NY 11787 USA in Midwest U.S. bus sales. 18 Products: Diamond Manufacturing offers a line 631-584-2273, 800-753-6867 of fare collection equipment to the transit indus- Email: [email protected] De Leo Transportation Fabrics try. It supplies traditional, manual fare boxes, do- Website: www.createacardinc.com 53 Dwight Pl. nation boxes and a fare box with a remote fare Facebook: createacardinc Fairfield, NJ 07004 USA dump option. Twitter: @createacard 973-439-6801 Diamond’s traditional fare boxes are the round LinkedIn: Create-A-Card, Inc. Email: [email protected] units (Models H, E-5, D), which are designed to ac- Company Officers: Drew Messina, Arthur Website: www.deleotf.com cept coins, tokens and tickets; and, rectangular units Messina Company Officers: Ismail Arslan, Vice President (Models RV, SV, XV, NV), which are designed to ac- Products: The leader in transportation marketing Business Development cept dollar bills, coins, tokens, tickets, passes and solutions since 1986. Create-A-Card, Inc. provides Products: De Leo Transportation Fabrics, a divi- similar fare media. Donation boxes come in three trending designs and printed materials, including sion of the Edward B. De Leo Company, Inc., was sizes to fit most applications. These units can be logos, business cards, direct mail post cards, rack established in 1962, and continues to deliver serv- mounted in a variety of ways: on the modesty panel cards, brochures, trade show materials, signage, ads ices and products to the automotive, transportation or stanchion pole in either a vertical or horizontal po- and much more. Create-A-Card, Inc. also provides and upholstered furniture manufacturing industries. sition. Models F-1 and F-24 remote dump fare boxes a full line of promotional branded products with Working with its manufacturing partner Epengle can be mounted away from the driver with a push

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button dump feature. These models can be paired line of brushless heavy-duty alternators designed customers and merging objectives with cus- with smart card readers. 20 for motorcoach bus, shuttle bus and . tomers. 20 The DelStar series is an integral charging system Distinctive Systems, Inc. of a brushless design. The compact, heavy-duty DriveWare 19531 Lost Creek Dr. construction provides increased service life ex- 23016 Lake Forest Blvd., #A300 Estero, FL 33967 USA pected to match the longer maintenance intervals Laguna Hills, CA 92653 USA Phone: 646-448-9981 of today’s engines, while providing a high per- 949-309-5150 Email: [email protected] formance. 15 Email: [email protected] Website: www.distinctivesystems.com/us Website: www.driveware.com Products: Distinctive Systems is a leading supplier DRIVERGE VEHICLE INNOVATIONS, LLC Products: DriveWare software is designed for mo- of software to the coach industry. Established for 30- FORMERLY TRANSITWORKS torcoach management, fleet maintenance, school plus years, over 1,500 operators rely on one or more bus routing and more. Since 1993, DriveWare has of the company’s latest Microsoft SQL-based sys- helped companies run their transportation opera- tems for the efficient management of their compa- tions more efficiently. A complete cloud-based sys- nies. The main systems at Distinctive Systems tem can be accessed from wherever there is an include its Coach Manager Charter and Contract internet connection. 19 Booking System, the Tour Booking System and the SEE AD ON PAGE 28 Vehicle Maintenance System. 19 4199 Kinross Lakes Pkwy., Suite 300 DuraBrake Co. Richfield, OH 44286 USA 2311 Calle Del Mundo ______DIXIE ELECTRIC LTD.______855-337-9543 Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA Website: www.Driverge.com Phone: 408-748-0400 Products: Driverge (formerly Transitworks) spe- Email: [email protected] cializes in turning full-size and minivans into Website: www.durabrake.com commercial wheelchair-accessible vehicles. The Products: DuraBrake™ is a manufacturer of name change comes as the company conveys its medium and heavy-duty brake drums, rotors and expanding capabilities. Driverge has production hubs for the aftermarket and OEM. The company sites in Ohio, Kansas and South Carolina, and has over 2,000 part numbers for transit buses, mo- supplies the corporate fleet, fleet management, torcoaches and other vehicles. 18 SEE AD ON PAGE 45 government, hospitality, wheelchair transport 517 Basaltic Rd. and taxi markets. Driverge allows the company E. Schoepf GmbH & Co KG Concord, ON L4K 4W8 CANADA to continue to lead in current markets, while also Rathausstrasse 18-24 905-879-0533 launching into new markets. The company has Stammbach 95236 GERMANY Website: www.dixie-electric.com worked with customers directly to develop and +49 9256/800 Products: Dixie Electric provides DelStar product continue new innovation, meeting the needs of Email: [email protected]

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Website: www.e-schoepf.de Website: www.enerdel.com for protection. The system is designed to rapidly Products: The medium-sized family business E. Products: Since being founded in 2004, EnerDel’s reduce the heat from a fire in seconds. Network SCHOEPF GmbH & Co., KG has been in existence engineers have worked to perfect the prismatic cell of dealers and distributors in the U.S. and for more than 160 years. Today, it produces high-qual- design and modular stacking architecture, offering Canada. 18 ity technical fabrics. As a system supplier, it produces customers a wide range of services to support the certified seat covers, side panels as well as ceiling complete life of their battery products. Headquar- Bus panels and curtains for worldwide, well-known tered in Indianapolis, IN, with manufacturing in Website: www.forestriverinc.com brands of the automotive industry, for urban traffic Korea and Indianapolis. First in the U.S. to mount Products: A wide variety of bus options for the operation (buses and trains) and for seat manufactur- a commercial-scale production of large-format, transportation marketplace. 18 ers. 19 lithium-ion battery packs. EnerDel’s Vigor+ battery packs are designed to ______FREEDMAN SEATING______Eberhard Manufacturing Company meet challenging power and energy requirements of 21944 Drake Rd. modern hybrid and electric transportation applica- Strongsville, OH 44149 USA tions. Vigor+ packs offer versatility across diverse 800-334-6706 industries including automotive, heavy-duty bus and Website: www.eberhard.com truck, industrial equipment, trolley buses, trams, and Products: Eberhard Manufacturing Company, a di- agricultural machines offering long life, outstanding SEE AD ON PAGE 15 vision of The Eastern Company, manufactures in- warranty and a product that meets Buy America re- 4545 W. Augusta Blvd. dustrial, vehicular, and specialty hardware and quirements. Able to deliver lithium-ion battery so- Chicago, IL 60651 USA access systems, with a quality system based on its lutions to foster customer success. 20 773-524-2440 ISO9001 certification. Offering a complete line of Email: [email protected] products such as: electric and manual door controls, Enseicom, Inc. Website: www.freedmanseating.com compression latches, key cylinders, quarter turns, 225 Norman Products: For over 125 years, Freedman Seating has access handles, hinges, custom rods, yokes, door Montreal, QC H8R 1A3 CANADA been engineering and manufacturing seats and seat- holdbacks, steps, gas springs, latching systems, fold- 514-486-2626 ing-related products for many different applications. ing t-handles and paddle latches—all available in a Email: [email protected] Its product lines include bus, rail, marine, delivery variety of finishes for applications such as entrance Website: www.enseicom.com truck, specialty and commercial vehicle seating. and rear doors, baggage, battery, and compartment Products: Founded in 1982, Enseicom manufac- Consistent growth and expansion has earned Freed- doors. 18 tures street furniture, billboards, advertising struc- man Seating recognition as a leading manufacturer tures and signage in North America. Staffed with of transportation seating solutions. Manufacturing Eberspaecher Climate Control Systems a full in-house graphic and technical design team seats for buses, Freedman Seating supplies the major 6099A Vipond Dr. overseen by civil and structural engineers, Ense- OEMs, over 250 bus distributors, the federal gov- Mississauga, ON L5T 2B2 CANADA icom constantly designs and develops products ernment, and many states and municipalities. 800-387-4800 with superior quality, durability and serviceability, The family of Freedman Seating bus seats in- Email: [email protected] all the while maintaining state-of-the-art designs. cludes products for small and mid-sized coaches, Website: www.eberspaecher-na.com It manufactures a wide array of products which paratransit vans and buses, public transit buses, and Products: Fuel operated heaters and Sutrak air con- include: bus shelters, rapid transit shelters, park- private bus operators. 19 ditioning systems. Eberspaecher provides customers ing booths, benches, newspaper boxes, waste a “best in class product support” package, including containers, bike racks, billboards, street level ad- Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation in-field service representatives, on-site and web- vertising columns, interior signage, and outdoor 552 Hyatt St. based training, call center for technical support and a signage. With over 100,000 square feet of com- Gaffney, SC 29341 USA number of service dealers in North America. 15 bined manufacturing and storage facilities, En- 864-487-1700 seicom is equipped to handle projects of any size Website: www.freightlinerchassis.com ElDorado across North America and the Caribbean. 18 Products: By working directly with OEM part- 1655 Wall St. ners, FCCC crafts purpose-engineered commercial Salina, KS 67401 USA Euramtec Corporation buses with performance and reliability in mind. 16 800-850-1287 29650 Grand River Ave. Website: www.enconline.com Farmington Hills, MI 48336 USA Gerflor Products: ElDorado manufactures light- and 248-473-8660 595 Supreme Dr. medium-duty commercial buses for public transit, Email: [email protected] Bensenville, IL 60106 USA paratransit, airport, parking, hotel/resort, group Website: www.euramtec.com 877-437-3567 tour, assisted living, church and university trans- Products: For over 30 years, Euramtec has pro- Website: www.gerflortransport.com portation markets. 16 vided European-styled accessories for transit buses Products: Tarabus by Gerflor is a world leading and coaches. At the cutting edge of technology, it’s non-slip transit flooring, dedicated to bus and Engineered Machined Products, Inc. prepared to meet all interior accessory needs. Ac- coach applications. At Busworld 2017, Gerflor 2701 North 30th St. cessories include air diffusers, interior lighting, seat- launched its new Tarabus Design, a line of digi- Escanaba, MI 49829 USA ing accessories, stop request systems and more. 16 tally-printed flooring. This world first in person- 906-789-7497 alized transport flooring gives customers the Website: www.emp-corp.com Fogmaker North America possibility to design their own flooring. With this Products: Mini-hybrid engine cooling system; 150 Gordon Dr. new technology, Gerflor will provide totally be- thermal management systems; brushless DC elec- Exton, PA 19341 USA spoke designs, adding value to its customers tric fan; brushless DC electric oil pumps; brush- 866-312-6820 brand, while making the vehicles more attractive. less DC electric water pumps; 450 amp and 535 Website: The Tarabus Design range offers an infinite amp power alternators. 20 www.usscgroup.com/fogmaker-fire-suppression/ number of possibilities for designers looking for Products: Provides superior protection to conven- a new approach to the interior design of buses, or EnerDel tional fire suppression systems. It is environmen- searching for ways to enhance the passenger ex- 8740 Hague Rd., Bldg. 7 tally friendly and utilizes water mist technology perience. The new product is available with all the Indianapolis, IN 46256 USA (no Hazmat). It is safe and non-toxic. The system well-known services developed to improve the 317-703-1800 provides a longer duration discharge than dry manufacturers’ working environment. Services Email: [email protected] powder systems and requires no electrical power include the self-adhesive solution, where the

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flooring is delivered with an acrylic adhesive and Email: [email protected] CEO/ President; Joey Dunow, Chief Engineer; protective layer on the back of the flooring, as Website: www.hendrickson-intl.com Dustin Pence, COO; and Jessica Pence, Market- well as, pre-cut and pre-welded kits. 18 Products: Hendrickson is a leading manufac- ing Director turer and supplier of premium bus chassis com- Products: Hometown Trolley Carriage, Home- Gillig LLC ponents to global bus markets. Its legacy town Trolley Villager, Hometown Trolley Main- 451 Discovery Dr. embodies over 100 years as the leading innova- street, Hometown Trolley Streetcar, Hometown Livermore, CA 94551 USA tor and manufacturer of suspension systems and Coach View, Hometown Coach Urban, and Home- 510-264-5000 components for the global transportation indus- town Coach Urban Green. Website: www.gillig.com try. Utilizing world-class design, testing and val- A family-owned and operated, DBE-certified Products: A wide variety of buses, including idation capabilities, Hendrickson provides robust manufacturing business, with a focus on preserv- Gillig’s 40-foot model. 18 solutions that feature the ride quality, vehicle ing the integrity of craftsmanship and quality handling and stability required for bus applica- built transit vehicles. 100 percent American- Glaval Bus, Div. of Forest River, Inc. tions around the world. Products include: air made, and hand-crafted using the best and finest 2412 Century Dr. suspensions, steer axles, steel leaf springs, materials along with the latest technology. The Goshen, IN 46528 USA bumpers, brakes and wheel-ends. 19 Pence-Dunow family continues to innovate 800-348-7440 while manufacturing vehicles with the same de- Website: www.glavalbus.com ____HOMETOWN MANUFACTURING____ sign principles, work ethics and commitment to Products: Offering safety, quality and after-mar- quality, established by the founding generation ket service. Glaval has been a longtime partici- of Pences. Hometown’s vehicles are built to cus- pant in providing paratransit and senior friendly tomer’s exact specifications, and are fit to ac- vehicles. 20 commodate all levels of transportation, ranging from private tours to major city transit. Goshen Coach Hometown invests time in research and de- 25161 Leer Dr. velopment to craft high-quality, reliable alterna- Elkhart, IN 46514 USA tive fuel technologies for all of its vehicles, and 574-970-6300 offer full electric and CNG options. Models are Website: www.goshencoach.com available in low-floor or straight-rail, front or Products: Goshen Coach is a manufacturer of SEE AD ON PAGE 5 rear engine. All models are Altoona-tested small to mid-sized shuttle buses. 16 P.O. Box 185 through the FTA program, and certified for Fed- Crandon, WI 54520 USA eral Funded Procurement. Hometown is dedi- GRI Pumps 715-301-0149 cated to preserving the environment and keeping 180 Hines Ave. Email: [email protected] manufacturing in America, offering products that Bellville, OH 44813 USA Website: www.hometown-mfg.com increase efficiency, decrease footprint and sup- 419-886-3001 Company Officers: Kristina Pence-Dunow, port the American economy. 20 Email: [email protected] Website: www.gripumps.com Facebook: gripumps Twitter: @GRI_Pumps LinkedIn: GRI Pumps Products: GRI offers flexible and robust fluid pumps to critical OEM transportation applications with its line of Brushless DC Magnetic Drive Cir- culation Pumps - the Integrity Series. By manufac- turing the Integrity Series’ variable speed motors, as well as many of the components in-house, GRI has the flexibility to precisely configure a pump to meet an OEM’s specific flow and pressure require- ments. Customized motors, combined with the many port configurations and OEM options, pro- vide a tailor-made fluid pump solution to trans- portation OEMs. GRI’s pumps have been time-tested in many transportation applications, including the circula- tion of glycol-water in hydronic heating and cool- ing, truck, recreational vehicles (RV), public transit, industrial equipment, marine, fuel cell, and flow battery applications. 19

Hanover Displays Inc. 1601 Tonne Rd. Elk Grove, IL 60007 USA 773-334-9934 Website: www.hanoverdisplays.com Products: Destination signs, voice announcement, infotainment systems. 19

Hendrickson Bus 800 S. Frontage Rd. Woodridge, IL 60517 USA 630-910-2800

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_____HUDSON RIVER CORPORATION______IRIZAR______Products: Air ride suspensions for bus, limo, and RV applications. 19

Kiel NA, LLC SEE AD ON PAGE 47 2009 Middlebury St. 551 Observer Hwy., #15N Elkhart, IN 46516 USA Hoboken, NJ 07030 USA 574-293-3600 201-420-3311 SEE AD ON PAGE 71 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] 100 Cassia Way Website: www.kielna.com Website: www.lavdump.com Henderson, NV 89014 USA Products: Part of the international Kiel Group, Products: Lavatory dump hopper for contrac- 702-431-2090 a manufacturer of transit passenger seats for tor installation at customer garage to facilitate Zumarraga bidea, 8 20216 commercial vehicles and public transportation, emptying the bus restroom holding tank. See Ormaiztegi, Gipuzkoa SPAIN including seating solutions for buses and motor- detail drawings at company website. 17 (+34) 943 80 91 00 coaches. Operates globally with production Email: [email protected], [email protected] plants in the USA, Germany (world headquar- Idrive Website: www.irizar.com/usa, www.irizar.com ters), Poland, France, the Netherlands, and 249 N. Turnpike Rd. Products: Motorcoach manufacturer. 18 Turkey. 17 Santa Barbara, CA 93111 USA 805-308-6094 ISR Corporation Kirk’s Automotive, Inc. Email: [email protected] 1502 Joh Ave., Suite #170 9330 Roselawn Website: www.idriveglobal.com Baltimore, MD 21227 USA Detroit, MI 48204 USA Products: Idrive is a leading provider of video 410-536-9989 x302 313-933-7030 event recorders, GPS tracking and artificial in- Email: [email protected] Website: www.KirksAuto.com telligence-based services. Idrive’s X2 fleet cam- Website: www.isrfleettrack.com Products: Complete line of remanufactured air era is a professional video event recorder Products: ISRFleetTrack® Transit Fleet Manage- conditioning motors and circulation pumps. Prod- designed to coach drivers and reduce accidents ment System: real-time route and location track- ucts include alternators, starters, pumps, hy- by over 50 percent. The X2 offers a variety of ing, hard braking and local speeding alerts, with draulics, air conditioning motors and steering low-cost services to help gain better visibility options for ELD, passenger counting and more. 18 gears. 20 into a fleet: live look-in, live tracking, distracted and drowsy driving detection, facial recognition __J&J BUS SANITATION PRODUCTS__ Lancer Insurance Company and cellular download. 19 370 West Park Ave., P.O. Box 9004 Long Beach, NY 11561 USA Infanti Bus & Coach Upholstery 516-431-4441 1153 W. Elizabeth Ave. Email: [email protected] Linden, NJ 07036 USA Website: www.lancerinsurance.com 877-874-8593 Company Officers: David P. Delaney, Jr., CEO; Email: Matthew T. Jenkins, President; Timothy D. De- [email protected] laney, Executive Senior Vice President; and Tim- Website: www.infantibusandcoachuphol- othy H. Delaney, Senior Vice President stery.com Products: Since 1985, Lancer Insurance Com - Products: Bus and motorcoach upholstery SEE AD ON PAGE 69 pany has provided commercial automobile, products and services. 17 P.O. Box 614 physical damage and general liability coverages Crawford, GA 30630 USA to bus and motorcoach companies in all 50 states Intapol Uniforms 800-345-3303 and the District of Columbia. All Lancer policy- 100 Amity St. Email: [email protected] holders, regardless of fleet size, receive an array Jersey City, NJ 07304 USA Website: www.jjchem.com of traditional and electronic products and serv- 201-432-5555 Products: Sanitation equipment and supplies. 17 ices to supplement their driver training, loss pre- Website: www.intapol.com vention and accident mitigation efforts. 20 Products: Bus driver uniforms in stock or cus- John A. Dash & Associates tom designed and made. 19 121 N. Eagle Rd. Lantal Textiles, Inc. Havertown, PA 19083 USA 1300 Langenthal Dr. InterMotive Vehicle Controls 610-446-4700 Rural Hall, NC 27045 USA 12840 Earhart Ave. Products: Collective bargaining negotiation and 336-969-9551 Auburn, CA 95602 USA arbitration services to the transit industry since Website: www.lantaltextiles.com 530-823-1048 1968. 19 Products: Lantal designs, produces and distributes Website: www.intermotive.net seat upholstery fabrics to motorcoach, transit and Products: Idle mitigation, safety and per- _KELDERMAN AIR RIDE SUSPENSIONS_ paratransit companies. Made in North Carolina, all formance solutions for buses including: (1) of its products meet the Buy America directive. FLEXSPEAK: Send messages loud and clear Lantal offers custom seat upholstery. 16 with this automated voice annunciator system for configurable driver, passenger and exter- Lazzerini Corporation nal announcements; (2) PRE-TRIP MOD- 1011 Herman St. ULE: Make bus inspections a quicker, Elkhart, IN 46516 USA one-person job with an automatic rotating 574-206-4769 cycle of all exterior lights; (3) IDLELOCK: Email: [email protected] Door-to-door service has never been so se- SEE AD ON PAGE 25 Website: www.lazzerini.us cure. Now a driver can exit the vehicle with 2686 Hwy. 92 E. Products: Lazzerini Corporation is a US-based the key while the bus idles with the transmis- Oskaloosa, IA 52577 USA subsidiary of Italian seating company, Lazzerini sion locked in park. 19 660-641-5432 S.r.l. Founded in 1967, Lazzerini S.r.l. designs Website: www.kelderman.com and manufactures innovative and lightweight

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passenger seats for global mass transit markets __LUMINATOR TECHNOLOGY GROUP__ The system is also fully compatible with mSET with localized operations in the United Kingdom, Software, allowing for fleet-wide management of Europe, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Canada. mixed fleets. Managing secure video evidence, In 2015, Lazzerini Corporation was established in mSET enables automatic and on-demand video Elkhart, IN, and is already manufacturing and downloads. Live video can also be reviewed simul- supplying Buy America compliant seats. taneously by multiple users, to address real-time in- Lazzerini is known and respected for its ability cidents onboard fleets. The software also provides and know how in the intelligent use of the latest enhanced tools and information to help transit agen- 900 Klein Rd. technology materials, to create standard flexible cies optimize system health, coordinate fleetwide Plano, TX 75074 USA seating platforms, combined with fully modular operations and monitor risky driving behaviors of 972-424-6511 construction. This allows for easy customization, operators. The RoadRunner AHD On-board Video Email: [email protected] installation, maintenance, and efficient vehicle Security system combines reliability, functionality Website: www.luminator.com/en/ packaging that optimizes passenger “living space” and versatility. 20 Company Officers: Kirk Goins, CEO; Franz Foth, and vehicle seating capacity. 19 Managing Director EMEA; Werner Malcherek, Marathon Brake Systems CTO; Roderick Jones, President; Ed Millet, Direc- ______LIQUIDSPRING LLC______125 Old Mill Rd. tor of Product Management; Dan Kelleher, Vice Cartersville, GA 30120 President of Business Development; and Matthew 800-223-5201 Siwek, Director of Business Development Website: www.marathonbrake.com Products: Luminator introduces the new RoadRun- Products: Marathon’s OE-approved KVT brake ner™ AHD On-board Video Security System. Uti- SEE AD ON PAGE 18 linings and DiscStar Transit Premium air disc lizing analog HD technology, the system delivers pads are proven performers for transit and coach 4899 East 400 South 1080p video resolution and advanced network per- lines across the country. KVT and DiscStar are Lafayette, IN 47905 USA formance for downloading video and support for quiet, long life materials that are friendly to drums 765-474-7816 live video streaming. The system provides a balance Email: and rotors. [email protected] of high-quality and long-term storage by ensuring Website: KVT Transit Brake Linings - OE Transit Ap- www.liquidspring.com high-definition video is available for critical inci- Products: proved KVT is specifically formulated to handle the Provides a suspension for the transit in- dents, while maintaining a long onboard recording high heat of multiple stopping of a city bus and the dustry. CLASS® (Compressible Liquid Adaptive duration. The system is fully compatible with ex- heavy-duty demands of a motorcoach. KVT is an Suspension System) –a rear suspension for Ford, isting RoadRunner MRH and 4K systems and in- organic, non-asbestos brake lining that combines RAM, GM, International, and Freightliner chas- cludes RoadRunner Secure Management (RsM) dependable stopping power and quiet operation sis – is designed to improve ride and handling for Software, which offers seamless administration, re- with a long lining life. KVT is rated for 28,660 lb. transit vehicles, while providing increased operator mote viewing, and playback of all RoadRunner axle loads. and passenger comfort and safety. 18 Recorders.

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DiscStar Transit Premium Air Disc Pads - cedes diesel engine and an average 20 mpg. Of- coaches, school buses and paratransit vehicles. Mo- Marathon now offers a high performance air disc fers seating and luggage rack options. Other mod- hawk Lifts are made to last with its warranty as pad, DiscStar Transit Premium (DSTP). Designed els and OEM chassis are available. 20 standard for all lift models. Mohawk makes 100 specifically for air disc brakes, Marathon's DiscStar percent of the lifts in the USA and meets the FTA disc pads were created to handle the extreme con- ____MIDWEST BUS CORPORATION_____ Buy America clause. Mohawk is a 38-year member ditions of transit bus and coach applications. For- of the Automotive Lift Institute with an overwhelm- mulated using Marathon's service ceramic ing majority of all lifts and all lift options and ac- expertise, DiscStar disc pads provide dependable cessories being third party certified to meet the stopping power, a long pad and rotor life, and noise current ANSI safety standards for vehicle lifts. 20 reduction. 17 Monochem (Worldwide Monochem) March Networks 512-267-5190 SEE AD ON PAGE 29 The Pinnacle Bldg., 500-3455 Peachtree Rd., NE Website: www.monochem.net 1940 W. Stewart St. Atlanta, GA 30326 USA Products: Chemicals for cleaning bus interiors, Owosso, MI 48867 USA 800-563-5564 odor control, toilets; upholstery cleaning; and san- 989-723-5241 Email: [email protected] itation equipment and supplies. 14 Website: www.midwestbus.com Website: www.marchnetworks.com Products: Remanufacturer of transit buses, Products: Transit hybrid video recorders; mobile _____MOTOR COACH INDUSTRIES_____ sale of aftermarket parts, sales and leasing of IP video cameras; video management software transit buses, and sale of Byk-Rak bike racks. with wireless video downloading and CAD/AVL Field service and repower projects are also integration. 17 available. 16 MGM Brakes MJM Innovations 6200 Harris Technology Blvd. 6300 Blair Hill Ave., Suite 301 Charlotte, NC 28269 USA Baltimore, MD 21209 USA 704-547-7411 866-664-1277 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.mgmbrakes.com Website: www.mjminnovations.com Products: For over 50 years, MGM Brakes has 200 E. Oakton St. Products: MJM Innovations improves trans- been providing air brake actuators to the commer- Des Plaines, IL 60018 USA portation programs using web-based software, cial vehicle market, with the addition of MGM’s 866-MCI-COACH mobile apps, card solutions, trip management advanced Electronic Brake Monitoring Systems Email: [email protected] and management services. 19 (e.STROKE) for drum and air disc brake applica- Website: www.mcicoach.com tions. 14 Products: Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is a Mobile Climate Control U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., (NFI), one of 17103 State Rd. 4 East ______MICRO BIRD COMMERCIAL ____ the world’s largest independent global bus manu- Goshen, IN 46528 USA facturers. MCI is a leading North American public 905-482-2750 and private market motor coach producer. MCI Website: www.mcc-hvac.com designs and builds the high-quality, fuel-efficient, Products: Specializes in custom engineered low-cost-of-ownership MCI J-Series, which in- HVAC systems. Its climate control systems can cludes the best-selling 45-foot J4500 and the all- SEE AD ON PAGES 36 & 37 be found worldwide in all types of commercial new 35-foot J3500 models, along with the MCI 3000 Girardin St. vehicles, from buses and off road machines to D-Series coaches. The workhorse D-Series now Drummondville, QC J2E 0A1 CANADA utility and defense vehicles. Supplies custom de- includes the breakthrough MCI D45 CRT LE 855-628-6287 signed solutions, from single system components Commuter Coach, featuring a patented low-entry Email: [email protected] to complete climate systems. An engineering staff vestibule with seating for unprecedented passen- Website: www.mbcbus.com with many years of experience, creates and sup- ger accessibility, especially for those using mo- Products: Micro Bird Commercial designs and plies optimal solutions for the best climate com- bility devices, and offers lower dwell times to manufactures a complete line of buses for up to fort. 19 match lower floor transit buses. 28 passengers. All Micro Bird Commercial The all-electric J4500e CHARGE coach is buses, which offer durability and comfort, are MobilityTRANS planned for production in 2020, and MCI will also available with special needs options. A 42000 Koppernick, Ste. A-3, also apply its battery-electric platform to the D45 North American dealer network allows the Canton, MI 48187 USA CRTe LE CHARGE Commuter Coach, followed company to offer parts and service support. 20 800-496-4280 by the electric MCI J3500, giving operators the Email: [email protected] most comprehensive choices in purpose-built, all- Midway Specialty Vehicles, LLC Website: www.mobilitytrans.com electric coaches. 2940 Dexter Dr. Products: Commercial passenger and paratransit With more than 30,000 MCI coaches on the Elkhart, IN 46514 USA vehicle convertor. The company builds and sup- road, MCI also provides 24/7 roadside assistance; 574-264-2530 plies paratransit, hotel/airport shuttle, executive a service team that includes a technical call center Website: www.mymidway.com transport and prisoner transport vans and small and Technical Solutions Managers (TSMs) in the Products: Designed the Pinnacle Bus to accom- buses. 17 field throughout North America; parts availability modate all passengers. The Pinnacle Bus is de- through NFI Parts; and maintenance and repair at signed to transport riders economically and in an Mohawk Lifts MCI Service Centers located in key markets. The environmentally-friendly manner. Offers passen- P. O. Box 110 MCI Academy, meanwhile, holding the National gers comfort, security, and panoramic views at a Amsterdam, NY 12010 USA Institute for Automotive Service Excellence reasonable cost. Engineered to accommodate up 518-842-1431 (ASE) accreditation, offers online courses through to 17 passengers and able to comfortably trans- Email: [email protected] its Learning Management System (LMS), as well port physical-challenged riders, the bus has extra Website: www.mohawklifts.com as technical training and system qualification cer- wide entry doors and a steel case construction. Products: Mohawk Lifts manufactures all types tificate and diploma programs tailored to the spe- Structurally sound (Altoona tested) with a Mer- of vehicle service lifts for transit buses, motor- cific needs of the motorcoach industry. 19

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Motor Coach Tire Sales, LLC Headquarters/Winnipeg Facility plications are provided with the “Screen Driver,” 1133 4th St. 711 Kernaghan Ave. The Enterprise IT environment for developers and Columbus, GA 31901 USA Winnipeg, MB R2C 3T4 CANADA users. The system includes user security, system 678-463-4110 204-224-1251 administration, custom reporting, and application Website: www.motorcoachtiresales.com Website: www.newflyer.com development and management tools. Demonstra- Products: Sales of Toyo and Yokohama tires to Products: North American transit bus and mo- tions and sales presentations are available at no the motorcoach industry. 17 torcoach manufacturer and parts distributor. 17 cost. 17

Motorcoach Manager, Inc. Norse Systems, Inc. 3517 Marconi Ave., Suite 207 245 Sage Hollow Rd. 260 Banker Rd. Sacramento, CA 95821 USA Guilford, CT 06437 USA Plattsburgh, NY 12901 USA 916-972-1800 800-769-8468 518-566-6682 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.motorcoachmanager.com Website: www.norsesys.com Website: www.novabus.com Products: Motorcoach Manager and Tour Opti- Products: Provides a complete set of integrated Products: Designs public transit buses that mizer—Motorcoach Manager is a flexible fleet products for managing bus transportation. Its meet different needs. Its value-added offer in- management software system now available on the comprehensive software product set is combined cludes an extensive list of standard features en- cloud. It provides a complete, cost-effective system with private “cloud” based virtual servers and gineered to provide the best in terms of safety, for managing all the logistics of motorcoach and professional support to provide a complete solu- accessibility and life cycle cost. Nova Bus’ en- tour operations. It tracks dispatches for charter or- tion for bus operators. The solutions from Norse tire line of vehicles is based on a single proven ders, scheduled line runs and school bus routes are designed to run on the existing computer in- platform that requires minimal maintenance from the initial request for service to the final ac- frastructure. Low monthly fees, with no long-term and far exceeds APTA’s White Book crashwor- counting reports. There is a comprehensive driver contract. thiness requirements. 15 and employee compliance tracking module in- Applications include: Charter/field trip sales cluded. The cloud-based version features embed- and operations, dispatching, driver qualifications, Onspot Automatic Tire Chains ded mapping with mileage and time data generated human resources, employee time and pay, transit 1075 Rodgers Park Dr. automatically. It is appropriate for any size of com- line runs, day trip/commuter/airport shuttle and North Vernon, IN 47265 USA pany providing passenger transportation. tour systems, accident management, equipment 800-766-7768 The software is the result of 25 years of collab- maintenance, warrantee tracking and recovery, Email: [email protected] oration between the Motorcoach Manager staff fuel control, fuel tax reporting, trip bidding, Website: www.onspot.com and hundreds of clients and prospects. A complete school bus routing with automated map inter- Products: Onspot Automatic Tire Chains are set of features, such as built-in email, utilization faces, multi-site inventory control, purchasing, permanently mounted to the vehicles’ rear sus- and availability charts, financial analysis tools, se- home to school operations, accounts receivable, pension and allows the operator to engage and curity, equipment and driver management, driver general ledger, accounts payable, and more. Ap- disengage the chains at the flip of the dashboard training records, payroll and mileage tracking, etc., are included. Responsive, timely customer service is our priority. Tour Optimizer is a separate product which manages and tracks group and retail tours for com- panies that do not own motorcoaches. It includes an itinerary building tool and a reservation system for selling by the seat. There is an extensive report- ing system which saves tour management time. 19

Motorcoach Safety Training Co. 5611 Hudson Dr., Suite 100 A Hudson, OH 44236 USA 855-963-3900 Website: www.mcstco.com Products: Motorcoach driver training programs. 18

NAFI 1155 Cleveland Ave. Wyomissing, PA 19610 USA 610-781-7033 Email: [email protected] Products: Representatives for Altro safety floor coverings in the northeast portion of the U.S. 19

National Interstate Insurance Company 3250 Interstate Dr. Richfield, OH 44286 USA 800-929-1500 Email: [email protected] Website: www.natl.com Products: A provider of insurance and risk trans- fer solutions to the passenger transportation in- dustry. 18 New Flyer Industries Inc.

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switch, without stopping to enhance traction and Petro Stopping Centers formance and engine management, fuel savings reduce braking distance on snow and ice in for- I-39 & Hwy. 38, Exit #99 and easier service scheduling. 19 ward or reverse. The system is available as a 900 Petro Dr. factory installed option from over 200 OEM ve- Rochelle, IL 61068 USA Prevost Parts hicle builders, or for retrofit of existing vehicles 815-562-3716 Email: [email protected] from over 1,400 dealers throughout North Email: [email protected] Website: www.prevostcar.com America. The product can be adapted to vehi- Website: www.ta-petro.com Online Parts Ordering: cles from 1/2 ton to Class 8 tractor trailers. 19 Products: Full service travel plaza offering regular www.prevostcar.com/content/online-parts-order- diesel, biodiesel, regular gas, E85 and E15. RV serv- ing __ON YOUR MARK TRANSPORTATION__ ices include dump station, water, propane, pull- Prevost U.S. Parts Customer Service through parking and separate fueling island. 2250 Point Blvd., Suite 410 Amenities include two restaurants, two stores, clinic, Elgin, Illinois 60123. USA game arcade, showers, coin laundry, ATM, fax and Eastern Region: 877-279-1224 copy service, UPS, FedEx and U.S. mail dropboxes. Central Region: 877-279-1245 Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Buses wel- Western Region: 877-279-1219 come, please call ahead if eating (815-562-5840). 19 Prevost Canada Parts Customer Service 2955-A Avenue Watt Pleiger Plastics Co. Quebec City, Quebec G1X 3W1. CANADA 498 Crile Rd. 800-463-8876 P.O. Box 292851 Washington, PA 15301 USA Products: Prevost offers 24/7 emergency parts Nashville, TN 37229-2851 USA 724-228-2244 ordering and shipping, and 24/7 online parts or- 615-669-0107 Email: [email protected] dering with a special discount. Prevost parts Email: [email protected] Website: www.pleiger.com warehouses use RF barcode technology for quick Website: www.onyourmarktransportation.com Products: Molder of polyurethane bumpers for shipment of parts, and offers same-day shipping Products: A consulting service to the ground suspension applications, preventing metal to of stock parts anywhere in the United States and transportation industry, bringing resources to all metal contact. 20 Canada for orders received before 2 p.m. (ship- areas of ground transportation, including limou- ping location local time). Prevost’s computerized sine, school bus, transit and motorcoach. Serv- Power Brake LLC parts catalog provides immediate access to all ices include, but are not limited to: event 6515 N 50th St. coach assemblies, sub -assemblies and compo- transportation planning and logistics; market- Tampa, FL 33610 USA nents. Prevost Parts provides replacement parts ing, including websites, social media, trade 813-623-1333 for all makes and models of coaches and transit show representation and sales training; surveys, Website: www.powerbrake1.com buses, and is the exclusive distributor of Prevost, including employee, ridership or customer sur- Products: Power Brake LLC, located in Tampa, Volvo Bus and Nova Bus certified parts and veys; human resources, including recruiting, FL, has over 50 years of combined experience in components. The Prevost Parts and Service Net- hiring, training and company specific policy the brake industry, and has been in business for work consists of 16 Prevost Parts and Service handbooks and procedures; grant writing; over 11 years. It is a knowledgeable and trusted Centers, strategically located throughout the 5311(f) programs; DOT and DOD safety system leader in brake system innovation. Company offi- United States and Canada, 55-plus mobile serv- audits; research; and school bus planning and cials have discovered a new and innovative tech- ice vans, and more than 150 Prevost-trained and implementation. 20 nology that extends brake component life and certified service providers. The service network OurBus reduces operating costs. The new process, labeled is the industry’s exclusive provider of certified 79 Madison Ave. Diamond Technology, will extend the life of service for Prevost vehicles, Volvo engines and New York, NY 10016 USA brakes. The goal at Power Brake is to provide a Volvo I-Shift transmissions. 19 844-800-6828 money-saving fleet maintenance solution that in- Email: [email protected] creases the life expectancy of brakes, while pro- ______PROAIR, LLC______Website: www.ourbus.com viding superior performance and safety Products: A charter bus service in New York, enhancements for vehicles. Power Brake offers a NY. Mission is to offer an affordable option that 100,000 mile warranty on trucks and buses, and a gives people time back to enjoy life outside the 36,000 mile warranty on fire engines against fail- commute. A technology platform that provides a ure due to wear, distortion, or cracking. 19 better public transportation alternative for com- muters traveling to and from suburban areas and Prevost 715 Willow Springs Lane cities. 18 35 Gagnon Blvd. York, PA 17406 USA Sainte-Claire, Quebec G0R 2V0 CANADA 717-767-2775 P.A. Post Agency, LLC 418-883-3391 Email: [email protected] One International Blvd., Suite 405 Email: [email protected] Website: www.proairllc.com Mahwah, NJ 07495 USA Website: www.prevostcar.com Company Officers: Mark Smith, President; David 201-252-3010 Products: North American manufacturer of pas- Oberdorff, Vice President Website: www.papost.com senger coaches as well as conversion coaches for Products: ProAir designs and manufactures a Products: Transportation insurance. 16 high-end motorhomes and specialty conversions. complete line of advanced bus air conditioning The Prevost H-Series provides tall, high-deck systems for all sizes and makes of buses including PennTex Industries, Inc. coaches with panoramic views and under-floor conventional, alternate fuel, hybrid and electric 202 Plaza Dr. storage capacity of 460 cubic feet. The Prevost drive buses. Products include split-type air condi- Manchester, PA 17345 USA X-Series offers lowest overall height for the pre- tioning systems as well as complete roof mount air 717-266-8762 mium coach market, while maintaining a floor- conditioning systems for all buses. In addition, Email: [email protected] to-ceiling height of 80 inches and a wheelbase ProAir offers air conditioning installation services, Website: www.penntexusa.com of 334.5 inches. The Volvo 9700 offers quality, specification preparation assistance, product test- Products: Manufacturers of high efficiency alter- performance, economy, comfort and safety. The ing, replacement air conditioning service parts for nators and mobile electronic devices. 19 powertrain takes advantage of the coordination most brands, product training and on-site customer between the Volvo D13 engine and I-Shift trans- support. 20 mission. This integration results in better per-

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ProFusion Industries ricator for transportation clients across the U.S. Email: [email protected] 822 Kumho Dr. ISO and AISC quality certified, QMF’s equip- Website: www.rbs2000.com Fairlawn, OH 44333 USA ment can machine parts; cut materials with bundle Products: RBS, Inc. designs, implements and sup- 330-668-7694 cutting saws, angle cutting saw, waterjet and ports Tour and Charter Management systems with Website: www.profusionindustries.com plasma, sheet and tube laser; bend with a press more than 500 customers in North America. Products: U.S. manufacturer of heavy-duty brake, precision brake and profile bender; roll Products include: flooring and entry step components. Supplier to sheet; drill using a beam line; blast off mill scale; GoTour Management System, a browser-based original equipment manufacturers. Offers full line and weld using certified welders and robot system, manages tour reservations, itineraries, re- of rubber-type marbled rib and smooth flooring welders. Parts can be used in the assembly of the ceivables and payables, and produces customer doc- products, and slip resistant European-type flooring vehicle systems or in the safety rails, stairs and uments and management reports for group and retail products for shuttle and transit products. Flooring ramps needed on ADA compliant vehicles. 20 tours. The RBS cloud-based system is hosted and is available as a prewelded assembly for a com- backed up in the cloud using AWS (Amazon Web plete bus floor, in all rib, all smooth, or with a rib RBS - Relational Bus Systems, Inc. Services). RBS is now distributing GoTourV4.10, center aisle. Standard width rolls are also available 10 Lancaster St. - Box 215 which includes BOPI (Blocked Out Passenger In- for pieced installation. Also offers entry treads, Cherry Valley, NY 13320 USA ventory); integrated, highly secure, online credit nosings, and standee lines, including replacement 607-264-9300, 800-448-7001 card authorization (GoPay) is available; parts for all shuttle and transit brands. Proprietary processes provide for short lead times. 17 Protective Insurance Company CHARTER 111 Congressional Blvd., Suite 500 Carmel, IN 46032 USA 800-644-5501 Website: www.protectiveinsurance.com Dump Products: A+ rated by A.M. Best, specializes in providing insurance for the transportation industry. Licensed in all 50 states, the District CLEAN... of Columbia, Puerto Rico and all Canadian provinces to provide comprehensive insurance programs (including, but not limited to, auto liability and workers’ compensation options) for motorcoach operations and limousine Dump services. 16

Proterra 1815 Rollins Rd., LEGAL! Burlingame, CA 94010 USA 864-438-0000 Website: www.proterra.com Products: Catalyst® battery-electric transit buses. 18 WASHROOM WASTE DISPOSAL UNIT

Q’Straint Installs directly into your 4031 NE 12th Ter. existing sewer system! Oakland Park, FL 33334 USA 800-987-9987 Email: [email protected] Website: www.qstraint.com avatory dump hopper is assembled and ready Products: QUANTUM automatic wheelchair se- to install in your existing sewer system. Its Washroom curement and Q’POD integrated 3-point wheel- cover plate is easily rolled back with the waste is chair securement. 19 L remover tool. Each of your service lanes can easily be removed ______QMF STEEL, INC.______equipped with this time-saving unit, which has been the (QMF Supply Fab Manufacturing) quickly, industry standard for over thirty years. All major credit easily and cards accepted. safely Call 1-866-LAV-DUMP or email [email protected] for additional information.

SEE AD ON PAGE 9 3846 Interstate 30 East Campbell, TX 75422 USA 903-455-3618, 800-881-4071 HUDSON RIVER CORPORATION Email: [email protected] Call toll free: 1-866-LAV-DUMP | Fax: 1-201-420-3322 Website: qmfsteel.com Products: QMF Steel, Inc., is a DBE/WBE cer- www.lavdump.com tified business in operation since 1994. Buy America material supplier, manufacturer and fab-

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GoChart Charter Management System features with $10 billion plus in sales. RRL works with customer and contract management, schedule and well-regarded companies that are very compet- dispatch, and accounts receivable. Modules allow itive in the marketplace. RRL is responsive to system customization to fit a company’s needs and clients’ needs and offers a comprehensive insur- size. Powerful, user definable security, requiring ance program which makes it a partner in reduc- unique login and password, is available; ing accidents and premiums. The RRL goal is to Offsite Backup and Recovery provides daily off- provide clients with cost effective insurance and site data backup and features limited online access Products: Designs and manufactures air, steel risk management solutions, combining compet- to a customer’s data in the event of a disaster; and, spring and auxiliary suspensions used by bus, itive rates with superior service and to exceed Web Manager modules include simple, reliable, truck and specialty vehicle OEMs. A suspension expectations. real time credit card authorization for GoChart and manufacturer with close to 90 years of proven All RRL clients have a personal account GoTour; online quote generation and notification; product quality, durability and reliability. The representative to handle their standard re- and web access to drivers’ orders for GoChart. company is located in the heart of the Midwest, quests, such as certificates, vehicle changes, Demos for GoTour and GoChart are available with some of America’s best and hardest working filings, etc. Clients have total access to RRL’s by appointment. 19 employees who continue to help Reyco Granning management team, who can provide assistance build on its rich history of manufacturing excel- for risk management needs 24/7. RRL is here REI lence. 19 for its clients on the go, with access to clients’ 6534 L St. insurance and requested documents instantly Omaha, NE 68117. USA RLI Transportation online or from a smartphone or tablet. With 800-228-9275 9025 N. Lindbergh Dr. solid insurance industry relationships, dealing Email: [email protected] Peoria, IL 61615 USA with market representatives who understand Website: www.radioeng.com 800-331-4929 the issues at hand, keeps RRL ahead of the Products: Entertainment and monitoring systems Website: www.rlicorp.com curve. RRL works to place its customers’ op- for motorcoaches and transit buses. 18 Products: Insurance for the bus and motorcoach erations with a strong market that will be a industries. 17 partner with each customer, at a cost-effective ______REL-TEK CORPORATION_____ rate. There is a reason why RRL customers do Rotary Lift not leave once they are with the company. With 2700 Lanier Dr. top-notch service and knowledge, the rest just Madison, IN 47250 USA falls into place. Give RRL a call. It is available 800-640-5438 to become a loyal partner in securing all insur- Email: [email protected] ance needs. 19 SEE AD ON PAGE 10 Website: www.rotarylift.com 4185-4189 Old William Penn Hwy. Products: Rotary Lift offers the industry’s ______SAFETY STEP LLC______Monroeville, PA 15146 USA broadest line of heavy-duty vehicle lifts. The 412-373-6700 lineup includes mobile column, modular in - Website: www.rel-tek.com ground, scissor, parallelogram, two-post and Products: Gas monitoring and control systems, four-post lifts. 19 including PC-based data logging and telemetry software, and a full complement of field I/O RouteMatch Software SEE AD ON PAGE 70 hardware. 20 1230 Peachtree St., NE, Ste. 2800 5304 Valleypark Dr. Atlanta, GA 30309 USA Roanoke, VA 24019 USA Renegade Parts Washers and Detergents 404-876-5160 540-362-9636 2320 Zinga Dr. Email: [email protected] Website: www.safetystep.net Reedsburg, WI 53959 USA Website: www.routematch.com Products: Safety Step’s line of lightweight, all 800-774-7900 Products: Software systems for schedule and aluminum steps are designed to handle constant Email: [email protected] route optimization, reporting and compliance. 20 usage by passengers. All Safety Steps feature anti- Website: www.renegadepartswashers.com tip and anti-slip designs. Rubber leg tips help se- Products: Automatic and manual aqueous parts ______RRL INSURANCE AGENCY_____ cure passengers on all surfaces and during any washers and solvent-free detergents. 20 weather conditions. With various platform sizes, heights and powder coat finishes, Safety Step has Resorts Casino Hotel the step to improve every passenger travel expe- 1133 Boardwalk rience. 19 Atlantic City, NJ 08401 USA 800-772-9000 ______SAFETY VISION______Website: www.resortsac.com Products: Casino, hotel and restaurants, includ- ing the Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville entertain- 4450 W. Eau Gallie Blvd., Suite 115 ment complex. 17 Melbourne, FL 32934 USA 800-407-4077 REV GROUP Website: www.rrl-ins.com Website: www.revgroup.com Products: RRL Insurance, located in Florida Products: REV bus brands include Collins and SEE AD ON PAGE 14 and Ohio, specializes in commercial insurance ENC. 20 and Risk Management Services. Its professional 6100 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. N. team has built a solid reputation with years of Houston, TX 77041 USA ______REYCO GRANNING______in-depth knowledge in the transportation indus- 800-880-8855 SEE AD ON PAGE 22 Email: try, and is constantly enhancing contacts with [email protected] 1205 Industrial Park Dr. Website: insurance companies and insureds. In 2014, www.safetyvision.com/mass-transit Mt. Vernon, MO 65712 USA Company Officer: RRL became partners with Acrisure. RRL has Lucius McCelvey, Transit 800-753-0050, 417-466-2178 300-plus agency partners located in most states, Sales Manager Website: www.reycogranning.com Products: Manage daily operations with ease.

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Save time and money by efficiently locating video ______SANUVAIRE, LLC______easy, quick hand-held disinfection of surface spills with user-friendly wireless downloading, video and spoils. SanUVAire carries a full line of smart, redaction, and HD zooming capabilities. With indoor air quality monitoring devices and UVC newly available technology users can access and sensors and meters for measuring the effectiveness share video with local authorities when needed, of the installed UVGI systems. Its line of Transit and live look-in at any time to monitor onboard ac- Safety Solutions includes the Flashing S.T.O.P.™ tivity. Safety Vision’s suite of mobile video solu- LED sign to promote defensive driving and acci- tions offer high quality equipment and lasting dent prevention, as well as Curb Avoidance™ to performance, at the best value for any transit envi- SEE AD ON PAGE 67 prevent curb, tire and wheel damage and the asso- ronment. 20 6435 W. Quaker St. ciated insurance and financial costs. 20 Orchard Park, NY 14127 USA Samsara 888-611-6660 _SARDO BUS & COACH UPHOLSTERY_ 444 De Haro St. Email: [email protected] San Francisco, CA 94107 USA Website: www.sanuvaire.com 415-985-2400 Products: Offers custom designed patented and li- Email: [email protected] censed “Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation - Website: www.samsara.com UVGI” technology for air purification, air filtration Products: Samsara’s cloud-connected cameras and surface sterilization products, specifically for provide complete 360º video visibility. Such cov- and transit vehicles. Premier prod- 503 S. Main Ave. erage allows bus/motorcoach companies to better ucts are the Surface-Safe™ and Breathe-Safe™ Minneola, FL 34715 USA investigate and resolve incidents, enhance passen- Systems, which implement complete UVGI coil 512 W. Rosecrans Ave. ger and driver safety, and protect a fleet against surface sterilization, in-duct air purification and air Gardena, CA 90248 USA false claims. 19 filtration technology into vehicle HVAC compo- 800-654-3824 nents and passenger cabins. Provides ultimate pro- Email: [email protected] Sanicoach tection against harmful and infectious bacteria and Website: www.sardobus.com 938 E. Swan Creek Rd., #241 viruses in transit ridership, while reducing vehicle- Products: Sardo Bus & Coach Upholstery’s qual- Fort Washington, MD 20744 USA related maintenance and fuel costs. The UVGI sys- ity craftsmanship and unique customer service has 301-257-6714 tems disrupt the harmful microorganisms’ DNA, in made it an industry leader in motorcoach and tran- Email: [email protected] turn, killing and preventing them from reproduc- sit refurbishment. Sardo’s original Professional Products: 24-hour mobile bus dumping services ing. Other products include S-MT™ 1.0 Mobile Mobile Road crew is a trendsetter, providing ex- in the Washington, D.C. area. 18 Tower, used for surface sterilization of vehicle in- perience onsite installation service at a customer’s teriors and transit facilities, and the S-WAND™ for facility. This minimizes downtime and provides EFFICIENCY RELIABILITYITY Air Conditioning Electric PERFORMANCEDiscover electricityNC

hermetic electric scroll compressor/s ʓ a.c. motors ʓ self-contained refrigerant loops ʓgenerator or hybrid bus power

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personal attention to every detail. Sardo guaran- /DAIMLER COACHES SLEC, Inc. tees its workmanship for as long as a customer ______NORTH AMERICA (DCNA)______23 Fontana Ln., Suite 109 owns its coach. Sardo offers a wide variety of in- Baltimore, MD 21237 USA novative styles, color combinations and patterns 443-730-1023 utilizing the finest quality materials for interior Website: www.slec.com refurbishment. It also manufactures custom fit Products: The 18Type mobile column lift, man- seat covers for mail-out service, with seat cover ufactured in Baltimore by SLEC, Inc., is rated at liners for easy installation. 18,000 lbs. (each column), and is ideal for transit For flooring needs, Sardo can install a brand 4900 E. Loop 820 South buses and motorcoaches. A SLEC® lift is one new complete floor, or just replace the entrance Fort Worth, TX 76119 USA man portable, and consequently can be used in area steps for the ultimate first impression. Sardo 800-206-9728 multiple work bays and outside. SLEC® lifts fea- provides seating options for transit authorities all Website: www.setrausa.com ture an electromechanical, self-locking design, over the United States and Canada. With Lou Products: The Setra brand coaches Top Class S based on an Acme threaded screw and a bronze Sardo’s patented quick release insert design, tran- 417 TC and Comfort Class S 407 CC are sup- load nut for the ultimate in safety as it is inherently sit authorities are finding superior replacement ported by Daimler Coaches North America self-locking. The lifts stop immediately when options at a fraction of the cost. Lou Sardo has (DCNA) and parent company, Daimler AG. For power is removed and cannot move again unless developed a number of innovative products for more than 35 years in North America, Setra has power is re-applied. An easy-to-use interactive the transit, rail and bus industries, each providing sleek European styling, combined with next gen- touch-screen pad enables the operator to select the time and money saving benefits. Sardo takes pride eration technology, premium amenities, and indus- operational mode (all lifts, pairs or single) and in delivering the best quality refurbishment while try leading safety. Daimler AG has more than 125 communicates to the operator the height of each also offering a great selection of seating options years of passion and engineering prowess. Daimler column, error codes and much more. at an affordable price. has been a pioneer in the automotive, trucking, and The recently launched “ultimate pack” marries Visit the company’s website, like its Facebook motorcoach industries. In fact, Daimler has top the benefit of getting the cable off the floor while page, and join Sardo on LinkedIn to learn more quality brands like Setra, Freightliner, Mercedes- keeping the robust reliability of a cable-connected about the company’s products and services. Benz, , Detroit Diesel, and lift. The connecting cable extends between each 19 Western Star in its lineup and utilizes best practices column on a retractable roller system and loops to make all those vehicles the best in their industry. around the top of each column. SLEC® lifts are Saucon Technologies Known for high-grade components and engineer- independently tested and certified to the standards 2455 Baglyos Circle ing, Setra coaches are built on the same production of the Automotive Lift Institute ANSI/ALI Bethlehem, PA 18020 USA system as Daimler’s automotive group and the ALCTV-2011. All of this is backed by nationwide 484-241-2514 high standards set by Mercedes-Benz. There, reli- after-sales and service support. 19 Website: www.saucontds.com ability is built into every component and onboard Products: GPS tracking, reporting options and features demanded by operators. The result is pas- SmartTray International, LLC dispatch tools for various types of transportation senger comfort and operational excellence. Sup- 15100 N. 78th Way, Floor 2 providers. 16 porting drivers and passengers when it comes to Scottsdale, AZ 85260 USA comfort and function, Setra luxury coaches deliver Email: [email protected] Scalabros S.r.l. great handling and a smooth ride. With the er- Website: www.thesmarttray.com Via Caduti di Sabbiuno gonomic design found in the cockpit and driver Products: Tray table solutions including patented 83/C -Loc. Bazzano workstation, Setra ensures all controls are within personal electronic device management features Valsamoggia, BO 40053 ITALY reach, that key information is always available, and for buses and motorcoaches. 18 +39 051 832587 that driver comfort is a top priority. Email: [email protected] The Setra products also have the highest level of Specialty Vehicles (SVI, Inc.) Website: www.scalabros.it support necessary to keep a fleet of coaches in 440 Mark Leany Dr. Products: Bus components including manual and service, including parts distribution, and 24/7 on- Henderson, NV 89011 USA motorized sunshades, escape roof hatches and call industry experts. Whether it’s the build, the 800-SVI-TRAM floorservice hatches. décor, the inclusions, or the meticulous detail be- Website: www.specialtyvehicles.com 20 hind the scenes, when it comes to Setra, we’ve Products: New and used trolleys, trams, electric thought of it all. Which means, all operators have shuttles, and other types of people movers. 19 SERVICE INSURANCE to think about is their passengers and continuous ______AGENCY, LLC______ROI. 20 Starcraft Bus 2367 Century Dr., SHRIVER TRANSPORTATION Goshen, IN 46528 USA SEE AD ON PAGE 66 ______INSURANCE AGENCY, LLC______800-348-7440 6850 Catawba Ln. Website: www.starcraftbus.com Richmond, VA 23226 USA Products: Starcraft Bus is a North American shut- 800-444-0205 tle bus manufacturer. Markets include hotels, Website: www.serviceins.com churches, retirement centers, tour operators, and Products: all aspects of public and private transportation. 15 Service Insurance Agency, Inc., has been provid- ing insurance and related products to the passen- Stertil-Koni 1 Oakbrook Terrace, #209 ger transportation industry since 1952. Its 200 Log Canoe Circle Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 USA professional staff is trained to provide the high- Stevensville, MD 21666 USA 630-833-0480 est quality customer service and offers solutions 800-336-6637, 410-643-9001 Website: www.shriverinsurance.com for the unique insurance needs of its passenger Email: [email protected] transportation customers. An independent com- Products: Shriver Transportation Insurance Agency Website: www.stertil-koni.com/bus-lifts, pany, Service Insurance writes insurance for mo- has specialized in public transportation since 1963. www.stertil-koni.com/truck-lifts torcoaches, limousines, vanpools, city transit Company representatives listen to what their cus- Products: Stertil-Koni provides heavy-duty ve- buses, airport shuttles and school buses. tomers want in order to tailor a policy to meet each hicle lifts – bus lifts and truck lifts – featuring 20 of these customer needs. Shriver works with cus- top performance, durability and safety. 19 tomers from coast to coast on any size account. 20

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Stewart & Stevenson Power Products Teknoware ______THERMO KING______Atlantic Division 120 Wampus Ln. 180 Route 17 South Milford, CT 06460 USA Lodi, NJ 07644 USA 203-878-8567 201-489-5800 Website:www.teknoware.com/en/vehicle-lighting SEE AD ON PAGE 11 Website: www.atlanticdda.com Products: Lighting design for public transport 314 W. 90th St. Products: Detroit Diesel engine and Allison au- vehicles. Teknoware provides lights and lighting Minneapolis, MN 55420 USA tomatic transmission distributor; Mercedes- systems for new vehicles as well as for refurbish- 888-887-2202 Benz diesel engines; Freightliner Custom ment and LED upgrading projects. It offers light- Email: [email protected] Chassis; Mobile Climate Control; Thomas ing solutions that are integrated with the other Website: www.thermoking.com Built Buses, Parts and service dealer; com- decor of the vehicle and provides sufficient and Products: Thermo King, a HVAC supplier to plete diagnostic and repair services; Allison- pleasant lighting. 17 the North American transit market, has been hybrid electric propulsion and related providing HVAC solutions for buses since components; filters; batteries; diesel emission ______TEMSA NORTH AMERICA______1956. It offers the latest in efficient electric and retrofit solutions. 18 technologies and tools to improve operational efficiencies. ______SUTRAK CORPORATION______The company’s ConnectedSuite™ telematics tool gives users the ability to communicate di- rectly with the HVAC expert, to get real-time alerts to mitigate unscheduled road calls and improve operational efficiencies including fuel SEE AD ON PAGE 49 SEE AD ON PAGE 21 usage and energy consumption, and eliminate 6897 E. 49th Ave. 404 Zell Dr. manual tracking processes. 20 Commerce City, CO 80022 USA Orlando, FL 32824 USA 303-287-2700 833-628-3672 TIAA Bank Website: www.sutrakusa.com Website: www.temsa.com 501 Riverside Ave. Products: ISO 9001 certified. Heating, ven- Products: Temsa is one of the world’s leading Jacksonville, FL 32202 USA tilating and air conditioning systems for light motorcoach and bus manufacturers. Founded in 203-984-5710 rail vehicles and people movers and buses in- 1968, and operating from a 510,000-square- Website: www.tiaabank.com/commercial cluding school buses. meter manufacturing facility in Adana, Turkey Products: Transportation financing services. 19 since 1987, Temsa produces over 10,000 motor- 19 coaches, buses and light trucks per year. 20

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TIB - TRANSPORTATION 248-623-6400, 855-535-7446 __TRANSIT SALES INTERNATIONAL______INSURANCE BROKERS______Email: [email protected] Website: www.transignllc.com Products: Transign® is a market leader in pas- senger information systems and vital transit so- lutions. For the past six decades, Transign® has provided the transit industry with durable, inno- vative and high-quality passenger information 425 W. Broadway, Suite 300 systems that has changed how the transit industry SEE AD ON PAGE 41 Glendale, CA 91204 USA delivers advanced services to riders. 800-248-2877 1863 Service Ct. Transign® products have been widely adopted Riverside, CA 92507 USA Website: www.tibinsurance.com in North America, helping to boost public trans- Products: A brokerage firm dedicated to the 800-287-7253 portation services across the continent. It offers Email: [email protected] transportation industry, offering auto and general transit agencies an affordable solution to increase liability, physical damage, workers’ compensa- Website: www.transitsales.com ridership, improve service and communication, Products: Quality preowned transit buses, bus tion and bonds. Specializing in, and committed and run more efficiently to optimize revenue. The to the transportation industry. Offices from Los sales and leasing, short to long-term leases, variety products help greatly in modernizing the way of different models, alternative fuel selections. 19 Angeles to New York. Focusing only on the people travel and access information while they transportation marketplace. 18 reach their destinations conveniently. Transign® TransitFlor assists transit operators in offering their passen- 1833 E. Market St., Tolar Manufacturing Co. gers with the best-in-class services. 258 Mariah Cir. Akron, OH 44305 USA Transign® continues its industry-leading in- 800-321-2340 Carona, CA 92879 USA novation with the company’s newest smart bus 800-339-6165 Email: [email protected] solution, the LED Destinator EnCompass™. Website: www.transitflor.com Email: [email protected] This hands-free fleet management solution com- Website: www.tolarmfg.com Products: TransitFlor® premium-grade rubber bines GPS-based message progression with flooring, stair treads and entrance plates are de- Products: Since 1991, Tolar Manufacturing has Transign’s existing high-quality LED Destina- been producing transit shelters, kiosks, benches and signed for such vehicles as school, metro and tour- tor™ signs, route boxes, backup cameras, com- ing buses. 18 trash receptacles. 19 plete stop request systems, interior LED displays, automated voice announcements, auto- TLS Total Automotive Lifting Solutions Inc. Translite Enterprises - Bus Glass Distributors matic passenger counting, smart phone mobile 107 St., K Bldg. 2300 Speers Rd. apps, real time bus tracking, and location-based Oakville, Ontario L6L 2X8 CANADA Elizabeth, NJ 07206 USA advertising opportunities. Transign® is a U.S. 800-934-3450 877-799-5438 manufacturer of roller curtain signs and meets on- Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] going demands, which provides superior graphic Website: www.translitebusglass.com Website: www.tlslifts.com solutions to enhance branding. Products: TLS Inc., is a member of the Automo- Products: Windshields and side glass for coach, Transign® has been a leading provider of LED school bus and transit. 17 tive Lift Institute, and participates in the certifi- destination signs, run number boxes, roller cur- cation of its products, with models ranging in tain signs and passenger information systems capacities from 2,000 to 100,000 lbs. 19 Transportation Information Systems since 1959. Transign® currently serves hundreds 5435 Cahuenga Blvd., Ste. D. of agencies and private shuttle operators alike, in _____TRANS/AIR MANUFACTURING____ North Hollywood, CA 91601 USA both the United States and Canada and prides it- 818-563-2839 self on being one of the most highly recom- Email: [email protected] mended and endorsed transit sign providers in the Website: www.ifleeteld.tisfleet.com industry today. 18 Products: iFleetELD software and hardware items that allow for full compliance with federal TRANSIT & PARATRANSIT COMPANY electronic device (ELD) requirements, as well as ______(TAPTCO)______provide additional benefits to drivers and fleet 480 E. Locust St. managers. 18 Dallastown, PA 17313 USA 717-246-2627 TripSpark Technologies Website: www.transairmfg.com 6480 Rockside Woods Blvd. S. - Suite 215 Products: Trans/Air Manufacturing is an ISO Independence, OH 44131 USA 9001-registered firm, manufacturing a full line of SEE AD ON PAGES 2 & 3 877-448-7273 climate control systems for the school, commer- 5611 Hudson Dr., Suite 100 Website: www.tripspark.com cial, and electric/hybrid vehicle markets. Units, Hudson, OH 44236 USA Products: A people transportation technology com- parts, service, training, warranty, and new or af- 855-963-3900 pany focused on helping mid-sized public transit termarket installations are available through fac- Website: www.taptco.com agencies and private operators achieve their opera- tory-owned operations or a network of distributors Products: Training programs for transit and para- tional goals. The company provides integrated soft- throughout North America. 20 transit bus drivers. 20 ware and hardware solutions for fixed-route, paratransit, non-emergency medical transportation, ______TRANSIGN LLC______Transit Bus Technical Advisors ride sharing and K-12 school customers. TripSpark 1577 Havenwood Dr. is an operating division of Trapeze Group, a transit Oceanside, CA 92056 USA software provider in operation since 1990. 20 607-240-8067 Products: Assistance to transit authorities and TRP BUS PARTS SEE AD ON PAGE 19 manufacturers regarding diesel, CNG, hybrid- 750 Houser Way North 281 Collier Rd. electric, fuel cell and EV buses. 18 Renton, WA 98057 USA Auburn Hills, MI 48326 USA 206-898-5543

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Company Officers: Ray Melleady, Executive power variable speed electric radiator fans while Vice President of Seating & Technology running cool and efficiently. Also, VANN-BUS Products: United Safety and Survivability Cor- Electrical Systems transmit accurate information poration, formerly known as USSC Group, is about the 12/24v vehicle batteries with analysis committed to delivering the most innovative and and monitoring 24/7 with state of health, over and reliable safety and survivability solutions that cus- under voltage, battery imbalance and temperature, Email: Lee.Yarborough@.com tomers can trust to protect life and property. As a J1939 communication with MUX and telemetry Website: trpparts.com global leader in the design and engineering of systems. Enables state-of-charge management Products: TRP parts for buses are distributed ex- world-class safety, survivability and technology so- lengthening battery life. Also can work in a closed- clusively by PACCAR Parts, a division of PACCAR lutions across a variety of industries and categories, loop manner with the Hybrid Beltless Alternator™. Inc., and are available globally through authorized the company’s portfolio of products includes pas- Vanner also offers battery equalizers for MBBM TRP stores as well as DAF, and Peterbilt senger and operator seating for commercial buses, battery monitoring. StartSentry Ultra capacitors also dealerships. TRP parts are manufactured for quality, fire trucks, ambulances, military vehicles, motor provide short bursts of energy and eliminate jump- reliability and value – and all products are backed coaches, rail cars and locomotives. It also designs starting, reduce operational cost and downtime, re- by a nationwide warranty and supported by a and builds specialty soldier survivability systems duce damaging drain on 12/24v vehicle batteries, worldwide distribution network. Regardless of the for military vehicles and revolutionary fire sup- and will start a vehicle with a dead battery. Vanner age, make or application of a bus, customers can pression systems used in school buses, public tran- inverters and AC Power systems can power 110v rely on TRP for a full line of replacement parts. sit, heavy machinery and more. AC outlets at passengers’ seats in buses and TRP is the all-makes leader for quality bus parts In an effort to help address the changing global coaches. Battery chargers provide high performance that are “Trusted, Reliable and Proven.” For more landscape, United Safety has pivoted to provide 3-stage battery charging for 24v DC battery banks information, visit TRPParts.com. 20 PPE safety systems to doctors, nurses, and front- for buses and coaches. 11 line responders. Its unique active air purification Turbo Images technology, with UV-PHI protection, is specially Vapor Bus International 1225 107 E. Rue designed to remove bacteria, microbes, and germs A WABTEC Company Saint Georges, QC G5Y 8C3 CANADA from the air circulating in transit buses, school 1010 Johnson Dr. 888-219-8872 buses, and other interior spaces. Installed in the Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 USA Email: [email protected] HVAC duct work, or within a standalone device, 847-777-6400 Website: www.turbo-images.com the PHI cell uses a UV light targeted on a hy- Email: [email protected] Products: Fleet design and graphics. The com- drated metallic catalyst to produce airborne Website: www.vapordoors.com pany provides creative design services, leading hydro-peroxides. Hydro-peroxides are continually Products: Door equipment supplier to the North edge digital printing, bus wraps, onsite installa- produced by the PHI Cell without any operator in- American bus industry, offering products for tion across North America, installation at the fac- puts or additional chemicals, and circulated transit and commuter buses, intercity and motor- tory prior to delivery, removal services, and an throughout the HVAC system, into every corner coaches, shuttle and commercial vehicles. Offers after-sales online parts reordering system. 18 of the conditioned space to kill germs like bacteria complete automatic door systems as well as in- and virus. For more information on United dividual components such as actuator devices, Turtle Top Inc. Safety’s sterile bus solutions, contact the com- door controls, door panels, seals, and door acces- 67819 State Road 15 pany’s sales reps online. 20 sories. Rugged, high performance actuators New Paris, IN 46553 USA available in electric or pneumatic configurations. 800-296-2105 ______VAN HOOL N.V.______Door control options range from simple electro- Website: www.turtletop.com mechanical devices to high-capability, micro- Products: Since 1962, Turtle Top has been provid- processor-based systems. 15 ing high quality, customer driven vehicle solutions from 8 to 50 passengers. Over 50 years of history Vehicle Inspection Systems, Inc. (VIS) and experience anchor the company’s core values 6317 McCoy Rd., Suite 110 of integrity, faith, quality and service. Owning a Orlando, FL 32822 USA Turtle Top means choosing a legacy, born from cre- SEE AD ON PAGE 72 407-206-3615 ativity and sustained by an unmatched pursuit for Bernard Van Hoolstraat 58 Email: [email protected] perfection that spans five generations. 19 2500 Koningshooikt (Lier) BELGIUM Website: www.vischeck.net 00-32-3-420-21-94 Products: The manufacturer and distributor of the United Motorcoach Association (UMA) Email: [email protected] VIS-Polish, VIS-Shine, and Squirrel wheel safety 113 S. West St., 4th floor Website: www.vanhool.be device. VIS has been serving the heavy-duty ve- Alexandria, VA 22314 USA Products: Van Hool is an independent Belgian hicle, truck, and bus industry since 1994. 16 800-424-8262 manufacturer of buses, coaches and utility vehicles. Email: [email protected] 19 Voith Turbo Website: www.uma.org 25 Winship Rd. Products: UMA is an association of motorcoach ______VANNER, INC.______York, PA 17406 USA owners and industry suppliers. 16 717-767-3200 Website: www.voith.com/diwa6 UNITED SAFETY & Products: Voith’s DIWA.6 automatic transmis- ____SURVIVABILITY CORPORATION____ sion is lowering fuel consumption, while bringing optimum performance through state-of-the-art SEE AD ON PAGES 6 & 26 technology. 20 4282 Reynolds Dr. Hilliard, OH 43026 USA Voltabox Of Texas, Inc. 800-ACP-OWER (800-227-6937) 1500 Volta Dr. 101 Gordon Dr. Website: www.vanner.com Cedar Park, TX 78641 USA Exton, PA 19341 USA Products: Hybrid Beltless Alternators™ (HBA) 512-814-3700 610-265-3610 are high efficiency DC to DC converters for Al- Website: www.voltabox.com Email: [email protected] lison H40/50EP Hybrids. Eliminates alternators Products: Designs, develops and manufactures Website: www.unitedsafetycorporation.com and associated components. Enough capacity to high-performance lithium-ion battery systems. 18

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Volvo Group North America Website: www.welchindustries.com tery management systems and racking. XALT re- 7900 National Service Rd. Products: Air conditioning compressors, con- leased a telematics system in 2019, the XALT Greensboro, NC 27409 USA denser coils, hoses, valves, switches, etc. 19 Battery Viewer (XBV). Freudenberg Sealing 336-393-2000 Wheeler Bros., Inc. Technologies (FST) became a majority interest in Website: www.volvogroup.com 384 Drum Ave. XALT Energy in 2019. 19 Products: A global manufacturer of buses, trucks, Somerset, PA 15501 USA construction equipment and drive systems. 16 800-842-7285 Zenith Motors Email: [email protected] 204 Vine St. WEH Technologies Inc. Website: www.wheelerfleet.com Wilder, KY 41076 USA 24903 Laguna Edge Dr. Products: Brake components, body/lighting, fil- 800-630-9833 Katy, TX 77494 USA ters, starters, alternators, mirrors, belts/tensioners, Email: [email protected] 832-331-0021 wiper components, exhaust, batteries, fluids/ Website: www.zenith-motors.com Website: www.weh.us chemicals. 20 Products: Electric-powered van manufacturer. 18 Products: WEH offers an extensive range of CNG refueling products. For dispensers, this in- XALT Energy LLC ZF Openmatics cludes nozzles, breakaways, hoses and filters. For 2700 S. Saginaw Rd. 777 Hickory Hill Dr. vehicles, this includes receptacles and check Midland, MI 48640 USA Vernon Hills, IL 60061 USA valves. 16 989-486-8501 847-478-6840 Email: [email protected] Website: www.zf.com Welch Industries Website: www.xaltenergy.com Products: Telematics, vehicle diagnostics, info- 650 Red Oak Rd. Products: Innovater in energy storage technolo- tainment and entertainment systems, as well as Stockbridge, GA 30281 USA gies, offering solutions from long life cycle cells axle and transmission systems for the bus and mo- 770-474-1150 to complete DNV GL type approved packs, bat- torcoach industries. 18

Link Transit: Continued From Page 18 people who complimented our operators on their courtesy, and how they bent over backwards to get people where they needed to go. That had not make an autonomous vehicle operate safely in the weather, I’m not con- been the reputation of public transit in most places. vinced the public is going to be willing to ride a vehicle that doesn’t have “It really goes back to the underlying message that our riders are a transit employee on board,” DeRock said. guests. Treating people that way makes a huge difference.” From the beginning, Link officials realized to get employees to buy in LISTENING TO THE RIDING PUBLIC to providing a high level of service, they must be treated with respect. The n August 2019, Wenatchee voters approved an increase in local sales transit agency created an environment where employees could flourish. taxes to help fund operating service seven days a week. Despite some “That company culture has continued, and is really important to the cutbacks because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Link is going forward quality of service that we deliver,” DeRock said. “It wasn’t my idea, but with the public’s request. it has made a huge difference in this organization, and I fully endorse it. I“Starting in early July, we added Sunday service for the first time ever,” I sit down with every new hire and we spend an hour going over our DeRock said. “We are only doing about a third of the expansion that we employee expectations program. I talk about our corporate culture, originally proposed. The hit on sales tax revenue, because of the economic what we expect of our employees and the standards we live by. I think slowdown, has been significant. Until we understand how bad that will it pays huge rewards, both in performance and in community accept- be, and how long that will go on, we are not going to do the full expansion ance and support.” we had planned. Currently, Link has about 155 employees. More people have been added “I told our board of directors, operating seven days a week is the most to the staff recently, gearing up for the planned expansion of services, De- important thing on the list of services citizens desired when voting for the Rock said. increase. We owe it to voters to act now.” “We have a lot of long-term employees. Link has been in operation for Part of the reason citizens were enthused about voting for Sunday serv- 29 years, and we still have three of our first five hires,” DeRock said. “We ice was because employees in the area’s fruit processing facilities, and in looked at the safety records of our people who have been here more than tourist communities, work seven days a week. five years. Two-thirds of them have never had a reportable incident or ac- “Service workers and employers were telling us it was difficult for them, cident. It is an extraordinary record. because we couldn’t get them to their jobs one day a week. So, we are try- “It has been great to see the transition as some of the older employees ing Sunday service to see how it plays out,” DeRock said. have retired, and we have had younger employees come into the work- When the economy bounces back, Link plans to move forward with the force. It is a different vibe than in the past. The community’s demographics rest of the service expansions it originally planned. have shifted and our employee base now reflects much more the demo- To further show its respect for, and the desire to serve its ridership, Link graphic of the community. has traditionally thought of riders as “guests,” rather than “cus- “During the past 30 years, the city has evolved to being about 30 percent tomers.” To this end, Link’s first management team spent a week at Dis- Hispanic, and our current workforce might be a little more than 30 percent ney University to gain insight on how to make the experience of riding Hispanic. That is an interesting and very positive blending of cultures.” the bus exceed patrons’ expectations. “When I came to Link 18 years ago, I didn’t believe the operating MEETING EXPECTATIONS CHALLENGING data I was given,” DeRock said. “I was seeing reports of passenger com- eRock said perhaps the transit system’s biggest challenge is meet- pliments that were equal to, or more than, complaints received over ing the expectations of the riding public, especially in the area of many months. adding more technology. “I thought, ‘Well, that is not normal in transit,’ but as I continued digging “For example, people really want us to put an electronic fare system in through the data, I realized it was, indeed, true. I would constantly run into Dplace,” DeRock said. “So far, we haven’t found find a way to make that

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economical. The technology would cost so much more than the fares we never been above 1.5 million, so 2 million is a stretch,” DeRock said. “Be- would collect. We are debating having a fare-free system. fore COVID-19, I thought getting to 2 million rides would be possible in “We used to be a fare-free system 20 years ago. While it was great the next five years. A board member asked, ‘What do you think is a more for ridership, it created other challenges with vandalism and commu- realistic time frame now?’ I said maybe in seven years. It kind of depends nity ownership.” how fast we get out of this economic trough. I don’t think any of us are Another challenge that is not unique to Link is transportation agencies going to know until we will get some clue whether this is a ‘V-shape’ or across the country are dealing with people with mental illnesses congre- ‘U-shape’ recession. gating at their facilities. In a V-shape recession, the economy suffers a sharp but brief period of “Our transit center tends to be a clustering spot for mentally ill peo- economic decline with a clearly defined trough, followed by a strong re- ple and that continues to be a challenge,” DeRock said. “You have to covery. A U-shape recession is longer than a V-shape recession, and has a find a way to accommodate and support people who are troubled, less clearly defined trough. GDP may shrink for several quarters, and only while making the environment feel safe and comfortable for riders. slowly return to growth. Balancing on that line is difficult.” PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN CRISIS QUALITY OF FIXED-ROUTES KEY ublic transportation is in an “existential crisis,” DeRock said, be- TO SAVING PARATRANSIT BUCKS cause of how the COVID-19 pandemic has caused agencies to re- ink’s paratransit operation, LinkPlus, is a traditional, door-to-door duce and/or adjust services. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-certified service. Before “With social distancing, transit agencies would have to triple or quadru- coming to Link, DeRock was the executive director of Access Pple service to maintain ridership. Most agencies do not have the money to Services, the paratransit agency for Los Angeles County, CA. put enough service out there to deal with the pandemic. So, that is a dis- L“I was on the advisory committee that wrote the ADA regulations with aster,” DeRock said. “I think it is going to be a really hard fight, for the the FTA (Federal Transit Administration). Having worked in LA, I became foreseeable future, to message things appropriately so people will come convinced the biggest challenge to managing paratransit has to do with back. We have to show riders it is safe.” the quality of fixed-routes,” DeRock said. “People don’t typically choose DeRock said evidence has shown a well-run public transportation sys- paratransit because it is better, they choose it because fixed-routes tem makes a community stronger and healthier. don’t meet their needs. If you realize what it is about your fixed-route “Public transit fits into conversations about social equity and economic system that doesn’t work, and you address those issues, you should security. As an industry, we need to recognize that low-income people be able to get people to use fixed-routes, without force. are, in many cases, our main ridership, and it is not a bad thing to serve “I made a real concerted effort to try that here, and it was amazingly them well,” DeRock said. “Public transportation has an important role to successful. When I arrived in Wenatchee in 2002, our paratransit rides play in helping to overcome the challenges facing our communities. were between 550 and 600 trips a day. Prior to COVID-19, we were at “One of the statistics I like to quote is 34 percent of the population in about 190 paratransit trips a day, as former paratransit riders moved to Washington state doesn’t have a drivers license. We live in communities fixed-routes on a voluntary basis.” that were designed around the car, which means motorized transportation To motivate people to consider using fixed-routes rather than is restrictive. It is public transit’s job to provide that equalization for the paratransit, Link made riding fixed-routes free for people with dis- part of the population that can’t drive. The fact that it can also serve other abilities. The transit agency also purchased low-floor buses, created needs, such as the environment and traffic congestion, is a positive. How- flex routes and made bus stop improvements to make accessibility ever, we need to always remember the primary purpose is for people who better, DeRock said. can’t drive.” “In addition, we worked with the community to install curb cuts,” De- Rock said. “We also conducted a lot of travel training to help people un- A REWARDING CAREER derstand fixed-routes would actually work for the vast majority of people.” ublic transportation can be a rewarding career for people who want A curb cut is a wedge cut in an elevated curb to allow smooth passage to make a positive difference in their communities, DeRock said. between the sidewalk and the street. “Moving several hundred people a day to fixed-routes saved us millions “I’ve been in the public transportation arena for 39 years, and it has of dollars in operating costs, which we were able to reinvest in the system Pbeen an extraordinary experience,” DeRock said. “The economic growth and make it much better overall. We gave people choices and showed them transit can create by serving the part of the population that doesn’t have they had better options.” other ways to get around can be significant. “Public transportation’s return on investment is better than a lot RIDERSHIP MAKING A COMEBACK of other government spending. If we do our jobs right, and invest the n 1999, Washington state passed an initiative that eliminated about money we have effectively, we can make really positive changes in our one-half of all public transportation funding, which was a devastating communities. We are one of the key infrastructures that can bring re- blow to transit agencies. ally good results. “At that time, Link lost 45 percent of its revenue and cut 45 percent of “The transit world looks very different now from when I started, but, at Iits service,” DeRock said. its core, we are still moving people to and from work, school, etc. We are “When I came in 2002, our ridership had fallen from about 1.5 million still an economic ladder for giving people opportunities to get an education rides a year to about 300,000. Looking at what we had in funding, I set a and good jobs, and that can be very rewarding.” goal to get us back to 1 million rides a year, which we have done.” Leading up to the 2019 sales tax vote, people asked what would be the Contact: Link Transit, 2700 Euclid Ave., measure of success if the initiative passed? Wenatchee, WA 98801. “I said success would be raising ridership to 1.5 million a year at a min- Phone: 509-664-7600. imum. My ‘stretch’ goal is to get to 2 million rides a year. I think that is a Email: [email protected]. reasonable goal for a community this size, but, in our history, we have Website: www.linktransit.com.

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Micro Bird Commercial Micro Bird Commercial

CT-Series CTS-Series Offered in gas or diesel, recent tests demonstrate an impressive Micro Bird Commercial designs and manufactures a complete day-to-day fuel economy of up to 38 percent compared to other line of commercial buses built with superior durability. The CTS-Se- shuttle bus chassis. The transit chassis also offers an encased cap- ries delivers exceptional safety and stability, making this bus an ex- less fuel filter and an improved engine compartment layout, in both cellent choice for special needs applications. 2.0 diesel and 3.5 gas litre engines, that are proven worldwide. This bus is ready to be equipped with a variety of options to suit In addition to many of the Micro Bird body benefits such as the the needs of any passenger, disabled or not. The CTS-Series (CT-Se- reinforced structure and the superior insulation, the CT-Series wide ries) offers more visibility and a more comfortable driver’s area, center aisle creates more room for passengers enhancing the com- with easy access to controls. The double-leaf wheelchair doors offer fort. The design offers optimised driver ergonomics, and the overall protection on both sides of the lift, thus adding to passenger safety, look of this vehicle is comtemporary and stylish. while offering superior weather seal and door strength.

Micro Bird Commercial Micro Bird Commercial 3000 Girardin Street 3000 Girardin Street Drummondville, Quebec J2E 0A1 Drummondville, Quebec J2E 0A1 855-628-MBUS (6287) 855-628-MBUS (6287) Fax: (819) 475-9633 Fax: (819) 475-9633 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.mbcbus.com www.mbcbus.com Sales Contact Person: James Mansell Sales Contact Person: James Mansell

Model ...... CTS-Series Model...... CT-Series Seating Capacity ...... Up to 11 passengers Seating Capacity...... Up to 17 passengers Length ...... 273” Length ...... 273” Width ...... 86” Width ...... 86” Height...... 106” Height...... 106” Engine...... 3.5L Gas | 3.5L EcoBoost |2.0 Diesel Engine...... 3.5L Gas | 3.5L EcoBoost |2.0 Diesel Transmission...... 10 speed AOD w/Selectshift Transmission...... 10 speed AOD w/Selectshift Chassis ...... Ford Transit T350 Chassis ...... Ford Transit T350 Air Conditioning...... Up to 55K BTU Air Conditioning...... Up to 55K BTU Wheelchair lift...... Standard Steering...... Tilt-Standard Steering...... Tilt-Standard Suspension...... Leaf Spring Suspension...... Leaf Spring Wheelbase...... 156” Wheelbase...... 156”

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Micro Bird Commercial Micro Bird Commercial

D-Series DS-Series The D-Series is a dual-rear wheel bus, made of six longitudinal The DS-Series, a dual rear wheel special needs vehicle, delivers structural beams, combined with one-piece galvanized steel roof superior safety and a smoother ride because of the blocks that ab- bows that enhance safety and rollover protection. This mid-size sorb the road vibration. Micro Bird’s recessed wheelchair tracks, bus can be built to accommodate various types of configurations, Slide N’Click or floor pocket anchorages, offer safe and secure seating up to 28 passengers (Ford chassis). transportation for special needs passengers. Micro Bird buses are purpose built for tours, assisted living, The double-leaf wheelchair doors offer protection on both sides public transit, shuttle markets and many more. Several options of the lift, thus adding to passenger safety, while offering superior such as luxury seats, extra wide rearview window, flat screen TV, weather seal and door strength. and panoramic windows, are offered to enhance a rider’s experi- ence. Alternative fuel propane and electric systems are also Micro Bird Commercial available. 3000 Girardin Street Drummondville, Quebec J2E 0A1 Micro Bird Commercial 855-628-MBUS (6287) 3000 Girardin Street Drummondville, Quebec J2E 0A1 Fax: (819) 475-9633 855-628-MBUS (6287) Email: [email protected] Fax: (819) 475-9633 www.mbcbus.com Email: [email protected] Sales Contact Person: James Mansell www.mbcbus.com Sales Contact Person: James Mansell

Model ...... DS-Series Model...... D-Series Seating Capacity...... Up to 22 passengers Seating Capacity...... Up to 28 passengers Length...... From 283” to 315” Length...... From 257” to 346” Width...... 96” Width...... 96” Height ...... 118” Height...... 111” or 113” Engine ...... Ford: 7.3L gas Economy or Premium or GM 6.0L gas Engine ...... Ford: 7.3L gas Economy or Premium or GM 6.0L gas Transmission...... Ford: 6-Speed AOD or GM: 8 or 6 Speed AOD Transmission...... Ford: 6-Speed AOD or GM: 8 or 6 Speed AOD Chassis...... Ford E350 & E450 or GM 3500 & 4500 Chassis...... Ford E350 & E450 or GM 3500 & 4500 Air Conditioning...... Up to 82K BTU Air Conditioning...... Up to 82K BTU Wheelchair Lift...... Standard Steering...... Tilt-Standard Steering...... Tilt-Standard Suspension...... Leaf Spring - Mor/Ryde or Air Suspension...... Leaf Spring - Mor/Ryde or Air Wheelbase ...... From 138” to 216” Wheelbase ...... From 158” to 216”

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ARBOC Specialty Vehicles ARBOC Specialty Vehicles

Spirit Of Freedom Spirit Of Mobility

The Spirit of Freedom, built on the GM4500 cutaway chassis, uti- The ARBOC Spirit of Mobility is built on a conventional GM cut- lizes ’ standard suspension to create a low-floor, away with all passengers entering through the same 39-inch wide ADA-compliant bus capable of a 1:5 ramp angle; all with an excep- door opening. The interior offers theatre seating for better viewing tionally low price point. for all riders. Utilizing the GM suspension drives down maintenance costs over The Spirit of Mobility low-floor bus offers a full air-ride suspen- the life cycle, making it comparable to any standard floor cutaway. sion with a beneficial kneeling feature, allowing for an entrance of The spacious 39-inch entranceway and low step height make this less than 5-inches from the curb without deploying the ramp. an ideal bus for airport and hotel shuttles, as well as transit agen- The Spirit of Mobility provides a single, non-discriminatory an- cies. Passengers of all mobility capabilities, including those using gled and accessible entranceway. Riders of all abilities no longer walkers, can experience what equal access for everyone truly need to contend with steps in the most accessible cutaway bus in means. the industry. Every passenger, including wheelchair riders and those Now available on the Ford E450 chassis. in power scooters, can experience what true equal access means. Now available on the Ford E450 chassis. ARBOC Specialty Vehicles 51165 Greenfield Pkwy., ARBOC Specialty Vehicles Middlebury, IN 46540 51165 Greenfield Pkwy., 574-825-1720 Middlebury, IN 46540 Website: www.ARBOCsv.com 574-825-1720 Website: www.ARBOCsv.com

Model...... Spirit of Freedom Seating Capacity...... Up to 22 Model...... Spirit of Mobility Length...... 24’, 27’, 29’ Seating Capacity...... Up to 22 Width ...... 96” (GM) or 100” (Ford) Length...... 23’, 26’, 28’ Height ...... 115” Width ...... 96” (GM) or 100” (Ford) Engine...... 6.0L Gas (GM) / 7.3L Gas (Ford) Height ...... 110” Type of Fuel...... Gas Engine...... 6.0L Gas (GM) / 7.3L Gas (Ford) Chassis...... GM4500, Ford E450 Type of Fuel...... Gas Wheelchair Lift Option...... Braun ramp Chassis...... GM4500, Ford E450 Suspension ...... OEM spring suspension Wheelchair Lift Option...... Braun ramp or optional Liquid Spring or MOR/Ryde Suspension...... 4-corner air suspension

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ARBOC Specialty Vehicles ARBOC Specialty Vehicles

Spirit Of Equess Spirit Of Independence Ford ARBOC’s Spirit of Equess, a low-floor transit bus built on an ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLC, purpose-built chassis, can accommodate up Built on the fuel-efficient Ford transit chassis, the Spirit of Inde- to 33 seated passengers or 6 wheelchair passengers. This bus is fully pendence offers a low cost of ownership while maintaining the safety accessible with a fully flat floor and no steps throughout the bus. and dependability that is expected from ARBOC. The 96-inch wide body ARBOC’s advanced technology exceeds ADA guidelines with a 1:8 allows for easy maneuverability inside the vehicle. It also features ramp slope and 39-inch door opening for passengers in need of extra dual rear wheels with rear wheel drive. assistance and wheelchair accessibility. This 10-year bus utilizes With a GVWR of 11,000 pounds, and an available passenger ca- heavy-duty ZF axles, which allow plenty of GVW for extra standees. pacity of up to 14 ambulatory or 5 wheelchairs, the Ford Spirit of Independence is ideal for transit agencies that are looking for ARBOC Specialty Vehicles smaller low-floor buses. 51165 Greenfield Pkwy., Backed by the reliable Ford dealer network, the Ford Spirit of In- dependence touts convenience and ease of serviceability. Middlebury, IN 46540 574-825-1720 ARBOC Specialty Vehicles Website: www.ARBOCsv.com 51165 Greenfield Pkwy., Middlebury, IN 46540 574-825-1720 Website: www.ARBOCsv.com

Model ...... Spirit of Equess Model ...... Spirit of Independence - Ford Seating Capacity...... Up to 33 ambulatory or 6 wheelchairs Seating Capacity...... Up to 14 ambulatory or 5 wheelchairs Length...... 27’, 29’, 34’ Length...... 23’ 9” Width...... 100” Width...... 96” Height ...... 102” Height...... 104” Engine...... Cummins ISB 6.7L Diesel/6.7G CNG Engine ...... 3.5L EcoBoost Gas Type of Fuel...... Diesel/CNG Type of Fuel...... Gas or Diesel Chassis...... ARBOC Specialty Vehicles Chassis...... Ford Transit T350 Cutaway Wheelchair Lift Option...... Braun ramp Wheelchair Lift Option...... Braun ramp Suspension...... 4-corner air suspension with 6 air bags Suspension...... OEM spring suspension or optional Sumo Spring

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Driverge Vehicle Innovations® Driverge Vehicle Innovations®

Ford Transit Small Bus Ford Transit CurbSmart® With Wheelchair Lift Options Microtransit Community Access

The Ford Transit Small Bus from Driverge Vehicle Innovations provides Driverge’s patent pending Ford Transit CurbSmart is designed to traditional bus door walk-in entry, which saves money on upfit and fuel transport passengers with ease thanks to an added rear-entry doorway. economy over traditional cutaways. Perfect for public transport and microtransit service, this van was de- Benefits include: Built on the Ford Transit 350 with 144-inch long signed with metro-area drivers in mind to make picking up and dropping wheelbase and extended body; 3.7L V6 engine with 275HP; 38-inch wide off passengers as simple as possible. A heavy-duty lift for wheelchair doorway with built-in steps that are perfect for shuttle or transporter passengers offers a safe accessibility, while a 27-inch wide and 80-inch use; 84-inch high door opening that offers maximum clearance and more tall walk-in door provides generous height for all size passengers. room for entry and exit; bus door features remote for quick and easy op- The CurbSmart comes equipped with slip resistant, durable flooring, eration from the driver seat, or outside the vehicle to allow driver to bet- overhead standing rails for additional passengers and an optional roof- ter assist passengers entering and exiting the vehicle; seats up to 15 mounted secondary AC system. passengers, including driver; rear lift available for wheelchair transport; CurbSmart® is a registered trademark of Driverge Vehicle Innova- can hold up to four wheelchairs; and, exclusive SmartFloor flexible floor- tions, LLC. ing system that allows moving and removing of seats to bring dozens of seating and wheelchair layout options. Driverge Vehicle Innovations Driverge Vehicle Innovations 4199 Kinross Lakes Parkway 4199 Kinross Lakes Parkway Richfield, OH 44286 Richfield, OH 44286 855-337-9543 855-337-9543 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.driverge.com www.driverge.com

Model...... Ford Transit Small Bus Model...... Ford Transit CurbSmart Seating Capacity...... 15 passengers including driver Seating Capacity...... 6 ambulatory + 2 WC (including driver) Length...... 264” Length...... 264” Width...... 81.5” (97.4” including side mirrors) Width...... 81.5” (97.4” including side mirrors) Height...... 108” Height...... 108” Engine...... Ford 3.7L V6 Engine...... Ford 3.7L V6 Type of Fuel...... Gas Type of Fuel...... Gas Chassis ...... Ford Transit 350 EL HR Chassis ...... Ford Transit 350 EL HR Air Conditioning ...... Factory Air Conditioning ...... Factory Wheelchair Lift Option ...... Rear Wheelchair Lift Option...... Side

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Driverge Vehicle Innovations® Driverge Vehicle Innovations®

Ford Transit NEMT Mercedes-Benz Smartliner®

Driverge vans are the most popular wheelchair lift upfits in the in- Driverge’s Mercedes-Benz Smartliner, built on the Sprinter van, is the dustry for non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT). In fact, we’ve ideal solution for businesses that move people–without the expensive been ’s number one mobility upfitter of paratransit upgrades that riders don’t need. vans for 16 years running. We meet the needs of medical transportation The Smartliner package features seating for up to 15 passengers in a businesses, nursing homes, community centers and many other busi- center-aisle configuration, class-leading leg room, a luggage section in nesses that serve wheelchair riders and ambulatory passengers. the rear and all of the quality that can be expected in a Mercedes-Benz All of our senior care transporters and paratransit vehicles are ADA vehicle. It’s the perfect van for hotels, resorts, tour operators, limo com- compliant, and are built with comfort and safety in mind. Driverge installs panies, and corporate fleets that desire the Mercedes-Benz brand with both rear and side entry wheelchair lifts on the Ford Transit, with lift ca- smartly appointed amenities–at a price that’s competitive with other ex- pacities up to 1000 pounds. Driverge paratransit vehicles come with pro- ecutive-style vans. fessional grade, non-skid commercial flooring and are available with the Smartliner® is a registered trademark of Driverge Vehicle Innovation, LLC. SmartFloor™ flexible flooring system. Driverge Vehicle Innovations Driverge Vehicle Innovations 4199 Kinross Lakes Parkway 4199 Kinross Lakes Parkway Richfield, OH 44286 Richfield, OH 44286 855-337-9543 855-337-9543 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.driverge.com www.driverge.com

Model...... Mercedes-Benz Smartliner Seating Capacity...... Up to 15 (with driver) Length...... 290” Model...... Ford Transit NEMT Width...... 85” (92.3” including side mirrors) Seating Capacity...... Mixed Height...... 108” Engine...... Ford 3.7L V6 Engine...... 3.0 L, 188 Hp V-6 Type of Fuel...... Gas Type of Fuel...... Diesel Chassis ...... Ford Transit 150, 250, 350, 350 EL Chassis ...... 3500 HR Air Conditioning ...... Factory Air Conditioning...... Factory with optional 2nd rear unit Wheelchair Lift Option ...... Rear or Side Wheelchair Lift Option ...... Rear

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BYD ABC Companies

Van Hool CX35 Motorcoach

30’ Battery-Electric Bus With many exclusive features unique to the small-coach seg- (K7M ER) ment, the Van Hool CX35 offers a truly user-friendly design. Fea- turing front-to-rear flat passenger floor design, the coach’s Designed for transit applications, the K7M ER offers a range 102-inch exterior width and full-size coach height offer a roomy of up to 185 miles in a 102-inch wide body. Transit systems de- and spacious cabin design, with no step-up throughout. mand high quality and extreme reliability, and the American- The integrated A/C system translates to more luggage space built K7M ER delivers. below, plus a curved passenger entry is both aesthetically pleasing Also available in a 96-inch wide body version with a range and offers the same uniform step height as the CX45 for passenger up to 150 miles. This version is popular as a shuttle at universi- boarding. The CX35 also features a mid-ship wheelchair lift. Van ties, airports and corporate campuses. Hool also offers this in an optional rear passenger door option. The CX series is available in 35- and 45-foot models, and brings Van Hool’s quality design and engineering, plus rugged re- BYD liability and the perfect flexibility, to a fleet. With parts inter- 1800 S Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015 changeability, fleet maintenance is a lot easier. The 35- and 45- Phone: 800-BYD-AUTO foot models share a nearly identical design. Their high level of Email: [email protected] • Website: www.byd.com parts and components interchangeability drive some high-value benefits to operators. A dramatic reduction in spare parts invest- ment is an obvious advantage, but for operators who already run the Van Hool CX45 in their fleets, the need for driver and me- chanic training is greatly mitigated.

ABC Companies; 17469 West Colonial Drive Winter Garden, FL 34787 USA; 407-656-7977 Model...... K7M ER E-mail: [email protected] Seating Capacity...... Up to 20+1 Overall Length ...... 29.9’ Website: www.abc-companies.com Overall Width...... 101.6” Overall Height...... 134” Model...... Van Hool CX35 Wheelbase ...... 175.8” Seating Capacity ...... 38 Passengers with 3-point seat belts Turning Radius...... 31’ Length...... 35’ Width ...... 102” • 100% battery electric with zero emissions Height...... 11’ 6” • Proven lower total cost of ownership than diesel or CNG Engine ...... Cummins ISL 9 (345HP) • New leasing options significantly reduce up-front costs Transmission...... Allison B500 • Up to 185 miles on a single charge Chassis ...... Stainless Steel • Full depot charging in 3.5-4 hours Air Conditioning ...... Integrated HVAC System • 12-year full replacement warranty on Wheelchair Lift Option ...... Braun NL-501 BYD’s safe, non-toxic batteries Steering...... ZF Variable Ratio Steering • On-route inductive charging available Suspension...... Independent Front Suspension

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Hometown Manufacturing CHTC

HT-35 The HT-35 mid-size luxury coach, from CHTC, has many of the same fea- tures as the full-size HT-45, but in a smaller and more fuel-efficient package. It features comfortable seating for up to 40 passengers. High capacity SPHEROS air conditioning and auxiliary heating ensures comfort in all types of weather. Other passenger-friendly features include LED reading lamps, flip-down 17-inch screens, bus-wide DVD players with auxiliary inputs, indi- vidual headphone jacks, Wi-Fi, USB charging connections, window blinds, re- tractable front tray tables, overhead storage bins, optional carpeted aisles Hometown Coach View with LED guide lighting, and restroom. The HT-35 can optionally be fitted with an ADA-compatible door and wheelchair assist package. The luggage The Hometown Coach View is more than just another transit compartment features 212 cubic feet of space, and accessible via electric bus. The View boasts many customized features, including an im- pantograph bin doors. pressive GVRW and wheelbase range. When it comes to safety, the HT-35 construction process starts with high- The View is also green. Customers can choose from LPG and quality Liberty OneSteel SupaGal® galvanized steel framing, built in a continuous CNG packages for longer range capabilities and lower emissions; U-hoop around the passenger compartment. Additional safety equipment in- or they can select a full electric propulsion system that provides cludes Knorr-Bremse all-wheel disc brakes, ABS, ESP, independent front and full- floating ZF rear air-suspension, and front and rear anti-sway bars. a range of 120 to 140 miles and a short recharging time of four to Power comes from a rear-mounted inline-6 CUMMINS L9 turbo-diesel engine, five hours, producing zero emissions. putting out 350 hp, mated to an Allison WTEC B500R 6-speed close-ratio auto- Other key features include panoramic-view windows, seating matic transmission, for efficient acceleration. up to 42 passengers and heavy-duty construction. The View is designed to provide exceptional shuttle, tour and CHTC BUS GROUP / CHTC (USA) Inc. paratransit performance. Developed to optimize floorplan cus- 15780 El Prado Road, Chino, CA 91708 tomization, the View is synonymous with user-friendliness and Website: www.chtcbusgroup.com • Phone: 949-220-6088 ease of application. Model...... HT-35 Length...... 35’ Hometown Manufacturing Width ...... 8’ 6” 750 Industrial Parkway, Crandon, WI 54520 Height...... 11’ 5” Phone: 715-478-5090 • Fax: 715-478-5095 Fuel Capacity ...... 155 gal. Email: [email protected] Engine...... Cummins L9 350HP, 6 cylinder, diesel Website: www.hometown-mfg.com Max Output...... 345hp @ 1900 rpm, 1561Nm-1400Nm Transmission...... Allison B500R automatic with retarder Chassis...... Monocoque chassis, rear mount engine Model...... View Axles...... Front: independent suspension, Back: ZF full floating Length...... 32’/36’ Suspension ...... ZF Air suspension 2+4+2 air bellows Seating ...... 30-34 passenger/36-42 passenger Brakes...... All wheel disc Knorr-Bremse with ABS GVWR ...... 24,000 Tires...... Alcoa aluminum wheels with Durabright finish Body Width...... 99” Wheels ...... Michelin Coin tubeless tires Body Height...... 123.5” Steering ...... ZF model 8098 Int. Height...... 80.5” Alternator ...... 28v 150ah Wheelbase...... 228”/242” Batteries...... 12v 200ah X2 Engine ...... Diesel, gas, LPG, CNG, full electric GVWR...... 37,800 lbs. Transmission...... Allison PTS 2200 / Ford auto 5-speed OD Max Speed ...... 79 mph

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TEMSA TEMSA

The New TEMSA TS30 TEMSA TS35

The new TEMSA TS30 is a true and only mid-size integral chassis The world-class TEMSA TS35 coach is a fully integral designed mid- coach that provides the same level of comfort and amenities as a full- size coach that provides the same level of comfort and amenities as a size coach. This coach created a new segment in the U.S. market, intro- full-size coach. This mid-size coach offers a luxurious and spacious in- duced in 2012, while the new generation was launched in September 2019. terior for passengers and driver. Redesigned front and rear mask, with a new 6-piece bumper, pro- The TS35 has gone through some impressive enhancements intro- vides maximum serviceability, tool free access to main service compo- duced in early 2016. Still, with the Cummins/Allison driveline, the TS35 nents and much more. With the excellent partnership of Cummins engine, provides excellent power and optimum serviceability. This coach is con- and the new Eaton Procision Transmission, the new TS30 delivers smooth structed from stainless steel for extra durability and safety. It is vigor- shifting and comfortable driving. Those features are combined with su- ously tested to ensure the highest standards to provide a dependable, perb European quality and craftsmanship to ensure a high-quality driving high-quality driving experience. experience. The enhancements include an entryway with new styling, an ex- Despite its compact dimensions, the New TS30 has a robust, integral panded driver’s cockpit, increased parts commonality with the TS30 and stainless steel design for extra durability and safety. The luxury design TS45, twin alternator application on the engine, rear engine door for eas- integrates an improved HVAC system common with TEMSA TS45, in- ier maintenance, better accessibility, and as key safety features ABS creased luggage capacity and restroom space, enlarged driver area, re- (Anti-Lock Braking System), ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation), and ESP (Elec- duced step height and many other features to provide a unique travel tronic Stability Program) included as standard. experience. The New TS30 is appropriate for smaller groups and operates as a TEMSA NORTH AMERICA larger coach. It is fuel-efficient, kind to the environment, and economi- 404 Zell Dr., Orlando, FL 32824 cally reasonable. Phone: 833-628-3672 TEMSA NORTH AMERICA Website: www.temsa.com 404 Zell Dr., Orlando, FL 32824 Phone: 833-628-3672 Website: www.temsa.com

Model ...... TEMSA TS30 Model...... TEMSA TS35 Length...... 31.1’ Length...... 35’ Width...... 94.8” Width...... 100” Height (including air conditioner) ...... 132.07” Height (including air conditioner) ...... 138.6” Wheelbase ...... 185” Wheelbase ...... 218.1” Maximum Seating Capacity ...... 34 + 1 with restroom, 36 + 1 Maximum Seating Capacity...... 40 + 1 with restroom Engine...... Cummins B 6.7 L Engine ...... Cummins L9 350 HP–EPA 2017 Maximum Power...... 250HP (187kW) Maximum Power...... 350 HP Maximum Torque...... 660 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm Maximum Torque...... 1,150 lb-ft @ 1,400 rpm Transmission...... Eaton Procision Transmission...... Allison B500 (Retarder Option) Fuel Tank Capacity ...... 80 U.S. Gal. Fuel Tank Capacity...... 154 U.S. Gal

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BYD Institutes Safety Protocols

BYD (Build Your Dreams), manufacturer of zero-emission ve- hicles and a major employer in Los Angeles County, CA, an- nounced it has implemented stringent safety protocols and begun a phased reopening of its Lancaster Coach and Bus manufacturing Motor Coach Industries plant. As it reopens, BYD will continue to follow guidelines for safe operations set by California, Los Angeles County, and the City of Lancaster, while ramping up production of all-electric transit buses and motor coaches that meet Buy America standards. “The health and safety of our employees and our community is our top priority,” said Stella Li, BYD North America president. “The systems we have implemented here will serve to protect our workers and the citizens of our entire community.” As it reopens, BYD is focused on the safety of its workforce, many of whom are members of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Union, Local 105. The company’s human resources team has adopted an innovative multi-point safety protocol, which includes: Social Distancing: including markings at all crowd gathering MCI® J3500 places to facilities social distancing. Screening and Monitoring: including non-contact body tem- The 35-foot MCI J3500 welcomes passengers onboard with all the perature scanning before anyone can enter the plant. styling hallmarks of the bestselling J4500, and features industry-leading Disinfection and Sanitation: including regular sanitation of legroom with a maximum 44 passenger capacity, a modern driver cock- all common areas and touch-prone areas as well as promoting pit, along with the patented spiral entryway. the use of sanitizers. Updated options include dramatic color interior LED lighting, a rear Prevention and Awareness: including providing and requiring window, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and a 360-degree the use of personal protection equipment such as masks and camera. The two-axle model also has the J4500 front and drive axle (no gloves for all employees, and promoting safety awareness tag), and best-in-class payload capacity with the largest under floor bag- through training, posters, and memos. gage space, featuring two baggage bays and common doors. Promoting Safety Practices At Home For Workers, such as Plus, the J3500 handles city streets and tight maneuvers with a turn- ing diameter of under 33 feet, and comes with MCI’s 30-month unlimited sanitizing personal vehicles, avoiding gatherings and frequent/ mileage warranty and the Super 60 five-year extended coverage on se- vigorous hand washing. lect parts and components. BYD has divided its production workforce into shifts, has lim- ited capacity in break areas, and has social distancing markings Motor Coach Industries; 200 East Oakton St., in gathering spots, including at entry points into the factory. Des Plaines, IL 60018; 847-285-2000; 800-428-7626; Following state, county, and City of Lancaster safety guide- Email: [email protected]; lines, BYD limited operations at the manufacturing plant in mid- Website: www.mcicoach.com March. Only employees deemed essential, such as those providing service and care to transit agency customers, worked during this period. Although its manufacturing operation was paused, BYD continued to serve Lancaster, Los Angeles County, and its customers through its donation of personal protection equipment to fight the spread of COVID-19. Model...... J3500 BYD has donated over $1 million worth of PPE items includ- Passenger Capacity...... With lav 40- standard; 44- optional ing masks and sanitizers. Visit byd.com. Overall Length ...... 35’ Overall Height ...... 140.75” GVWR ...... 42,000 lbs. APTA EXPO Is Rescheduled Interior Ceiling Height ...... 78.25” Wheelbase ...... 228.8” Due to ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) developments, the Turning radius...... 32’ 10” American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has an- Fuel Tank Capacity ...... 164 gal. nounced its TRANSform Conference & EXPO, originally set Engine...... 2017 EPA Cummins L9, 350hp, for October 2020, has been rescheduled to March 14-17, 2021. 1,350 lb-ft torque w/engine brake The event will still be held in Anaheim, CA. The revised APTA EXPO days and hours are as follows: Transmission...... Gen V Allison B500, 6-speed automatic n Monday, March 15, 2021—10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; with prognostics capability n Tuesday, March 16, 2021 — 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Brakes...... Bendix® ADB22X™ Air Disc Brakes n Wednesday, March 17, 2021 — 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Visit www.aptaexpo.com/apta2020. July/August 2020 BUSLINE Page 65 0720busline.FINAL.qxp_Layout 1 7/2/20 3:32 PM Page 66

QMF Steel: Manufacturing Supply Fabrication (State-Of-The-Art Equipment) By Sherrill Lester, president of QMF Steel, Inc.

FAMILY VALUES My dad had a Ford Ranchero. I loved that thing. It was brown with an orange stripe. He painted his bass boat to match. Can you imagine that thing going down the road? He didn’t take me fishing, which now I regret. But, he did take me to his machine shop a lot. I would take the parts off the mill, file off the sharp edges and count and package so that he could deliver to the customer. I would always enjoy watching him program the milling ma- chine. He would type away for hours, and I’d watch the tape come rolling out where he put in the codes that made the various precise cuts he would need. This program would tell the machine how to make the parts used to keep the M&M Mars factory running in Waco, TX. All of my experiences with my dad gave me my first taste of being a small business owner, which was realized in 1994.

MOVING TRADITIONAL FAB INTO THE FUTURE The days of having 100 pieces of equipment and 300 people to run them are in the past. Today’s manufacturing and fabrication Today’s CNC equipment allows us to have 100 percent accu- plants use engineering and technology to minimize the operator’s racy, speed and flexibility. No longer is your schedule tied to time spent with the equipment. craftsman (like my dad) who would be limited to their own per- sonal capacity. Once the raw material is checked by the Quality department and loaded into the equipment, the program gets pulled up by order and the operator hits “START.” While that job is running, he can QC the parts that just came off, and label and prepare for the next operation or shipping. Known as CNC, or computer numeric control, this process re- duces the risk of operator-programming error (like my dad keying in 300 lines of code and having to go back and make a correction after he ran the first part). In addition to speeding up the total run time, CNC programming reduces waste. With nesting software, you can bundle many jobs, getting the best use out of the sheet/plate/bar, and ultimately reducing the cost to the customer. So many of the materials that are needed to manufacture and fabricate parts can be made and will comply with Buy America re- quirements. There are steel mills and aluminum extruders within hours of our facility. And, it helps to be just hours away from the Port of Houston (TX), where many stainless products are imported by specialty distributors. We have actually taken it a step further and use American welding wire and buy American-made equip- ment when we can. From precision parts off the machining centers, laser, 5-axis wa- terjet, precision brake and profile bender to robot welded and cer- tified welded fabrications, QMF can provide the parts needed to keep America moving! My dad would really enjoy seeing what we have created at QMF, to keep the American Made tradition going. So, in the words of my dad, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” The next time you need a manufactured part or fabricated structure, think about calling QMF. Our number is 800-881-4071. We are happy to pay for the call!

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4 Simple Steps To Show Your Customers You’re Open For Business By Amy Nixon, Media Consultant For On Your Mark Transportation

As businesses begin to reopen across the country, one thing seems clear in this time of uncertainty: Life as we know it will be different after the COVID-19 pandemic. But uncertainty can often lead to fear, which is why, now — more than ever — it is important to reach out to your customers to put their minds at ease. How can you do that? One easy way is to utilize marketing and social media to get your message out to your community. (Left) An updated website is one way of getting information to your customers. Consider regular blog posts Consulting firm On Your Mark to share important information as well, suggests On Your Mark Transportation. Transportation’s President and CEO (Right) Another way is to create a short video, as seen here by On Your Mark Transportation. Mark Szyperski says he often has clients argue that when times are tough, there isn’t a budget for marketing. But neglecting that part ing your business. Now is the time to reach out to your customers of your business can often lead to more trouble, he explains. — and your community — and show them we are all in this together. “Now is the time to reach out to your customers and let them know who you are, what you do, and what you are doing to get On Your Mark Transportation LLC is a consulting firm to the through these times,” he said. ground passenger transportation industry. With experience And while business owners may worry about the cost of a large in transit, school bus, luxury transportation and motorcoaches, marketing campaign, Szyperski said good marketing doesn’t have OYMT can bring a full range of extra services to an organization. to mean spending a fortune. Contact OnYourMarkTransportation.com or 615-669-0107. Images provided by On Your Mark Transportation Here are some simple ways to reach out to your customers: n Be an expert in your community: Consider sending press re- leases to your community newspapers or transportation publica- tions to share your expertise and your business. Part of being an COVID-19 KILLER expert in your community means lending a hand where you can. The Ultimate Protection Against Infectious DISEASES!! Randy Cupp, vice president of Blue Lakes Charters and Tours, TM TM in Michigan, said they recently saw an opportunity to help their Breathe-Safe & Surface-Safe community, while simultaneously increase their reach. UVGI SYSTEMS KILL GERMS When two connected dams in Michigan breached, many people BY DESTROYING were left in dire need, so the company partnered with several local THEIR DNA businesses on a ‘Fill the Bus’ campaign. In total, they raised more PREVENTING than $15,000 in monetary donations and countless items to help the them from flooding victims. n REPRODUCING Make new connections: Join your chamber of commerce to Blue is the New Green ! expand your reach. Just outside of Nashville, TN, Gallatin Chamber Our systems clean without of Commerce CEO Kim Baker said she understands many busi- chemicals, save energy, and nesses are struggling. contribute to a healthier “The times we are experiencing have caused many to cut costs in-Vehicle environment. in different areas; however, your chamber membership is something Now that’s green! you should invest even more in if finances allow,” she said. “Your Patented local chamber is always a great place to start when getting con- nected in a community; or, in today’s times, reconnected and re- Coils with opened.” Mold Coils with UV n Utilize free marketing: If you don’t have a blog on your web- CLEAN COILS site, consider starting one. Post on social media as often as possible. And send regular newsletters to your customers and contacts with Our Systems inhibit mold growth important information and updates. in the AC system which saves n Enlist help: If all of these marketing ideas seem overwhelm- Fuel & Maintenance Costs. ing, consider hiring a consultant like On Your Mark Transportation Learn More at: www.SanUVAire.com to help you. [email protected] 888.611.6660 Don’t let the stress of the current situation prevent you from grow-

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USSC Group Announces Rebranding, Changes Name To United Safety Joe Mirabile, president and CEO of United Safety, announced further carve out its unique niche in the global safety marketplace that the company-wide rebranding has been completed. and continue its torrid growth.” “Our vision is to build the next generation of safety and survivabil- The brand launch, inclusive of a new company logo, website, and ity technologies, and we believe this social media presence, was part of the new brand represents that vision. We are strategy to better align the company very excited to share our new technolo- through new divisions. The company’s gies with our customers,” Mirabile said. revamped website offers an in-depth “Formerly known as USSC Group, look at the new divisional structure and we have made the decision to transition aims to highlight the growing need for the name of the organization to United Safety & Survivability Cor- safety and survivability products, including a new line of PPE ma- poration (United Safety). Our dedication to customers and our focus terials, in an effort to adapt to evolving customer needs. on customer service, innovative products and commitment to qual- Mirabile said, “This rebranding marks an exciting change and a ity is unwavering. While we have made the decision to restructure strategic pivot for the future. Our commitment to customers and the the organization in a way that we feel better aligns to our goal of community we serve will not change, and we look forward to build- building the next generation of safety and survivability technolo- ing on our history of innovation and quality.” gies, our passion for innovation remains the same. The decision to “As a global leader in the design and engineering of world-class change our name comes at a time when we are reaffirming our com- safety, survivability and technology solutions across a variety of in- mitment to safety more than ever.” dustries and categories, our portfolio of products includes seating United Safety partnered with The Brownstein Group, a Philadel- for commercial buses, fire trucks, ambulances, military vehicles, phia-based branding agency, to complete the transition efforts. motor coaches, rail cars and locomotives. We also design and build Marc Brownstein, CEO of The Brownstein Group said, “We part- specialty soldier survivability systems for military vehicles and our nered with United Safety (USSC) to help them evolve from a na- revolutionary fire suppression systems are used in school buses, tional brand to a global one, without changing the corporate initials. public transit, heavy machinery and more. We provide PPE safety The company is now properly positioned, on multiple communica- systems to doctors, nurses, and front-line responders.” tion channels, for the modern world, post COVID, and is ready to For more information, visit unitedsafetycorporation.com.

Sun Tran Starts Service Of First Electric Bus Sun Tran (Tucson, AZ) recently introduced its first electric bus into service. The electric bus is powered only by battery and produces zero-emissions. This is the first electric bus to be deployed in Sun Tran’s fleet, and is leased for the next year. Sun Tran has purchased, and expects to receive, five addi- tional electric buses later this THE DIAMOND FAMILY year, paid for with funding from the Federal Transit Administra- tion’s (FTA) Low-No Emission Grant program. Mayor Regina Romero has been a proponent of electrify- ing the city of Tucson vehi- cles. “Electric buses help improve our community’s air quality, and avoid associated healthcare expenses,” said Romero. “I encourage our com- munity to try out our new electric bus. This is one step to making our community more climate-resilient, including electrifying our city’s ve- hicles and transit fleet.” Since 2006, 100 percent of Sun Tran’s fleet is powered by clean fuel tech- nology. Sun Tran’s fleet runs on biodiesel, compressed natural gas (CNG) and hybrid-electric power sources. “Sun Tran is invested in creating an innovative and smart transportation system,” said Steve Spade, Sun Tran general manager. “Our passengers can be confident they are contributing to a more sustainable community and cleaner air.” Serving The Industry Since 1947 The electric bus is being used on various routes to test its performance in Made in the U.S.A. the Sun Tran system, and in the desert climate. diamondmfg.com Tucson Electric Power (TEP) upgraded Sun Tran’s electrical system, and installed a new bus charging system at no cost to Sun Tran. The 40-foot elec- 800-343-1009 816-421-8363 tric bus has a battery capacity of 444 kWh and features a low-floor design.

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Freedman Seating Introduces Passenger Protective Equipment Freedman Seating, with essential •Grab Rail Covers – Easy to clean, re- manufacturing in Chicago, IL, and place or add in the field, these covers are Rochester, IN, announced a new line of made from CMI Dimensions Nanocide safety products intended to help curb the vinyl with embedded silver, a natural an- spread of germs on public and commer- timicrobial. cial transportation vehicles. •Social Distance Seat Bands – Com- “There is nothing more important to municate social distancing restrictions us than to protect the safety and wellbe- with a durable seat band, wrapped ing of our employees, business partners around any seat designated Do Not Sit. and America’s transportation infrastruc- “Adding PPE to a bus is a significant ture. Every decision we make and action step forward in improving safety and we take keeps those principles in mind,” trust within public transportation at a said Dan Cohen, president of Freedman time when attracting and retaining rid- Seating, “Our team is proud to develop Passenger Guards mounted on ership is extremely tough,” said Cohen. and manufacture PPE to help keep Freedman Feather Weight Mid-High Seats “This new line of PPE products rep- America moving, responding, and de- resents another major benchmark in livering hope.” Freedman's 125-year history as an inno- Freedman’s Passenger Protective Equipment, or PPE, includes vator of seating and safety solutions to the commercial market.” three products to start: Freedman Seating is a seat manufacturer in Chicago, IL; design- •Passenger Guards – Made from a clear, soft yet durable vinyl ing, engineering, and manufacturing seat related products for many that is easy to replace, easy to clean, UV and mildew resistant. It different markets, including small bus, mid-size coach, heavy-duty is mounted at the top of a passenger seat, behind the passenger’s transit, rail, marine, delivery truck, and paratransit. Freedman Seat- head, providing protection from sneezes, coughs, droplets and ing is a ISO 9001 registered company with an on-site A2LA Ac- other airborne person-to-person threats and germs. These guards credited Mechanical Testing Lab. can be easily added in the field to 3PT mid-high, Feather Weight mid-high, GO-ES and most Freedman Foldaway seats. For more information, visit www.freedmanseating.com.

From Setra To Our Valued Customers:

The entire industry is going through a tough time, but we are committed to staying on your side and building our future now to come out of the crisis even stronger. Owning a SETRA coach with an integrated Daimler engine already gives you ac- cess to a broad network of 700+ Detroit Diesel authorized service locations across the entire U.S. We want to take this a step further: DCNA is now cooperating with selected and strategically placed Detroit Diesel distributor serv- ice locations to provide full coach service for all motorcoach cus- tomers. These new support centers will complement the already established DCNA service facility in Fort Worth, TX, and will pro- vide full bus servicing, complete parts solutions, warranty cam- paigns, and much more. True one stop shopping under one roof, just as you expect from Daimler. In the next few months, we will be ramping up seven of these ad- ditional coach service locations in areas of major fleet concentration across America. These service locations will receive extensive train- ing to ensure a service experience as smooth as the ride in your Setra coaches. We value your partnership, and we want to keep you in the loop of our continued growth in the market – we are in this together. As we progress, we will make sure you are aware of the next steps and the timing, and will be available to answer any questions you may have.

Visit www.SetraUSA.com.

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ABC’s CLEANS™ Offers Products/Services To Thoroughly Disinfect Coaches, Optimize Air Quality, Maintain Hygiene Stations & Driver/Passenger Shielding There is help for bus/motorcoach operators who are looking HVAC Purification Systems at ways to keep passengers safer, during the COVID-19 pan- • MERV 15-rated cabin filters, capable of capturing particles be- demic, as business picks up. With its CLEANS™ (Contact Lim- tween 1 and 5 micrometers and smaller; itation & Eradication of Airborne Noxious Systems) program, • UV light HVAC disinfection system, which eliminates 90 per- ABC Companies offers fleet owners a variety of products and cent of microbial contaminants after 10 minutes of exposure, and services designed to thoroughly disinfect 99 percent after 1 hour; and, coaches and optimize cabin air quality. • Factory-installed HEPA filtration system, Driver and passenger shielding, as well as which can capture 99.9 percent of particles (bac- personal hygiene stations, are also offered for teria, fungi and larger viruses or virus clumps). vehicles through the program. Most CLEANS products can be retrofitted Passenger And Driver Contact Partitions on existing equipment (most major brands) or And Personal Hygiene Stations specified on new Van Hool motorcoach orders. • Driver partitions, ranging from full enclo- CLEANS offers the following product and sures to temporary clear protective barriers; service categories: • Passenger protection shields, including per- manently mounted clear partitions and removable temporary Interior Sanitization/Disinfection shields; and, • Electrostatic fogging, with solutions also used in commercial • Hand sanitizer stations, which can be mounted at multiple lo- airlines, providing up to a 99.994 percent reduction in contami- cations. nants; ABC Companies Vice President of Marketing Thom Peebles • Fogging service conducted by ABC Companies on-site, or at a said the CLEANS program has been well received by all types of customer location; and, operators. He attributed several reasons for its success. • Disinfectant electrostatic fogger units that will be available for “We (at ABC Companies) did our homework during the early sale later through ABC Companies. stages of this program. I think people appreciate our due diligence,” Peebles said. “Another reason for its success is that CLEANS has been packaged to be scalable. Most operators are focusing on three questions: How do we get our coaches properly cleaned? How do we keep the air flow clean? How do we interact with customers to let them know what steps have been taken (in the wake of COVID- 19), so they will feel more comfortable using our services? “Overall, we (at ABC Companies) have been very happy with the interest that CLEANS has generated.” ABC Companies Engineering Manager Brian Nelson added that many challenges had to be overcome during the development process of CLEANS. “There were several guideline changes and new discoveries from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and WHO (World Health Organization) that we stayed on top of, requiring constant education,” Nelson said. “Overcoming the learning curve while developing this program, was like drinking from a fire hose. Our objective, however, stayed the same. It was to provide solu- tions that would not only reap benefits for operators during this pandemic, but also add value over the entire life of the vehicle.” According to Peebles, bus/motorcoach operations of all sizes have benefited from CLEANS, as more companies start welcom- ing customers back to their various transportation services. “All operators we have talked with seem to be engaged, at some level, in making sure their vehicles are ready. Most are trying to be super-prepared. The CLEANS program can help. It offers many options,” Peebles said. “Some of the technologies (being used in CLEANS) were already available, such as UV light and air filtra- tion. It was just a matter of taking those products, and packaging them in such a way as to help more operators get back on the road.” Visit www.abc-companies.com/cleans for more information.

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Connecting you to a brighter future

Irizar USA 100 Cassia Way, Henderson NV, 89014 702 431 0707 www.irizarusa.com

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