'Quick Strikes' Shutdown Operators
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June 1, 2013 Driver reacts, More operators avoids crash, adding seatbelts kids are safe in refurbishing QUEENSTOWN, Md. — Text- book defensive driving and quick WASHINGTON — Although reactions helped a driver for Daw- the Obama Administration contin- son Bus Service in Camden, Del., ues to take its time making a for- avoid a potentially devastating ac- mal decision on the long-awaited cident involving a coach loaded seatbelt mandate for commercial with children, parents and buses, motorcoach operators aren’t teachers. just sitting around waiting. Stan Potter was behind the Instead, many have moved wheel on a charter trip that was ahead with regularly planned re- heading back to Delaware from furbishing of buses in their fleets, Washington, D.C. His passengers Hands-on Training. Arrow Coach Lines in Little Coach shop — one on a lift, one over a pit and one on and some are even having safety the ground. Arrow personnel answered dozens of ques- were sixth graders, plus their par- Rock hosted nearly 20 new Arkansas Highway Patrol belts installed on their own. ents and teachers, making an end- and USDOT officers for a motorcoach inspection train- tions and helped with the training when asked. Arrow ing session. Three coaches were pulled into the Arrow President Jim Lienhart said the session went well. “We’ve seen an increase in op- of-the-school-year trip. erators who are renovating their Potter has driven Dawson buses buses and installing seatbelts,” re- for more than 20 years. ported Sandra Follis of Sardo Bus “I pride myself when I’m driv- ‘Quick strikes’ shutdown operators and Coach Upholstery in Minneo- ing in avoiding situations like this, la, Fla. but this was something that just coaches and forbidden to move then Also shut down were Coach One order targets She said that while business happened so quickly,” Potter told a without permission — and then only USA Tour of Niagara Falls, N.Y.; slacked off during the slow recov- local television station. company owner by towing. Salt Lake Shuttles of Kearns, Utah, He explained the incident this In the case of Illini Tours of and Autobuses Zacatecanos of ery from the Dec. 2007-June 2009 way: WASHINGTON — The Federal Champaign, Ill., the out-of-service Zacatecas, Mexico. Great Recession, it began ticking As he approached the split of Motor Carrier Safety Administration order was extended to company The FMCSA said it has shut upward more than a year ago and U.S. 50 and 301 in eastern Mary- “quick strike group” stopped four President Robert L. Frazier. down a total of 13 bus companies things now are as busy as ever. land, he was driving in the middle more private bus operators in their He also operates Lex Express, and 7 truck lines this year. Gene Willingham of Willing- lane when a car suddenly came to- tracks over a 15-day period last which received an out-of-service A press release from the FMCSA ham Upholstery Inc. in Maple Val- ward him going the wrong way. month, declaring their operations order in December (see Jan. 1 Bus & stressed that Coach USA Tour “is ley, Wash., noted that he, too, has “I reacted to the point of get- “imminent hazards.” Motorcoach News). NOT affiliated in any way with the seen a steady run of regular busi- ting out of her way. She went by The companies were ordered to As a result, the Illini order states Paramus, N.J.-based Coach USA ness for some time now. “Our busi- me. There was a tractor trailer halt service at the next available Frazier personally “cannot avoid this Inc.…The name of this carrier is ness still is very good,” he said. coming up, and she ran right into destinations where passengers could order by continuing operations under similar to, but has no affiliation with, “We see more and more opera- be dropped, and were given eight the name of another person or other carriers similarly named.” it,” Potter said. tors going with seatbelts when hours to report the locations of all company.” The television station reporter CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 c they buy new buses or refurbish an asked Potter what was going older bus,” added Ray Miller of through his mind as he swerved. Things just keep on going wrong… National Seating Co. in New Al- “As quickly as this happened, I bany, Ohio. TOLEDO, Ohio — Derrick tween 2003 and 2009 in connec- ministration discovered he was don’t really know. Afterwards, you The generally upbeat reports Jones’ self-inflicted string of bad tion with buses stolen from coach operating outside his authority. think about it, and you think — from Follis, Willingham, Miller how could this happen? At the luck in the bus business just keeps companies in three states. Jones apparently did not com- on keepin’ on. A year ago, Jones decided to plete the registration process and and others appear to have softened time, all you can say is it’s there. It worries in the industry that the was in a matter of seconds that this During the past decade, Jones go straight and start his own bus the normal new-entrant vetting usually vibrant bus renovation happened.” has been one of the most – if not operation. He obtained a USDOT procedures. According to the business would be stunted while He says the kids were well- THE most — notorious characters number (2302577) and set up FMCSA, on at least five occasions the National Highway Traffic behaved and nobody was hurt. in the motorcoach industry. business here. Jones’ called his between May 2012 and February of “After it happened the kids Jones, as regular readers of this company Destiny Tours. this year, Jones operated as a for- Safety Administration was devel- were excited. The teachers settled newspaper will recall, is the for- As fate (or destiny) would have hire carrier in interstate commerce, oping and the Obama White House them right down and told them mer part-time coach driver who it, Jones’ try at legitimate service without the authority to do so. was considering the seatbelt issue. every body is fine. We’re going on. was questioned, arrested, charged lasted less than a year when the The FMCSA identified five Much of the early concern cen- CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 c and convicted multiple times be- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Ad- CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 c CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 c Custom-tailored luxury. Best in Class Precision German engineering. Now with parts and service by MCI. Motor Coach Industries: Distributor of EvoBus GmbH for Setra Buses and Setra Parts in the United States and Canada. 866 624 2622 BMN Banner ad 1a.indd 1 5/13/13 12:26 PM Pre-Owned MCI J4500’s ea. $229,000 2006 J4500s $239,900 ea. DD S-60, Allison, 56 Passenger (Located in Costa Mesa, CA) 5 units available: VINs: 63608, 63610, 63577, 63609, 63246 2002 J4500s $149,900 ea. 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We said on the idea of conducting roadside The newsletter said the pur- “The heightened awareness is motorcoach.” information would be given to safety inspections of motorcoaches. ported inspection initiative was that of the Federal Motor Carrier Robinson said he did not know them in advance before any chang- A newsletter circulated by a “highlighted” in forums held for Safety Administration. We are how some folks in the motorcoach es took place.” major industry association reported the industry by the Tennessee being challenged by the FMCSA industry left the forums, which he earlier this spring that “Tennessee Highway Patrol. to conduct more inspections but at attended, with the perception that Destination inspections will begin roadside inspections of Tennessee may be undertaking this point we have not made any general roadside inspections were “I have been hearing they are motorcoaches very soon, allowing more motorcoach inspections, but significant changes to our enforce- coming.