Happy Holidays December 15, 2011

Program for accident victims’ families is advocated By David Safford tional Transportation Safety “It’s the right thing to do if you going to be burned in the future…. tive in helping them out.” Board, they are ready to help. feel you’re a proactive company A consistent message of what Michele Beckjord, NTSB se- ASHBURN, Va. — A top fed- Having a family assistance and you want to take care of your you’re doing and providing pas- nior accident investigator, put it eral safety official is recommend- plan in place not only is the right passengers,” Sledzik told attend- sengers (and their families) will more bluntly. In the event of a ing bus and motorcoach operators thing to do, it’s also a good busi- ees at the United Motorcoach As- bolster your view in the public eye: major accident, she noted, images consider establishing assistance ness practice, said Paul Sledzik, sociation Safety Management ‘We’re providing x, y, z to the fam- of your wrecked bus along with plans to help the families of acci- director of the transportation di- Seminar here late last month. ilies of this accident, we’re flying your company name will be on the dent victims in the event of a cata- saster assistance division of the “If you walk away and don’t do them from the accident location to news for all to see. strophic crash. National Transportation Safety anything (after a major accident wherever’ — whatever you’re “If you’ve got 55 passengers And, say officials from the Na- Board. with fatalities), you’re probably doing shows you’re being proac- CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 c Diabetic drivers Rule bans use lawsuit is being of cell phones WASHINGTON — The U.S. closely watched Department of Transportation an- nounced a final rule that bans in- ELIZABETH, N.J. — A two- terstate bus and truck drivers from year old lawsuit that could impact using hand-held cellphones while how motorcoach operators treat operating their vehicles. diabetic drivers appears headed for The rule prohibits commercial a showdown early next year. drivers from using hand-held Lawyers for Coach USA and phones while driving a bus or three drivers who claim they were truck, sets federal civil penalties of wrongly suspended by the compa- up to $2,750 for each offense, and ny because of possible issues with disqualifies drivers from operating their diabetes are to wrap up pretri- a commercial motor vehicle after al discovery activities in March and multiple offenses. the case could move to a trial short- Bus and truck companies that ly afterwards. allow drivers to use hand-held cell The drivers, who are seeking Wide Swath. A Missouri Department of Transporta- the effectiveness of snow-removal efforts. More states phones while driving will face a lost wages, contend the suspen- tion truck pulls a new-fangled snowplow that doubles are adding the tow-behind plows. Story Page 6. penalty of up to $11,000. The rule sions — which occurred at various lar to federal rules. suspended. have on individual polices and affects about four million drivers. times over a six-year period — vi- The trio says they lost wages The case is being watched by practices operators across the The feds issued a regulation olated New Jersey’s job discrimi- and depleted savings during the motorcoach safety experts because country have adopted for drivers ban­ning bus and truck drivers from texting while driving in September nation regulations, which are simi- combined 25 months they were of the impact a decision could CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 c 2010. ABC responds to challenging times with new solutions Bus & Motorcoach News has Q. ABC has traditionally been and to re-evaluate their existing need to continue to be profitable asked North America’s leading a well-rounded coach supplier, fleet utilization and customer de- and competitive in the challenging motorcoach builders and suppliers with the ability to handle used mands for specific coach products. market of today. to participate in a series of Ques- coaches, refurbishing, mainte- This has resulted in operators se- Since our company is not a tion-and-Answer format articles in nance, trades and finance in a lecting different product lines and/ coach manufacturer but rather a advance of UMA Motorcoach comprehensive way. Has that or renewing existing equipment sales organization providing coach- Expo 2012. proven to be an advantage in the and/or refinancing to continue to be es and services, we can provide so- Here’s the first article, with the current lagging economy? profitable in this marketplace. lutions for operators that extend questions submitted to and an- A. Yes, it has been an advan- Based on these changes, ABC well beyond selling a piece of swered by Dane Cornell, president tage. Economic conditions in the Companies has become more of a equipment. and CEO of ABC Companies, dis- last several years have caused many custom solution provider to opera- Q. Vertical integration is in- tributor and Van Hool and ABC- motorcoach fleet owners to alter tors that can mix and match any of creasingly showing up in the branded buses and coaches. their new coach purchase plans, the combinations that operators CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 c Dane Cornell

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Find us on FIND OUT MORE. Bus & Motorcoach News INDUSTRY NEWS December 15, 2011 3 Operator Larry Benjamin dies at 58 Tax relief sought after schools APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — Larry Benjamin, who became widely known in the motorcoach industry be- supply shopping-mall charters cause of his engaging personality, broad smile, infec- WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — A said. “There is no need for a school tious laugh and strong good looks, but was in fact a Virginia motorcoach company that system to be doing private charter solid operator, died late last month after a seven-month lost a charter job to a public school work,” struggle with lung cancer. district is looking into a new tactic While the school district insists He had marked his 58th birthday earlier in to recover some of the revenue it it did nothing wrong, it did say that November. missed out on. following a review of the situation A native of Northfield, Minn., where he and his Oleta Coach Lines of Wil- it has decided to no longer provide brother owned and managed Northfield Lines, Mr. Ben- liamsburg is seriously considering such service in the future. jamin was a member of the boards of the United Motor- asking its county taxing agency for “We don’t want to compete coach Association and the International Motor Coach a one-time discount on this year’s with the private sector,” stressed Group. taxes, says Sales Director David N. Scott A. Burckbuchler, assistant At UMA, he was chair of the association’s impor- tant meetings committee, making him the chairman of Smith. school superintendent for finance UMA Motorcoach Expo. “We can’t just ignore what and operations. “Larry Benjamin represented all that is good and happened and look past it,” he He said James City County of- right about our industry,” said UMA President Victor said. ficials asked the school district to Parra. “He was smart and compassionate. Smith said the company de- provide the shuttles for the mall serves a tax break because the and the district agreed to do it as a “He ran a high-quality, competitive company, but Larry Benjamin at a UMA Expo with wife Mary Jane. understood the importance of associations like UMA school district that it supports with service to the public and county. that encourage and support initiatives designed to raise Benjamin as an “extraordinary man,” a “blessing to all its taxes beat it out of a contract “Our purpose was only to pro- the bar in our industry. of us,” an “incomparable individual” and a man with a from a large retail mall to provide vide a service that was of commu- “To say he will be missed is severely understating “kind heart.” a shuttle service for shoppers on nity interest as tax revenues are the void his passing creates,” added Parra. The family said he prided himself not so much in his Black Friday in late November. generated as a result of (shopping Mr. Benjamin, and brother John, co-owned North- success in business as in the friends he made throughout Oleta bid $12,500 for the con- mall) sales,” he said. his career. His warmth, charm, fun-loving nature and field Lines for the past 22 years. Larry Benjamin oper- tract, but was told by Premium Buckbuchler maintained that sense of humor brought him many friends. ated a restaurant in Northfield, the Quarterback Club, Outlets that it had a lower offer the school district was not aware In addition to his brother, he is survived by his wife, before becoming the principal owner of Northfield from Williamsburg-James City when it accepted the work that a Lines, which has a fleet of more than 20 motorcoaches, Mary Jane; a son, Kyle; daughters Ali Coyne and Heather Stuart, and seven sisters. County Public Schools and the private motorcoach operator was 10 small and midsize buses, and 74 school buses. mall was required to take the low- interested in operating the service. The Benjamin brothers were honored in January as Memorials in Mr. Benjamin’s name have been estab- est bid. The school district charged Smith said he learned the Business People of the Year by the Northfield Chamber lished with The Breath of Hope Lung Foundation, P.O. $7,700 for the service. school district was going to pro- of Commerce. Box 1081, Chanhassen, MN 55317, and Fairview Hos- “This is very upsetting,” Smith Friends, colleagues and employees remembered Mr. pice, 2450 26th Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55406. CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 c

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TSA warns of terrorist interest in buses NLRB actions WASHINGTON — The Trans- and accessibility for use by mil- more than 725 attacks against ues to work with federal, state and portation Security Administration lions of travelers. buses between 2004 and 2009, the local law enforcement agencies to are restrained issued a bulletin last month to Pistole described the bulletin, bulletin estimated. Virtually all of protect mass transit. state and local authorities saying Terrorist Concerns Regarding those attacks, of course, were far Together, the agencies staff by House bill they should be wary of potential Mass Transit Bus Systems, as from U.S. shores. what TSA calls Visible Intermodal WASHINGTON — On Nov. terrorist plots against mass transit something TSA reissued out of Pistole referenced the maga- Prevention and Response (VIPR) 30, the U.S House strongly ap- — and buses in particular. recognition that millions more zine Inspire, published by Al teams, which send federal air mar- proved legislation aimed at stop- TSA Administrator John Pis- people travel by mass transit rath- Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, shals, surface transportation secu- ping Obama Administration-ap- tole said the TSA released the bul- er than by air, particularly during and its previous call for terrorists rity inspectors, transportation secu- pointed regulators at the National letin to remind agencies of the the holiday season between to hijack buses to ram them into rity officers, behavior detection Labor Relations Board from forc- general threat against mass transit, Thanksgiving and New Year’s. crowded areas, buildings and officers, and canine teams to probe ing “ambush elections” on em- not due to a specific threat. The bulletin noted that attacks other infrastructure. for vulnerabilities and to deter ployees and employers, and rein- The TSA has long held that against buses are more prevalent Speaking at a forum last month plots against transportation infra- ing in so-called micro-unions. buses are an attractive terrorist tar- worldwide than attacks against avi- at George Washington University structure, including — occasion­ In a bi-partisan vote of 235 (54 get due to their open architecture ation systems. Terrorists launched here, Pistole said the TSA contin- ally — at Greyhound bus stations. percent) to 188 (43 percent) the House approved and sent to the Senate the Workforce Democracy Congressional report says TSA is ‘bloated’ and Fairness Act, HR 3094. WASHINGTON — A scath- • Ineffective, with 25,000 se- audits security performance.” security measures, such as an ex- The legislation had broad sup- ing congressional report says the curity breaches in the past decade. But TSA spokesman Greg perimental pre-check program for port from small businesses and Transportation Security Adminis- • A sponsor of inadequate tech- Soule said the agency has devel- frequent fliers to move more business organizations, including tration is a bloated agency plagued nology, including 500 advanced- oped a highly trained workforce swiftly through screening at a the Coalition for a Democratic with significant problems. imaging technology machines cost- that has screened five billion pas- handful of airports. Workplace. The only motorcoach The report, which was issued ing $122 million that are “easily sengers and prevented more than “Each of these initiatives… industry member of the coalition is 10 years after the agency was cre- thwarted” and $39 million wasted 1,100 guns from being brought enhances our ability to provide the the United Motorcoach Associa- ated, was criticized by a TSA on explosive-detection “puffer” onto planes this year. most effective security, focusing tion. (See Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 issues spokesman, who called it a disser- machines that were unreliable. “At a time when our country’s on those who present the highest of Bus & Motorcoach News.) vice to the agency’s workers. “Unfortunately, TSA has lost aviation system is safer, stronger risk, in the most efficient way pos- The legislation was opposed According to the report, enti- its way,” said Rep. John Mica, and more secure than it was 10 sible,” Soule said. by union leaders and their allies in tled “A Decade Later: A Call for R-Fla., chairman of the House years ago, this report is an unfortu- Among other things, the con- Congress who critics said were at- TSA Reform,” the agency is: Transportation Committee. “It is nate disservice to the dedicated gressional report recommends: tempting to enact “card check” through regulation. • An inflated bureaucracy time for reform. TSA must be- men and women of TSA who are • Revising the luggage-screen- Under regulations proposed by with 65,000 workers, including come…a thinking, risk-based, on the front lines every day protect- ing program to allow more competi- the NLRB, the agency would have nearly 4,000 at headquarters and flexible agency that analyzes ing the traveling public,” he said. tion with private security companies encouraged so-called ambush elec- 9,656 administrators in the field. risks, sets security standards and TSA is developing risk-based • Reducing staff tions that dramatically shorten the time employers have to speak with their employees about union repre- sentation, potentially shortening the entire arcane election process to just 10 days from current medi- an of 38 days. The effect, said critics, would be to make a mockery of real elec- tions and impose “card check” by regulation. It would unfairly tip the scale toward union organizers and leave employees without enough information or time to make a real decision in a real elec- tion, said critics of the proposed NLRB rules. The NLRB also opened the door to “micro-unions,” which make it easier for unions to organize in smaller bargaining units and ex- clude employees who oppose union- ization, disenfranchising them. As a result, businesses faced the possibility of having to man- age multiple, small bargaining units of similarly situated employ- ees with potentially different pay scales, benefits, work rules and bargaining schedules. The Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act stops the pro- posed NLRB rules. Bus & Motorcoach News THE DOCKET December 15, 2011 5 FMCSA rewrite of EOBR rule to consider harassment WASHINGTON — The Fed- pendent truck drivers and the rule would affect roughly 5,700 not provide enough detail on how The court said the agency needs eral Motor Carrier Safety Admin- Owner-Operator Independent interstate truck and bus operators. it intends to prevent companies to describe exactly what steps must istration has decided not to appeal Driver Association, which were It is the precursor to a much broad- from harassing their drivers be taken to prevent harassment. It the court decision vacating its challenging the rule that would re- er FMCSA mandate that will through the devices. needs to consider what types of ha- electronic onboard recorder rule quire habitual violators of hours- cover practically all carriers, prob- The agency said in its rule it is rassment already exist, how fre- scheduled to take effect next June. of-service rules to install electron- ably several years from now. legally required to prevent harass- quent and extensive the practice is, Instead, the agency is address- ic hours-of-service recorders. The panel of three appeals ment, but it does not go into detail and how EOBRs will either allow ing the court’s concerns about pos- The agency has estimated the court judges found the agency did on how that will be accomplished. or prevent harassment. sible driver harassment by revising the rule. In an August ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated the EOBR rule and sent it back to FMCSA for review, saying it does not do enough to pre- vent harassment of drivers. (See Sept. 15 Bus & Motorcoach News.) The decision was in response to a petition filed by several inde- Effort to cap N.C. fuel tax falls short RALEIGH, N.C. – North Car- olina legislators failed in a bid to freeze the state’s fuel tax rate for six months. Meeting in special session late last month, the North Caroli- na House agreed to keep the 35-cent-per-gallon state fuel tax unchanged through June 30. However, the state Senate de- cided to leave the capitol without considering the bill, meaning the tax on diesel fuel and gasoline goes up Jan. 1. According to state estimates, the tax will climb to as much as 38.9 cents per gallon. The tax grew by 2.5 cents on July 1. Senate leaders cited concerns about an estimated loss of $95 million from the fuel tax for not voting for the freeze. ‘Straight-on-red’ law is adopted in Illinois SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — At least a dozen states allow motor- cycle and bicycle riders to go straight through a red light after coming to a complete stop, with Il- linois being the latest state to adopt such a practice. The Illinois law goes into ef- fect June 1. Motorcycle groups lobbied for the law, saying riders sometimes get stuck at red lights for several traffic-light cycles because the lighter weight of two-wheel vehi- cles does not trip sensors that cause stoplights to change at some intersections. Illinois joins such states as Missouri and Wisconsin in allow- ing motorcycles and bikes to go straight on red lights. 6 December 15, 2011 THE DOCKET Bus & Motorcoach News USDOT secretary comments House members PennDOT, Penn. Turnpike introduce bill to use multi-lane snow plows on hand-held cell phone ban HARRISBURG, Pa. — Penn- at least one tow plow operating in By Ray LaHood from using hand-held cell phones sylvania has become the latest each of its 11 engineering districts. while operating their vehicles. to boost tourism WASHINGTON – A bill has state to adopt a new tool to clear The Pennsylvania Turnpike expects WASHINGTON — If you’re Through the Pipeline and been introduced in the U.S. House snow from multi-lane highways. to have four tow plows. looking for some of America’s Hazardous Materials Safety Ad- aimed at promoting domestic tour- In addition to traditional plows PennDOT and Turnpike plow safest drivers, it’s easy to find ministration, drivers hauling haz- ism by partnering public-and-pri- mounted on trucks, snow removal trucks are normally equipped them behind the wheel of our na- ardous materials within a state are vate dollars through a competitive crews also will be using a 30-foot- with a 10- or 12-foot wide front tion’s large trucks and buses. also included in the ban. long, tow-behind snowplow. plow. A tow plow increases the Safe driving is their livelihood Research from FMCSA shows matching grant program within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Because of their size, the tow plowing width to 24 feet, allow- and I know that most of them take that using a hand-held cell phone plows are only used on limited- ing for two, 12-foot-wide lanes to safety as seriously as we do at the while driving requires a commer- Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif., co- chair of the Congressional Travel access roadways, interstates or be cleared at once. USDOT. cial driver to take several risky other multi-lane roads. As the name implies, tow plows And that applies to talking on steps beyond what is required for and Tourism Caucus, Rep. Mazie Hiron, D-Hawaii, and several col- “A tow plow allows one truck are towed behind a conventional a cell phone behind the wheel. using a hands-free mobile phone. to do the work of two,” said State plow truck equipped with a front As one commercial driver, Commercial drivers reaching leagues introduced the Travel Re- gional Investment Partnership Transportation Secretary Barry plow. When plowing snow, the tow Tim Cox, told a Texas news pro- for an object, such as a cell phone, Schoch. “By freeing up a truck plow truck is driven on the left lane gram recently, “If it’s in the truck (TRIP) Act (H.R. 3484). are three times more likely to be and operator, we’ll be better able and when the operator deploys the while I’m driving I don’t answer The legislation is designed to involved in a crash or other safety- to focus on lower-priority roads tow plow it “steers” out into the it; I don’t text. It’s just too danger- critical event. help promote tourism, as well as that normally would not receive right lane, allowing the truck to ous; you’re endangering your life Dialing a hand-held cell phone create jobs. as high a level of service until clear both lanes simultaneously. and the lives of others.” makes it six times more likely that “Tourism is one of our na- major routes are cleared.” Tow plows cost between But, because of the size of commercial drivers will be in- tion’s greatest resources,” said After two winters of testing in $99,000 and $106,000 based. A their vehicles and the weight of volved in a crash or other safety- Rep. Farr. “The U.S. boasts some various counties and on a variety of typical, tandem-axle PennDOT the loads they carry for us, when critical event. of the most pristine and exciting roadways, PennDOT plans to have truck costs nearly $175,000. drivers of large trucks, buses and The new rule — the next step tourist destinations in the world, hazardous materials lose their in an ongoing process — will save with the ­potential of bringing jobs tourism industry by giving local for a matching grant. focus for even a few seconds, the lives and prevent injuries by help- and dollars into our communities. destination marketing organiza- In turn, the grants will allow outcome can be deadly. ing commercial drivers stay laser- And at a time of fiscal belt tight- tions, such as convention and visi- for regional promotion of tourist So, last week, the Federal Motor focused on safety at all times ening, the TRIP Act brings to- tors’ bureaus, the opportunity to destinations across the country. Carrier Safety Administration is- while behind the wheel. gether private-and-public dollars partner with other regional tour- The legislation has been intro- sued a final rule specifically prohib- Ray LaHood is the U.S. Secre- for smart investments.” ism entities, such as parks or re- duced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. iting interstate truck and bus drivers tary of Transportation. The TRIP Act will support the sorts, to put together a proposal Mark Begich, D-Alaska. Setra – a Daimler brand

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Daimler Buses North America · c/o Setra of North America Inc. · 6012-B High Point Road · Greensboro, NC 27407 · www.setra-coaches.com 8 December 15, 2011 OPINION Bus & Motorcoach News Image, inconsistency help ‘gray’ the industry Christmas gift: By Mark Gagnon comparison. Older workers retire; they go back belching black smoke, the first im- The thing is, Hollywood gives to a previous profession that’s more pression is “what a piece of junk.” Books on buses When was the last time any of pilots graying temples, steely eyes stable; their reaction time gets The same holds true about the HUDSON, Wis. — Looking us who drive coaches looked at our and square jaws — as personified slower, and their eyes get poorer. driver. If he or she shows up in for a gift for the bus aficionados sons or daughters, or more realisti- by John Wayne, Dean Martin and Also, the physical demands of jeans sneakers and a tee shirt, two on your Christmas list? cally our grandkids, and said: Sam Elliott. We got Ralph the job: loading luggage, sitting days of stubble (usually applies to How about a bus book? “When you grow up I want you to Kramden. for long periods and irregular men) and a shaggy hair cut, the first There are 22 specialty bus become a motorcoach operator The image issue may be a sur- sleep schedules takes a greater toll impression is not that of a true books available from an outfit just like me?” face problem but there are more on an older person. The older you professional. called Enthusiast Books. What we do for a living should meat-and-potato problems that get the less likely you are to pass a Drivers should be in some type The books range from photo at least be considered as noble as an need to be addressed. Line runs DOT physical. of uniform and buses should always archives, containing scores of im- electrician, carpenter or plumber. and transit companies are able to We need the younger genera- be clean and well maintained. The ages of various makes and models, It takes as much skill to maneu- offer their employees predictable tion to get involved because as the airlines sell image well and so to histories, references and guides. ver a vehicle that’s longer than schedules and regular pay checks. Baby Boomers exit the industry should we. The only way to get Roughly half the books were many people’s homes down a Charter companies are subject to there will be more coaches sitting more for our trips is to make people assembled by or co-authored by crowded street as it does to wire a the whims of the customer, and idle with no one to drive them. If a feel what we offer is worth it. William Luke, former editor and light fixture, miter a corner or fix a there is no such thing as regular or coach is sitting, it’s losing money. Unfortunately, every market publisher of BusRide magazine. leak. predicable in the charter world. If a customer can’t book a char- has its cut-price, bottom feeders The Luke books are mostly photo Conduct a quick poll at your next The older worker is more ter because there is a lack of driv- that will always take some of the archives of both long-gone name- drivers meeting and see how many adaptable to this poorly structured ers, then they’ll find another way to business. If we as an industry can plates, such as Fageol, Flxible, diverse backgrounds there are. lifestyle. Family is less demanding get where they want to go. If this improve our image and get more ACF and Yellow Coach, and more If your place is at all like ours because, as much as we granddads happens on a regular basis, the in- for our product we should be able contemporary coach builders like you’ll find former truck drivers, like to think we are important, if dustry will become irrelevant. to attract the better drivers and the Prevost and MCI. One of the most school bus drivers, business own- we miss a soccer or little league In the future, owners will need young recruits. popular is Highway Buses of the ers, firemen, salesmen, teachers game it’s not as big a deal as mom to find a way to pay better and The cheap guys eventually 20th Century. and the list goes on. or dad missing it. offer benefits that will make it won’t be able to afford the better Other authors and editors The other thing you’ll discover Financially, the older worker worthwhile for a 20-something to drivers, and they either come up to have assembled books on such is that there will be a few late can generally handle the income give up a stable schedule. the higher standards of the rest of buses and bus companies as GM 30-somethings, many more swings a little better, too, because Better pay and benefits? How us or go out of business. New Looks, RTSs, Crown Coach, 40-somethings and a lot of over he or she may already have a house can the already financially Unlike people, companies and and Greyhound. 50s. If there’s anyone in their early or car that’s paid for and no kids strapped bus company owner offer industries can be rejuvenated with The books range in price from 20s, it’s the owner’s kid. coming home with lists of school more than he is already? an infusion of younger workers about $15 to $35. supplies or other unexpected with fresh ideas and increased en- Enthusiast Books maintains a Starts with image expenses. No easy answers ergy. Issues need to be addressed web site, at www.enthusiastbooks. Part of the lack of interest in Like all complex questions, now before there aren’t enough of com, where the books can be choosing motorcoach operator as a Demands take toll there isn’t a simple answer. One us old guys to go around. viewed and ordered. first career is our public image. So, if the older person is a better piece of the puzzle might be to re- Mark Gagnon is sales manager of Since bus nuts are also often One of my many part-time jobs fit, why should we care if the visit the image issue. If a bus ar- Cowtown Bus Charters in Fort Worth, car nuts, Enthusiast also publishes was working as a provisioning younger generation isn’t getting in- rives at a customer’s location with Texas. Contact him by email at mga- upwards of 50 specialty car books. agent for Southwest Airlines. Hav- volved? Here’s four quick reasons: dents and scratches, faded paint and gnon@cowtown charters.com. And then there’s Amazon. ing unrestricted access to the flight com, which offers scores of bus- line, I was able to observe the pi- related books, dozens of them lots walking their aircraft during Pennsylvania inspection blitz nets 19 coaches aimed at children, including the pre-flight inspections; kicking the MEDIA, Pa. — A statewide, and amusement parks, throughout State and municipal motor car- iconic The Wheels on the Bus. tires and doing the same basic multi-agency motorcoach inspec- the state. rier enforcement personnel, includ- You know: The wheels on the bus things a good bus driver does. tion blitz late last month resulted in The out-of-service rate for the ing Philadelphia and Pittsburgh po- go round and round… I mentioned this to a few pilots the Pennsylvania State Police plac- enforcement action was under 6 lice officers and Public Utility I got to know and, except for a cou- ing 19 coaches out of service. percent. In the Media area, 41 Commission staff, participated in ensure the safety of everyone trav- ple who were appalled that I would During the five-day strike force, coaches were inspected and 2 were the inspection blitz. eling throughout Pennsylvania,” try to drag their profession down 341 coaches were inspected at trav- parked for an out-of-service rate of “Motorcoach strike forces are said State Police Commissioner to our level, most agreed with the el destinations, including casinos under 5 percent. just one of the many ways we help Frank Noonan said.

ISSUE NO. 206 Godfrey Lebron How to contact us Paradise Trailways Hicksville, N.Y. To submit or report news, Letters to To advertise or to mail advertising- Joan Libby the Editor, articles, news releases or to related materials: Cavalier Coach Trailways Boston, Mass. report corrections: Call: Johnny Steger at (866) 930-8426 A PUBLICATION OF THE UNITED MOTORCOACH ASSOCIATION E-mail: E-mail: Marcia Milton First Priority Trailways [email protected] [email protected] Staff Advisory Board District Heights, Md. Fax: (405) 942-6201 Mail: 2200 N. Yarbrough, Suite B William Allen James Brown Sr. Michael Neustadt Mail: 3108 NW 54th Street Box No. 336 Editor & Publisher: Victor Parra Amador Trailways Magic Carpet Tours Coach Tours Sacramento, Calif. Richmond, Va. Oklahoma City, OK 73112 El Paso, TX 79925 Senior Editor: Bruce Sankey Brookfield, Conn. Call: (866) 930-8421 Brian Annett Steve Brown Tom Ready Annett Bus Lines Brown Coach To send advertisements or Sales Director: Johnny Steger Ready Bus Lines Sebring, Fla. Amsterdam, N.Y. LaCrescent, Minn. To subscribe or inquire about your photographs via the Internet: Industry Editor: Ken Presley Larry Benjamin Thomas Foley Brian Scott subscription: E-mail: [email protected] Northfield Lines Transportation Insurance Brokers Escot Bus Lines Associate Editor: Ellen Balm Northfield, Minn. North Oaks, Minn. E-mail: Largo, Fla. [email protected] To contact the Art Director: Mary E. McCarty Dave Bolen Gladys Gillis Dennis Strief New World Tours Starline Luxury Coaches Vandalia Bus Lines Fax: (405) 942-6201 United Motorcoach Association: Bristow, Va. Seattle Caseyville, Ill. Mail: 3108 NW 54th Street Editorial Assistant: Michele Nosko Call: (800) 424-8262 Autumn Dipert Brown Larry Hundt Tim Wayland Oklahoma City, OK 73112 Online: www.uma.org Editorial Assistant: Maggie Masterson Dan Diepert Coaches Great Canadian Trailways ABC Companies Call: (866) 930-8421 Arlington, Texas Kitchner, Ontario Faribault, Minn. Editorial Assistant: Greg Lange David Brown Dale Krapf T. Ralph Young ©2011 by the United Motorcoach Association. Reproduction in whole or in part without Holiday Tours Krapf Coaches Young Transportation written permission is prohibited. Accountant: Ted Williford Randlemann, N.C. West Chester, Pa. Ashville, N.C. 9Bus &December Motorcoach 15, News 2011 OPINION DecemberBus & Motorcoach 15, 2011 News 9 A few hard truths about tracking and safety systems By J.R. Buzzell perfectly. When you can walk up iors statistically predict where we more likely a “major event.” effective, it also requires a way to Comlink GPS Tracking Systems LLC to a driver or your maintenance de- can expect problems. Drivers who The beauty of modern safety monitor and measure real activity. partment and say “we need to cut speed, follow too closely, change systems is that they can quantify Mandating that a person buy a I suspect most of you already this activity by this much,” and lanes rapidly or fudge on their and help you manage at the behav- hammer does not mean the house is know this, but I know for a fact I can then be able to document how hours/rest have more near-misses ioral level — at least that’s what going to be well built. However, drive a nail with a crescent wrench. they’re doing to do it and adjust to than the average driver. The more the good ones do. buying the right tools and learning Granted, it’s not the right tool and it over time, you begin to control near-misses a driver has, the more Constant improvement is an on- how to use them well, tends to keep I’d hate to build a house that way, but the situation. likely they will have an “event.” going process. It requires a focus, the inspectors focused elsewhere, in a pinch it’ll get the job done. We all know that certain behav- The more events they have, the effort and management. To be truly and your customers safe and warm. Just to stretch the metaphor to its breaking point, I can also share that using high-tech electronics to beat on a nail is significantly less productive (not to mention hard on the electronics), and using only harsh language generally accom- plishes little, if anything. So, what’s my point? The answer is that the exact same principles apply to electronic tracking and safety systems. Even with the exact right tool, nothing Authority On Transportation’s happens if you don’t use it. Please don’t get me wrong, hav- facility is the largest state-of- ing the right tools makes a huge dif- ference, both in the result and also the-art D.O.T. inspection and with the ease of which they accom- maintenance facility in New York. plish their task. Worse, if you have faulty tools or have them and don’t We are a 20 year veteran in the use them, you can easily become the nail for somebody else’s hammer. speciality repair service industry I have read articles in this very publication discussing two predomi- and are equipped to manage all nant camps in the safety discussion types of vehicles up to — call them the “industry” and the “regulators.” 60,000 lbs. Our industry strives to develop professionalism; the regulators want to expand enforcement and rely on “gee-whiz technology” to do it. • NHTSA Certified Manufacturer They realize technology is a tool to manage the industry. • Refurbishing and Repair I hope, if we step back for a mo- • D.O.T. Inspections and Compliance ment, we might find there is at least some common ground. • Wheelchair Lift Installation I believe the overwhelming ma- jority of operators are responsible • Full Structural Repairs and place a high priority on safety. To survive as responsible operators, • Certified Air Brakes they must also be profitable. This • ADA Mobility Railtracks and Locks means controlling costs, too. Designed and used correctly, • Full HVAC Services much of (the new safety) technolo- gy helps develop more professional • Alterations to D.O.T. Specifications drivers, while concurrently manag- ing costs (including its own). • Full Fabrication & Restoration In healthcare and manufactur- • Body & Structural Repairs ing software, we call this process of management “continuous- • All Safety Standards improvement,” or “activity-based management.” The same concepts • Rust Removal and Body Work apply here. If all you want is a cheap, one- time fix, you probably have a pret- Open 7 Days a Week ty good idea who your risky drivers (Sundays by Appointment) are; just do what needs to be done. You will probably improve the safety of your fleet initially, but there it ends. To continuously improve, you have to identify and measure activ- ity and then manage accordingly. Here is where the old adage “people don’t do what you expect; they do what you inspect” applies 888-933-1268 • www.AuthorityOnTransportation.com • 933 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, NY 11788 10 December 15, 2011 INDUSTRY NEWS Bus & Motorcoach News MCI coaches recalled for ESC issue SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — A de- a lateral accelerometer and stabili- could deviate from the intended fect in Meritor WABCO pneumatic ty-control software that provide line of travel, increasing the risk of electronic stability control modules some of the inputs that enable the a crash. has resulted in a voluntary safety ESC system to determine the stabil- All known incidents involving recall by Motor Coach Industries of ity of the vehicle in potential roll- misapplication of the brakes by the 1,962 late-model coaches. over and loss-of-control situations. system have occurred on tight, S- The D-, E- and J-model coaches In the defect notice issued by type curves that are banked above were manufactured from October Meritor WABCO, the company 6 degrees. 2002 through October of this year. said that when driving in tight, MCI is notifying owners about The models being recalled are: successive and highly-banked the recall and will replace the con- • 2007-12 D4000, D4000IS- curves, vehicle body roll and road trol module free of charge. Owners TV, D4005, D4500 and D4505 banking may, in effect, confuse the may contact MCI Customer Ser- • 2003, 2007-12 E4500 and slip-angle calculation by the ESC vice at (800) 241-2947. J4500 module. Owners also may contact the Under very specific road and This could cause the ESC sys- National Highway Traffic Safety driving conditions, operation of tem to sense an oversteer situation Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle the electronic stability control sys- and apply the front-axle outer Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236, Veterans Day Showpiece. A military-themed bus owned by tem (ESC) could cause steering is- brake until the vehicle is perceived or go to the agency website at www. York, Pa.-based Bailey Coach served as a backdrop for a Veterans sues that may lead to a crash. to be stable by the system. safercar.gov. Reference NHTSA Day breakfast at the York Fairgrounds. More than 1,200 veterans and The Meritor WABCO ESC If the driver is slow to react to Campaign ID #11V524000 and guests attended. John Bailey, president of the company, dedicated module contains a yaw-rate sensor, the ESC intervention, the vehicle MCI Safety Recall #351. the bus to the memory of his father, a World War II veteran. DriveCam buys Rair Technologies, raises capital for purchase SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Drive- cial vehicle compliance segment. turns, the recorder saves that por- inspection reporting, drug testing, the future,” said an executive with Cam Inc., the maker of motorcoach DriveCam said both the invest- tion of the video along with the pre- and CSA safety scores analysis. the private equity firm that made and truck-cab video recorders, has ment and the acquisition should ceding 12 seconds and then uploads Buying Rair gives DriveCam the investment in DriveCam. announced it’s buying Rair Tech- close this month. the recording to DriveCam servers. a complete suite of regulatory compli- In September, Rair introduced nologies, a provider of compliance San Diego-based DriveCam DriveCam wants to buy Rair be- ance products, said the spokesman. “Dashboard,” which summarizes a services for commercial fleets. installs dash- and mirror-mounted cause the Brookfield, Wis., compa- “DriveCam’s management driver’s hours of service and qualifi- No terms for the purchase were video recording system that con- ny offers web-based safety and com- team has been at the forefront of cation information in its database. disclosed, but DriveCam revealed tinuously record road events and pliance services, said a DriveCam industry innovation and operation- Rair also offers a product that it’s raising $85 million from a pri- incidents. spokesman. These services include al excellence and, as a result, we helps carriers manage their responsi- vate equity firm and using the When risky driving occurs, hours-of-service log and driver see the very strong momentum in bilities under the federal Compliance, money to compete in the commer- such as sudden braking or hard qualification file auditing, vehicle the business today continuing into Safety, Accountability program.

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3108 NW 54th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73112 Fax to: (405) 942-6201 Questions: [email protected] … or call (405) 948-6555 SUBSCRIBE Bus & Motorcoach News INDUSTRY NEWS December 15, 2011 11 Employees considered first in Iowa operator’s facility WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa has been driving for Burlington — When Ron Moore’s term as Trailways for seven years and had chairman of the Trailways Trans- more than 860,000-accident-year Maintenance of Burlington Trailways’ 28 coaches is handled in the company’s new 53,000-square-foot facility. portation System ends later this miles before a crash in October, is month, you can bet he’ll be more in rehabilitation and recovering. semi-trailer in the 2 a.m. crash and To send her good wishes, mail ington Trailways, P.O. Box 531, than a little relieved. Her coach struck an overturned she was critically injured. cards to: Michelle Anderson, Burl- West Burlington, IA 52655. Moore, who’s president of Bur- lington Trailways here, has had a busier-than-usual year. Not only did he hold the reins at Trailways but his company opened a spank- ing-new corporate office and main- tenance center. Although the Burlington Trail- ways’ facility has been operational since May, the official ribbon cut- ting ceremony wasn’t conducted until this past fall — with hun- Manage aggressive and careless driving behaviors. dreds in attendance. One who attended was Mark Oversee idling and fuel waste immediately. Szyperski, Trailways Transporta- tion System vice president. Automate data collection for I.F.T.A. from Szyperski, who has traveled to lots of facilities operated by Trailways fuel tank to miles per state. members, said he had never seen one the likes of which Burlington Financial Performance Trailways had built. “The driver sleeping rooms are • Engine-Based True Idle Time comfortable, roomy and each one • Total Fuel Management has its own full bathroom,” said • Maintenance Logging Szyperski. • Eliminate Human Error on Fuel and Mileage Records “Everything, from these rooms, • Mechanical and Power Management Alerts to the air-conditioned maintenance area, to the full motorcoach-size Customer Performance and Safety paint booth, to the spacious office • Documented Arrivals and Departures area, shows that the employees are • Pinpoint Locations for ETA and Contingencies the most important assets of Burl- • Dynamic Charter Grouping ington Trailways,” he noted. • Proactive Driver Alerts Said Ron Moore: “We’re thank- ful to be able to provide a great Compliance working environment for our employees.” • Idling and Municipal Ordinance Added Szyperski: The atten- • Aggressive and Dangerous Driving Behavior tion to detail in the 53,000-square- • Driver Logs and MDT Integration (Q4, 2011) foot plus facility is impressive. Burlington Trailways is in its 29th year a Trailways member. The company has evolved from a four- bus operation to 28 motorcoaches and more than 100 employees. Its fleet size grew as it expanded its scheduled routes in Midwestern, Northern Plains and Rocky Moun- tain states. The company also has been an innovator, serving as a test bed for global positioning systems, and has installed onboard observation systems and cameras in all coach- es for extra security, safety and passenger assurance.

Driver recovering If you have an extra Christmas card when sending out this year’s list, you might consider posting one to Michelle Anderson, a driver for Burlington Trailways. www.ComLinkGPS.com The 50-year-old Anderson, who 800.853.8165 12 December 15, 2011 INDUSTRY NEWS Bus & Motorcoach News

that also manufacture motorcoach- all want to have options when we A. The Greyhound project is overs, based on resources and ABC responds es rely heavily on truck dealers for are shopping — this is the nature going very well. More than 275 knowledge we have gained from CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 service and warranty support. This of any business. coaches have been delivered from the Nappanee Greyhound project. North American bus industry. can be a pitfall as it is first-come, ABC, combined with Van our Nappanee facility. Our quality Q. Does ABC/Van Hool see Some of ABC/Van Hool’s compet- first-serve at truck dealers. Hool, is in the best position to pro- and throughput are at high levels any possibility of new coach pric- itors own engine and transmis- From ABC and Van Hool’s per- vide customized solutions and and we are receiving good feedback es stabilizing in the near future? sion manufacturing operations. spective, being independent from products to our industry, whereas a from Greyhound on the project. With fuel economy standards and What advantages and pitfalls does the constraints of vertical integra- vertically-integrated supplier has In response to many customer a raft of safety features looming this trend represent? How does tion allows customers to maintain little or no flexibility. inquires related to comments out- over the next three-to-five years, this trend influence or impact Van long-standing relationships with Q. You’re currently doing a lined at the beginning of this arti- is that even possible? Hool’s place in the market? Are existing suppliers and dealers for major refurbishing program for cle, ABC has added an entirely A. New coach pricing has sta- there advantages to NOT being their preferred type of engine and Greyhound Lines in Nappanee, dedicated building at Nappanee to bilized or has actually declined owned by one of the giants? transmission combinations. Ind., and seem to be making an ef- specifically refurbish Van Hool due to some excess inventory lev- A. Perceived advantages of It also allows them the flexibil- fort to sell similar services to other coaches. els. There have been, however, vertical integration can be more ity to customize their coach speci- operators. How is the Greyhound Van Hool coaches can undergo other elements which have caused beneficial to the manufacturer and fications based on their specific project going, and how are you many upgrades and modifications increases over the last few years. not the customer. Most of the en- circumstances or environment in doing selling refurb to other in the production style that ABC For instance, there have been gine and transmission suppliers which their fleets will operate. We customers? has refined in the Greyhound proj- three emission events (2004, 2007 ect. We feel there are great opportu- and 2010). nities for operators to refresh their Also, safety standards mandated existing fleet at a fraction of the by the federal government have af- cost of new coaches, or purchase fected final coach pricing in recent pre-owned coaches from ABC that years. Some manufacturers have have passed through this facility. opted to offer these items now, as ei- Additionally ABC is actively ther standard or optional equipment. looking for other projects, such as Since there are many more fed- engine/transmission re-power eral mandates being proposed, packages, wheelchair-lift installa- price stabilization will be hard to tions, or complete body make- predict for some time yet. Diesel to end year at around $4 Calif. lots higher, the Midwest, Rocky Mountains and West Coast. California continues to gasoline is $3.30 be the high-price leader, with diesel topping $4.15 a gallon. WASHINGTON — It looks Diesel tends to be a around a like the price of diesel fuel will end dime-a-gallon cheaper in lower At- 2011 roughly 80 cents a gallon lantic and Gulf Coast states. higher than it was a year ago. Gasoline, meanwhile, will fin- The U.S. average price of diesel ish the year with a national average climbed above $4 a gallon last price of around $3.30 a gallon. month, the first time it had topped However, the nationwide spread that level in six months, but mod- for gasoline varies widely, ranging erated slightly by the end of the from close to $3 a gallon in the na- month and early this month. tion’s midsection to above $3.70 a While year-end, $4-a-gallon gallon in California. diesel is commonplace in many Gasoline was under $3 gallon parts of the country, two regions in some states around Thanks- have not seen it return to that level giving. in months. A year ago, gasoline was sell- The priciest regions for diesel are ing 40- to 60-cents a gallon less in New England, central Atlantic states, the U.S.

2004 E4500s ~ Low Miles ~ One Owner 58 Seats ~ More than 1 Available Approx. 200,000 original miles Detroit Diesel Series 60 Engine Allison B500R trans. (hyd. retarder) Michelin Tires (not retreads) Enhanced sound system with AM/FM/CD/DVD/PA system Cordless mic & 6 monitors Asking $215,000 OBO Marc: 808.832.6261 or [email protected] REPOS FOR SALE Variety of Makes and Models of “Bank Repos”

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advert-artwork-8.17-10.5-clear-embed.indd 1 24/06/2010 14:36:19 Bus & Motorcoach News INDUSTRY NEWS December 15, 2011 13 People Operator Paul Elmore of Va. dies PERTH, Scotland — Stage- NORFOLK, Va. — Paul A. El- Within three years, Fun Tours died in September of last year. coach Group has named a new more, co-founder of Fun Tours in was offering packaged tours and a In addition to his son and top executive of its megabus.com Virginia Beach, died here late last half dozen years later it began of- daughter in law, Mr. Elmore is sur- operation in North America. month. He was 81. fering customized tours, eventual- vived by a daughter, Paula Bray, Edward Hodgson, who has Mr. Elmore and two friends ly serving more than 150 groups. two sisters and a brother. been director of megabus in the Darwin Rubeck Chris Shigley founded Fun Tours in 1981. The From the start, Mr. Elmore was Mr. Elmore was a retired Nor- U.S. and Canada for the past three Birthday Honours List in June — trio would see tour companies joined by his wife, Nancy, who folk Police lieutenant and a Police years, has become managing direc- for services to transport and the bringing groups to the area and was the company’s first reception- Honor Guard participated in tor of Stagecoach West Scotland. voluntary sector. He co-founded they wanted to get in on the fun, so ist. The Elmore family, including graveside services. Replacing Hodgson is Bryony Stagecoach with his sister, Ann they decided to form their own bus his son Charles and daughter-in- A memorial in Mr. Elmore’s Chamberlain, who previously held Gloag, in 1980 with two buses, company. law Gwen, eventually purchased name has been established with the Stagecoach West Scotland po- and developed the company into a Within a few months they had the entire company, which today the American Cancer Society, Fun sition Hodgson has assumed. In leading international transport purchased a coach and set up Fun operates a fleet of 17 coaches. Tours Relay for Life, P.O. Box other words, the two swapped jobs. group in the U.K. and North Amer- Tours with idea of taking people to Paul and Nancy Elmore “semi- 22718, Oklahoma City, OK During the years Hodgson ica with 35,000 employees and an Atlantic City. retired” in 1997. Nancy Elmore 73123-1718. headed megabus, it became North annual revenue of more than $3.14 America’s largest curbside opera- billion. tor. Prior to that, he was commer- OMAHA, Neb. — Radio En- cial director at Stagecoach South. gineering Industries has an- Chamberlain joined Stagecoach nounced the promotion of Darwin in 1996 as a graduate trainee. After Rubeck to national sales manager- rising steadily through the compa- transit and motorcoach, and Chris ny’s bus division in the United Shigley to national sales manager- Kingdom, she joined Coach USA school bus. in 2006 to help develop the initial Rubeck has been in sales for megabus services in the U.S. more than 30 years and has been a Two years ago, Chamberlain re- member of the REI sales team since turned to the U.K., where she be- 2006. A graduate of Wayne State came managing director of Stage- College in Wayne, Neb., Rubeck coach Bluebird and Highlands holds a bachelor’s degree in radio/ before becoming managing direc- television broadcasting. tor of Stagecoach West Scotland Shigley has 10 years of sales last year. experience, including two years Said Dale Moser, president with REI, and a strong background and chief operating officer of in transportation electronics. He is Coach USA: “We are looking for- a graduate of the University of ward to Bryony rejoining our team ­Nebraska-Omaha with a bache- …and working with her to further lor’s degree in business. expand the very popular megabus. WASHINGTON — Robert L. com service in the states.” Sumwalt has been sworn in for a LONDON — Stagecoach second five-year term as a member Group co-founder and Chief Ex- of the National Transportation ecutive Sir Brian Souter formally Safety Board. Nominated by received his knighthood at an in- President Obama, his term will vestiture ceremony at Buckingham run until Dec. 31, 2016. Palace last month. Sumwalt joined the NTSB in Souter, 57, was awarded a August 2006, after being nominat- knighthood — in the Queen’s ed by President George Bush. 2003 E4500 ~ Low Mile ~ One Owner ~ 58 Seats Lift Equipped Coach • 8 Tie Down Stations Bus converts seats in less than 1 minute with Flip Seats Approx. 240,000 original miles Detroit Diesel Series 60 Engine Allison B500R transmission (hydraulic retarder) Michelin Tires (not retreads) Asking $215,000 OBO Enhanced sound system w/ AM/FM/CD/DVD/PA system Marc: 808.832.6261 Cordless mic & 6 monitors or [email protected] 2003 MCI J-MODEL FOR SALE Original owner, 485,000 miles, series 60/B-500 trans. New radiator charge air cooler. New AC compressor 134A. 6 monitor system, DVD. Jake Brake. Will paint to buyer’s spec – one full color. Asking $184,900 (734) 994-6666 or (888) 868-7795 14 December 15, 2011 INDUSTRY NEWS Bus & Motorcoach News

9-11 International Motor Coach Diabetic drivers However, their disease must be control with diet, medication and Calendar Group Maintenance and Safety well controlled and most carriers adequate medical supervision,” Gaylord Texas CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 have specific policies to help them she said. JANUARY 2012 Meeting 2012, Resort, Grapevine, Texas. Info: suffering from diabetes. monitor those drivers. Most companies, including 6-10 ABA Marketplace, www.imgcoach.com. While the Federal Motor Carri- Coach USA allows Type 2 dia- Coach USA, monitor diabetic Gaylord Texas Resort, Grapevine, er Safety Administration prohibits betics to work as long as the com- drivers through blood tests that Texas. Info: www.buses.org. FEBRUARY 2012 drivers who have Type 1, or insulin- pany determines their disease is track a patient’s average blood dependent diabetes, from working being controlled, said company at- sugar level for the previous three 8-9 Bus Industry Safety 8 2012 State Association Summit, torney Christina Stoneburner. months. If the results show a level Council, Gaylord Texas Resort, Long Beach, Calif. Info: www. as interstate bus drivers, those with “It is alright for them to drive of less than 7, then the diabetes is Grapevine, Texas. Info: www. motorcoachexpo.com, or call Type 2, or non-insulin dependent as long as their diabetes is under considered under control and the buses.org. (800) 424-8262. diabetes, are allowed to do so. drivers may continue working. Those with higher readings could be subject to blackouts while behind the wheel and are not al- lowed to drive. Stoneburner said each of the suspended drivers was taken off the New Look. New Year. New Course Content. job because of issues related to their Type 2 diabetes, including one who was not compliant and often had high blood sugar readings, an- other refused to turn in required medical records, and the third was newly diagnosed with the disease. She said the suspensions lasted for various periods and all three drivers were returned to work each time after the company determined their disease was back under control. Two of them, Kaleem Muham- mad, 51, and Anthony James, 56, continue to drive for the company, while the third, Walter Kautz, 59, is retired. Attorney Robert Hermann, who represents the drivers, con- tends the suspensions violated state employment discrimination regulations that protect workers from such treatment. “The company took a proactive position here,” he said, suggesting it suspended the drivers because of something that might happen in the future. He likened the action to punishing smokers because they might later develop lung cancer. Motorcoach safety expert Mat- thew Daecher, president of Dae- cher Consulting Group, said mo- torcoach operators need to be Join us for the Bus & Motorcoach Academy in 2012— aware of the medical condition of their drivers and review their med- featuring two schools of learning: ical forms carefully. “Drivers sometimes lie on this Clarence Cornell School of Business supported by form, indicating it is Type 2 and controlled via diet and pills, which makes medical qualification pos- ABC Companies and Motorcoach Operator Program. sible,” he noted. He said although there are no federal rules requiring diabetic drivers have more frequent medical Winter session begins January 11, 2012. checkups than other drivers, physi- cians who examine them have some leeway in qualifying them for short- er-than-the-current-two-year peri- For more information, visit www.uma.org/academy od if they have concerns about the progression of diabetes. “Companies also are free to set internal policies on more frequent Click. Learn. Succeed. medical certifications as long as they treat all drivers the same,” he noted. Bus & Motorcoach News INDUSTRY NEWS December 15, 2011 15 Over-the-road trucks vs. buses: Only the road is the same By Dave Millhouser builders put less effort into ameni- of revenue enhancement, states such requests, offering drivers pe- a gentleman ties like suspension, noise control weigh (and fine) buses, citing riodic changes of pace. in upstate Perhaps you may recall the and HVAC. In North America, local regulations. This is not to make the case New York story, a couple of columns ago, tractor suspensions are so firm that If held to state truck standards, that operating a coach is easier who wanted where my boss dispatched me, manufacturers normally add current 45-foot coaches could not than driving a truck, only substan- to star t a with a flatbed truck, to bring back springs to the cab mounts and driv- operate legally in most jurisdic- tially different. Physically, bus coach com- a burned bus. (You DO memorize er’s seat. These absorb some of the tions. Imagine the consequences to driving is probably easier, but pany. Since these things, right?) thrashing the driver might other- our industry, the environment and truckers don’t have to contend I was a hun- Perhaps I failed to mention that wise be taking. the traveling public if we slip back with the whims of the traveling g r y b u s Dave Millhouser I’d never driven a tractor-trailer be- Buses carry passengers who into that mode. public. In some ways a coach driv- s a l e s m a n , fore, but figured “how different generally don’t enjoy beatings, so Another important distinction er is always “on.” we quickly can it be from a bus?” manufacturers spend tons of effort between trucks and buses is the Trucks outnumber buses by a became best buddies. Everything went smoothly smoothing the ride for the whole way they treat drivers. bazillion, but our cargo is more He had operated trucks suc- until I reached the garage and had vehicle. In addition to coddling Anyone who has been in a boat valuable than theirs, and our in- cessfully for many years and had to back the rig into a stall. The customers, those suspensions are on a grumpy sea understands how dustry deserves to be studied and decided it would be easier to run whole gang marched out to the gentle on the road surface. The ef- tiring it is to fight constant motion. understood as being unique. That’s coaches. parking lot to see the coach car- fort to control the wheels’ violence Coaches ride better than trucks, so true when it comes to hours of ser- I asked him why he wanted to cass, and got more entertainment to the coach also works in the other drivers use less energy sitting in vice, coach construction, safety get into the buses, and he replied: than they expected. direction, and a 50,000-pound bus the seat. regulations and weight laws (I may “Because they load themselves.” Gotta tell ya, I learned the hard pounds the pavement substantially Have you ever been driving have forgotten a few). He hadn’t given much thought to way (and with an amused audi- less than a 50,000-pound truck. around, searching for an address, When regulators lump us with luggage. ence) that backing a trailer re- Currently, coaches enjoy a and turned the radio down to avoid truckers, they are either unin- Apparently the differences be- quires skills, and they are counter- measure of immunity from state distraction? Crafty bus builders formed or predisposed to take the tween trucks and buses were sig- intuitive. I still smell burning weight laws, and it’s important we put the noisy engine in the back, easier course of action. nificant and stressful. When I clutch, hear clashing gears, and re- keep it that way. In years past, op- and cover it with insulation, mak- If they’re looking for a compa- checked back with him… he’d had call creative cursing, every time I erators had to either mechanically ing the coach cockpit nearly as rable industry, they might take a a couple of heart attacks and was a recall that day. alter coaches, or lighten loads, to quiet as a luxury car. Things done peek at the public sector transit in- candidate for a transplant. Trucks and coaches are differ- run in states with restrictive laws. for the passengers benefit often dustry (currently exempt from Hope he made it. ent in lots of ways, and it behooves Properly loaded, coaches today make the driver’s job less many regulations the private sector Dave Millhouser is a bus in- us to remind legislators and regu- meet a national standard, which stressful. must adhere to). dustry marketing consultant and lators of that fact. supersedes state regulations, on Freight rarely asks for meal I’ve told this one before…but freelance writer. Contact him by Trucks carry cargo, which federal highways. stops or bathroom breaks, while I’m hoping you forgot it. email at: Davemillhouser@gmail. rarely complains. As a result, their On occasion, perhaps as a form most coach trips are punctuated by Years ago, a call came in from com. 16 December 15, 2011 INDUSTRY NEWS Bus & Motorcoach News Bus parking spaces going, going, gone in downtown Toronto TORONTO — Motorcoach However, the spaces along expected to open during the sum- Lower Simcoe Street. Meanwhile, the association parking in downtown Toronto has Bremner Boulevard, near the city’s mer of 2013. The completed facil- To make matters worse, it’s says drivers requiring parking been significantly reduced by con- landmark CN Tower and Metro To- ity will house an estimated 13,500 likely all bus parking spaces on should consider using the Roger’s struction of a major new tourism ronto Convention Centre, are no fresh and sea water creatures in its Bremner Boulevard and on Nelson Centre (paid) parking lot on the attraction. longer available. 1.51 million-gallon tanks. Street (north of King Street) also south side Bremner, west of Rees Toronto designates free, most- The spaces have been lost to a The Ontario Motor Coach As- will disappear. Street. It’s the only off-street bus ly time-restricted, on-street bus construction staging area for the sociation reports the project has The OMCA said it’s pushing lot in the downtown area. parking spaces in the downtown Ripley’s Aquarium being built at permanently eliminated all bus for the city to designate a “Motor Alternatively, for free parking, area. Some are available around the foot of CN Tower. The parking spaces west of Lower Sim- Coach Loading Zone” on the north drivers will have to leave the area the clock. 135,000-square-foot aquarium is coe Street and most spaces east of side of Bremner. after dropping their group and park at one of 30 free spaces in the y Portlands (Villiers, Commission- tr ers or Cherry streets). us The city told OMCA it plans to Ind update its list and map of bus park- he ing spaces, which can be found at g t www.toronto.ca/transportation/ tin parking/bus/index.htm. leva l – E Tax relief iona fess CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Pro vide the service about a week be- rcoach the Moto fore the event and he sent an ­e-mail The Year of to the school board complaining about what he contended was un- fair competition by a tax-support- ed entity. The school district is funded by taxes collected in Wil- liamsburg and James City County. “This is very disappointing to know that the school system that we support through sponsorships, that we received our grade school education from and that now some of our kids attend, is using tax-pay- er dollars to compete with our What can you expect from UMA Motorcoach business,” he wrote. EXPO 2012 to help you elevate your business? He told the board that Oleta is ready to provide the shuttle service • To learn about current industry topics from a full slate of NEW for the mall and he urged the educational seminars that address what is most important to school district to immediately motorcoach operators now! withdraw its contract. Smith, however, said he did not • To preview new and innovative products, services and technology hear from the school district until from over 150 exhibiting companies on the show floor. This year, four days after the sales event. see products never seen before on the show floor! That’s when he received an e-mail • To expand your professional network by meeting the brightest from Burckbuchler in which the assistant superintendent apolo- and best in the industry at the many networking events—come gized for not responding sooner and bump into old friends and meet new ones! and assured him the school district • To have fun! Make your trip to EXPO into a vacation and enjoy was not interested in competing all the beautiful beaches, attractions and sunshine that Long with Oleta. He added that the dis- trict would not provide the service Beach offers! again. Smith said the missed work meant that not only did his compa- ny lose revenue, but about a dozen drivers were deprived of making extra money, which would have been a nice holiday bonus for them. “Our drivers, by the way, are almost all residents of Williams- burg,” he noted. Despite not being able to pro- vide the shuttle service this year, Smith said he is pleased with the Same low outcome of the incident because of Same low the school district’s decision not to registration price get involved in the shuttle service registrationas last year— price again. “My only concern now is will Registration Now Open! Visit www.motorcoachexpo.com asfor last UMA year— operator operator they be providing charter service or contact the UMA offices at 1.800.424.8262 for more information. for UMAmembers! for others.” members!

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#113011 18 December 15, 2011 INDUSTRY NEWS Bus & Motorcoach News

will you identify and handle vic- Family program tims’ possessions and get them CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 back into the proper hands? Court orders Oregon outfit shut down on your bus (that has been in a cat- These are the kinds of questions PORTLAND, Ore. — A U.S. the safety agency. ger Carrier Safety Inspection Strike astrophic accident), you could and issues the NTSB transportation District Court here has issued a The court order prohibits Pres- Force, the FMCSA found Prestige have over 100 family members disaster assistance division is temporary restraining order shut- tige from operating or providing buses were still on the road, and it calling you, and you may have equipped to handle, Sledzik said. ting down a Portland bus and lim- passenger service. declared the company an imminent buses out all over the U.S. that “We, at the board, can serve as ousine operator. A compliance review of the hazard to the public and again or- you’re trying to deal with on non- a resource for family members Seemingly proving that some company in August led to an unsat- dered it be shut down. accident-related stuff,” she said. who have those questions; we deal people don’t get the message, the isfactory safety rating and the initial Prestige, according to various “Are you ready to handle having with this stuff all the time,” he court took the action after the com- order to stop operating. The review websites, operated a fleet of eight or an accident of this kind?” said. “You guys may not want to pany, Prestige Limousines, appar- found Prestige failed to use proper- nine vehicles, including 32- and Catastrophic crashes are the do that in your model if you decide ently ignored a previous order by ly licensed drivers and to implement 44-passenger executive motor- kinds of events the NTSB transpor- to do family assistance going for- the Federal Motor Carrier Safety a drug and alcohol testing program. coaches, a midsize party bus, a pair Administration to cease operations. Additionally, the company of sedans, two stretch limousines, tation disaster assistance division ward, but you will be involved The FMCSA revoked Pres- failed to regularly inspect its vehi- and a van. was set up to handle, Sledzik said. with that because guess what — tige’s operating authority and or- cles and ensure its drivers were One website even lists a cus- After a number of major airline they are probably going to be call- dered it be shut down at the end of medically qualified. tomer review dated Oct. 12, a month accidents in the mid-1990s that re- ing you guys first.“ August, but the company contin- Early last month, during its an- and a half after the initial cease-and- sulted in tremendous loss of life, ued conducting trips, according to nual, two-week nationwide Passen- desist order was issued. Congress conducted hearings into Industry interest the poor treatment of victims’ fami- They also handed out a ques- Tailor-made approach president with National Interstate have a passenger manifest; the tour lies by airlines, first responders and tionnaire to all attendees seeking “We can tailor-make classes Insurance Co. “There’s one par- company that had put the trip to- government agencies at all levels. to assess the level of interest with- based on industry and location,” ticular slide that says, ‘An insur- gether had a passenger manifest Lawmakers quickly passed a in the industry. he said. “That’s what these surveys ance policy isn’t a blanket that you but did not know which passengers measure requiring airlines to set The questionnaire asked: are trying to get at — to see what throw over a catastrophic loss that were on board the bus that crashed, up family assistance programs and • Do you believe the passenger kind of unique issues are out there. covers everything.’ So some of the and the families of people on the designated the NTSB as the coor- motor carrier industry should ad- We know how it works in the plane things you’re talking about aren’t trip were all calling the bus com- dinator. Similar legislation apply- dress the topic of family assistance world, we know how it works in necessarily covered.” pany to try to get information on ing to Amtrak followed soon after. in the event of a transportation the rail world, what makes your That said, planning for such an their loved ones. With so much experience deal- accident? situation unique and how do we event is key to every stakeholder in ing with major transportation ac- • Do you believe the passenger deal with that?” the industry, she stated. “Planning, Arrow is proactive cidents, it seemed to make sense to motor carrier industry would be planning, planning is such a big The management of Arrow offer NTSB expertise to the bus interested in a full-length presenta- ‘If the industry em- part of being ready for that.” Stage Lines, which operated the and motorcoach industry, Sledzik tion on transportation disaster as- bus, decided to provide a number of and Beckjord told the conference. sistance—family assistance from braces the concept, What will work services to victim families, Sledzik “We’re just putting it out there the NTSB? Economic realities must play a said, including bringing injured because we see a lot of accidents,” • If offered, do you think an the NTSB could help role in each company developing passengers back to their homes, Beckjord said. “Why not offer you NTSB training course on family or adapting a family assistance paying for burial services, and what we can provide the other assistance would be of interest to it develop a model plan to their unique circumstances, working to get personal posses- (transportation) modes?” your industry? Sledzik agreed. sions back into the proper hands. • If offered, would your com- disaster-assistance “That’s fine if they go in and “I helped the operator manage Industry input pany be interested in enrolling in say, ‘Based on what our operating those things,” he said. “They didn’t Exactly what form the NTSB an NTSB family assistance plan.’ model is and how much we’re have any legal requirement to do assistance would take is still taking course? earning…we’re only going to pay any of that stuff, yet they really shape and will be determined by in- “We’re just trying to gauge in- If the industry embraces the for x, y, z and that’s all I can afford. wanted to make sure that they got dustry feedback. Instead of waiting terest in the industry,” Beckjord concept, the NTSB could even My underwriter will pay for a, b taken care of. “ for legislation requiring the indus- said. “I’ll be honest with you — help it develop a model disaster as- and c. For d, e and f, we’ll just have One seminar attendee said he try to take action (not that any is without it being a legislative thing, sistance plan for companies to to wing it and see what happens,’” had personal experience with his pending) they decided to approach there are some folks even at NTSB adopt and adapt, Sledzik said. he said. the family assistance program his the motorcoach and bus industry it- who aren’t quite sure you guys are “What we have seen in some of Currently the NTSB transpor- company had set up. self to see what kind of assistance interested. the industries…is the idea of a tation disaster assistance division A number of years ago, a well- they might want or need. “We thought there would be model plan,” he said. “Then you becomes involved in a bus crash liked company driver was involved To that end, Sledzik and Beck- some interest so we wanted to tailor-make that depending on depending on the severity of the in an accident and killed in Seattle jord outlined the kinds of issues come and present to a group that is what your specific needs are, incident, whether NTSB investiga- right after she had put Christmas operators will be confronted with really safety focused and get the where you operate, what kind of tors at the scene request its help, cards in the other drivers’ boxes, when there’s a major incident. feedback.” passengers you carry, and so on.” and if there are family members said James Colwell, a manager They drew on their experience of Possible approaches could be Customization of any model calling the NTSB seeking infor- with HAP Alaska-Yukon, which investigating a number of serious for the motorcoach and bus indus- family assistance plan would be mation, Sledzik said. provides land transportation and bus crashes in recent years. try to send employees to the NTSB key because many of the services Only in recent years has the services to the Holland America After a major accident with fa- to attend one of the ‘basic” family provided to victims families by the NTSB provided family assistance Line and Princess Cruises. talities, they asked, who is going to assistance training classes it cur- airline and rail industries can be at motorcoach accidents. One of “You can imagine the effect answer the phones when victim rently offers twice a year, in March tremendously expensive. the first was the January 2008 ac- that had on drivers, to learn a) this families start to call? Who is going and October, at its training facility These services are generally cident involving a chartered ski driver was killed and b) there was to deal with their questions about in Ashburn. paid for by airline insurance un- bus that ran off a road and rolled a Christmas card from her in your their loved ones — while you’re For information, go to http:// derwriters, and but insurers at the near the remote town of Mexican box,” he said. still trying to operate a business? www.ntsb.gov/trainingcenter/ UMA safety conference warned Hat, Utah, killing 9 of 53 passen- “So, we activated the care pro- Will that person be trained to CourseInfo/2012-Courses/ that the airline and rail industries gers on board and injuring many gram…. It just made it so much eas- deal with potentially hysterical or TDA301_2012.html. are so different from the bus and more, Beckjord said. ier. My team and I could investigate belligerent callers? Are you going Sledzik told Bus & Motor- motorcoach industry that it might There were a variety of chal- what was going on and deal with all to provide transportation for the coach News that if there were suf- be difficult for bus companies and lenges facing everyone involved in the authorities and all that, and hav- victims’ families to the accident ficient interest, a detailed course their insurance underwriters to dealing with the accident, she said. ing a couple of care people deal with site? Provide health care services could be created specifically for provide similar services. Because the area was so remote, all the drivers and the family.” to the injured? the bus and motorcoach industry. “A lot of you have seen a pre- victims were transported to hospi- “It just makes it so much more Transport injured passengers Contact Sledzik by email at sentation I have done on dealing tals in three states; there were mul- easier,” he told the conference. “To to their hometowns? Cover burial [email protected] and Beck- with a catastrophic accident,” said tiple buses on the ski trip but the me, this would be an enormous expenses for the deceased? How jord at [email protected]. Michelle Silvestro, assistant vice Phoenix-based bus owners did not asset.” Elevate your standards. And your passengers’ view.

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