April 1, 2006

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE INDUSTRY FTA may withhold $600,000 from charter rules violator Akron Metro transit tion has ruled. money and fine a public transit behind the allegations that resulted operator in the state and one of the The landmark decision has system that engages in a pattern of in the important ruling. many bus company victims of the used sham operator profound implications for private charter rules violations. Schweitzer told the Akron illegal charters operated by Akron AKRON, Ohio — Akron’s bus operators, as well as public “This will embolden private Beacon Journal newspaper that Metro Regional Transit Authority. public transit agency violated fed- transit systems, all across the U.S. carriers to take on transit agencies the decision “is a tremendous “We applaud the decision and eral charter rules at least 475 times It marks the first time the FTA because now we know there are precedent for the entire private bus hope it stops them,” said Thomas during a three-year period and has used new federal legislation, realistic penalties available to us,” industry.” Goebel, president of Lakefront. should lose $622,500 in federal signed into law by President Bush said Richard P. Schweitzer, gener- The FTA ruling was welcome In his ruling, the FTA regional funding, a regional administrator in August, giving the FTA the al counsel for the American Bus news at Lakefront Lines of Brook administrator in Chicago said for the Federal Transit Administra- power to both withhold federal Association and the driving force Park, Ohio, the largest private CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 þ 800-900 (legal) parking spaces for motorcoaches now open in Washington WASHINGTON — Starting half of the Nationals’ day games April 1, upwards of 800 to 900 are on weekends. close-in parking spaces will be The RFK parking lots will be available exclusively for tour and staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and charter visiting the nation’s motorcoaches will have easy ac- capital. cess via the SE/SW (Eisenhower) Yes, hundreds of legal parking Expressway, allowing quick trips spots that are roughly seven min- to and from downtown and other utes away by from the tourist areas. Washington Mall. The all-day parking rate for Here’s the deal: The DC Sports RFK has been set at $30, with in- & Entertainment Commission an- and-out privileges. nounced late last month it will The sports commission’s mile- begin providing daily parking for stone announcement comes nearly motorcoaches at Robert F. Ken- four years after a concerted effort nedy (RFK) Memorial Stadium. was begun by District of Columbia Coach USA to launch low- service Stadium Lot 8 has been desig- officials, private businesses and On April 10, Coach USA will begin cut-rate, curb- Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Columbus, Ohio. The nated exclusively for motorcoach- motorcoach industry groups to side between Chicago and lowest one-way fare will be $1, plus a 50 cents es on a daily basis, and Lot 6 will find workable solutions to the nine Midwestern cities. Called megabus.com, the reservation fee. Three or four seats on each one- be used by coaches on those days decades-old problem of tour bus Internet-driven express service will offer cheap way trip will be available for $1. Most one-way when the Washington Nationals parking that’s convenient for rides to and from Chicago and Cincinnati, will range from $9 to $27.50, depending on Major League Baseball team or groups visiting downtown Wash- Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, the destination. See complete story on page 3. DC United professional soccer ington, the Capitol and memorials team have day games. Roughly CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 þ Bus fires are Topic A in industryand at ABC workshop WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — conversation, to formal meetings workshop series it has been con- ager, told the group that gathered media attention for several weeks, Bus fires continue to be a critical and seminars. ducting annually for seven years on for this year’s workshop at the com- has sparked increased interest in issue in the motorcoach industry. The cause and impact of bus what those attending want most to pany’s sprawling service and sales the issue by Washington regulators, While most people — opera- fires was issue No. 1 last month at hear and talk about. The workshops facility outside of Orlando. safety officials, insurance compa- tors, insurers, manufacturers, safety the 2006 ABC Companies Colli- usually draw more than 50 people A seeming rash of high-profile nies and operators. experts and others – have worried sion Workshop, with almost all of from throughout the country. bus fires, including the incident The interest even extended about them for years, heightened the topics on the day-long agenda “We try to respond to what you that killed 23 people during last beyond the scheduled agenda of the interest in fires is now turning up touching on the problem. people want us to present,” Greg year’s hurricane evacuation effort ABC workshop. One insurance seemingly everywhere, from casual ABC bases the agenda for the Dotseth, an ABC operations man- in Texas that grabbed national CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 þ Hundreds of 1992-1994 MC-12s Available Now – Priced from $15,000

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Used vehicle sold "as is." No warranties expressed or implied. Bus & Motorcoach NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS April 1, 2006 3 Coach USA plans low-fare, curbside service from Chicago CHICAGO — Coach USA is April 10, also will operate direct The highest prices at the time were launching a Chicago-based, cut- service between Indianapolis and between $5 and $6.65 (U.S.). rate intercity bus service based on Cincinnati, and Indianapolis and Today, one-way fares for a 200- the successful similar service its Columbus. mile trip in the UK average the parent company began between The lowest one-way fare will equivalent of $10 (U.S.). major cities in Scotland about be $1, plus a 50 cents reservation In the UK, megabus.com yield three years ago. That service has fee. At least three or four seats on manages its seats just like , expanded to 40 locations through- each one-way trip will be available meaning last-minute ticket buyers out the . for $1. Most one-way fares, how- typically pay more. Called megabus.com, the ever, will range from $9 to $27.50, The trips for the Chicago- Internet-driven, curbside service depending on the destination. based megabus.com service will will offer cheap express runs When megabus.com was range from 92 miles (Chicago to between Chicago and Cincinnati, launched by Stagecoach Group in Milwaukee), to 409 miles (Chica- Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Scotland in September 2003, the go to Minneapolis). Six of the ser- Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. lowest fare was one British pound, vice’s eight trips are more than 285 Louis, and Columbus, Ohio. or roughly $1.66. (See Oct. 15, miles. Curbside pick up will be a hallmark of the megabus.com service The service, which begins 2003, Bus & Motorcoach News.) CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 þ Insurance market softens but rates aren’t expected to turn down, say experts Earlier in this decade, one of Because there has been a the true hot-button issues among degree of softening, Silvestro says motorcoach operators was insur- some insurers are becoming more ance premiums. The complaints aggressive, particularly in the from operators were loud … and Northeast. “They got out of the they were often. market and now they’re getting The grumbling has softened, back in.” just like the insurance market. Philip Love of Rodes-Roper- Depending on which motor- Love Insurance of Melbourne, Fla., coach industry insurer you speak says operators that have good safe- with, rates have either “softened” ty programs and watch their losses or “stabilized,” and the difference can find good insurance deals may be more than semantics. today. “I see the market softening Regardless of the term, however, up a little bit,” he says. the bottom line with insurance rates Fran Walsh, vice president of these days is an operator’s loss Lancer Insurance Co., the largest record. insurer of motorcoaches, is in the Good record? camp of those who say the market Better rates. is stable. Still, for those operators who’ve “Based on over 21 years that we recorded claims that generally have been a major bus and motor- impact rates, insurers have a sug- coach insurer, the current market is gestion or two for things that can be as stable as ever,” Walsh said. done to ease the financial pain. “The insurance companies that Michelle Silvestro of National are truly committed to the bus and Interstate Insurance, the No. 2 bus motorcoach industry have success- industry insurer, is among those fully stabilized the market after who say the market is softening, enduring the severe price fluctua- primarily because of increasing tions caused by the entry and competition. The number of insur- claims-related exit of several naïve ance companies in the market is on multi-line insurance companies in the rise, and prices are decreasing the late 1990s and early 2000s,” she or holding steady, she says. said. “Let me qualify that,” Silvestro A tried-and-true tip Walsh adds. “Companies are still under- offers for getting a good deal on writing the industry, but if an insurance, regardless of past insured had an adverse loss experi- claims, is to adopt a higher ence, that (operator) won’t see pric- deductible on liability and physical ing go down. We’re still looking at damage premiums. “It’s quick, it’s pricing on an individual basis, easy and it’s very effective,” she account by account.” says. But Silvestro says that even “By doing a little homework with softening, she doesn’t expect and using loss runs from the past to see a price war like the industry five years, good operators can draw experienced in the late 1990s. “It’s a line between the predictable loss- getting very competitive and com- es and fund them internally through panies are willing to go the extra deductible use, and use their insur- mile to keep and write good ance premiums to pay for the accounts,” she says. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 þ 4 April 1, 2006 Bus & Motorcoach NEWS

Diesel, gasoline Senators push new biodiesel bill Calif. diesel bill WASHINGTON — Two U.S. Second, the bill would give a state must contain least 2 percent worries operators to remain pricey senators have introduced legisla- 35-cents-per-gallon tax credit for ethanol. WASHINGTON — The price tion designed to push development E85 fuel and give automakers a Gov. Christine Gregoire is SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A of diesel fuel is projected to aver- of alternative and renewable fuel $100 tax credit for every E85- expected to sign the measure. It is worrisome new bill that creates a age $2.49 per gallon this year and technologies to decrease American capable vehicle they produce. estimated that Washington will re- diesel particulate monitoring pro- gram at and elsewhere is slip slightly to $2.42 next year, the dependence on foreign oil. Third, it would require the U.S. quire up to 21.2 million gallons of making its way through the Cali- U.S. Department of Energy forecasts. Included in the bill is a provi- government to allow public access biodiesel annually for in-state use. fornia legislature. Demand for diesel is projected sion that would create an alterna- to alternative and renewal fuel sta- The measure, dubbed the to grow by nearly 4 percent both this tive diesel standard in the U.S. that tions on federal property, and Michigan bill seeks “magnet bill” because it contends year and next as the economy con- would require two billion gallons require that only “clean buses” be biodiesel tax breaks tinues to expand and as fuel prices that certain facilities attract diesel of biodiesel be mixed into the 40 eligible for federal cost sharing. LANSING, Mich. — The particulate emissions like magnets, ease slightly, DOE’s Energy Infor- billion gallon annual national die- Finally, the legislation would Michigan House has approved a mation Administration reported. would require airports, and sel pool by 2015. create a director of energy security bill that would provide bus opera- rail yards to monitor emissions at Last month, the price of diesel The legislation, put together by “to oversee and keep America tors and other motorists a tax break fuel moved past $2.50 a gallon for their facilities, designate sources of Senators Barack Obama, D-Ill., focused on its goal of energy inde- for purchasing fuel with biodiesel emissions, and develop and imple- the first time this year in the DOE’s and Richard Lugar, R-Ind., is pendence.” and higher ethanol. ment mitigation plans to reduce weekly survey, rising by month’s called the American Fuels Act of Under the bill, the state tax emissions. end to more than $2.58 a gallon. 2006 (S. 2446). It proposes a four- Washington adopts would be 12 cents a gallon on The California General Assem- Gasoline prices this summer step approach to reducing imports biodiesel measure those fuels, compared to the cur- bly passed the measure in January are expected to rise above $2.50 of foreign oil. OLYMPIA, Wash. — The state rent 15 cents per gallon for regular and it has been assigned to the Sen- per gallon. Retail regular gasoline First, it would spur investment senate in Washington has approved diesel fuel and 19 cents for regular ate transportation committee. is projected to average $2.42 this in alternative fuels by increasing a bill to boost the use of 2 percent gasoline. Trucking groups worry the bill year, 15 cents above last year, and the production of cellulosic bio- biodiesel fuel, and the measure is The incentive in Michigan cov- will provide regulatory authority to $2.36 per gallon in 2007, the mass ethanol to 250 million gal- likely to be signed into law. ers 5 percent biodiesel, which is local air districts to control mobile agency said. lons by 2012. And it would require Under the bill, by December higher than requirements adopted diesel sources, resulting in a patch- The price of diesel fuel is cur- that 5 percent of the diesel fuel 2008, 2 percent of all diesel sales in Minnesota and Washington work of local, facility-specific rently roughly 34 cents a gallon high- sold in the U.S. in 10 years contain in the state must be biodiesel and state, which are phasing in 2 per- requirements, thereby creating er than it was this time a year ago. biodiesel. all gasoline sold in Washington cent biodiesel mandates. widely varied regulations. 20 YEARS OF SERVICE!

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800-334-2871 [email protected] www.coachcrafters.com Serving the nation from facilities in Florida and Minnesota. Bus & Motorcoach NEWS THE DOCKET April 1, 2006 5 Study says driver behavior Oops. FMCSA is forced causes most truck crashes to widen bus crash study, WASHINGTON — A “two- factors.” year study” that took the federal The FMCSA says it now will comes up short on data government more than five years begin to analyze such driver factors WASHINGTON D.C. — A of the new accidents includes a to complete, has found that drivers as use of prescription and over-the- federal study into the causes of bus look at possible causation indica- of large trucks and other vehicles counter drugs, speeding, fatigue, crashes that was criticized for not tors such as a carrier having high involved in truck crashes are near- inattention, distractions, work being broad enough to obtain numbers of previous accidents, ly 10 times more likely to be the environment and unfamiliarity meaningful results has been moving violations and out-of-serv- cause of the crashes than anything with the road. extended by a full year and ice safety infractions. else. “This study makes it clear that Annette Sandberg expanded to cover a wider area. The study, mandated by the While the study’s principal we need to spend more time ad- said Parra. “No crashes involving The Bus Crash Causation Motor Carrier Safety Improvement finding is not a major surprise, it dressing driver behavior, as well as buses were examined in the study,” Study that the Federal Motor Act of 1999, came under heavy fire still is expected to lead to addi- making sure trucks and buses are Parra observed. Carrier Safety Administration from the motorcoach industry at tional federal regulatory focus on fit for the road,” said FMCSA Ad- The FMCSA has a separate began in January 2005 now will the outset. Industry executives truck and bus drivers, plus trigger a ministrator Annette M. Sandberg study under way of bus crashes continue toward the end of 2007, at maintained the target area was too new round of driver-related in announcing the study results. (see story at right). least 12 months longer than initial- small to produce results that would studies. “The multitude of data now The truck study investigated ly planned. reflect what actually is happening The Large Truck Crash Causa- available will allow us to analyze hundreds of fatal and injury crash- In addition, the geographical throughout the country. (See Dec. tion Study was initiated by the Fed- specific areas of behavior and es between April 2001 and Decem- area in which accident information 15, 2004, and March 1 and June 1, eral Motor Carrier Safety Admin- work with our industry and safety ber 2003 in 17 states. Each crash is being gathered has been broad- 2005, issues of Bus & Motorcoach istration and the National Highway partners to develop an agenda on involved at least one large truck ened from the northeastern part of News.) New Jersey to the entire state. Littler, one of the harshest crit- Traffic Safety Administration in driver safety that will improve and resulted in at least one fatality Despite the move by the ics, contended the study would be January 2001, and was to be com- commercial motor vehicle driver or injury. The total sample of 967 FMCSA to expand the area and further skewed because New pleted in two years. performance,” she added. crashes included 1,127 large length of the study so it can come Jersey has a robust bus safety The FMCSA commissioned Victor Parra, president and trucks, 959 non-truck motor vehi- up with sufficient information, the enforcement program. And, he the study to find the causes of and CEO of the United Motorcoach cles, 251 fatalities, and 1,408 agency failed to quell criticism, said, there is ample evidence that contributing factors for crashes Association, was troubled that injuries. with a warning the study still is not states with strict bus enforcement involving large, over-the-road rigs. Sandberg included the bus industry Action or inaction by the driver broad enough to produce enough programs are the least likely juris- While previous studies focused on in her remarks about the study. of either the truck or other vehicle information to reach valuable con- dictions to have high crash occur- specific crashes and individual “I’m concerned that Sandberg was the critical reason for 88 per- clusions. rences. causes of crashes, the large truck includes ‘buses’ in her comments, cent of the crashes. “It’s still doomed to failure,” The Insurance Institute for study was the first nationwide despite the fact that the research For copies of the report, go to asserts Norm Littler, the new vice Highway Safety and Advocates for examination of “all pre-crash reviewed only truck accidents,” www.fmcsa.dot.gov. president of regulatory and indus- Highway and Auto Safety also try affairs at the American Bus complained to the FMSCA about Operators urged to plan for pandemic Association and executive director the study methods, warning the of the Bus Industry Safety Council, results would be rejected by safety WASHINGTON — The U.S. Those briefing the association transportation industry needs to be a unit of the ABA. organizations and others. Department of Transportation is executives were Joel Szabat, pro- aware of the potential problem and Littler’s comments were made The FMSCA defended its ini- recommending that bus and truck gram manager at the Federal Rail- prepare for it. before he left his job last month as tial plans, saying that historically operators begin immediately de- road Administration; John Hill, 4. Operators should have a senior vice president of the United New Jersey has enough bus acci- veloping plans for dealing with the FMCSA assistant administrator/ company hygiene and business Motorcoach Association. He was dents to provide researchers with threat of a worldwide pandemic flu. chief safety officer, and William continuity plan in place. one of the study’s earliest critics. sufficient data to reach reliable Companies should take steps A. Quade, director of the Office of 5. Owners and managers should FMCSA spokesman Ian conclusions on the causes of crash- that will help protect employees’ Safety Programs at the FMCSA. go to www.pandemicflu. gov/plan/. Grossman said the agency had es. Additionally, it held that the health and safety, plus limit the “Basically, they wanted to con- At the Web address, click on the hoped to study between 50 and 100 state also has a variety of bus oper- negative impact of a pandemic on vey their goals, which were — “Business” link that leads to a serious accidents in 2005, but ations — private church trans- their operations and business, say should a pandemic flu hit the US page with a link to several “plan- found only 23 crashes by the end of portation, commuter runs, inner USDOT officials. — to make sure the surface trans- ning checklist(s)” that identify the year. city transit, and professional Last month, administrators portation systems continue with specific steps and tasks companies “The timeline was extended motorcoach tours and charters — from the Federal Motor Carrier minimal disruption and the DOT’s should implement. because there were not as many that would add valuable input to Safety Administration and the Fed- essential services continue,” said For example, there are check- bus crashes as we had anticipated, the study. eral Railroad Administration Victor Parra, president and CEO lists for planning for the impact of which, of course, is great news,” he Littler said the only reasonable briefed top executives from the of the UMA. a pandemic on your business and said. “But that means we needed to way to obtain results that would be United Motorcoach and American Other key points made during another for the impact on employ- extend the data collection period to valuable to the industry is to study Bus associations and the American the briefing include: ees and customers. There also is a have an appropriate set of data.” accidents in all 50 states. “You Trucking Associations on plans 1. The government is working checklist for policies that should He said extending the collec- have to cast the net wide so you can the USDOT is making to deal with on a national pandemic flu plan be developed during a pandemic, tion period from one year to two do some comparisons,” he said. a possible pandemic influenza. that is nearing completion. the location of resources to protect and expanding the study area “We should see how the accidents should put the accident count over compare in states with safety pro- The federal administrators also 2. It is estimated that if pan- employees and customers, and 50 by the end of the year. After grams and states without them, and wanted to explain how DOT’s essen- demic flu hits the U.S., it will communicating and coordinating that, he said, researchers are if the accidents occurred on high- tial services would continue to func- result in a near 30 percent absentee with others during a pandemic. expected to take several months to ways or secondary streets or in tion and the agency would be the job rate and 5-11 percent drop in “They also wanted us to know review and evaluate the data and urban areas or in rural areas.” primary source of industry infor- the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. that guidance is coming,” said should issue its findings sometime He stressed that the problems mation in the event of a pandemic. 3. Everyone in the ground Parra. late next year. the agency is now having with the Grossman said the cost of the study could have been avoided had Vermont House OKs hike in state diesel fuel, gas tax study has been increased to the FMSCA sought the advice of MONTELIER, Vt. — The Ver- gasoline tax would increase by 4 is $24 million short on funds to pay $500,000 from $450,000 because industry representatives during the mont House has approved a trans- cents to 24 cents. for the state Agency of Transpor- of the new timeline. planning stages of the study. “Had portation budget that includes a It is unclear whether the plan tation and to raise enough money In addition to studying new we been part of it, we would have six-cent-a-gallon increase in the will pass the state Senate or to qualify for $300 million in fed- accidents occurring in New Jersey, pointed some of those things out,” state diesel fuel tax. whether Gov. James Douglas eral money for road projects researchers are looking at accident he added. “Now it looks like no databases and insurance informa- one is willing to admit that they Under the plan, the diesel tax would approve the idea. through 2009. tion on past accidents. The review made a mistake.” would increase to 32 cents, and the Studies have estimated the state 6 April 1, 2006 OPINION Bus & Motorcoach NEWS Cuts of Katrina Truckers hotly debate governing speed Sure, the feds had to hire help quickly as they A fierce debate among truckers — the policy. “With speeding as a factor in cations. worked to relieve the suffering caused by Hurricane that easily could spill over into the over- one-third of all fatal highway crashes, it Those opposed to the idea reject the Katrina. But that haste doesn’t begin to explain away the-road bus industry — has erupted over makes all the sense in the world to work concept on grounds it doesn’t make eco- the layers of contractors that The Washington Post the idea of limiting the top speed of trac- to reduce this number.” nomic sense, is impractical, and is discovered were taking pieces of federal hurricane tor-trailers to 68 miles per hour. The debate among truckers also is fraught with potential legal problems. recovery contracts in Louisiana. Leading the charge among truckers taking place in Canada. The Canadian “When it makes my truck payment An article carried by The Charlotte New & to restrict the highway speed of 18- Trucking Alliance, that country’s largest and (pays for my) fuel, the ATA can Observer portrays an unmanageable web of contrac- wheelers is the industry’s largest trade trucking association, has endorsed legis- come set my trucks up the way it wants tors called out to clean up after disasters. Besides group, the American Trucking Associa- lation to mandate that all trucks of more to. Until then, while I write the checks, being expensive, this so-called system has rewarded tions. than 24,250 pounds there have speed my trucks will be set up to run the speed contractors for doing little to help other than paper- The ATA board has formally adopted governors that would limit them to 105 that is posted in the state they are operat- work. What happens is that federal agencies in charge a speed–limiting policy and, in the kilometers per hour, about 65 mph. ing in,” the owner of a trucking and tow- of disaster-related contracts turn first to prime con- process, touched off an emotional and David Bradley, CEO of the Canadian ing company wrote in the trucking news- tractors large enough to carry the necessary insur- polarizing industry debate. trucking trade group, said that while paper Topics. ance. The primes are legally free to hire subcontrac- As Dave Osiecki, ATA’s vice presi- truck drivers are — as a group — the The same tow-truck operator said he tors, and they do. dent for safety, security and operations, country’s safest drivers and the least like- was once called out to help a trucker One particularly galling example is Landstar Sys- put it: “There doesn’t seem to be any- ly to be excessively speeding, his associ- trapped in his rig as a result of an acci- tems Inc., a $2 billion company hired for the bus body in between on this one.” ation wants to “eliminate speeding alto- dent. “I was given a escort for 35 evacuation of New Orleans. Landstar, a transporta- The rationale behind the concept gether; the environmental and safety miles. If my tow unit only ran 68 mph, tion broker, has no buses. And people had already appears altruistic and, in the main, logi- benefits are simply too significant to the trucker would not be living today.” been stranded at the New Orleans Superdome for 48 cal: Growing congestion in more and ignore.” An industry consultant worries that a hours when the Federal Emergency Management more areas of the U.S. seems to be fuel- The move by the trucking alliance 68 mph speed limit on new trucks would Agency called on it. ing a rise in speeding, with more vehicles follows a call by the Ontario Trucking leave a wide hole for opportunistic attor- Landstar then subcontracted with another com- driving over the posted limits, and by Association in November for speed lim- neys to sue every small trucker and pany (Carey ), which hired two other out- more miles per hour. This seems espe- iters on all trucks that operate in that trucking company that exceeds the limit. fits (Bus Bank and Transportation Management cially prevalent when congestion starts to province, Canada’s largest by population. While saying he agrees with what Systems) to hire charter bus companies. Everybody thin and drivers jam the accelerator out Bradley also is president of the OTA. ATA is trying to do, the consultant insists got a cut. of frustration and a desire to make up Initially, the ATA strategy in the U.S. the initiative is not needed for the major- Hundreds of buses eventually made it to New time. is to encourage the makers of diesel ity of responsible carriers who follow Orleans, earning Landstar $1,200 a bus — nearly Advocates also say way too many engines and over-the-road trucks to limit common-sense rules. “In fact, most well- double (what it paid) the charter companies. people are still being injured and killed the top speed of trucks to 68 mph. run carriers limit road speed to 65 mph, Landstar is far from the only example of contrac- each year in all kinds of highway crash- However, many advocates think legisla- and whether trucks go 50 mph or 100 tors feeding at the federal trough. In fact, the Post es, most of which – by the way — don’t tion may be necessary to limit speeds to mph, there are many variables besides found that the difference between the actual cost of involve trucks, and limiting top speeds 68. But first, ATA says it will talk with speed that contribute to accidents.” Katrina cleanup jobs and the price charged to taxpay- could reduce the death toll. fleets and the truck and engine makers to A Tennessee trucker said that for its ers ranged from 40 percent to 1,700 percent. That dif- “There has been a growing sense see if a consensus can be reached on the 2006 new truck order the engine-control ference equals waste, pure and simple. within the trucking industry for the need issue. modules would be programmed to have a It’s waste the hurricane-ravaged areas can’t to slow down the large truck population, Such a consensus seems a long way top speed of 65 mph, with an option that afford. New Orleans, for example, needs $3 billion as well as all traffic,” ATA President Bill off, judging by the number and content gives drivers an extra 3 mph if they for levees strong enough to encourage displaced res- Graves said after the ATA board adopted of letters to the editor in trucking publi- achieve a specific mile-per-gallon target. idents to rebuild devastated neighborhoods, but Congress has diverted half the money. The House Government Reform Committee ex- Volvo plans diesel hybrids for heavy-duty use in 2009 pects to hold a hearing on Katrina waste this month. GOTEBERG, Sweden — Volvo AB, Volvo said it would begin selling of the industry. A parade of contractors and subcontractors testifying one of the world’s largest manufacturers hybrid-powered Class 8 vehicles to the Volvo, the Swedish parent of Volvo under oath may be what it takes to begin reining in of heavy-duty diesel engines and trucks, on-highway market by 2009, marking the Trucks North America and Prevost Car, these runaway costs. When even middlemen have says it plans to introduce diesel-electric first time a leading global manufacturer said the hybrid power plants could cut middlemen, it’s time for Washington to put a stop to it. hybrid power systems for over-the-road of heavy-duty diesel engines and trucks annual fuel use by 35 percent, depending Reprinted from The News & Observer, Charlotte, N.C. trucks. has aimed the technology to that segment on the application.

How to contact us: ISSUE NO. 74 Dale Krapf To submit or report news, Letters to the Editor, Krapf Coaches To advertise or to mail advertising-related West Chester, Pa. articles, news releases: materials: A PUBLICATION OF THE UNITED MOTORCOACH ASSOCIATION E-mail: [email protected] Call: Johnny Steger Godfrey LeBron (623) 930-8422 or (602) 980-0840 Paradise Trailways Fax: (866) 930-8426 Staff Advisory Board West Hempstead, N.Y. Mail: 4930 W. Glendale Ave., Suite 6 E-mail: [email protected] Editor & Publisher William Allen Bob Foley Joan Libby Glendale, AZ 85301 Mail: 4930 W. Glendale Ave., Suite 6 Sierra Trailways ABC Companies Cavalier Coach Victor Parra Call: (623) 930-8423 Glendale, AZ 85301 Sacramento, Calif. Faribault, Minn. Boston, Mass. To contact the Sales Director Senior Editor Larry Benjamin Steve Haddad Jeff Polzien To subscribe or inquire about your subscription: Northfield Lines Carl R. Bieber Tourways Red Carpet Tours United Motorcoach Association: Johnny Steger Bruce Sankey Call: (623) 930-8421 Northfield, Minn. Kutstown, Pa. Oklahoma City Call: (800) 424-8262 E-mail: [email protected] Government Editor Associate Editor Dave Bolen Rick Hillard Tom Ready Online: www.uma.org New World Tours Tri-State Tours Ready Bus Lines Fax: (866) 930-8426 Norman Littler Ellen Balm Bristow, Va. Galena, Ill. LaCrescent, Minn. Mail: 4930 W. Glendale Ave., Suite 6 To send advertisements or photographs Editorial Assistant Editorial Assistant Bob Brisman Todd Holland Brian Scott Glendale, AZ 85301 via the Internet: West Point Trailways Ramblin' Express Tara Sheehan Amy Stalknecht Escot Bus Lines E-mail: [email protected] Vails Gate, N.Y. Colorado Springs Largo, Fla. To report corrections: Accountant Editorial Assistant David Brown Robert Hume Michelle Silvestro Call: (623) 930-8421 Holiday Tours Mates Trailways National Interstate Insurance Co. John Giddens Melissa Harden E-mail: [email protected] Randlemann, N.C. Harrisonburg, Va. Richfield, Ohio ©2006 by the United Motorcoach Association. Art Director Steve Brown Daryl G. Johnson T. Ralph Young Reproduction in whole or in part without Brown Coach J & J Charters Young Transportation written permission is prohibited. Mary E. McCarty Amsterdam, N.Y. Crosby, Texas Ashville, N.C. Bus & Motorcoach NEWS THE DOCKET April 1, 2006 7 FMCSA to resume publication of bus, truck safety scores WASHINGTON — The Fed- Now Sandburg and her agency issued last year, the Oak Ridge lab rithm concerns as “a separate Bus and truck safety experts eral Motor Carrier Safety Admin- are being criticized for reactivating found that “about 90 percent of the issue,” to be addressed after the worry that continued use of flawed istration is getting ready to start the system before it has been com- carriers identified as at-risk … (by SafeStat data is reposted. or incomplete data will not only putting fleet safety ratings, com- pletely fixed. the SafeStat algorithm) did not Among other things, SafeStat severely undermine SafeStat’s piled for its SafeStat program, back The FMCSA reportedly has have a high crash risk in the post- is supposed to assure that more credibility but also unfairly punish on its Web site. become convinced that it’s now selection period.” regulatory attention is paid to carri- carriers with good safety records, The FMCSA removed the getting accurate accident reporting FMCSA has decided, a spokes- ers that are involved in more acci- while letting others with lousy SafeStat data from the Internet two data from most states. However, man explained, to treat the algo- dents than the norm. safety records escape scrutiny. years ago after the U.S. Depart- research by the ATA paints a differ- ment of Transportation Inspector ent picture. General criticized the accuracy of “FMCSA now believes it is the information and how bus and receiving 99 percent of crashes truck companies were ranked. required to be reported.” However, “We have been getting ready to a detailed study of nine states by repost those scores,” said an the University of Michigan showed FMCSA spokesman. They will “the average underreporting per- return, he noted, “probably within centage … [of accidents] is 50 per- the next few weeks.” cent,” ATA President Bill Graves The FMCSA’s decision was wrote to Transportation Secretary immediately criticized by the Norman Mineta. American Trucking Associations, The ATA and other critics which says the program remains maintain that without accurate fraught with problems. The ATA data, it is impossible to apply a uni- contends the FMCSA is leaving form rule with which to rate the the job of fixing the system “half safety records of bus and truck done, at best; or, more accurately, operators. In addition, there are half undone.” concerns about the validity of the Truckers and safety experts in algorithm used to generate the the motorcoach industry were scores assigned to carriers. pleased in 2004 when FMCSA After the critical DOT IG Administrator Annette Sandberg analysis in 2004, the FMCSA had acknowledged flaws in the safety- an independent assessment done of rating system and pulled it off her SafeStat data by the Oak Ridge agency’s Web. National Laboratory. In a report Regulators expand inspections WASHINGTON — A new same time, 4,593 state compliance report says federal and state reviews were conducted, 848 more inspectors conducted more com- than in ’04. pliance reviews of bus and truck The number of unsatisfactory operators last year but initiated or out-of-service orders increased fewer enforcement actions. from 415 to 596. But the number There also was a big jump in of enforcement cases begun dur- safety reviews of new over-the- ing the year dropped, from 5,192 road bus and truck operators, in 2004, to 4,427 in 2005. called new-entrant inspections. The total number of new- The report by the Federal entrant safety audits increased Motor Carrier Safety Administra- from 25,316 to 34,121. tion said there were 7,998 compli- The average time to upload a ance reviews in 2005, 361 more crash to the FMCSA database than the previous year. At the improved from 84 to 57 days. USDOT announces $22 million for 207 scenic byways projects WASHINGTON — Commu- ways Program recognizes and nities in 42 states will share more enhances selected roads based on than $22 million in federal grants their archaeological, cultural, his- for 207 projects that improve and toric, natural, recreational or scenic promote highways designated as qualities. scenic byways Since 1992, the program has The U.S. Department of awarded more than $250 million in Transportation grants will be used grants for more than 1,800 byway for projects such as scenic over- projects. looks, visitor information centers, “The grants we’re announcing pedestrian trails, bike paths, safety today will help preserve and pro- upgrades and educational and pro- mote a collection of diverse motional materials. American roads that provide “This investment ensures that unique travel destinations and sup- we can protect and promote the countless small businesses,” roads that make America great,” said Richard Capka, acting federal said Transportation Secretary Nor- highway administrator. man Mineta. For a state-by-state list of offi- The Federal Highway Admin- cial byways, go to www.bywayson- istration’s National Scenic By- line.org. 8 April 1, 2006 THE DOCKET Bus & Motorcoach NEWS President Bush signs law to stop parts counterfeiting WASHINGTON — President There also is growing concern loophole, making it illegal to ship and clearly specifies it is illegal to their products off the streets,” said Bush signed into law a measure about the safety risks associated imitation goods. give away counterfeit goods in Bush. designed to help stop the increas- with using counterfeit parts. The The legislation also requires exchange for some future benefit Business groups, like the ing number of counterfeit heavy- largest problem in the heavy-duty courts to order the destruction of — in effect, the “bartering” of Motor and Equipment Manufac- duty truck and bus parts that are truck and bus market is counterfeit equipment used to manufacture counterfeit goods. Networks of turers Association, hailed the bill’s flooding into the U.S. brake components. Drive train and knockoffs, and requires that coun- counterfeiters have used these signing as a positive step to protect The Stop Counterfeiting in suspension components also have terfeiters surrender any profits loopholes to frustrate investigation U.S. businesses and consumers. Manufactured Goods Act, which become more commonplace. from the sale of imitation goods. and prosecution under current law. The bill was introduced by covers all fake manufactured goods A knock-off brake value that The law says that those convicted “These commonsense reforms Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Mich., at in all industries, “strengthens looks almost identical to a genuine of counterfeiting must reimburse will help law enforcement to crack the beginning of the 109th Con- penalties for counterfeiters and Bendix brake value has a valve the legitimate businesses they down on this serious crime. We’ve gress. It passed in the House last gives prosecutors new tools to stop wall that is 56 percent thinner, exploited. got to get the counterfeiters and month and the Senate in February. those who defraud American con- according to Bendix. Testing by The even law criminalizes the sumers,” Bush said at the bill sign- Bendix indicates that using a look- production of stickers, tags, boxes ing ceremony. alike part in the braking system can or other items used to traffic fake Transits seek charter firms Product counterfeiting is esti- increase stopping distances by 25 products. The following public transit Area Transit System, 304 Brush mated to cost American auto, bus to 30 percent. Plus, it expands the definition providers have informed the St., St. Johns, MI 48879. Phone: and truck suppliers approximately Among the new law’s long list of trafficking to include the import United Motorcoach Association of (989) 224-8285. $12 billion in lost sales annually. of provisions is one that closes a and export of counterfeit goods, their intent to provide charter bus Auburn, Maine. Deadline: service unless willing and able pri- April 24, 2006. Write to: Glenn vate charter operators step forward Gordon, Director of Community Diabetes rules for drivers may be changed to offer their service, or to bid on Relations, West Maine Transpor- WASHINGTON — The Feder- change its medical standards, and Currently, drivers with insulin- contract opportunities. tation Services, 6 Washington St., al Motor Carrier Safety Adminis- if so, to what extent. treated diabetes mellitus may only Operators are urged to take the Auburn, ME 04210. Phone: (207) tration is considering making more Most recently, the FMCSA operate commercial vehicles in time to respond to these public 784-9335. changes to the federal rules that revamped its insulin-treated dia- interstate commerce if they obtain notices. The Greene County Transit restrict drivers with insulin-treated betes exemption program in sum- an exemption from the FMCSA. Beaumont, Texas. Deadline: Board in Zenia, Ohio, has issued a diabetes from operating bus and mer 2005. However, getting an exemption April 13, 2006. Write to: William request for proposals to operate trucks in interstate commerce. Evaluating potential changes to still can be a lengthy process because J. Munson, General Manager, and maintain its transit service, The agency has published an the existing driver diabetes rules prior to granting the exception the Beaumont Municipal Transit Sys- called Greene CATS. To request an tem, 550 Milam St., Beaumont, RFP, write or call Rich Schultze, advanced notice of proposed rule- will be one of the first issues to be agency is required to examine each Texas 77701. Phone: (409) 835- executive director, Greene CATS, making to begin re-evaluating the tackled by the newly appointed applicant’s medical circumstances 7895. 245 Valley Rd., Xenia, OH 45385. rule. The agency says its wants - FMCSA Medical Review Board. and publish their names in the Fed- Clinton, Mich. Deadline: Phone: (937) 562-6522. Deadline: licMOT705_Bus_News_Ad comments on whether 12/23/05 it should 8:18(See AMstory Page on page 1 9.) eral Register for public comment. CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 þ April 17, 2006. Write to: Clinton April 24, 2006.

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Working Together.  Toll Free 800 780 6880 3517 Marconi Avenue, Suite 207, Sacramento, CA 95821 • 916 972 1800 • Fax 916 972 1875 EGGIGSTS[IVFVYWLGSQ [email protected] • motorcoachmanager.com Bus & Motorcoach NEWS THE DOCKET April 1, 2006 9 FMCSA appoints medical panel to review driver rules WASHINGTON — The Feder- ally, the board will study sleep • Dr. Gunnar Andersson, sen- Drexel University College of Med- the National Sleep Foundation and al Motor Carrier Safety Adminis- issues in the second quarter of ior vice president for medical icine, Philadelphia. professor of pulmonary and critical tration has appointed five physi- 2006 before moving on to cardio- affairs and professor and chair of • Dr. Kurt Hegmann, director care medicine at the University of cians to look over a range of med- vascular, vision and hearing quali- orthopedic surgery, Rush Univer- and associate professor of the Kentucky College of Medicine in ical issues that affect commercial fications. sity Medical Center, Chicago. Rocky Mountain Center for Occu- Lexington. bus and truck drivers. The panel includes doctors • Dr. Michael Greenberg, asso- pational and Environmental Health • Dr. Matthew Rizzo, professor The new Medical Review Board with a range of specialties from ciate director for medical toxicol- at the University of Utah in Salt of neurology at the University of will examine such conditions and toxicology to neurology. The ogy and director of the Medical Lake City. Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa issues as diabetes and cardiovascu- appointees are: Toxicology Fellowship Program, • Dr. Barbara Phillips, chair of City. lar disease that may prevent truck- ers from getting or retaining a com- mercial driver’s license. The board also will help the FMCSA revamp its physical quali- fications for commercial motor vehicle drivers, and provide guid- ance on scientific and medical standards. In particular, the panel will help FMCSA decide whether its regulations need adjusting based on new research. Some of the agency’s current rules are based on studies that were done more than 30 years ago. Drivers who have been disqualified because of their medical condition say the agency’s regulations are out of step with current treatment regimes and modern medicine. U.S. Department of Transpor- tation agencies have been success- fully sued on several occasions over its medical exemption programs. During the past 20 years, FMCSA and its predecessor agen- cies have appointed medical review boards to look at specific issues. But the new board will serve two years and look at all of the agency’s medical programs and regulations. First on the agenda: diabetes and drug and alcohol issues. (See related story on page 8.) Addition- Diabetes

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 The United Motorcoach Asso- ciation will be among those organ- izations submitting comments. UMA President and CEO Victor Parra said he would recommend to UMA’s legislative and regulatory committee that the current rules not be changed. “The waiver program should be maintained for those who can pass rigorous review,” said Parra. “However, no previous experience of driving a commercial motor vehicle should be required to qual- ify for (a waiver), only previous driving experience in any vehicle for at least five years,” he said. Public comments on the ad- vanced notice of rulemaking may be submitted to the U.S. Depart- ment of Transportation rulemaking docket by visiting the USDOT Docket Management System Web site, http://dms.dot.gov. The docket number for the rulemaking is FMCSA 2005-23151 and the deadline for submitting comments is June 15.

12 April 1, 2006 INDUSTRY NEWS Bus & Motorcoach NEWS Setra partners to expand service, sales in the West RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Setra is line of coaches, according to com- bringing its sales and service net- pany spokesman Bryan C. Allen. work to the West Coast. He said the facility will continue Setra, the North American mo- to carry the Complete Coach Works torcoach division of DaimlerChry- name, but Setra signage will be add- sler, said it will partner with Com- ed so customers and drivers know plete Coach Works of Riverside, in the facility offers full Setra service. the operation of a facility that will Patrick Scully, chief commer- offer mechanical and body repairs, cial officer of Setra, said the move parts and pre-owned coach sales. to the West Coast stems from a vow The company currently has two the company made when it intro- other combination facilities, both on duced its S 417 model to the North the east side of the country — one American market that it would be Setra is expanding its service centers beyond its CoachWorld facility near Orlando at its headquarters in Greensboro, committed to the product and the N.C., and the other in Winter Gar- success of its customers. service, parts and sales center in all types of coaches at the facility, He said the company puts a pre- den, Fla., just outside of Orlando. “With the growing number of Winter Garden. The activities but they also service large recre- mium on its mechanics and body However, it does partner with West Coast Setra operators, we are included tours of the repair facility, ation vehicles and other types of repair technicians being certified in several private repair shops across ensuring the infrastructure is in which features the latest diagnostic vehicles, including a fleet of ambu- a variety of areas and offers each of the U.S. that give the company a place to support our customers,” he equipment and one of Florida’s lances owned by a nearby hospital. them 50 cents an hour more in pay network of 20 repair-only facilities, said. “By partnering with a rep- largest fully enclosed, heat-fired “It’s nice to be able to help out your for each certification they obtain. three of which are in California. utable service center, ensuring our paint booths. neighbors,” said Jack Farrell, gen- “They can do real well here if they It also has a regional operation strict requirements are upheld, and Technicians not only work on eral manager of CoachWorld. get their certifications,” he noted. for the sale of new coaches, includ- providing constant training and ing two salesmen who cover the resources, Setra will remain a DaimlerChrysler truck, bus sales surge in ’05 West Coast as part of their territory. leader in service and support STUTTGART, Germany — Demand in areas outside of its effect of falling earnings at its The new combination facility throughout North America.” DaimlerChrysler AB Sold a record main markets of North America, Mercedes auto division. in Riverside, about 60 miles east of The announcement comes just number of commercial vehicles last Europe and Latin America rose 31 DaimlerChyrsler is the parent Los Angeles, is expected to be days after Setra showcased its year. percent to 266,900 units. of Setra, Thomas Built Buses, ready to go sometime in May — inventory of about 50 used coaches Sales rose 16 percent to 824,900 Growth at the commercial vehi- Orion Bus, Detroit Diesel Corp., after service technicians at the at what it said was a successful trucks and buses, from 712,200 vehi- cle division of DaimlerChrysler has Freightliner, Sterling Trucks and repair center are trained on Serta’s “Spring Fling” at its CoachWorld cles in 2004, the company reported. helped the German firm blunt the Western Star Trucks.

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Call for a Quote Bus & Motorcoach NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS April 1, 2006 13 Operators are slow to switch to super-width tires Hundreds of 18-wheelers are along the nation’s interstate system running U.S. and Canadian high- to stock the tires so they are avail- ways a few wheels short these ‘Super wides’ replace duals able most anywhere. “So, replace- days. ment of the tire is actually very Instead of relying on the tradi- good,” he added. tional 18 tires and wheels, they’ve He pointed out, too, that most swapped eight of them for four flats occur because of improper “wide-base” single tires, some- inflation, which can be a problem times referred to as super singles. with dual tires because it is very It’s a switch many of them say difficult to check the tire pressure reduces vehicle weight, improves of inside tires due to the valve stem fuel economy, makes maintenance being hidden behind the outside easier, and provides a smoother tire. That’s not a problem with a ride. wide-base tire, he said, because it Some also claim the tires last has only one valve stem that is eas- longer because of better resistance ily accessible, allowing the driver to cutting, chaffing and scuffing. to check the pressure regularly. Introduced by Michelin six “We have a waste company years ago, the X One 17-inch wide gotten the advertised boost in fuel Burrughs said although other eral service centers along the 400- that’s using those tires on all of its tires — that’s close to twice the economy with a 4- to 7-percent tread patterns now are available on mile route that the coach with the trucks and they have dropped their width of a regular single commer- gain. “We wanted to try them be- the wide-base tires, he believes the wider tires used most often. number of flats down to six a day cial vehicle tire – have caught on cause we were expecting better concern about traction may be one Beardsley, who has taken his coach from 20,” he noted. so well that the tire maker recently fuel consumption and we got it,” of perception rather than reality. equipped with the wide-base tires Despite the cool reception the announced a $92 million expan- he said. “The rib tires are very good and, in up and down the East Coast wide-base tires have gotten so far sion that will allow it to begin In addition to the smoother ride my opinion, the feeling of being numerous times, said he is simply from the motorcoach industry, manufacturing them at a second and better fuel economy, Beardsley slippery is subjective, and they chancing it. Michelin plans to continue to pur- plant. and Barrette said the wider tires may only seem to have less traction If a wide-base tire goes flat, it sue the use of the X One on coach- “They’re here to stay,” insists cost about $300 less than two sin- and be slippery when they actually could be replaced with the tag-axle es and is confident they’ll eventu- Michael Burrughs, the company’s gles, a savings of $600 per coach. aren’t,” he said. “It is a personal tire and the standard spare can be ally take hold. truck product manager. Still, the wide-base tires are not perception.” put on the tag axle. The wide-base “We now are in the forefront While truckers seem to like the without drawbacks. While neither operator has had tire then could be transported to a with motorcoach usage of the idea of replacing two tires with one Both operators said the tires problems with flats on their wide- repair facility by the mechanic who wide-base tires, and it may take a wide one, the idea has yet to cap- seem to be more slippery in snow base tires, they say the possibility was called to the scene to change pioneering operator with an entre- ture the fancy of the motorcoach than standard duals. “They are not does raise a red flag because the the tires. preneurial spirit to embrace this industry. traction tires but highway tires. But tires are so large that there is no Michelin is aware of the con- radical change,” he said. “But we Only Prevost Car offers them once you get moving it is fine and room on a coach for a spare. cerns, says Burrughs, and has been remain convinced there is a market on some new H3-45 coaches and, then it handles beautifully,” said Barrette said he addressed the working with dealers throughout for the tires in the motorcoach so far, only a couple of carriers in Beardsley. problem by stocking a spare at sev- the country and with travel plazas industry.” the United States and Canada have opted for the wide tires. The reason for the cold shoul- der, suggests Burrughs, is fear of trying something new. “There is a natural reluctance to embrace radcial change, and this is a radical change,” he readily admits. “But that will change over time as the motorcoach industry sees the benefits of these tires.” Coach operators who are using them say they like what they’ve seen so far, but they want to test them a while longer before decid- ing whether to include them on other new coaches. “I’m very pleased with them so far. In fact, I really like them,” said Jimmy Beardsley, president of En- chanted Tours of Eastchester, N.Y., who has been running the wider tires on one of his four coaches since last October. “I think their handling on the coach makes the ride 10 times smoother and better.” Frank Barrette, director of operations at Autobus Maheux in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, who also has the wider tires on one of his coaches, agreed with the comfort assessment, noting that even pas- sengers have noticed the differ- ence. In addition, he said he has 14 April 1, 2006 INDUSTRY NEWS Bus & Motorcoach NEWS

Insurance mandatory $5 million liability limit and the increased claim severity in National Interstate profits climb CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 a relatively small insurable uni- severe, unpredictable losses,” she verse can easily discourage new RICHFIELD, Ohio — Nation- outstanding last year as a result of and full year of 2005, and the suc- explains. entries from entering into the mar- al Interstate Corporation has a public stock offering in February. cessful completion of our first year One of main reasons the bus ket,” she says. reported sharply higher earnings For the fourth quarter of last as a public company,” said Alan industry insurance market has not Adds Silvestro: “They (reinsur- for 2005, despite a slight increase year, National Interstate had net Spachman, chairman and president softened to a greater extent, say the ers) are usually at the back end of in accident-related losses last income of $7.92 million, up 19 of National Interstate. experts, is because reinsures are softening. If we reduce prices, we year. percent from four-quarter 2004 “Our people took advantage of holding firm on pricing. hope they will, too.” National Interstate Corp. is the earnings of $6.665 million. On a the available opportunities to grow And Walsh contends that the Tim O’Bryan of Service Insur- parent company of National Inter- per-share basis, fourth-quarter profitability and these efforts led outlook for the reinsurance market ance Agency also sees the reinsur- state Insurance Co., the No. 2 2005 earnings were 41 cents per- to another record year for sales and is glum. “That sector of our indus- ance picture as mitigating any sig- insurer of motorcoaches in the U.S. share diluted, compared to 42 cents profits,” Spachman added. try had to absorb the major finan- nificant softening of bus industry Net income for the company per share diluted for the fourth Separately, National Interstate cial impact of the past two devastat- insurance. “I don’t see it dropping last year was $30.3 million, up 33 quarter of 2004. announced that neither Spachman, ing U.S. hurricane seasons and is exceptionally fast because of the percent from 2004 net income of The fourth-quarter income who owns 16.2 percent of the com- certainly anxious over this year’s reinsurance thing,” he said. $22.8 million. gain reflects a 22 percent increase pany, nor Great American Insur- active hurricane season predic- “Reinsurance is not allowing On a per-share basis, 2005 in earned premium and a near 46 ance, which owns 53.4 percent of tions,” she noted. rates to drop so much. There is diluted net income was $1.60, up percent increase in net investment National Interstate, have any plans The reinsurance industry ran at some pressure for the insurance about 9 percent from the $1.47 per- income. Losses and loss-adjust- to sell their shares. National Inter- a 155 percent combined ratio last market to drop because the stock share diluted earnings in 2004. The ment expenses, however, rose 27 state has roughly 19.2 million year, meaning it paid out $1.55 for market is doing better.” reason for the significant differ- percent during the quarter, which shares outstanding. every $1 collected in premiums — According to O’Bryan, there ence in percentage gains for net the company said was in line with The pro-forma announcement not a solid model for long-term are pockets in the Southeast and income vs. earnings per share is expectations. satisfied a legal requirement of the business success. Midwest, mostly in rural or subur- because National Interstate had “We are very satisfied with the company’s public stock offering So, rate relief led by reinsurers ban areas, where more companies roughly 23 percent more shares results from both the fourth quarter last year. is not something likely to affect the are willing to write insurance. bus — or any other — industry that “They stay out of urban areas — operators of two or three years. In a stability and continued emphasis customer, he said. relies on reinsurance anytime soon, too many cars and not enough hard market, like immediately after on each company’s safety and loss Right now, the overall insur- says Walsh. pavement. Besides, urban areas are the 9/11 terrorist attacks, insurers record. ance market is stable, with some Looking ahead, Walsh predicts more litigious.” were offering one-year rates, Dave Dunn, president of RLI pockets of softness. “That’s normal that several insurers will “either He sees a softening of rates O’Bryan noted. Transportation, a division of RLI for insurance industries. Rates withdraw completely or scale back only for operators with few claims. With an insurance price war Insurance, said insurers look at mostly depend on the account and significantly in the pursuit of new A softer market, he says, can lead unlikely, most coach industry each account on its own merits. who wants to write it that day,” he bus accounts. The industry’s to longer-term rate protection for insurance experts are predicting Rates depend on the caliber of the said.

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Circulator, a public bus system every five to 10 minutes and cost the long hikes between popular ington Convention Center and K The expanded service was not that has been providing frequent $1 a ride, making the fare the and sites, like the Na- Street, and a north-south segment welcome news to Tom Mack, own- service in downtown Washington cheapest public transportation tional World War II Memorial on between the convention center and er and chairman of Tourmobile for the past nine months, has start- available in downtown Washing- the Mall’s west side. the waterfront via Chinatown and Sightseeing Inc., the private com- ed a new route around the Mall, ton. The service runs so often it The Smithsonian and the the Mall. (See June 1, 2005, Bus & pany that has held exclusive rights just in time for the tourism season. does not have a posted schedule. National Gallery are adding circu- Motorcoach News.) to provide the sightseeing trans- Circulator buses have begun The route was begun just lator brochures at their informa- The circulator’s red-and-black portation on the Mall under agree- operating a continuous loop on the before the March 25 start of the tion desks and will be including Van Hool A330 buses were picked ments with the National Park streets bordering the Mall, stop- annual Cherry Blossom Festival, information about the service on for the service because of their ease Service dating to 1969. The aver- ping at each of the Smithsonian which District of Columbia offi- their Web sites. of and large windows. age adult fare is $20 for the day. museums, as well as the two cials expect will draw about one The district launched the circu- The district, federal govern- The new route, he told the Wash- National Gallery buildings. million people to the city this year. lator in July with two routes: an ment and private sector are provid- ington Post, could damage — and Like the original circulator The additional circulator route east-west line between Union Sta- ing $6 million in operating subsi- possibly destroy — his business. tourism season upwards of 1,000 able to use the vouchers instead of will be posted on Web sites for the Planning Commission, the Metro- Parking tour buses descend on Washington having to come up with $30 in District Department of Transpor- politan Police Department, the dis- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 daily, extracting a heavy toll in cash. Credit cards cannot be used tation (www.ddot.dc.gov), and the trict Department of Transportation, and museums along the Mall. terms of congestion, pollution, for payment. DC Sports and Entertainment the Downtown Business Improve- “This is BIG news,” said an noise, intrusion into neighbor- By the end of May, those Commission (www.dcsec.com), ment District, the Washington elated Victor Parra, president and hoods and blocking sight lines. involved in the parking program plus UMA and ABA. Convention and Tourism Corpora- CEO of the United Motorcoach At the same time, those buses expect to have a drivers lounge Information about parking tion, the National Park Service and Association. and the people on them are open on Lot 8 at the stadium. The vouchers can be obtained from Ben at least three-dozen other groups, Now, operators have a reason- absolutely crucial to both the eco- lounge will offer a number of Yohannes, site manager at RFK including UMA and the American ably priced alternative to search- nomic life of the city and its role amenities and services to drivers, Stadium for Impark USA, via Bus Association. ing endlessly for parking spaces, as the nation’s capital. including cable TV, desk space, email ([email protected]), Playing particularly important parking illegally, or idling illegally The parking announcement tables for games or using a laptop phone (202) 608-1113, or fax but unsung roles were 6th Ward on district streets, said Parra. contained other bits of good news computer, and vending machines. (202) 544-2689. D.C. City Council Member Sharon The parking at RFK also will for coach operators. Officials had hoped to get the Finding the RFK Stadium solu- Ambrose and her research assis- be a welcome option for operators In an effort to reduce the num- lounge open at the same time the tion was the handiwork of D.C. tant Skip Coburn. Vetting the pro- whose drivers are constantly told ber of cash transactions and expe- parking lots became available but Mayor Anthony A. Williams’ gram for Coburn were Chuck to move their coaches or get tick- dite the parking process, the stadi- installation of utility lines delayed Downtown Congestion Task Force, Andrews of World Strides and eted because they couldn’t find a um’s parking contractor, Impark the process. the District’s Tour Bus Manage- UMA board member Dave Bolen, legal space. USA, will be offering pre-paid Within a short time, informa- ment Working Group, the D.C. owner of New World Tours in During Washington’s peak parking vouchers. Drivers will be tion and maps for the parking lots City Council, the National Capital Bristow, Va. and over-inflated tires, and over- failure, and fix that problem as well ABC worked wheel bearings all con- — a bad habit he said leads to more CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tribute, he said. breakdowns, more costly repairs adjuster, while listening to a speak- Having a good maintenance and sometimes fires. er, played with some figures on a program and using only reputable “It is very important to follow piece of paper and calculated that shops, he suggested, could go a the Cs,” he emphasized. “You real- of the 70 bus accidents he worked long way to preventing many prob- ly have to do it.” last year, 59 were fire related. And, lems. Bertsch said that only about 20 another adjuster took a telephone Dotseth urged bus maintenance percent of turbo engine failures are call during a session in which he personnel to pay careful attention due to the engines themselves, was informed that one of his to axle bearings because when they while the vast majority are caused client’s buses just had a fire while fail, they not only can cause serious by the performance and habits of on a charter run. damage to wheels, brakes and other the people who drive the buses and Among those attending the critical parts, but they have a high work on the engines. Louis Hotard of ABC Companies presents during workshop workshop were members of the potential of starting a fire as well. Cold starts that prevent oil from the potential of roadside mechani- Some fire suppression systems National Truck and Heavy Equip- “As new technology advances, warming enough to properly lubri- cal breakdowns and fires, motor- available for motorcoaches also ment Claims Council. The associa- mechanics are going under the cate engine parts, not paying atten- coach operators were urged to also extinguish wheel-well fires. tion, which is composed primarily buses less and less,” he said. “We tion to air filter service require- look into the array of aftermarket Peoples said small sensors of insurance claims adjusters spe- really need to do more of that.” ments, and failing to keep exhaust fire protection devices for further placed at various spots in the en- cializing in heavy equipment dam- Turbo engines require special systems clear are among the lead- protection. gine compartment — some of them age claims, is a long-time support- attention, too, in order to avoid ing causes of turbo engine failures, Among those highlighted at the even wrapped around starter and er of the ABC event. breakdowns and fires, according to he said. workshop were a fire-detection and alternator cables — are the key to The workshop itself covered Bob Bertsch, an ABC Companies The maintenance on exhaust suppression system developed by the system. They detect a fire, alert fire-related subjects ranging from operations manager and former systems is critically important Kidde Technologies Inc.; fire- the driver by setting off an alarm where they appear to occur most truck and bus mechanic. because even a small amount of resistant power steering fluid made and flashing light on a dash-mount- often, to aftermarket equipment He recommended that techni- blockage can plug the system and by Citgo Petroleum Corp., and a ed monitor, and then trigger the that can be installed on buses to cians who work on turbo engines cause a fire, Bertsch said, adding sensor system that constantly mon- extinguisher, all within seconds. detect and extinguish fires. follow the three “Cs” of complaint, that a bus in Minnesota recently itors tire pressure that is manufac- cause and correction to assure that caught fire after a driver backed tured by SmarTire Systems Inc. Price of protection Maintenance watchouts the repair work they are doing gets into a snowbank, clogging the Kidde’s offering not only alerts The systems cost between Dotseth told the group that done properly. exhaust. “Their maintenance is the driver when a fire is detected in $3,500 and $5,000 and are in use in engine compartments and wheels very, very important,” he stressed. the engine compartment, but it also about 7,000 transit buses and remain the critical spots for most Finding the cause activates a fire extinguisher that motorcoaches throughout the coun- catastrophic failures and fires. Too many mechanics, he main- Aftermarket help immediately coats the engine with try. New York City Transit has put Worn electrical wiring, exploding tained, repair or replace broken While good maintenance pro- a thick powder that quickly snuffs them on about 2,000 of its buses, batteries, malfunctioning alterna- parts without first finding out what grams, well-trained mechanics and out the fire, according to company and workers were in the process of tors, aging electrical cables, under- actually caused the breakage or respected repair shops can reduce representative Joey Peoples. CONTINUED ON PAGE 19 þ 16 April 1, 2006 INDUSTRY NEWS Bus & Motorcoach NEWS FTA the Soap Box Derby, told the Beacon Journal he is worried that CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 if he has to hire private operators, Akron Metro should lose federal transportation costs for the derby funds equal to one and one-half will climb. Last summer, Akron times the amount of revenue it Metro provided charter service for gained through the illegal charters the derby, taking racers to Geauga it operated between 2002 and 2005. Lake during the week and to Federal charter rules say public Derby Downs on race day. transit agencies receiving federal Iula said he regards it as grants may not provide charter bus Metro’s “civic duty” to help pro- service when a private operator is mote the derby, which in its 69th willing and able to do it. year will attract at least 325 racers. Not only did the ruling say Schweitzer’s research of 4,000 Akron Metro should be barred Akron Metro documents, obtained megabus.com brought a coach from receiving $622,500 in future under open-records laws, turned Minneapolis/St. Paul load of seniors and young adults funding but it also said the FTA up 187 illegal charters in 2002, from Milwaukee to Chicago for has the authority to require the 140 in 2003, 118 in 2004 and 30 in the news conference announc- transit system to refund federal the first four or five months of last ing its new service. A hub-and- grant funds already obtained for year. Milwaukee breaches of federal law. spoke arrangement (at right) has The FTA ruling says it is refer- Detroit Another aspect that makes the ring the information about the been adopted for the initial Chicago Akron Metro case particularly sig- sham relationship between Akron megabus.com service in the U.S. Cleveland nificant, as well as intriguing, is Metro and Burkett to the U.S. the allegation that the transit Department of Transportation Columbus Indianapolis agency operated the illegal char- Office of Inspector General. That Megabus.com Cincinnati ters by entering into sham con- may be a tip off the FTA suspects St. Louis tracting arrangements with a com- criminal wrongdoing. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 pany called Vance Charters. It is abundantly clear from Target markets for the service ice, which will be operated using bright blue and yellow livery, fea- Vance Charters was incorpo- Schweitzer’s research that the will include college students and 55-seat, E4500 MCI coaches, will turing the service’s signature rated 14 years ago by Bernard sham arrangement between Akron other young people, leisure travel- compete head-on against budget “Megadriver” character on the Burkett, a Metro employee and Metro and Vance Charters goes ers, seniors and commuters. airlines and existing coach and rail back. president of the local Transport back much further than 2002. Brian Souter, CEO of Stage- services, said Souter. The UK megabus.com service Workers Union. After probing three years coach Group, which owns Coach “We will be cheaper than any carries around 2 million passen- Whenever Akron Metro got a worth of documents, he decided he USA, said that megabus.com “has other fare on any other form of gers annually. It was started using request for a charter it would refer had seen enough and did not transformed intercity travel for transportation,” Souter told the 94-passenger, double-decker buses. the trip to Vance Charters, which extend his research into earlier millions of people in the UK news conference at Chicago’s Bookings for the U.S. and UK would arrange the service on years. However, he said in his where our commitment to innova- Navy Pier. services are via an attractive Web Metro buses. After getting the par- complaint there was information tion has successfully established a Attending the press event were site at www.megabus.com. The ticulars for a trip, Burkett would that Akron Metro had provided market-leading brand. the reigning Miss USA, Chelsea secure e-portal provides informa- simply send an e-mail to Akron service on behalf of Vance Chart- “We believe there is signifi- Cooley; Jonathan Darby, the dep- tion on arrival and departure times, Metro, telling it where to send its ers as far back as 1998. cant potential to develop the brand uty consul general at the British and the curbside pick-up and drop- buses. He even would request spe- Whether the FTA will use the and attract large numbers of pas- Consulate in Chicago; Dot Coyle, off points that’ll be used by passen- cific Metro drivers for certain evidence developed by Schweitzer sengers to the service in North director of Chicago’s Office of gers. There also are easy-to-read groups or events. to really dig into Akron Metro’s America, as part of our continuing Tourism, and Dale Moser, presi- maps for each location. There also is evidence that past and penalize it for earlier ille- organic growth strategy for the dent and COO of Coach USA. In Chicago, megabus.com pas- Burkett collected a fee for func- gal charters is problematic. The (Stagecoach) Group.” megabus.com is using 18 E- sengers will board the buses along tioning as a middle man in arrang- Akron Metro mess will be a clear The U.S. megabus.com serv- coaches that have been given a the curb on south Canal Street, be- ing the charters. test for FTA resolve. tween Jackson Boulevard and Almost all of the illegal char- Akron Metro Executive Prizes, prices and pizzazz: Adams Street. The location is ters conducted by Akron Metro — Director Robert K. Pfaff told the across the street from Union 469 of 475 — were run through Beacon Journal his agency would Station. Vance Charters, which used sever- appeal the FTA ruling. It has 10 MCI Grand Tour hits road In Minneapolis, one drop-off/ SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — • Drawings for prizes, includ- al other names — Absolute Chart- days to do so. pick-up point is at the University Motor Coach Industries is con- ing registration fees to Motor- ers, Abbie Charters, A Charter 4 U “As far as we’re concerned, it’s Avenue Ramp on the south side of ducting a rolling series of open coach Expo 2007 in New Orleans and A-1 Charters. Schweitzer con- an excessive penalty, and more- University Avenue near Walnut houses at its sales/service centers • The grand prize drawing is tends Vance Charters is a fictitious over, we don’t feel that we violat- Street, adjacent to the University of and at other locations across the for a REI retrofit kit, featuring entity that had neither operating ed any of the charter regulations,” Minnesota Aquatic Center. Another U.S. and Canada, starting this six, 10.4-inch LCD monitors. authority nor buses. Pfaff told the newspaper. Minneapolis location will be on the month and concluding in late June. The locations and dates are: In the complaint filed by The ruling could not have been west side curb of North 3rd Avenue Dubbed the Grand Tour, the • April 5–Los Alamitos, Calif. Schweitzer on behalf of the ABA better timed as the private bus at the 4th Street Parking Garage. events will feature activities, in- • April 12 – Dallas in June, the attorney found that industry prepares to head into The Web site also contains formation, special pricing on a • April 25 – New Orleans Akron Metro provided charter bus what are sure to be contentions information for disabled passen- range of services and products, • May 3 – Orlando service for everything from wed- negotiations with public transit gers and those who have luggage, new and updated coach models, • May 10 – Blackwood, N.J. dings, to family reunions, to agencies over key aspects of the including the baggage allowance. and drawings. Lunch will be pro- • May 17 – Montreal school and university trips, to din- federal charter regulations that Service advisories will be posted vided for attendees. • June 6 – Toronto ner theater outings, to shuttles Akron Metro blatantly violated. on the Web site. Highlights include: • June 8 – Des Plaines, Ill. between the convention center and Within a matter of weeks, the Passengers can book travel and • Introduction of The LUXE, • June 13 – Calgary, Alberta local hotels. FTA will begin a negotiated purchase tickets via a personal the “next stage in tour and con- • June 15 – Vancouver, Brit- It even helped out one of process designed to develop new computer, laptop or wireless hand- version shells” ish Columbia Akron’s signature events, the Soap rules covering some of the types of held device. • A briefing on 2007 engine • June 27 – Minneapolis Box Derby, plus local golf tourna- services Akron Metro provided Interested in checking out the changes MCI is sending invitations, or ments, marathon races and but which it and other public tran- service? Reservations are now • Special pricing on parts, interested operators can e-mail Founders Day celebrations. sits think they should be allowed being taken. service, pre-owned coaches [email protected]. Jeff Iula, general manager of to provide. Bus & Motorcoach NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS April 1, 2006 17 CoachCrafters still growing at 20 NORTHFIELD, Minn. — start-to-finish video, from stripping up her seat, except for a few clever- CoachCrafters, one of the best- a bus down to its frame, to rebuild- ly camouflaged additions, includ- known bus refurbishing, retrofitting, ing it like new. ing air conditioning and a wheel- repairing, maintaining and selling The company’s signature proj- chair lift. The bus was rebuilt so it companies in the Upper Midwest, is ect was the rebuilding a 1956 could be put in revenue service and celebrating its 20th anniversary. General Motors for the today is part of Montgomery’s pub- After two decades in business, city of Montgomery, Ala., for the lic transit fleet. the company considers itself a full- 50th anniversary of the Montgom- Wolf is proud of that project, service resource for motorcoach ery Bus Boycott. just as he is of every job that rolls owners and transit agencies across The finished bus was virtually out the door. “After 20 years,” he the nation. identical to the 1948 GM bus on says, “I still have my job; I must be “We have a dedicated and well- which Rosa Parks refused to give doing something right.” Body repair and rebuilding is everyday stock in trade for CoachCrafters trained staff at our two state-of-the art facilities — in Northfield and near Orlando, Fla., as well as a field-services team that to customer facilities,” said company  Shop in the city owner and president Wayne Wolf.  Forget luggage in the hotel  Cross-country ski outing  Snowstorm of the century  Scenic day at the falls  Drop wallet in river  Dancing and cocktails at 9

Wayne Wolf In 1986, during its first year in business, Coachcrafters completed its first major bus remanufacturing contract, a project for the city of Detroit. Twenty years later, the company is still taking care of buses for the city. It also has remanufactured every bus in the fleet of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and installed wheel- chair lifts in all but two of the city’s buses. Plus, says Bill Hoekstra, transportation and parking director of Cedar Rapids-based Five Sea- sons Transportation, “we’ve also bought eight used buses from CoachCrafters.” “Any organization that can go from selling to remanufacturing, from clients with six or seven buses to working with large metro transit agencies — they have something Cover your customers with Travel Insurance Protection there that everyone wants,” says Hoekstra. from United Motorcoach Association Wolf says CoachCrafters work with a wide range of customers — Sometimes a vacation doesn’t go quite as your customers expected. While nobody can plan for travel mishaps, you can have a solution. big and small, private operators and public agencies. And, he says, the Travel Guard offers affordable, comprehensive travel insurance protection for many of the events your customers didn’t plan. Coverage includes: company prides itself on coming Medical Expenses Baggage and Travel Documents up with creative solutions that meet Covers up to $1,000 in medical expenses within one year of injury We will pay up to $250 to replace your customer’s lost baggage and customers’ needs — whether it occurring during your customers’ trip. important documents; also includes $50 to purchase travel essentials if results in a sale or not. their luggage is delayed. “For our smaller customers,” he Emergency Medical Transportation says, “we take the experience we’ve Up to $20,000 to transport your customer to the nearest medical facility Travel Guard® Assist had working with larger compa- in an emergency. All the services of the nation’s largest travel insurance provider, nies, meet with the maintenance including 24-hour medical monitoring, 24-hour legal assistance, Travel Delay and 24-hour travel assistance. director, evaluate their bus fleet and Provides up to $100 for expenses incurred if your customer is delayed at help them determine what needs to any time during their trip. be done. They can then take that information and go out for bid.” One of CoachCrafter’s top goals To learn more about Travel Guard’s insurance program, is to eliminate surprises for cus- call Travel Guard at 1.866.385.4839. tomers. To help do that, the compa- ny uses digital photos of the work This is only a brief description of the coverage available. The Policy will contain reductions, limitations, exclusions, in progress and e-mails detailed, and termination provisions. Underwritten by American Home Assurance Company, with its principal place of visual reports to customers. In business in New York, NY. Hoekstra’s case, that included a 18 April 1, 2006 INDUSTRY NEWS Bus & Motorcoach NEWS Trident tries hand at 35-footer CUMMING, Ga. — Trident In- tain that a true over-the-road, 35- curb appeal of the Spectrum LX dustries has become the latest bus foot motorcoach — one that offers and is excited about seeing if it manufacturer to try its luck at fill- essentially the same comfort as the really delivers many of the same ing what some operators say is an large coaches — would cost too amenities offered by large, over- on-going need in the motorcoach much to produce and ultimately the-road coaches. industry — a small bus that per- wouldn’t pencil out for operators. “I like that it doesn’t look like a forms much like a large one. The Spectrum LX carries a traditional cutaway, and now we’re The five-year-old company price tag of $195,000. hoping it has gotten away from the says its 35-foot Spectrum LX just Cash said the coach’s 14-guage cutaway ride and it really will ride might be the ticket. galvanized steel structure, full- like a coach,” he said. “It’s a niche in the market that body sound deadening, urethane And if it works out well for his hasn’t really been addressed very insulation and motorcoach-type business, he added, the company well and this is our answer to it,” seats give passengers the comfort probably will order others. said Jason Cash, president of the and quietness they would experi- The Spectrum LX is a body-on- The Spectrum LX uses a Brazilian-built body mounted on an International company that is headquartered in ence in larger buses. And “it really chassis design, offering a Brazil- chassis Cumming, north of Atlanta. rides like a coach,” he asserts. ian-built body that is mounted on In recent years, coach operators Ithaca Limousine, a an International chassis at Trident’s An optional lavatory can be in production — 18 of which are have called for a smaller over-the- charter company in Ithaca, N.Y., manufacturing plant in Griffin, Ga. added to the rear of the bus by re- sold — and the company is hoping road bus because their charter cus- lined up early to receive the first Griffin was once the home of moving two seats. The front-engine to turn out as many as 125 by the tomer groups have shrunk. But the production Spectrum LX. Metrotrans Corp., which at one design allows a large rear luggage end of the year. smaller groups still want the luxury “The 35-foot (Trident) coach is time was the second-largest cut- storage area of 225 cubic feet. In addition to the Spectrum LX, and comfortable ride provided by excellent for us. In fact, it’s the best away bus manufacturer in the U.S. Other features include a Thermo Trident has been marketing a 28- 40- and 45-foot over-the-road buses. thing the industry has come out Metrotrans went belly up in 1999 King MRT roof-top A/C unit, indi- foot shuttle bus, but has slowed While ABC Companies, Krystal with since the 45-footer,” said com- and closed its doors in 2000. Tri- vidual passenger vents and parcel- production of that model so it can Koach and others have responded pany vice president Brad Winter- dent has no connection to Metro- rack storage of 55 cubic feet. concentrate on the 35-foot coach. with conventionally designed up- mute. “It’s the perfect size for us.” trans but did set up its plant in Operators who examined an early “We feel that’s where the mar- scale cutaways, most OEMs main- He said he was struck by the Griffin because of the availability Spectrum LX expressed concern ket is going right now,” said Cash, of experienced workers. about the width of the spiral entry who got into bus manufacturing The power train of the Trident stairway, saying it could be tight for after working for several years in CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING uses an International DT466, 210- some passengers. However, the the financial business. horsepower diesel engine hooked to Trident already has made an adjust- Trident also operates a finance CVi^dcVa6XXdjciBVcV\Zg an Allison 3000 PTS transmission. ment to its design that will open the service — Charabanc Financial It offers seating for up to 36 walkup another four inches. Services, which can finance the 6G>"=:IG6!VaZVY^c\>ciZgcVi^dcVaJ#H#BVcj[VXijgZgd[]ZVkn" passengers. Cash said 24 of the coaches are purchase of its coaches. YjinkZ]^XaZbV^ciZcVcXZVcYhZgk^XZZfj^ebZci!^hhZZ`^c\Vc ZcZg\Zi^XVcYYncVb^XCVi^dcVa6XXdjciBVcV\Zg#8VcY^YViZbjhi ]VkZ*"&%nZVghZmeZg^ZcXZ^c^cYjhign"gZaViZY[^ZaYVcY]VkZV ABA grabs Littler; Daecher assists UMA l^aa^c\cZhhidVhhjbZV`ZngdaZdcdjgXdgedgViZbVcV\ZbZci WASHINGTON — Norman security, operations, regulations, iZVb#IgVkZa^hgZfj^gZY#Edh^i^dcWVhZY^c

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 installing the system on several buses inside the ABC garage dur- ing the workshop. Citgo’s Fire Guard power steer- ing fluid helps eliminate fires that usually occur when a hose breaks, spraying fluid over a hot engine. The synthetic- and water-based steering fluid simply will not burn under those circumstances, said Greg Hutchison, a company prod- uct specialist. “It’s even been tested at the height of a Tucson (Ariz.) summer,” he noted. The SmarTire system uses small sensors mounted on the inside of each wheel to alert the driver over a dash-mounted receiver when a tire’s pressure begins dropping from a preset level and when it falls below a second programmed level, according to Brian Phillips, a sales- man for the company. In addition, he said they also monitor the temperature of each tire to detect when it exceeds a cer- tain level. “The sensors even pickup overheated wheel bearings,” he said. Phillips said the monitor, which uses a display panel to identify any problem tire, also records its vari- ous readings so company personnel can determine later if the driver had been warned of a tire problem. The system can be purchased and installed for between $1,200 and $1,400. The SMART Choice

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With the longest wheelbase in the touring coach market, the The tallest high-deckers in the industry, Prevost H-Series coaches Prevost X3-45 gives passengers the smoothest ride and give passengers and drivers an outstanding panoramic view and features the largest underfloor surface area (ft2) in the industry. provide the greatest luggage capacity (ft3) of all seated coaches. The Prevost X3-45 also provides easy access to virtually any pick-up The Prevost H-Series premium touring coaches stand a cut above or drop-off site thanks to its low overall height. with style and technology. Superior Amenities — Outstanding Reliability and Performance

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