BUS & MOTORCOACH NEWS —JuneApril 15,1, 2005 2005 — 1 INDUSTRY NEWS
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE BUS INDUSTRY Negotiations Findings from crash investigation Private bus coalition, APTA could have industry-wide impact WASHINGTON — The crash for inspecting motorcoach passen- criteria for inspecting tires to make seek accord on charter issue 18 months ago of a Neoplan coach ger seat mounting hardware, and to sure they have the proper speed rat- WASHINGTON — Negotiators sit systems to provide such charter owned by a Baptist church, that revise Federal Motor Carrier Safety ing for the vehicle on which they for the private bus industry are service to local government units wasn’t even aware its bus was con- Regulations to require inspection of are being used. reporting progress in their talks and social service agencies. sidered a commercial vehicle and seat-restraint systems; The NTSB also wants the with the American Public Trans- The United Motorcoach Asso- was supposed to comply with feder- FMCSA to study the effectiveness portation Association to reach an ciation, the American Bus Associ- al safety regulations, could have The NTSB said the church of the self-inspection and certifica- accord on the issue of federal char- ation and other private-sector bus significant consequences for much tion process that thousands of ter service rules. groups oppose the provision, of the U.S. motorcoach industry. was clueless when it truckers and motorcoach operators While there’s agreement on which is being pushed by APTA The National Transportation came to complying with use daily to comply with annual most issues related to new legisla- and its transit system members. Safety Board conducted an in-depth vehicle inspection requirements, tion that would update and revise At their first face-to-face ne- investigation of the crash, issuing a regulations, and other and to improve that process. the rules, there remains one criti- gotiations in weeks, representa- 100-page analysis. But it is the The Safety Recommendation cal sticking point where the two tives from the Coalition of Private agency’s “Safety Recommenda- critical safety factors. aimed at Neoplan contains particu- sides remain far apart. Transportation Associations and tions” that are likely to have a far- larly tough and pointed language. The issue has to do with transit APTA focused on permitting reaching impact. Among other • Neoplan USA Corp. to beef agencies providing direct charter some service but creating a limit, things, the NTSB wants the: up the passenger seat anchorages in Basic findings bus service to local government or “cap,” on the amount of charter • National Highway Traffic its coaches, and to begin including In its investigation of the crash, and social services organizations. service transits could provide. Safety Administration to develop information in its owner and mainte- the safety board said the driver performance standards for the pas- nance manuals about the proper pro- probably caused the accident The long-stalled highway and pub- The coalition proposed that a senger seat anchorage systems used cedures to be used when checking because he suffered from chronic lic transportation reauthorization transit agency provide no more than in all coaches; passenger seat anchorage hardware; insomnia and was fatigued. The bill now before Congress contains 24 “bus hours” of charter service • Federal Motor Carrier Safety • Commercial Vehicle Safety 1992 coach he was driving a provision that would allow tran- CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 þ Administration to develop a method Alliance to develop out-of-service CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 þ Emergency phone number to be posted in Coach USA buses Acting on a recommendation cell phones to report it. from the National Transportation The bus that crashed was owned Safety Board, Coach USA soon and operated by a Coach USA sub- will begin posting notices — inside sidiary, Arrow Line, which later all of its motorcoaches — that give was sold as part of Coach USA’s passengers telephone numbers they downsizing. can call if they have concerns about “We considered the recommen- their driver or think there is an dation and thought it was a good emergency situation. one because it gives our passengers The company, which operates in another option, and particularly if it the northeastern and north-central prevents even one incident,” said parts of the U.S., said it would have Dale Moser, Coach USA’s chief the decals installed in its more than operating officer. 1,000 coaches by July 1. Although Coach USA and The request came from the Arrow Line were the subject of the NTSB following an investigation investigation, the NTSB recom- into an accident in Victor, N.Y., in mended that all motorcoach compa- 2002, in which the driver fell asleep nies post emergency telephone well. center and the standard 911 emer- Corder, Coach USA’s regional safe- and rolled his coach down an numbers inside their buses that pas- The Coach USA notice will gency number. ty manager. embankment, killing five passen- sengers can call in an emergency read: “In case of an emergency call Most of the buses will carry a Calls to the toll-free number gers and injuring two-dozen others. involving the driver. At least one ….” It also will give the identifica- single decal at the front of the bus, will be answered by a private call Some passengers told investigators other company has already agreed tion number of the bus and two tele- while a few will require multiple center, the same one that answers they saw the driver nodding off but to follow the suggestion and several phone numbers for passengers to decals because of the way the seats calls from motorists who use the call — a toll-free number to a call are configured, explained Charles did not know who to call on their others say they are considering it as CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 þ 9OUR -#) EXPERIENCES CAN BE EVEN MORE REWARDING .OW THROUGH !UG QUALIFIED PARTICIPANTS WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN s #AREFREE 2ESORT %SCAPE OR OUR '2!.$ 02):% s ! v ($46 A ,EASED #ADILLAC 8,2 s "OSE (OME 4HEATRE 2ESTRICTIONS APPLY 3EE COMPLETE RULES ON THE s 0OULAN 0RO 4RACTOR WEB SITE LISTED BELOW 6OID WHERE PROHIBITED 6ISIT MCICOACHCOM FOR MORE DETAILS We Know Your Equipment Like the Back of Our Hand.
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www.abc-companies.com Bus & Motorcoach NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS June 15, 2005 3 Greyhound reveals 260 Unsung Hero more stations to be cut Driver helps recover stolen coach DALLAS — Greyhound Lines The summer cutbacks follow a is eliminating another 260 stops series of service eliminations that NEW YORK CITY — Thanks 48th and 49th streets in Manhattan. Randy O’Neill of Lancer Insur- later this month as the systemwide began last July in the western and to an alert driver for the New York The MCI caught his attention ance, which insures the coach. restructuring it began just over a north central U.S. During the ensu- City Metropolitan Transit Author- because it was parked illegally and Getting no action, Zimmerman year ago rolls into the eastern half ing nine months, Greyhound aban- ity, a motorcoach stolen from a was accumulating parking tickets got on the Internet and tracked of the United States. doned service to 485 communities hotel parking lot in New Jersey at over a two-week period. down Virginia Coach, whose livery The latest abandonments are in mostly in states that are west of the the end of March was recovered. Zimmerman called the New he remembered from the side of Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Ken- Mississippi River or in the upper The stolen bus was a 1998 MCI York City Police Department to ask the bus. He called the company and tucky, Mississippi, Ohio, North Midwest, DL3 belonging to Virginia Coach if the bus had been reported stolen asked if it had a bus parked in Carolina, South Carolina and Ten- “Financial results and customer Co. of Purcellville, Va. but the police apparently brushed Manhattan. nessee. Greyhound said that more feedback in the areas we restruc- It was found because MTA him off, making no effort to look The Counselmans phoned than half of the stops being elimi- tured to date have favorably ex- driver William Zimmerman no- into his inquiry, said both Betty Jo Lancer, which contacted the nated had no outbound ticket sales. ceeded our expectations and signif- ticed the coach as he was driving Counselman, who owns Virginia NYPD, which followed up on its The last day the stops will be served icantly increased our revenue per his daily route – No. M50 – along Coach with her husband James, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 þ is June 21. mile,” Greyhound President and In Alabama, where Greyhound CEO Stephen E. Gorman said in a has 49 stops, the company is elimi- statement released to news organi- nating all but a dozen, retaining zations in the nine states affected by service only in the state’s larger the latest cutbacks. population centers. “This has given us the confi- In Florida, service is being dis- dence to move quickly into other continued to 33 communities, or regions and create a network that nearly half of the 69 cities and will improve service for our cus- towns it has been serving. tomers and eliminate marginally In Indiana, 22 of 52 stops are profitable routes and schedules.” being trimmed. The next phase of the Grey- In Kentucky, service to 21 hound restructuring is planned for towns and cities is being cut. The implementation with the company’s company currently has more than fall schedule change and will be 30 stops in the Blue Grass State. along the Interstate 95 corridor in And, in Mississippi, 36 of 69 the eastern U.S. When Greyhound stations, of more than half, are first announced the system being eliminated. makeover the company said it The company announced the would take two to three years. cutbacks in news releases sent to The newest cutbacks mean that local and regional news outlets and roughly 62 percent of Greyhound’s in letters to community leaders. network restructuring is complete.
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Wisconsin fuel-tax indexing is big burden for carriers MADISON, Wis. — The next taxes because the tax is indexed. last year, the Dairy State fuel-tax Wisconsin has one of the highest bers have to pay some of the high- time some bright legislator in your Under the Wisconsin system, index meant Wisconsin collected fuel-tax rates in the U.S. On most est fuel taxes in the nation, but also state proposes indexing the state which is used by only a few other some $3.2 billion more in fuel tax- lists, depending on the time of year, that Wisconsin fuel taxes are used fuel tax, kick him or her in the shins states, the fuel tax rises along with es than it would have without it usually ranks second or third. to help pay for a variety of entities and send ’em to Wisconsin. the general rate of inflation. Of indexing, according to the Legisla- Generally, only California and New and programs not related to build- The Wisconsin Motor Carriers course, such a system guarantees tive Fiscal Bureau. York ever have higher fuel tax rates ing and maintaining roads and Association, parent organization of fuel taxes will climb but legislators And that figure doesn’t include than Wisconsin. Currently, Wiscon- bridges. In other words, highway the Wisconsin Motor Coach Asso- won’t have to vote for the higher the extra revenue that is being col- sin has a tax rate of 32.9 cents a users are paying for non-roadway- ciation, reports that the state Legis- tax rate. The increases typically lected this year as a result of the lat- gallon for both diesel fuel and related programs. lative Fiscal Bureau has calculated happen once or twice a year in est fuel tax increase of 0.8 cent per gasoline. Obviously, the association would that Wisconsin has collected bil- those states that use indexing. gallon that became effective April 1. The motor carriers association like to see the indexing driven into lions of dollars more in state fuel During the period 1985 through As a result of its indexing, is not only outraged that its mem- oblivion. FMCSA wants simple Tire pressure FMCSA adds Web site warning for for medical registry plan registration for carriers WASHINGTON — The Feder- gram is established by Congress, WASHINGTON — The Feder- replace four current ID and regis- 15-pax vans al Motor Carrier Safety Adminis- FMCSA will require all interstate al Motor Carrier Safety Adminis- tration systems with a single online tration has launched a Web site for commercial vehicle drivers to tration has proposed a revised and registration system. WASHINGTON — The Na- its proposed National Registry of obtain their medical certificates simplified registration system for The FMCSA said the proposed tional Highway Traffic Safety Certified Medical Examiners pro- from a medical examiner listed on interstate bus and truck operators. system would simplify the registra- Administration has issued a new gram. the national registry. While the proposed system tion process by requiring that carri- warning about 15-passenger vans, One long-time coach industry The FMCSA said the new Web would apply to all “private or for- ers complete only one form, which this time focusing on the impor- safety expert said that establishing site is one component of a compre- hire motor carriers transporting would be known as the MCSA-1— tance of proper tire inflation. the Web site is a clear indication of hensive communication campaign property or passengers in interstate FMCSA Registration Form. A new NHTSA study released the FMCSA’s strong intention to for the NRCME intended to reach a commerce” it is not expected to Under the system, only one late last month has reconfirmed implement the controversial med- diverse audience, including medical have a major impact on companies identification number would be that improperly inflated tires can ical registry. “This is the first time examiners, commercial motor vehi- that are already registered with the needed — the USDOT number. The dramatically change the handling I’ve ever seen them develop a com- cle drivers, motor carriers, safety U.S. Department of Transportation. MC, MX and FF numbers would no characteristics of 15-passenger plete Web site for something that is groups, federal and state enforce- Under the proposed revisions, longer be issued, and current MC, vans, increasing the prospect of a still in the formation stage,” said the ment agencies, labor organizations companies that are registered MX, and FF numbers would be rollover crash. expert. and others. would need only to update their phased out within two years of the Previous NHTSA research has registration every two years with final rule’s effective date. The proposed medical registry For more information, go to shown that 15-passenger vans more information than they cur- Electronic filing via the inter- program is a key provision in the www.nrcme.fmcsa.dot.gov. have a much higher propensity to rently supply. net would be strongly encouraged. delayed highway and public trans- FMCSA estimates that upwards The revised system would not The deadline for submitting rollover than most other vehicles. portation reauthorization bill now of 300,000 medical examiners per- be available for bus and truck carri- comments on the proposed change In fact, 15-passenger vans with 10 being considered by Congress. It’s form exams on approximately 6.4 ers based in Mexico and operating is Aug. 17. or more occupants have a rollover designed to produce trained, certi- million commercial vehicle drivers between Mexico and points in the Comments can be submitted rate in single-vehicle crashes that fied medical examiners that are on a biennial basis. U.S. beyond the commercial zones online at www.regulations.gov or at is nearly three times the rate of more knowledgeable about the Last month, a group of medical, along the border. www.dms.dot.gov; by fax to (202) those that are lightly loaded. That medical standards in the Depart- transportation and safety executives Last month, the agency pub- 493-2251; by mail to Docket is, with fewer than five occupants. ment of Transportation Federal announced the establishment of the lished an official Notice of Pro- Management Facility, DOT, 400 The NHTSA also found that Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. National Academy of DOT Medical posed Rulemaking in the Federal Seventh St. SW, Nassif Bldg. 22 percent of 15-passenger vans Medical examiners will be Examiners (NADME), a non-profit Register for what it is calling a Room PL-401, Washington, DC on the road had at least one tire expected to understand how the organization aimed at addressing “Unified Registration System.” The 20590-0001. The docket number overinflated by at least 25 percent standards relate to the mental and “serious flaws” in the medical-cer- notice came nearly 10 years after (FMCSA-97-2349) should be cited of the recommended pressure. physical demands of operating a tification process for commercial Congress directed the USDOT to on all comments. Many were found to be inflated commercial motor vehicle. vehicle drivers. (See June 1 issue of beyond the maximum pressure If the proposed NRCME pro- Bus & Motorcoach News.) recommended on the tire sidewall. UMA backs 7(a) proposal In the past four years, the NHTSA has issued three advi- Transits seek charter firms WASHINGTON — The ment-guarantee loans, and increase sories related to the safety of 15- The following public transit 604 1/2 High Street, Vermillion, United Motorcoach Association loan and guarantee limits. passenger vans. The agency says providers have informed the United SD 67069. Phone: (605) 624-7433. has joined a coalition of groups The SBA 7(a) loan program has the public is taking note. Fatalities Motorcoach Association of their Davis, Calif. Deadline: July 1, representing small businesses in often been used by motorcoach from 15-passenger van rollover intent to provide charter bus serv- 2005. Write to: Anthony Palmere, support of a bill that seeks to operators to help finance their oper- crashes have declined 35 percent restore funding for the U.S. Small ations. Last year, in a budget-deficit- ice unless willing and able private Assistant General Manager, Uni- since the advisories began in 2001. Business Administration’s 7(a) reduction move, the federal subsidy operators step forward to offer their trans, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA “Fifteen-passenger vans are loan program to year-ago levels. for the 7(a) program was replaced services or to bid on contract 95616-8759. Phone: (530) 752-2877. convenient, but drivers and pas- The legislation, called the with lender and borrower fees. opportunities. UMA urges appro- Xenia, Ohio. Deadline: July 1, Small Business Access to Capital H.R. 1868, which was intro- sengers have to use extra caution,” priate operators to take the time to 2005. Write to: Rich Schultze, Ex- Act (H.R. 1868) also would reduce duced by Rep. Nydia Velazquez, said Jeffrey Runge, M.D, NHTSA respond to these notices: ecutive Director, Greene County borrower and lender fees on 7(a) D-N.Y., and five co-sponsors, administrator. “Routinely check- Vermillion, S.D. Deadline: Transit Board, 245 Valley Road, loans, would restore piggyback seeks to restore funding for the ing the condition of the tires, June 15, 2005. Write to: Barb Xenia, OH 45385. Phone: (937) financing that allows a combina- program to the fiscal 2004 level of including the tire pressure, should Ballensky, Transportation Coordi- 562-6522, or e-mail rschultze@ tion of conventional and govern- $79 million. be at the top of the list.” nator, Vermillion Public Transit, co.greene.oh.us. Bus & Motorcoach NEWS DOCKET June 15, 2005 5 Bill proposes more security money for coach industry WASHINGTON — For the is included in a comprehensive bill couple of significant respects from security programs administered by grant program. This year’s program, fourth year in a row, legislation has called the Transportation Security last year’s version. First, it would TSA. The sponsors, mostly Demo- which will award just over $9 mil- been introduced in Congress that Improvement Act of 2005. switch administration of the grant crats, maintain that transportation lion, is only available to intercity bus would substantially boost federal It was introduced by the chair- program from the U.S. Department security “is a national security func- companies. Tour and charter opera- funding for motorcoach industry man and co-chairman of the Senate of Transportation and the Federal tion and an economic necessity,” and tors are forbidden from applying. security improvements. Committee on Commerce, Science Motor Carrier Safety Administra- belongs in the hands of government. Although all motorcoach com- Similar big-money bills in the and Transportation, Sens. Ted Ste- tion to the Transportation Security Additionally, the new bill is panies apparently could apply for past have failed to win congres- vens, R-Alaska, and Daniel Inouye, Administration, which would have limited to maritime, rail, aviation, the grants to be awarded under the sional approval. D-Hawaii, and fellow committee been the administrative agency in hazmat, pipeline and over-the-road proposed legislation, the grants The newest version of the legis- member Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D- earliest iterations of the bill. bus security. Previous versions would be awarded on a 90-10 lation proposes federal grants total- W.Va. Joining them as co-sponsors In fact, in the preamble to the have proposed billions for public basis, meaning the federal govern- ing $50 million be awarded to over- were eight other senators, most of new bill, the sponsors note that transit security. ment would pay 90 percent of the the-road bus companies during them also members of the Senate recent reorganizations and budget The bill also differs significantly cost of security improvements each of the next three years to help commerce committee. reallocations have emasculated sur- from the federal government’s cur- planned by individual companies pay for security improvements. The new bill is different in a face transportation and maritime rent – much smaller – bus security and the operators getting the grants Federal grants for over-the-road would have to come up with the bus security since the terrorist other 10 percent. attacks of 9/11/01 have averaged Truckers wants standard for diesel Such provisions are generally less than $10 million annually. considered unfair to small and very The money in the latest propos- WASHINGTON — The single national diesel fuel standard pense after labor, making up 10 to small businesses, which compose al could be used by motorcoach American Trucking Associations is the best way to ensure an ade- 25 percent of operating expenses, upwards of 90 percent of all motor- operators to help finance a wide is urging the U.S. Department of quate, uninterrupted supply of this according to the ATA. coach operators. range of security upgrades, includ- Energy to consider creating a sin- commodity.” The percentage of operating Since the federal government ing terminal and station reconstruc- gle national diesel fuel standard in The price of diesel fuel soared expenses represented by fuel costs began beefing up traveler security tion, driver protection, passenger an effort to hold down diesel fuel earlier this year, setting all-time is less for a motorcoach, often aver- in the wake of the 9/11 terror and package screening, employee prices. records from late March into mid- aging around 6-9 percent. attacks, the motorcoach industry training, background investiga- In a letter to Energy Secretary April, when the national average Graves said that while the econ- has received modest funding com- tions, employee IDs, and surveil- Samuel Bodman, ATA president peaked at $2.316 a gallon. Since omy is still solid, rising energy pared to the airlines. Air carriers lance and emergency communica- Bill Graves wrote that the “ongoing then, diesel prices have fallen more costs have sapped consumers and have received nearly $15 billion, tion equipment. proliferation of so-called boutique than 12 cents a gallon as crude oil businesses of purchasing power, while motorcoach operators have The new over-the-road bus fuels adds to the complexity and prices have slipped. weakening the broader consumer received less than $40 million, security initiative, which is nearly costs of diesel fuel refining. The Among truckers, fuel is often sector and potentially cutting into including the money being awarded identical to the previous measures, trucking industry believes that a the second-highest operating ex- economic growth. this year. 6 June 15, 2005 INDUSTRY NEWS Bus & Motorcoach NEWS
One safety expert who has passenger seat anchor systems in its The safety board found that when unrestrained passengers are NTSB worked with the NTSB for more newly manufactured motorcoaches even though the crash scenarios thrown forward, uprooting seats and CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 than a dozen years said the NTSB’s so the seats will not become were “very similar,” and both the pinning passengers between them, slammed into the rear of a tractor- letter to Neoplan was “unprece- detached during frontal impact col- Neoplan and Greyhound had “com- increasing the severity of injuries or trailer near Tallulah, La. (See May dented in placing blame.” lisions, side impact collisions, rear parably designed seat anchorage actually crushing passengers. 1, Bus & Motorcoach News) impact collisions and rollovers,” hardware,” the seats in the Grey- The crash impact disintegrated Tough on Neoplan Rosenker added. hound withstood the crash forces. Tire speed ratings the front of the coach, killing 8 of Here’s what the NTSB said: The letter went on to say that “Moreover, passengers (in the Although it was not a factor in the 14 passengers onboard and seri- “Neoplan clearly used hardware one reason the seats came loose Greyhound that were) seated out- the crash, NTSB investigators also ously injuring the other six. Many to secure its seating systems that during the impact was because sev- side the intrusion area sustained found that the Neoplan coach was were crushed between rows of was inadequate to retain the seats in eral of the T-bolts that fastened only minor injuries. In the Tallulah equipped with speed-limited tires seats. The 66-year-old driver was a frontal collision of a severity sim- them to the floor track had been accident, even passengers seated that were meant for use on a transit injured but survived. ilar to the Tallulah accident,” Mark incorrectly installed. The T-bolts outside the intrusion area sustained bus. Most of those on the coach were V. Rosenker, acting chairman of the were designed so they could only be serious and fatal injuries due to seat According to the manufacturer, members of the First Baptist Church NTSB, wrote to Neoplan CEO John inserted into the track when the bolt anchorage failure,” the NTSB said. the tires were designed to provide of ElDorado, Texas. They had been Russell. head was positioned parallel to the Finite element analysis of the high-load capacity and durability on the road for less than two hours “No federal regulation requires track. Turning the bolts slightly less seat-anchorage hardware showed but to be used on inner city transit the morning of Oct. 13, 2003, when the use of specific strength seat than 90 degrees, so the head of the that the seat hardware on the bus-type vehicles, which typically their bus plowed into the truck that anchor hardware. Nonetheless, bolt was nearly perpendicular in the Greyhound was of “a more robust do not exceed 55 mph. happened to be stopped at the side some seat and motorcoach manu- track, locked them into place and design.” In other words, the bolts Using such speed-limited tires of the road because its brakes had facturers are using more robust prevented the bolt and seat pedestal were much stronger than those in on vehicles that routinely operate at been smoking — even though a hardware that has been proven from “lifting” out, the NTSB said. the Neoplan, apparently holding the higher speeds is not recommended self-inspection by the owner had capable of withstanding the force Of the 32 T-bolts in the 16 seat Greyhound seats in place. because of the propensity of the cleared it to operate. involved in accident scenarios com- frames found outside the coach, 7 T- Calls to Neoplan seeking com- tires to generate excessive heat, As one might surmise from the parable to the Tallulah accident. bolts had not been properly secured ment were not returned. resulting in abrupt failures. first three recommendations, the “Using lesser quality hardware to the track in the perpendicular There has been speculation in The NTSB found that state and NTSB was particularly upset that in the crucial area of passenger pro- direction, the agency discovered. safety circles that once the National federal bus inspection guidelines the crash caused row after row of tection is not (an) occupant safety- In addition, three out of four T- Highway Traffic Safety Adminis- contain no procedures for checking passenger seats in the coach to tear oriented design. Occupant safety bolts from the Neoplan that were tration begins its follow-up of the for — or identifying — speed-lim- loose and collapse together like an should be of paramount importance tested after the crash had an average NSTB findings it could order an ited tires. The safety board conclud- accordion, smashing passengers when designing and manufacturing hardness below HRB 70, indicating industrywide recall of buses with ed that because the commercial and producing more severe injuries. passenger vehicles. The safety they did not match the hardness of seat anchorage systems it thinks vehicle inspection criteria used by In a letter to Colorado-based board concluded that the inadequate even the lowest-rated industry bolts, might fail in a crash. Texas, the CVSA, the FMCSA, and Neoplan, the NTSB came within a seat anchorage hardware used by the NTSB noted. The issue also is of critical the American Association of Motor whisker of accusing the company of Neoplan failed during the accident importance to motorcoach industry Vehicle Administrators do not ad- gross negligence in the design, man- and resulted in more severe injuries Crash comparison safety considerations because of the dress the identification and appro- ufacture and installation of its seat to passengers,” Rosenker wrote. The safety board compared long-held contention that passenger priate use of speed-limited tires, anchorage system, and failing to tell “The Safety Board believes that, what happened to the seats in the seat belts aren’t needed in motor- “they overlook an important vehicle customers how to reposition and re- until the National Highway Traffic Tallulah crash with a similar acci- coaches because the high-back safety factor and can result in com- secure seats properly. Nothing in the Safety Administration develops per- dent on the Pennsylvania Turnpike seats are specifically designed to mercial vehicles intended for high- owner or maintenance manuals in- formance standards for passenger in June 1998, when a Greyhound compartmentalize passengers and way use being operated with tires formed operators how to make seat seat anchorages in motorcoaches…, coach smashed into the rear of a restrain them. not suited for highway speeds.” adjustments or properly re-secure Neoplan should substantially tractor-trailer, killing the driver and That argument goes up in Finally, the NTSB urged the them, the NTSB said. increase the load capacity of the six passengers. smoke if the seats are ripped loose FMCSA to develop and distribute educational materials for “nontradi- tional” commercial vehicle owners, such as church groups, on how to comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. At a minimum, the FMCSA should post such information on its Web site, the safety board said. The NTSB said the church was clueless when it came to driver qualifications, limitations on driv- ing, vehicle standards, subcontract- ing agreements, insurance require- ments, requesting operating author- ity, complying with regulations, and other critical safety factors. Driver shortage bad for truckers NASHVILLE, Ind. — A trans- portation forecasting firm, FTR Associates, is predicting the truck- ing industry will suffer a larger- than-expected shortage of 54,000 drivers by the fourth quarter of this year. FTR’s truck-share-of-employ- ment index for the first quarter of this year indicated an “extremely tight” labor market for drivers. According to FTR, it appears that the driver pool remains low — even as freight continues to moder- ately expand. 3TYLE THATS AS EASY AS
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^Óääx ÌÀ >V `ÕÃÌÀià ÌiÀ>Ì>] V° >` Ìà ÃÕLÃ`>Àið À} Ìà ÀiÃiÀÛi`° 8 June 15, 2005 OPINION Bus & Motorcoach NEWS The enemy within School bus groups coalesce Since the U.S. Department of little time remaining on their sen- Three national associations tion” is that the members agree “to president of the NSTA, while not a Homeland Security and the Trans- tences. portation Security Administration Before the convicts leave on that represent various elements of inform the other member associa- member of the discussion group, were formed three years ago, there their trips they must sign a letter the student transportation industry tions of any legislative and/or reg- actively supported the NSTA rep- has been a small army of bureau- promising they won’t try to escape. have formed a coalition to improve ulatory activity, or other important resentatives. crats in Washington whose job it is If they do run, an additional five cooperation and communication, issues that they learn about that The coalition already is seeing to worry about terrorists mounting years can be tacked onto their sen- and to present a united front – is/are underway at the federal both tangible and intangible bene- attacks against bus industry targets. tences when they’re caught. whenever possible — on legisla- level, and that can impact the pupil fits from the cooperative effort. At the same time, a different The federal prosecutor who sent tive and regulatory matters. transportation industry.” The noti- These include: group of federal bureaucrats has Shadow to prison in 1992 told the The coalition is composed of fication is to be swift and to spe- • The three association presi- been secretly conspiring to make San Diego reporters he thought the the National Association for Pupil cific individuals. dents are now communicating on sure that convicted criminals, some policy was “beyond comprehen- Transportation of Albany, N.Y., the The genesis of the agreement an almost weekly basis. of who are dangerous, are regularly sion.” National Association of State Di- goes back three years when repre- • Other officers and members riding the nation’s intercity buses “We’ve got people concerned rectors of Pupil Transportation sentatives from the associations met from the three groups also are alone and unescorted. about their safety because this guy Services of The Plaines, Va., and to discuss working together. Nothing working and talking regularly. Late last month, thanks to the is out,” said Monty Stiles, a prose- the National School Transporta- much concrete happened, however, • Joint statements have been work of two reporters at the San cutor in Boise, Idaho. “When I first tion Association of Alexandria, Va. until 18 months ago when two new issued by the presidents that Diego Union-Tribune, it was heard it I couldn’t believe it. I The agreement creating the players were added to the meeting address industry issues and current learned that federal prison officials thought it was a joke.” coalition was worked out during group, Michael Cancelliere, vice events. are routinely putting convicts on When contacted by the newspa- nearly 18 months of discussions by president and general manager of the • NASDPTS and NAPT have Greyhound and other intercity per, a spokeswoman for Grey- representatives from the organiza- bus vehicle center at International, joined with NSTA for its annual buses and letting them travel alone hound, which gets most of the pris- tions and two executives from and David Hillman, marketing direc- Capitol Hill visits. and unannounced from one prison oner passengers, said the company International Truck and Engine tor/bus at International. All three organizations have to another. was shocked to learn that cons were Corp., the parent company of IC Bringing Cancelliere and had staff members actively work- The practice came to light after crisscrossing the country alongside Corporation, the big school bus Hillman to the table were Michael ing together on Clean School Bus a convicted drug dealer, riding from innocent passengers. manufacturer. Martin and Steve Kalmes repre- USA projects. Minnesota to California, decided to She said the company had no While the three associations senting NAPT; Pete Japikse and The three organizations have get off the bus in Las Vegas and dis- idea unescorted prisoners were intend to continue operating as in- Charlie Gauther from NASDPTS, joined to form an industry terror- appear. The druggie, known as being put on its buses until it was dependent organizations, they also and Terry Thomas and Dennis ism task force to support on-going “Shadow,” is considered “armed contacted by the San Diego paper. see benefits to cooperating, work- Hammel from NSTA. Within a efforts to preserve the safety and and dangerous” by the U.S. Mar- “We have no arrangement with the ing together on critical issues, and short time the the group had coa- security of school children. shals Service, which now must try Bureau of Prisons,” said spokes- communicating on a regular basis. lesced, developing the framework All three organizations are to track him down. woman Kim Plaskett. “None at all. According to a statement for the coalition. working together to engage the fed- The reporters couldn’t find out If there is anything putting our cus- issued by the presidents of the Japikse is president of the eral government in school bus spe- how many other Shadows are riding tomers at risk for their safety we are associations, the “guiding and NASDPTS, and Kalmes is presi- cific initiatives to maximize safety intercity buses or how many have going to do what we can to prevent foremost principle of the coali- dent of the NAPT. Dale Krapf, and security in school buses. decided to escape. However, they that.” did learn that U.S. Marshals are Plaskett said Greyhound would tracking “dozens” of prisoners who be asking prison authorities to Journal: Surcharges may not be end all are on the run after escaping during explain why they’re putting bus rides. unescorted convicts on its coaches NEW YORK CITY — The use up with fuel price increases even ning Jan. 1, the mileage-based sur- Amazingly, U.S. Marshals’ files — and why they never notified the of fuel surcharges to blunt high fuel though it has an 8.5 percent sur- charge will replace BNSF’s current show that prisoners are sometimes company of the practice. prices may not be enough to help charge on air and 1.75 percent sur- surcharge which is assessed as a allowed to ride alone despite a his- The ability of the federal operators cope with stratospheric charge on ground shipments. It can percentage of a customer’s freight tory of escapes. bureaucracy to amaze just never oil prices, The Wall Street Journal take the company up to six weeks to transportation bill. The prisoner transfer program ceases. While TSA and Department reports. collect the charge, which could The railroad said that in an era was started by the federal Bureau of of Homeland Security bureaucrats That’s because surcharges typi- affect its quarterly earnings figures, of tight transportation capacity, Prisons to save money and relieve worry about keeping terrorists off cally trail fuel prices by several said the Journal. rapidly rising fuel prices and fuel- prison crowding. It’s usually buses, other federal bureaucrats are weeks, which can limit carriers’ Meanwhile, BNSF Railway Co. price volatility, a mileage-based reserved for prisoners being trans- happily making sure another class ability to collect surcharges, the says it will begin assessing fuel sur- fuel surcharge program is the most ferred to low security facilities, of potentially dangerous lowlifes newspaper said. charges on a mileage basis, making direct and accurate method of which typically house nonviolent are sitting next to unsuspecting bus For example, FedEx Corp. indi- it the first mileage-based fuel sur- reflecting the impact of fuel price inmates, and those with relatively passengers. Unbelievable. cated it was finding it hard to keep charge in the rail industry. Begin- changes. How to contact us: ISSUE NO. 56 Dale Krapf To submit or report news, Letters to the Krapf Coaches To contact the West Chester, Pa. Editor, articles: United Motorcoach Association: A PUBLICATION OF THE UNITED MOTORCOACH ASSOCIATION E-mail: [email protected] Godfrey LeBron Call: (800) 424-8262 Paradise Trailways Fax: (866) 930-8426 Online: www.uma.org Staff Advisory Board West Hempstead, N.Y. Mail: 4930 W. Glendale Ave., Suite 6 To send advertisements or Editor & Publisher William Allen Bob Foley Joan Libby Glendale, AZ 85301 Sierra Trailways ABC Companies Cavalier Coach photographs via the Internet: Victor Parra Call: (623) 930-8423 Sacramento, Calif. Faribault, Minn. Boston, Mass. E-mail: [email protected] Larry Benjamin Steve Haddad Jeff Polzien Upload: www.jezac.com/uploads Sales Director Senior Editor To advertise or to mail advertising- Johnny Steger Northfield Lines Carl R. Bieber Tourways Red Carpet Tours Bruce Sankey Northfield, Minn. Kutstown, Pa. Oklahoma City related materials: To subscribe or inquire about your Call: Johnny Steger subscription: Government Editor Associate Editor Dave Bolen Rick Hillard Tom Ready (623) 930-8422 or (602) 980-0840 New World Tours Tri-State Tours Ready Bus Lines Call: (623) 930-8421 Norman Littler Ellen Balm Bristow, Va. Galena, Ill. LaCrescent, Minn. E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Mail: 4930 W. Glendale Ave., Suite 6 Editorial Assistant Editorial Assistant Bob Brisman Todd Holland Brian Scott Fax: (866) 930-8426 West Point Trailways Ramblin' Express Escot Bus Lines Glendale, AZ 85301 Tara Sheehan Amy Stalknecht Vails Gate, N.Y. Colorado Springs Largo, Fla. Mail: 4930 W. Glendale Ave., Suite 6 To complain: Glendale, AZ 85301 Accountant Editorial Assistant David Brown Robert Hume Michelle Silvestro Holiday Tours Travel Mates Trailways National Interstate Insurance Co. Call: (623) 930-8421 John Giddens Melissa Harden Randlemann, N.C. Harrisonburg, Va. Richfield, Ohio E-mail: [email protected] ©2005 by the United Motorcoach Association. Reproduction in whole or in part without Art Director Steve Brown Daryl G. Johnson T. Ralph Young written permission is prohibited. Brown Coach J & J Charters Young Transportation Mary E. McCarty Amsterdam, N.Y. Crosby, Texas Ashville, N.C. Bus & Motorcoach NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS June 15, 2005 9 Driver retention starts with driver recruiting process By Lancer Insurance after the new employee has been of a job search, not the reason for It’s not always money Did you explain the rough things successfully on the job for a prede- leaving. Something else put that Drivers leave jobs for the same about the job? The late hours, Everyone is talking these days termined amount of time (i.e. 90 driver in a state of mind to want to reasons you would leave a job. It multi-day trips, long layovers, or about the problem of driver short- days). Finally, you need to give this leave, and that is what you have to begins with expectations. Is the other negatives that hurt attitude ages. It’s a very troublesome situa- type of approach time to work. It understand if you want to make an job they have the same job you and morale? If an employee tion. might take months to get your impact on turnover rates. described during the interview? CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 þ Your business operates through employees interested and, in the your driver force; drivers are your meanwhile, you need to continually partners in getting and keeping promote participation. business; drivers are the face of If a finder’s fee doesn’t help your company to your customers. right away, recruit from sources that You work hard to create new busi- work for you. Where have you ness but the driver retains or loses it found drivers in the past? Are your for you. At the same time, recruit- drivers’ full time or part time? Are ing and retaining qualified, enthusi- they local or did you recruit them astic drivers can be a frustrating, from distant points? Think about often exasperating, experience. what has worked in the past, and go How do you go about finding back to those sources. And don’t qualified people to add to your driv- just blanket your operational area er force? Often, you begin your with ads in newspapers; think care- search by seeking people who are fully about who you want working experienced drivers. But when you for you, then advertise directly to rely on experience as the No. 1 them. qualification, you can miss some potentially talented candidates. You Vets are excellent need to devise ways to hire high- candidates quality people with good attitudes, Have you thought about the mil- and then teach them to be good itary as a source of employees? drivers. And that involves training. There are many qualified drivers coming out of the military every Tap local resources day — and most are looking for Outside resources can be a work. The military runs an out- good source for employees. In placement service and it offers you many areas, community colleges a chance to list your job for review conduct driver training schools; by those coming out of the service. they train candidates to obtain Call your local military base or CDLs and they teach them safe recruitment center to learn more driving. If they are good schools about this unique opportunity to get with skilled professionals doing your driving jobs filled. the training, this is a viable option. Once you’ve hired your drivers, If you have a school like this near your problem becomes retention. you, speak to the administrators Driver turnover is a very serious about their training program and problem. It will determine whether how you might be able to help you spend your day looking for new each other. This can be an opportunities or filling holes in immense help with your recruiting your workforce. And it can affect efforts, and you will no longer be your safety record. New drivers a slave to the “experienced” driver have more crashes. That’s a fact. If profile you have historically you always have new drivers com- sought. ing into your workforce, you’ll There are other techniques to always have a higher crash rate and help your recruiting. Try using a the high insurance costs that go finder’s fee. Pay employees to along with it. bring in qualified friends, neigh- Once you’ve gone through the bors and acquaintances. You won’t trouble and expense of finding be sorry because, in the majority of someone, you don’t want to lose these cases, the applicants brought them. While you can’t stop turnover in are pre-screened for you. That completely, you can affect it, slow it should be worth whatever you down and, in many cases, signifi- spend. But you will need to do a cantly minimize the problem. First, couple of things to make a program understand why people leave. like this work. While there may be dozens of rea- First, the amount of money you sons, studies have shown that what pay should be large enough to managers and supervisors view as attract the attention of your the reasons are very different from employees. After all, they are put- what the drivers themselves ting themselves and their reputa- describe. tions at risk, so you need to offer Managers always think it’s adequate compensation to entice about money and they attribute them. Second, you should pay the turnover to drivers finding other fee in installments. Pay a portion at higher paying jobs. But finding the time of hire, and more later — higher pay at another job is a result 10 June 15, 2005 INDUSTRY NEWS Bus & Motorcoach NEWS Back-up your computer, back it up often, back it up right By Bill Harnett because it did not have a recoverable current 2. Back-up: Built into the RBS system is to do is to have a daily, weekly and monthly RBS Inc. backup. And, there have been extreme cases a utility from SYBASE (our database strategy as described above. We have cus- where companies have failed because they provider) that allows the open server copy of tomers that have licensed a single-user copy did not know where to send their coaches or the database to be copied as a scheduled task of the RBS system and in addition to their CHERRY VALLEY, N.Y. — Sooner or who owed them what. to a backup folder that can then be copied to other back-up strategy have us set it up so later, you’re bound to face this problem: What Here are some simple rules to help you a tape or other back-up medium, using what- they can back-up to a workstation system so do you do when your computer system fails? avoid these nightmares: ever back-up software you have. One com- they can be back up and running on the sys- At RBS, we get at least one call every 1. Make sure current spyware and virus mon mistake people make is thinking that tem while whatever hardware solutions to fix month where there has been a computer hard- protection is installed on your computers. Just because they have some tape software back- the problem are implemented. In more ware failure. This can occur for any number ing up the entire server hard drive they are extreme situations, where a customer has a of reasons: a network is unprotected from also getting a copy of their most current char- 24/7 operation where they need a fail-safe viruses and spyware and has become unsta- Bad guys write new ter data. Open databases cannot be copied, system, they have a standby server and an ble; a lightning strike has fried some key just like open Word documents on a network hourly clone of the data to this server. This is component, or a key piece of hardware has viruses all the time cannot be copied or changed. The internal the setup we had with our contracts for the failed. back-up is set up to work with any new instal- Olympics in Atlanta and Salt Lake City, and Every computer component has a “mean- lation by RBS technicians. But, a server we have a similar arrangement with a number time-before-failure” rating. That means it will and you need to upgrade, or change in administrator pass- of our “regular” customers. eventually fail, and the cheaper the computer words can cause these Windows-scheduled 5. Disaster recovery drill. No matter what the lower the rating. So, your first defense have a current sub- tasks to be ignored. Anytime this type of strategy you deploy, you should practice against this problem is not to get the cheapest change is made call us to make sure your recovery to see if you can actually do it. And computer you can find to run your business scription to get the internal back-up is still working. don’t just do it on your own. Have your local but to get the best you can afford. 3. Back-up often: Once you get over the technical adviser involved, or give us a call So, something has gone wrong, and it’s hurdle of having the internal back-up working and we will help you, so you do not over- time to restore from a backup. Could you do current prescriptions properly, you need a back-up strategy based write new data with old. Whether this is a it under the pressure of having to? on time. The next most common mistake is drill or a real recovery, do not panic. Think Most companies think they are backing because you got a free trial to Norton Anti- the back-up data file is copied to some exter- before you act. Get someone else involved. up but don’t find out until it’s too late they are Virus when you purchased your system two nal media, disk tape, memory key, but only Get a second opinion. We have seen more not. One rule of thumb is that if you cannot years ago does not mean you are protected. yesterday’s data is backed-up. This is fine if than one case where the problem was made restore from a backup you do not have one. The bad guys write new viruses all the time you discover the problem tomorrow. But, if worse by jumping to quickly. We call it Do-It- We have seen more than one scenario and you need to have a current subscription to you discover the problem two days later or if Your-Self-Brain-Surgery. where a company has tried to reconstruct its get the current prescriptions. Check that your for some reason last night’s back-up did not When you choose a software vendor for business from paper records after a failure virus protection is up-to-date and working. work, you will not be as current as you would your mission-critical applications you need to like to be. A professional back-up strategy is select one that is willing to provide the after- to have a back-up or tape for each day of the sales support to ensure your systems stay run- week. And, have one for the end of the week ning and that even the smallest things can be and then one for the end of the month. Going the most important. backwards is sometimes a good thing for For information about RBS and its tour- restoring back-ups. and-charter management software visit 973 589-9265 • Toll Free 800-526-8055 4. Back-up right. One of the right things www.rbs2000.com, or call (800) 448-7001. FAX 973-589-2253 • P.O. BOX 5157 • NEWARK, NJ 07105 www.nimcobus.com Supplying the Transportation Industry with Your ONE-STOP for bus, Used, Serviceable & Rebuildable Bus Parts motorcoach, and other large vehicle… for Over 25 Years! • Collision repair - from dents • Custom painting, airbrushing, to wrecks graphics, and vinyl lettering VOLUME DISCOUNTS • PRIDE IN PERFORMANCE • Fire restoration • Fleet facelifts • Factory-spec painting • Scheduled reconditioning DEEP DISCOUNTS! on all Detroit Diesel & Allison Transmissions SAVE MONEY ~ SAVE TIME We sell good running qualified bus components. NO RISK PURCHASE PLAN We handle the large jobs others can’t. We unconditionally guarantee our customers satisfaction. • Giant, state-of-the-art facility • Quick turnaround • Expert technicians • Towing/transportation assistance WE ALSO STOCK • Front and Rear Axle Parts • Engine Accessories • Alternators and other Electrical Components 2027 W. Avalon Rd., Janesville, WI 53546 (608) 756-0861 • Fax: (608) 756-0136 • Air Conditioning Components • Body Parts (800) 524-6113 We Buy & Sell Buses. . . Call for a Quote www.budgettruckandauto.com Bus & Motorcoach NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS June 15, 2005 11 Applying the lessons from the ‘hard’ insurance market By Michelle Silvestro used as a tool to monitor claims and to assist right for your company. day, it will only take one renewal cycle for National Interstate Insurance in loss prevention. Ask your insurance agent While traditional first dollar and agents and brokers to understand you mean or broker to provide you with regular updates, deductible insurance programs have been the business. Now that the worst of the most recent either monthly or quarterly. Remember, you “usual” choice, many operators have turned • Look at all options objectively and “hard” insurance market is over, what has it purchase insurance to protect you in the event to the alternative risk transfer (captive) insur- openly. While you may be familiar with some taught us? you have a loss. Claims management is key to ance market for better control of their risk options, you might not know exactly how all Clearly, the most important lesson is that successful risk management. management programs and lower, more pre- programs are structured. Take the time to traditional market insurance rates are depend- dictable, insurance costs. While captive pro- learn what you can to improve your risk man- ent on capacity (i.e., the supply of insurance Choose your business partners wisely grams are not the best solution for all opera- agement and potentially save money in the companies willing to write a class of busi- In an ever-changing insurance market, tors, careful consideration of all options is long run. ness) and investment returns. professional insurance providers (insurance necessary. • If you demand all quotes be received by While rate increases of 20-plus percent companies, agents and brokers) that special- a certain date, give the same courtesy back to are, for the most part, a thing of the past, now ize in your business (passenger transporta- Yes, you can control the agents or brokers who are quoting. Advise is a good time to use what has been learned to tion) are a must. Your broker or agent is your the insurance buying process them in a reasonable amount of time if you better cope with the cyclical insurance mar- professional adviser and should be there to If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a thou- will be placing your business with them or ket. Your job, as a savvy insurance buyer, is to help you through the renewal process as well sand times. Operators want to know how they not. If not, let them know why. find the most cost-effective, stable, long-term as be available throughout the year for assis- can avoid receiving their renewal quotes min- risk-management solution. tance and guidance. utes before their insurance expires. Here are We don’t want to be In most situations, insurance companies the keys to controlling the insurance buying the bad guy … really Put your best foot forward do not quote business direct to the operators. process: Believe it or not, insurance companies, To prepare for an upcoming insurance They rely on agents and brokers to present the • Start the process early. Don’t wait until agents and brokers don’t want to be the renewal or audit, consistent and complete operator’s information to them. Keep in mind just before your renewal date to submit your enemy. Consider your relationship with your record keeping is the key. Most insurance that some insurance companies don’t work information to your agent. company, agent or broker a partnership. companies that specialize in insuring passen- with all agents and brokers. You might con- • Be proactive in the process. Follow up While insurance companies, agents and bro- ger transportation businesses look for the sider allowing more than one agent or broker with your insurance agent or broker to deter- kers come and go, long-term relationships same basic information every year: Complete to work on your account so that all potential mine if any additional information is needed will prevail. Pick a stable insurance company application, current driver list, current vehicle insurance companies have the opportunity to by the insurance company. that provides excellent claims service and, in list, current financial statements and current look at your business. • Pick a quote date and stick with it. the long run, you’ll be ahead of the game. loss data. By maintaining complete files, The key is to know what insurance com- While most insurance companies will not most of the information that is needed should panies your agent or broker is submitting quote more than a month before the expira- Michelle Silvestro is assistant vice president be at your fingertips. Providing updated your information to and make sure to obtain a tion date, they will quote more than a few and national marketing manager of National information every year allows for changes in copy of the information being submitted. hours before your policy expires. If you Interstate Insurance Co. Reach her at your business to be taken into consideration demand that all quotes be received by a cer- [email protected] or when underwriting and developing a pre- Be an educated buyer tain day and you don’t accept quotes after that (800) 595-2553 ext. 213. mium quote. It’s not only important to pick the right insurance company, agent or broker, but A word about loss runs equally important to choose the insurance Over the years, I’ve talked to many oper- program that makes the most sense for your ators with the same problem. They can’t get business. While insurance costs remain one Low operating cost updated loss runs. The time to ask your agent of the top five expenses for any operator, you Durable stainless steel structure or broker for loss runs is not the week before owe it to your business to educate yourself on Great rider experience your insurance renews. Loss runs should be what programs are available and which one is Up to 47 seats
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He CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Among motorcoach operators whose CUSA, the nation’s largest tour and char- said companies involved in the CVSA gener- “How am I driving?” signs displayed on the interest was sparked by the recommendation ter operator, is also studying the possibility of ally agree with the recommendation, and dis- rear of Coach USA buses and other commer- was Peter Pan Bus Lines, which purchased adding the decals to its coaches. cussions on finding the best way to imple- cial vehicles. the Arrow Line from Coach USA in 2003. “It’s a good idea and we’re discussing it ment it are ongoing. The operator fielding the calls will notify Safety and security director Christopher right now,” said regional safety manager Davis said he has not heard anyone raise the Coach USA dispatcher, who in turn will Crean said Peter Pan is upgrading its safety William Bartlett. “There are some issues but concerns about an inside telephone number telephone the bus driver if the complaint measures by installing computers and global I think eventually we will decide on some- generating phony calls from passengers. meets one of several situations contained in a positioning system equipment on its buses thing. I just don’t know when.” He declined to “People could make those calls to 911 at any criteria developed by the company. “The dis- and has decided to make the decals part of identify the issues that might be holding up time right now,” he said. patcher will tell the driver they have a com- that project. the idea. The New York State Department of plaint from one of their passengers and ask “I don’t have a problem in doing the num- Greyhound Lines is looking into new Transportation, which participated in the what is going on,” said Corder. ber inside the bus and neither did the officers safety options, too, and the posting of emer- investigation of the Victor accident and a sim- He would not divulge the criteria, but said of this company,” he said. “We all kind of gency telephone numbers inside its buses is ilar one in January near Rochester that killed it would cover imminent dangers, ranging thought it was a good idea, and it went right among them, according to spokeswoman four passengers, welcomed the news that from a driver having a medical problem such in line with our upgrade of the computers and Kim Plaskett. coach operators are addressing driver safety. as a seizure, to rowdy passengers doing GPS systems on our coaches.” She said the company for years has oper- “We are supportive of the fact the industry is things like opening the roof hatch and tossing Crean said he hopes to have the decals ated a successful “safe bus” program that talking about it,” said spokesman Peter out objects. posted in all 380 Peter Pan coaches by the end includes a sign on the outside of the bus invit- Graves. “We are open to anything at this Such passenger notices have created con- of the summer. ing people to call if they see a bus driving point.” cerns in the industry that they could prompt The notices will not speak directly to erratically. “And that has been for our passen- However, he noted there is a fine line in malicious calls from passengers who might driver issues or emergencies, but rather tell gers to use, too,” she said. getting passengers involved in safety issues. be upset with the driver over something or passengers to call a toll-free number if they Some state safety regulators also are sup- “You don’t want to ask the customers to who were drunk and wanted to play a prank. have concerns or problems. “We didn’t want porting the idea of posting decals inside become the police or give them the false Corder, however, said he is not worried to make it so we have 55 people just watching buses. impression they should be nervous while rid- about such possibilities, noting that each the driver for any negative move,” noted “It’s absolutely a good idea and I don’t ing the bus,” he emphasized. “But we know complaint would be reviewed carefully. Crean. think anybody is opposed to it,” said Timothy the industry is trying to address the concerns “This happens all of the time with motorists Peter Pan also will use a private call cen- Davis, chairman of the Commercial Vehicle that passengers might have while at the same calling the number from the sign on the out- ter to field the calls and relay complaints Safety Alliance Passenger Carrier Committee time understanding that it is the job of the side the bus,” he said. “It just means we about drivers or other safety issues to a com- and assistant director of the Massachusetts passengers to enjoy the ride.” Gray offers ’05 product catalog ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Gray, the largest Among Gray’s newest products is the U.S. manufacturer of portable lifting equip- wireless portable lift system that uses state- ment, has introduced its 2005 product cata- of-the-art electronics and an electric/ log highlighting its wireless portable lift hydraulic power source to provide a new level system. of sophistication to the lifting industry. Since 1952, Gray has been marketing For information about Gray products or to shop service equipment factory direct for the request a complimentary product catalog, automotive, bus, truck and service vehicle contact the company at (800) 821-7320, or go industries. to www.grayusa.com. Bus & Motorcoach NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS June 15, 2005 13 Driver retention Driver recognition pays big dividends Thor buys bankrupt Goshen Coach CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 Every employee wants recogni- GOSHEN, Ind. — Thor Indus- The acquisition gives Thor Others that expressed interest expects certain things, he or she tion. The simplest and easiest way tries, the nation’s largest manufac- nearly 45 percent of the small- and in acquiring Goshen were Forest can handle it better and your cred- to single someone out is to say turer of cutaway buses, has ac- midsize-bus market. Three Thor River Inc., parent company of ibility doesn’t suffer when they “thank you” for a job well done. A quired most of the assets of Goshen subsidiaries produce buses: ElDo- Glaval Bus and Starcraft Bus, and learn the truth. So, honesty in safety recognition and awards pro- Coach of Elkhart, Ind., the No. 2 rado National, Champion Bus and Supreme Industries, which manu- interviewing is the first step in gram is a terrific way to reward producer of small and midsize General Coach. Other subsidiaries facturers small and midsize buses cutting turnover because you’ll drivers. Don’t just hand out awards; buses. produce recreational vehicles and under the StarTrans name and also probably avoid hiring someone create a ceremony around the pres- Thor said it paid a bankruptcy travel trailers, including Airstream, produces a line of trolley buses who is destined to quit. entation. Invite the driver recipi- court roughly $9.5 million for Keystone, Damon and Cross- sold under the name Classic What are some of the other ents’ spouse and children, give Goshen, which had annual sales of Roads. Thor is North America’s American Trolley. reasons drivers leave? Every study everyone a meal and give your about $75 million. Goshen had largest RV maker. The failure of Goshen marks on turnover points to the Human employee a chance to be in the spot- filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy There was a short-lived compe- the second time in a decade that the Resources/Personnel Department protection early last month. tition to get Goshen, which col- second-largest U.S. manufacturer light for a job well done. issues as critical to keeping Goshen’s product line includes lapsed under a pile of debt totaling of cutaway buses has failed. In the Driver shortages can be ad- employees. Fairness, respect, seven models, ranging from 8- to at least $30 million, including hun- late 1990s, Metrotrans Corp. of dressed. Good recruiting tech- courtesy, family and lifestyle 11-passenger shuttles, to 40-pas- dreds of thousands of dollars in Georgia went belly up and out of niques, opening yourself and your issues all come into play. Do you senger buses. Thor said it will medical claims filed by the com- business under a mountain of debt company up to training and using have a system in place that maxi- operate Goshen as a separate unit. pany’s 400 employees. and mismanagement. your employees as recruiters can all mizes the positives for these driv- help. To retain drivers, do what you on the cap issue it is likely that the required to transmit a list of private er concerns? Negotiations can to increase employee satisfac- existing toothless (federal charter) operators to anyone who asks them Drivers want to know that you CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 rules will remain unchanged to provide charter service. tion with the job. Employ truth in are keeping up with the latest per year, and not more than 3 hours through the next four-to-five years,” • Transit agencies would be hiring, and try to recognize and developments in the industry, and per month. The APTA negotiators said one source familiar with the prohibited from soliciting, coordi- meet the ongoing needs of your that you’re helping them do the countered with a proposed cap of negotiations. nating or configuring charter serv- drivers. same. Education helps everyone be 240 hours per year, with no more Issues that have been resolved ice for third-party entities or adver- If you put some effort into better at their job. So make an than 30 hours per month. The APTA include: tising charter service. thinking about how you can better effort to make those safety meet- suggestion was met with strenuous • The willing-and-able process There also was discussion re- manage this issue, you can put an ings and training sessions as rele- objections by the negotiators from revisions in the highway bill would garding the possibility of additional end to the driver shortage problem the private-sector coalition. give private operators a first option staff at the FTA be dedicated to vant, informative and interesting as dominating the operation of your Future negotiations will seek to on all charter service that is request- resolving public-private issues. An possible. business. resolve the issue. ed of a public transit agency. ombudsman would serve as a private “If we can’t reach a consensus • Transit agencies would be operator advocate within the FTA.
• 50,000 sq. ft. Repair Facility • Refurbishing • Frame Repair • Major Collision Repair • Computerized Alignments • Also Handle MCI, Prevost & Other • Complete Suspension Bus Manufacturer's Warranties • Fire Restoration • Painting & Design • Towing & Lowboy Services Nationwide • Vinyl Lettering
1269 Breezy Lane • Winona, MN 55987 Authorized www.jimstruckandtrailercoachwerks.com Dealer PHONE: 800-264-1294 or 507-452-1294 FAX: 507-452-2701 14 June 15, 2005 NEW DELIVERIES Bus & Motorcoach NEWS Indiana operator is newest VIP Tours member of Trailways system Los Angeles Since its founding 15 years ago, Fairfax, Va. — Excursions Inc., Bazow said growth is continuing VIP Tours and Charters has grown a Fort Wayne-based charter and this year, a trend he expects the to be one the largest independent tour operator, is the newest member Trailways affiliation will help sus- coach operators in Southern Cali- of the Trailways Transportation tain. The Trailways brand, he said, fornia. System. Excursions Trailways joins will enable his company to broaden The full-service tour operator Southeastern Trailways of its market base and, at the same has locations in both Los Angeles Indianapolis as the two Trailways time, provide stronger travel confi- and Anaheim, serving all of affiliates in Indiana. dence for customers. Southern California and the west- pany fleet are two Prevost H3-45s blinds, Xenon front headlines and Excursions was founded five “We are impressed with ern U.S. The company fleet has and two H3-41s. The coaches are Michelin tires. years ago by coach industry veter- Trailways’ standards and commit- grown to 42 vehicles and the num- equipped with Series 60 Detroit “We are a fairly new Prevost ans Thomas Bazow, president, and ment to installation of high-tech ber of employees now totals 65. Diesel engines, Allison B500 trans- customer, and we only own six of Patrick O’Brian, vice president. security devices on coaches, grant- VIP Tours’ driver-guides pro- missions, and five-monitor REI their motorcoaches. But customers Operating on a philosophy of writing assistance, and universal vide tours in eight foreign lan- A/V systems with DVD, CD and seem to like them the most,” says superior service delivery, the com- member-approvals by the U.S. guages — Chinese, French, Ger- video cassette players, plus wireless company President Marco Khora- pany has grown from a single coach Department of Defense,” Bazow man, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, microphones. The passenger seats sani. “A lot of it has to do with the to a fleet of five and 28 employees. added. Russian and Spanish. are Prevost brand. The coaches also styling. There is something about The latest additions to the com- were spec’d with passenger window the look that really stands out.” Hero ing him for his role in getting the bus back. “He is the humblest guy,” Northwestern CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 said O’Neill. “He said he was only call, found the bus and impounded doing what was right.” Stage Lines it. Godfrey Lebron of Paradise As expected, the bus was Trailways of West Hempstead, N.Y., stripped of its A/V equipment but Spokane, Wash. working with Lancer, bailed the bus otherwise was in decent shape. out of the impound yard for the There was no vandalism and even Northwest Stage Lines/Trail- Counselmans and drove it to New the break-in, through the bathroom ways has taken delivery of its eighth Jersey where it was eventually window, did no damage. There MCI E4500 coach. Northwestern picked up by Jim Counselman and were dings to the body, apparently provides both scheduled and tour- his mechanic, who had flown up the from the 163 miles the thieves put and-charter services, and maintains years or more. coaches for tours, but we will put The company transports more them on scheduled runs during our coast to retrieve the bus. on the vehicle. offices and maintenance facilities in Spokane and Boise, Idaho. than 400,000 passengers annually, busy holiday and summer seasons.” Lancer verified Zimmerman’s The bus was taken March 31 Founded in the 1930s, North- with nearly 60 percent of its busi- Northwestern Stage Lines’ new story and gave him cash to reward from the parking lot of a Quality western Stage Lines was purchased ness coming from charters and E4500 coach is equipped with a him for his initiative and plans to Inn in Lyndhurst, N.J., which is by the late AJ Achabal in 1952. Son tours and about 40 percent from Ricon-S&S wheelchair lift, a Cater- present him with a plaque recogniz- about 11 miles north of Newark. Cleto Achabal joined the company daily scheduled-route service. pillar C13 engine and ZF AS- after college in 1981. “We’ve been a fan of the MCI Tronic transmission, Amaya pas- C LASSIFIED A DVERTISING Northwestern, which bought its E4500,” said Cleto Achabal, presi- senger seating, and an entertain- first MCI coach in 1968, has grown dent of Northwestern. “Business is ment system by REI. For Sale to a fleet of 29 MCIs and a staff of looking better, and we thought it Visit their website at 67 employees — many of whom was a good time to purchase another www.NorthwesternTrailways.com (2) 1996 Prevost XL’s • Excellent have been with the company for 15 coach. We like to keep our E4500 for more about the company. Condition • Approx 300,00 miles each • 12.7 Liter D.D. Series 60 (430 HP) • Allison B 500 Auto Trans. Tri-City Charter (one with less than 5,000 Miles) 47 Pass. • Alum Wheels and tires Longview, Texas Please call Jimmy @ (85%) • Very Nice Coaches with Great Maintenance Program Bossier, La. 706-592-2168 $125,000 each obo Tri-City Charter has added three more Van Hool C2045s to its fleet, bring to nine the number of Business Opportunity C2045s the company has added in USDOT, ICC and NYDOT rights for sale with business (est. 1980s). A great the past six months. opportunity for Canadian company interested in U.S. operation. Small fleet: Tri-City was formed about a 1989 MCI 47 pax coach & 2001 Krystal Luxury Mini Coach, only 35k miles. dozen years ago in east Texas and operates throughout the U.S. and have repeat customers that don’t Great opportunity for someone wanting to buy an existing full maintenance eventually expanded into Louisi- Canada. Bookings include senior even bid their trips; they know garage with charter business in a very centralized area in Upstate New York ana. Six years ago, Jim Pitstick pur- groups, church affiliations and youth they’ll get the best service at the (close to the border and NYS Thruway). Will sell with or without equipment, chased the Louisiana operation. He camps, athletic teams from colleges right price from us,” said Pitstick. with or without vehicles. Long-term building lease also available (9,000- maintained the name Tri-City and public schools, as well as mili- The company’s newest Van 22,000 sq. ft.). Possibility for package price if interested in buying complete Charter and later picked up the tary transport and airport runs. Hools are equipped with Caterpillar –business, vehicles, building and property. Terms can be discussed. Texas operation that also was con- The company has grown to 30 C13 engines, Allison B500 trans- Serious inquires only need to e-mail us at [email protected]. tinuing to use the Tri-City name. employees and 16 Van Hool coach- missions, Jake Brakes, and Firestone Because Van Hools were part of es, 8 at each location. tires. Other specifications include FOR SALE the initial purchase, Pitstick says he Pitstick attributes company Amaya Brasil seats, Monogram cut his teeth on them, and has “just growth to providing value to his recirculating flush-type toilets , REI 1997 T945 Van Hool stayed with them and have never customers. “We are not selling A/V systems with four CRT moni- Cummins M11 Plus, Allison B500, Jake Brake, had any reason to change. I like the price, we are selling service. The tors, radios and DVD players. The 57 passenger, Webasto heater, flush toilet, armrests continuity it gives my fleet, plus our overall value is the most important six coaches delivered earlier were and footrests, curtains, 5 monitors, excellent rubber, new coaches are just a magnet for consideration, not the price. The equipped with Cummins ISM attracting business.” key to our growth has been provid- engines and Allison B500 transmis- only 60,000 miles. Price neg. Can be painted to fleet The company’s major business is ing reliable, safe and dependable sions. colors. Trades considered. Financing available. charter runs primarily in the transportation with our exceptional Tri-City is a member of the Call Brian at (800) 598-5529 Southeast. But the company also personal service at a fair price. We Louisiana Motorcoach Association. Bus & Motorcoach NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS June 15, 2005 15
ment and operations support of the reporting to Benson, and will Lancer Insurance Company Calendar Overland Park, Kan.-based sub- remain with Laidlaw until the end of Long Beach, N.Y., has an- People sidiary of Laidlaw International. of the year. Benson said that with nounced that it has promoted James JUNE 2005 Michael R. Rushin has been Separately, Laidlaw Internation- the recent divestiture of Laidlaw’s M. Harinski to assistant vice presi- 24 Raynald R. Dupuis Charity named president and chief operat- al announced that company presi- healthcare unit he now has the time dent and associate general counsel, Golf Classic, Gillette Ridge Golf ing officer of Laidlaw Transit Ser- dent and CEO, Kevin Benson,is to manage the school bus business and elevated Eileen FitzGerald to Club, Bloomfield, Conn. Info: vices, a leading provider of munici- assuming the additional responsi- and get its margins up. assistant vice president and associ- E-mail: Mitch.Guralnick@ mci pal transportation and paratransit bility of managing Laidlaw Educa- Ken Presley of Service Insur- ate general counsel. coach.net. services. Rushin has been with tion Services. Hugh MacDiarmid, ance Agency has received the Harinski joined Lancer three Laidlaw Education Services for current president and chief execu- Outstanding Volunteer of the Year years ago, while FitzGerald has JULY 2005 14 years, most recently as senior tive of Laidlaw Education Services, award from the Trailways Trans- been with the company for four 16-19 Georgia Motorcoach vice president for business develop- is to become a special adviser, portation System. years. Operators Association Annual Meeting and Market Place, Lake Lanier Islands, Gainesville/ Hall County, Ga. Info: (886) 376-7770 or www.gamotorcoachoperators.org. 17-20 National School Transpor- tation Association Convention and Annual Meeting, Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, Washington. Info: www.schooltrans.com. 21-22 National School Transportation Association Safety and Security Workshop, National Transportation Safety Board Academy, Ashburn Va. Info: (800) 222-6782. 21-23 National Motorcoach Network / Trailways Transporta- tion System Network Invitational 100, Wyndham Riverfront Hotel, Little Rock, Ark. Info: (888) 733-5287 or www.motorcoach.com.
AUGUST 2005 13-16 Alabama Motorcoach Association Annual Meeting and Marketplace, Embassy Suites, Montgomery, Ala. Info: (866) 376-7770 or www.alabama motorcoach.org. 24-27 International Motor- coach Group Strategic Alliance Meeting, Lake Geneva, WI. Info: (913) 906-0111 or www.imgcoach.com. 30-Sept. 1 Florida Motor- coach Association Appointment Show, Sheraton Sand Key Resort, Clearwater Beach, Fla. Info: (407) 647-2491 or www.florida motorcoach.org. Magnolia Childs dies in Chicago CHICAGO — Magnolia A. Simmons-Childs, who operated a single-coach tour and charter com- pany in the south Chicago suburb of Dixmoor, died late last month. Her death from cancer came three days before her 66th birthday. She was a native of Tuscaloosa, Ala. Mrs. Simmons-Childs operated Joy Motor Coach for five years before illness forced her to close the business earlier this year. She is survived by her husband James Shelly Childs, six children and a sister. SMART SOLUTIONS
SMART COACHES
At Prevost, finding smart solutions is more than an idea—it’s a core philosophy. In fact, we’ve been building leading-edge ideas into every one of our coaches for over 80 years. Now with its new, advanced, multiplex electrical system, Prevost delivers unequaled reliability and unique features—tested for years to ensure long-life dependability and operational efficiency. For us, finding smart solutions in everything we do is both a proud tradition and a core philosophy. For you, it’s another reason you can count on Prevost products and services to take you further, time and time again.
www.prevostcar.com For sales inquiries: USA 877-773-8678 • Canada 418-883-3391 THE SMART CHOICE