busride february 2012
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The most trusted resource in the bus and motorcoach industry. In the February Cover Story: Family values support Blue Lakes Charter and ToursTRANSCRIPT
Page 16
Family values support Blue Lakes Charter and Tours
Prst Std US Postage Paid Bolingbrook, IL
Permit #1619
February 2012
T h e m o s t t r u s t e d r e s o u r c e i n t h e b u s a n d m o t o r c o a c h i n d u s t r y
www.busride.com • $5.00
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Why Southwest Transit outsources Page 10
Bus washing goes green Page 26
North American travel update Page 30
Bright future for SunLine Transit Page 12
Page 16
Family values support Blue Lakes Charter and Tours
www.krystal.cc®
®
BUSRide 4 February 2012
TM
February 2012
cover storyThe Cupp family and friends perpetuate Blue Lakes Charter and Tours16
David Hubbard 6The Transit Authority 12Risk Management 18Tours and Travel 30Letter from Europe 34
Update & Deliveries 8Transit Update 14Going Green 26Products & Services 40Marketplace 45Buyer’s Guide Addendum 46
Why and how Southwest Transit outsources with First Transit 10
Glaval Bus and FCCC readies the Legacy for charter service 22
CH Bus Sales and Temsa gel for 2012 28
BUSRide Maintenance CSA enforcement puts maintenance under the scope 37
features columnsdepartments
Volvo Only BUSRide, January 2012, page 20: The Volvo D13 engine has always only been available to Volvo Group companies.
Distinctive Systems, Inc. BUSRide Buyers’ Guide 2012: Don Greenglass is employed by Distinctive Systems, Inc, New York, NY, the sole U.S. distributor of Distinctive Systems Ltd. Software. Greenglass and Distinctive Systems are not associated with any other U.S. company as erroneously indicated.
CORRECTIONS
BUSRide 6 February 2012
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Art DirectorDominic Salerno
Contributing WritersDoug Jack, Matthew A. Daecher
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BUS industry SAFETY council
This past year industry leaders from both sides of the border wished Brian Crow well in his retirement after 27 years at the helm of Mo-tor Coach Canada (MCC). The search to fill his position has since culminated with the board of directors naming Doug Switzer as its next presi-dent and CEO. Switzer arrives on the scene with formidable transportation credentials and with his work in provincial government and for the Minister of Transportation of Ontario. Shortly after his appointment Switzer visited with BUS-Ride to discuss his new perspective of the in-dustry and early agenda for MCC.
As you settle in, what changes? What stays the same?
I must start off by giving the full measure of credit for the or-ganization and staff that Brian built over the years. He left every-thing in great shape with little to change. With that said, one issue in particular struck me as being both a challenge and opportunity for our motorcoach operators perhaps over the next 10 years.
Pitching the value of partner-ships with the private sector to deliver intercity transit services is my first big issue. Government agencies are becoming increas-ingly aware that the direct deliv-ery of government services is not the best way to manage the public purse and derive the most value from tax dollars. Outsourcing of transit opera-tions could prove more cost effective, particu-larly for large regional operations.
How could outsourcing affect MCC members?GO Transit in southern Ontario runs a lot of
buses in-house with government employees operating those vehicles. This is a perfect op-portunity for the private sector and government to work together to deliver that service.
We have attended hearings by our Trans-portation Committee on a new national public transit strategy and have addressed this pos-sible solution.
What was your pitch to the committee?We said first of all it should be the transit
strategy and not the public transit strategy, which implies government-run systems only. Our position is that the private motorcoach in-dustry needs to be included in any new transit plan. We also deliver commuter passengers and travelers between cities, and our equipment and operations are just as integral to moving citizens around as any of the public systems.
What was the response? I think our message had some resonance
with some of the members of the committee. We’ll see how the report comes out, but we think we have a pretty strong argument. Now is the right time to have this discussion with gov-ernment. They’re struggling with balancing the
competing needs to keep taxes down, maintain or increase gov-ernment services and manage budgets wrecked by the reces-sion. They need to find new ways of delivering services using fewer tax dollars. We’re confident that if the government lets us in, we can conservatively save 21 per-cent of what it currently spends on public transit.
Does anything on your plate involve relations with the U.S.?
With the U.S. and Canada re-cently agreeing to a new border accord, we are pressing for mo-torcoaches to receive a higher priority at border crossings. For
years the focus has been on the movement of commercial goods rather than the 600,000 Ca-nadian passengers traveling into the U.S. by mo-torcoach each year. They represent a significant tourism component, and U.S. Customs should not detain these people for four to five hours. There are technologies available and measures agents can take to speed up this process.
Are you satisfied with your decision to accept the job?
Yes. It is nice to replace a gentleman I con-sider a friend. I took this on because I do enjoy a challenge. These are weighty issues to deal with and I know there will be plenty to keep me busy in the years to come.
BUSRide
Director/Sales & Marketing
Catherine Stewart
Accountant
Fred Valdez
Integrated Media Manager Raj Dayal
Vice President Operations
Valerie Valtierra
Meet the new man at MCC
david hubbard
Doug Switzer, president and CEOMotor Coach Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
BUSRide 8 February 2012
update
Motor Coach Industries (MCI), Shaumberg, IL, is unveiling a new logo and tagline — “MCI –Reliability Driven™” — to reflect its focus on building reliable coaches and support service. The company says the new look helps sharpen its vision and message for 2012.
“We’ll use ‘Reliability Driven’ to tell the reliability story for MCI coach models,” says Patricia Ziska, MCI vice president of sales and marketing. “Our new slogan not only communicates
our corporate culture, but what our customers and the industry can expect from MCI today and in the future.”
Last March MCI began a Business Excellence initiative company-wide, based on the principle of continuous improvement, in which teams establish processes to boost product quality
and spur innovation. Most relevant to customers are the updates MCI is making to the J4500. MCI unveiled its new campaign and the latest updates to the J4500 at ABA Marketplace in Grapevine, TX, and at UMA EXPO, Long Beach, CA.
Keller TransportationWaldorf, MD
add
1 Delaware ExpressNewark, DE
add
4Keller Transportation added a customized 50-seat MCI
J4500 to the tier in its 65-coach fleet that serves the high end business traveler needing to work comfortably and productively on the road. A Cummins ISX clean-diesel engine and an Allison B500 transmission powers the 2012 model coach, which features all the amenities and creature comforts of a rolling office, conference and meeting space. Amenities include Wi-Fi, wood grain-look floors and Bosch AV equipment for in-coach programming.
Delaware Express added two new MCI J4500 coaches and another two are set for an early 2012 delivery, bringing the all-MCI fleet to 22. Marketing safety and technology for 2012, Delaware Express equipped the high end models with three-point passenger seat belts, Wi-Fi, satellite television, power outlets and Drivecam. Standard features include a smooth wide-ride suspension, electronic stability control, a SmartWave tire pressure monitoring and Amerex fire suppression system. Delaware Express also added a custom galley for snack and beverage service.
MOTOR COACH INDUSTRIES
New logo and slogan reflects new focus on reliable products and service
Anthony J. (Tony) Fiorini, president and owner of Silver State Trailways based in Los Angeles, CA and Las Vegas, NV, has stepped up to serve a three-year term as the new Chair of the Trailways board of directors.
Fiorini, a 35-year veteran in the motorcoach industry, says his priorities for the organization of independently owned motorcoach companies include more emphasis on business partnerships and regional sales by Team Trailways members.
“This is a real honor,” he says. “This organization has a formidable heritage, and while we want to honor that past, we
also want to embrace the future as we respond to market changes and challenges in the future.”
Fiorini sees Trailways stockholders benefiting more from partnership sales made through the corporate office and group participation, cooperative efforts on larger pieces of business.
deliveries
BUSRide 10 February 2012
Southwest Transit, Eden Prairie, MN, serves the workforce and students who make the 30-mile run from Chaska, Shakopee and Eden Prairie into Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota.
Relying on its long-standing partner, First Transit, Cincinnati, OH, a division of FirstGroup America, to hire, train and manage the drivers, the upscale commuter service has operated from these major suburbs for the last 25 years essentially as a precursor to bus rapid transit. Except for the dedicated lanes and loading ramps specific to BRT, the service provides the same convenient commute in the comfort of a modern motorcoach.
According to Southwest Transit CEO Len Simich, the regular customers from these highly affluent communities are highly educated and attuned to the urban lifestyle.
“This group has clearly required us to work outside the normal definitions of transit service,” says Simich. “We are continually upgrading and refining every aspect of the operation from the
coaches and facilities to the drivers delivering customer service.”
Simich goes on to say this demographic has higher expectations and many more choices than the average transit customer.
“No one feels forced to commute,” he says. “If they are not comfortable on the coach, or do not feel totally satisfied with the experience, they can always drive. While that is true for transit in general, we feel especially challenged to draw these commuters out of their cars. We have no other alternative but to do everything on a high level.”
The agency seems to have it under control, with ridership doubling over the last 10 years.
“These last two years have been a challenge, as ridership ties directly to employment,” says Simich. “But we are seeing it turn around. We were up nearly 5 percent in 2011.”
Southwest Transit operates 60 buses and coaches, 33 of which are MCI commuter coaches. Assorted New Flyer and Gillig transit buses comprise the rest of the fleet, as well as a Glaval cutaway for use in circulator and
shuttle runs. Simich says Southwest Transit
was first to run commuter-style motorcoaches into the Twin Cities.
“Our coaches are authorized to use the HOV lanes and shoulders on Interstate 394 into Minneapolis,” says Simich. “The ride is approximately 25 minutes, beating the cars by 10 minutes.”
He says the time difference is critical in attracting and retaining commuter coach, in addition to the comfort and onboard amenities. It seems to be working. In Eden Prairie, the five-level parking ramp accommodates 1,000 vehicles and it usually fills by 8:30 a.m.
The choice to outsource First Transit has teamed with
Southwest Transit since 1989 when the agency first considered its option of outsourcing certain components of the operation.
“The case with many municipalities is the transportation arm lacks the expertise to correctly implement the safest and most cost effective service,”
The system works because of mutual respectWhy and how Southwest Transit outsources with First Transit
By David Hubbard
Southwest Transit has operated for the last 25 years as a precursor to bus rapid transit.
February 2012BUSRide 11
says Dave Simoneau, First Transit project manager for this operation. “Southwest Transit determined First Transit could probably do a better job establishing and maintaining a first rate team of highly qualified drivers.”
Simich says while both parties benefit from the longevity of this partnership, part of the process is for him and his staff to weigh the pros and cons of the contract every two years.
“First Transit is an organization for hire,” he says. “That means our costs for its services are always a consideration. We have to always ask if we can do it as well for less money by bringing it in-house or going with another contractor.”
Simich says because First Transit has delivered quality service for a favorable fee for so many years, Southwest Transit tends toward keeping the relationship intact.
Simoneau, who has served alongside Southwest Transit for 17 years and just as easily sees himself as a Southwest Transit employee, says this partnership runs smoothly because of
the simplified operational goal.“With only the driver component to
operate and manage, we can give all our attention to transporting customers safely and on time, and delivering great service,” he says. “I think both entities agree this has grown beyond the typical contractor-vendor relationship into a true operational partnership, especially over the last 12 years.”
Together, the two entities have met budget challenges through creative solutions that have led to greater efficiency.
One example is the system First Transit devised to allow the buses to remain downtown between the morning and evening runs, which Simich says saves the fuel of 20 coaches a day coming and going
Once the passengers are delivered in the morning, the coaches move to a secured parking lot where a shuttle transports the drivers back to the yard and return on the shuttle later in the day for their afternoon runs.
“Another tremendous advantage for us is to not be the ones to sit and
negotiate with the unions,” says Simich. “While we may give up some say in who we hire, who we promote, and which drivers work on particular routes, in issues where the rubber hits the road, the advantages for our outsourcing to First Transit far outweigh any disadvantages.”
Beyond bus stops and park-and-ride facilities, Southwest Transit enjoys the opportunity to develop further its properties as bona fide transit-oriented communities that place condominiums and retail space as close as possible to the bus service.
The first such development in Eden Prairie features 230 condominiums and 130,000- square feet of retail space.
“Because Southwest Transit owns the property, we have been able to develop this infrastructure,” says Simich. “These assets outside our normal transit activities generate a generous cash flow for us, and have enabled us to hold our own and grow over the last few years.” BR
BUSRide 12 February 2012
the transit authority
By C. Mikel Oglesby
the transit authority
Future is bright for SunLine Transit Agency
This year marks a milestone for SunLine Transit Agency, as we celebrate our 35th anniversary. Over the years, the agency has been at the forefront of providing the safe, reliable transit service using cutting edge technologically advanced vehicles, for residents and visitors in the Coachella Valley, California. Our plan is to continue down that road into our next 35 years.
When I arrived at SunLine in 2004, I quickly recognized the need to evaluate the entire transit system. A Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) was conducted, which included more than 20 public meetings held throughout the community to solicit input from those who use the service. From these
sessions, our board of directors approved a plan that provided a strategic road map for how best to move public transportation forward.
Despite the state of the economy, SunLine has completed a number of the COA recommendations, including the realignment of routes to serve retail and commercial centers, frequency improvements and expansion of service. At a time when agencies around the country were cutting service, SunLine purchased 150 stand-alone bus benches and trash receptacles, as well as solar powered i-Stops (bus stop lighting) to service our 536 bus stops throughout the Coachella Valley. This provided comfort and
Last November the agency unveiled its seventh generation hydrogen fueled vehicle, the first of its kind “Buy America Compliant” American Fuel Cell Bus.
February 2012BUSRide 13
safety for our riders. I also realized the need of a bus replacement and expansion
program, as the SunLine buses were fast approaching the end of their useful life. A program was put in place and the entire aging fleet was replaced with new technologically-advanced CNG powered buses, along with the agency’s new paratransit vehicles. It was the fleet’s first major makeover in 14 years.
SunLine has been the leader of alternative fueled vehicles in the transit industry beginning in August of 1994 when the agency converted its fleet of diesel-fueled vehicles to compressed natural gas vehicles. Our focus soon turned to further advancement of an environmentally-friendly fuel: hydrogen. In 2000 SunLine partnered with the California Fuel Cell Partnership in conducting a 13-month demonstration of the Zebus, a 40-foot New Flyer equipped with a Ballard fuel cell. The journey to providing public transit using hydrogen vehicles began.
Last November the agency unveiled its seventh generation hydrogen fueled vehicle, the first of its kind, “Buy America Compliant” American Fuel Cell Bus. Through the determination and support of the SunLine board and staff, partners and funders of the American Fuel Cell program, we once again demonstrated the commitment of the agency to
the commercialization of hydrogen vehicles.SunLine is uniquely positioned in the transit industry to
assist the Federal Transportation Association in developing new commercial models for fuel cell technology and remains the best proving ground for advances in fuel cell technology. The FTA has further validated the success of the American Fuel Cell Bus Program and its support of SunLine by awarding the agency funding for two additional American Fuel Cell buses through the TIGGER Program, which works directly with public transportation agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy use within transit operations. The agency also owns and operates SunFuels, its state-of-the-art public fueling station that produces hydrogen on property.
My goal, and the goal of the agency, is to continue the advancement of innovative transportation and alternative fuel technologies, while providing safe, high quality public transit services to the Coachella Valley. BR
C. Mikel Oglesby was introduced to public transit at a very young age by his father, who was a bus operator for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) for more than 34 years. Oglesby has served as SunLine’s General Manager for eight years. He can be reached at [email protected].
BUSRide 14 February 2012
update
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit agency is planning to construct a park-and-ride station to connect Brandon commuter to MacDill Air Force Base and downtown Tampa. According to the St. Petersburg Times, HART is interested in purchasing land just south of the Lee Roy Selmon Express-way that will accommodate up to 250 cars. Buses would stop to pick up passengers headed for Tampa and MacDill AFB. In addition to covered waiting areas with benches, the agency wants to include restrooms and an indoor snack bar or some other leased space. The plan is to have the new transit sta-tion open by March 2013. The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority was created in October of 1979.
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) buses will soon be rolling into a new park-and-ride station outside of Tampa, FL.
Alexandria, Virginia’s first clean diesel hybrid electric DASH buses were on display for a preview at Alexandria’s City Hall on Dec. 8. The purchase consisted of seven 35-foot hybrid buses and three 40-foot hybrid buses. In addition, Alexan-dria Transit has also purchased five 30-foot hybrid trolleys. The trolleys will go in to service in April 2012, when DASH
begins operating the King Street Trol-ley. The DASH buses will operate on
an environmentally-friendly mix of ultra-low sulfur diesel and electricity.
The hybrid buses feature a wider body, low-floor entry, bike
racks, improved mirrors, and wheelchair ramps instead of lifts.
Alexandria Transit unveils new hybrid electric buses
Bus ridership for Columbus, OH-based Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) increased
10.8 percent in the third quarter of 2011. Nationally, public transportation saw a 1.4 percent increase, with 2.6 billion trips taken.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced in mid-December that 46
transportation projects in 33 states and Puerto Rico will receive a total of $511 million from the third round of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s popular TIGER program.
Tulsa Transit’s Lift Program received a pair of new compressed natural gas MV-1 vehicles from
Apache Corp. The MV-1s are factory-built paratransit vans. Total value of both vehicles was more than $100,000.
In late December, 39 MTA New York City Transit employees were honored with medals and
certificates of excellence for their roles in aiding customers and fellow workers in time of trouble.
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Cincinnati Metro has added eight new hybrid buses to its fleet. The
new vehicles join six other hybrids that began service on Dec. 19. The 14 new hybrids more than doubled Metro’s hybrid fleet. With the new additions, Metro now has 27 hybrid buses in service for this year.
The new hybrid buses were purchased with funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Clean & Green and
Next Generation programs, the Federal Transit Administra-tion’s Clean Fuels program, federal earmarks and the City of Cincinnati’s Transit Fund.
In 2011, Metro’s hybrids reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 823 tons.
Metro is a non-profit, tax-funded public service of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, providing more than 17 million rides per year.
Cincy Metro adds eight new hybrids
Cincinnati, OH-based First Transit has been awarded a three-year
contract with two option years to operate the City of Phoenix fixed-route service, Valley Metro. This service started on Oct. 1, 2007. Valley Metro operates 151 vehicles throughout the
greater Phoenix area. The contract – the first in Arizona for First Transit – has a first-year value of about $22 million.
“First Transit has a great management team set for Valley Metro and is very excited to start operating in Arizona,” said First Transit’s Senior Vice President Nick Promponas.
First Transit awarded Valley Metro contract
HART planning new transit station
In the early 1960s Stan Cupp was already involved in the travel business and operating a few school buses when he jumped at the opportunity to buy up a half-dozen fledgling bus companies from the upper peninsula of Michigan to Toledo, OH. He ran his new operation as Delta Bus Lines from his base in Saginaw. In 1980 Cupp accepted an invitation from the Trailways team to become an affiliate and renamed the business Michigan Trailways.
Stan’s sons, David and Randy, who spent much of their time as youngsters around the business washing and cleaning buses continued to work through the ranks of Michigan Trailways for at least 15 years until their father elected to sell the operation in 1988.
With the sudden collapse of that venture after only 10 months into the deal, the new owners relieved the Cupp boys of their du-ties. David and Randy took it as the chance to create their own motorcoach company, which they launched in 1989 as Blue Lake Charter and Tours. The only hitch in the process was the fact their father was under a strict non-compete clause that prevented his involvement with his sons.
According to co-owner and vice president Randy Cupp, only the generous assistance of a longtime family friend could make this opportunity possible. Clancy Cornell, the eventual founder of ABC Companies, had grown up with Stan and had begun selling used coaches he purchased from Greyhound.
“We simply could not have managed this without Clancy’s agreeing to help us at the critical time,” says Cupp. “He willingly extended credit to us that allowed us to purchase and operate our first three MCI MC8s.
The early transactions between these two pioneering families marked the beginning of one the more venerable partnerships in the North American motorcoach industry.
“Growing up together, Stan and I shared many of the same fam-ily business goals,” says Cornell. “We both grew our businesses from the ground up and shared our passion for the bus industry with our sons. I can say with all certainty that Stan would be more
By David Hubbard
BUSRide 16 February 2012
The Cupp family and friends perpetuate Blue Lakes Charter and Tours
The Cupps and the Cornells are business partners and family friends that share the same interests outside their companies.
traditional Business Values support new processes
Cupp brothers David (left) and Randy founded Blue Lakes Charters and Tours in 1989 on the work of their father, Stan Cupp and Michigan Trailways.
than proud of his sons today.”As both businesses have grown so have family relations be-
tween the Cupp and Cornell sons. Blue Lakes President David Cupp says their camaraderie over the years in business has grown, and outside interests include countless get-togethers and one memorable group excursion to Sturgis, SD on Harley Davidsons.
Cupp says his father may have even been the first operator in the U.S. to purchase a Van Hool when the company brought a demo model to North America to test the market prior to Cornell’s involvement with the Belgian bus builder.
While Blue Lakes ran early 815 Model GMCs equipped with Mann engines coupled to manual transmissions, the Cupps continued to purchase Van Hool coaches after Cornell formed ABC Companies and became the North American distributor.
This year, Blue Lakes will take delivery of four 2012 C2045s to bring the Van Hool count to 20 in the fleet of 55, which in-cludes a number of late model MCIs that have been converted to entertainer and lounge coaches for special events.
Blues Lakes is reaching into its third generation of Cupp family management with David’s son and daughter, Ryan and Betsy respectfully, working in sales and marketing and ca-sino reservations, while Randy’s sons Nathan and Jason are involved in charter sales and maintenance and driver orienta-tion. Ryan Cupp also is a founding member of the UMA Young Guns operator group and secretary of the newly formed Mid-west Bus Association.
Based in Clio, MI, the $8 million company employs 150 and also operates facilities in Pontiac, MI and Perrysburg, OH, of-fering a diverse range of services from corporate charters, ca-sino and amusement park runs to extended excursions, such as National Park backpacking trips and the 45-day coach trek Alaska’s Denali National Park for the Michigan Jewish Com-munity Center.
“We give a lot of focus to school and university sports teams and youth organizations,” says David Cupp. “As we are seeing a lot of business from the senior communities waning, we re-ally have to look for ways to attract new markets.”
He says Blue Lakes is the first motorcoach company in his area to initiate an online reservation-payment system for scheduled services that sell trips by the seat.
“The Internet has become such a reality in our business, we
had to set up this new system in-house on our website and hire a IT professional to manage it,” says Cupp. “We dropped our Yellow Pages advertising by at least two-thirds.
As the business has passed to each generation and evolved over 40-plus years, Cupp says his family owes much of the sta-bility in operations to a number of drivers and dispatchers who began with the company as Delta and Michigan Trailways.
Cupp says one of the most beneficial efforts to grow and improve has been his involvement over the past three years in the Spader 20 Groups.
“The opportunity to network so closely in a group that rang-es from some of the largest bus companies to some of the smallest has really helped,” he says. “We have incorporated a number of suggestions that have literally turned us around in how we do business and how we communicate with our em-ployees and get them more involved in our decision making processes.”
Cupp cites one particularly valuable piece of advice from the group was to make the switch to the more robust motorcoach management software. Another was to be more up front on how Blue Lakes passes fluctuating fuel costs onto its custom-ers.
“This is a big problem for so many operators who must quote prices six to 12 months in advance,” he says. “We used to put a disclaimer in small print on the back of the contract that explained the trip was subject to a fuel surcharge. We decided we couldn’t afford the flack we were getting from our custom-ers. Now we print it right on the front in big letters: The cost of this trip is based on today’s fuel costs.
“Internally we are realizing greater value and efficiency by holding more meetings with more of our employees in every area of the operation. We are listening more closely and im-plementing their ideas. These are our people on the front line doing the work our customers see and judge us by. Their input is crucial to how we operate in this stage of the company.” BR
February 2012BUSRide 17
traditional Business Values support new processes
The history of Blue Lakes Charters and Tours shows in its coaches over the years.
Stanley Lee Cupp, founder of Delta Bus Lines, stands with his first highway coach in 1962, a GMC Silversides.
BUSRide 18 February 2012
By Matthew A. Daecher
risk management
Matthew A. Daecher is president and CEO of Daecher Consulting Group, Inc., Camp Hills, PA.
Two stories overshadowed all others in the bus industry in 2011: the implementa-tion and realization of the new Safety Mea-surement System (SMS) and the resulting consequences and attention a string of un-usually severe motorcoach crashes gener-ated.
While there are probably some operators who do not care much for the new SMS, the consensus from a safety viewpoint is this system does what it was intended to do: identify carriers that have issues manag-ing regulatory requirements. How the sys-tem interprets certain violations and ranks operators are still contentious areas, but as a whole the new system provides much more information about carriers and their management than the Safestat system it replaced. More information for both regula-tors and consumers is a good thing.
The unfortunate fatal bus crashes in the first half of the year sharpened regula-tor and enforcement attention, which had already been at a heightened level for the last several years. Strike forces across the nation and stricter enforcement of violators have resulted in more passenger carrier vehicle inspections and stricter enforce-ment of violations than the industry has ever seen.
The results of these accidents also re-focused attention on previously introduced legislation aimed at increasing bus safety and provided basis for new legislative of-ferings as well. Combined with proposed and soon-to-be federal motor carrier safety regulations affecting the commercial vehi-cle industry, it is fairly easy to guesstimate what the future will hold for carriers in cer-tain areas.
Seat Belts: While three-point belts on new coaches are a given, it is unlikely we will see a retrofit requirement issued for older coaches. Given the life cycle of coach-es and the question of economics versus
benefit, the optional retrofit of some coach-es would simply be too burdensome. How-ever, I would expect standards issued for those who do choose to retrofit their older coaches.
National Registry of Medical Examiners: This would establish a database of examin-ers qualified to conduct physical examina-tions on commercial drivers and likely in-clude some type of educational component for the registered examiners. It should be a non-issue for carriers who already use designated examiners and hopefully are comfortable that they are familiar with the certification criteria, guidance and physical demands of the commercial drivers they examine.
Speed Limiting: This proposal is less of a factor for the bus industry than trucking, but nonetheless may become reality if it is included in legislation under consideration. It would require speeds be limited to 65 mph and would likely include all large com-mercial vehicles.
Drug and Alcohol Test Database: Long overdue, this missing link in driver history evaluation would limit the chances of driv-ers with past drug or alcohol abuses not ap-parent on a driving abstract to get hired and work for most legitimate carriers.
Medical Certification and Sleep Apnea: There is growing indication of a revision to the physical qualification criteria, due main-ly to fatigued driving issues and the sleep apnea movement. If sleep apnea screen-ing is mandatory at prescribed body mass indexes, carriers will need to determine if they are willing to pay for such screening for potential hires and even current drivers. It would be wise for operators to begin now investigating options and costs for screen-ing. This will help reduce occupational clin-ics from potentially benefiting unscrupu-lously from the need-for-screening diagno-sis. Any apnea screening should take place
Prepare now for stricter industry oversight
“Combined with proposed and soon-to-be federal motor carrier safety regulations affecting the commercial vehicle industry, it is fairly easy to guesstimate what the future will hold for carriers in certain areas.”
February 2012BUSRide 19
independently of a company’s physical examination provider. Since the oppor-tunity to change the physical qualifica-tion criteria is not often presented, it is entirely possible and warranted that FMCSA may review and change other areas of the qualification criteria as well.
Safety Fitness Determination: The continued implementation of the CSA program will include a rule allowing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Ad-ministration to change carrier safety fitness ratings based primarily on a carrier’s SMS data. While we can ex-pect plenty of challenges to this rule-making, if it does pass carriers would be susceptible to frequent, perhaps monthly, evaluations of their safety fit-ness rather than only during routine compliance reviews. How do opera-tors prepare for this eventual reality? Make sure processes and procedures to manage regulatory compliance are effective in maintaining BASIC scores below thresholds. Aiming for rankings below the 50th percentile should keep a carrier in good shape.
While there has been non-stop ac-tion on hours of service rulemakings for property carriers for some time, there has been little mention of hours of service changes in passenger car-rier circles. Currently, a new hours-of-service rule for trucking is being published. While it barely mentions passenger carriers, those in the bus industry should not turn a blind eye to this issue. I believe the intent is to ad-just passenger carrier hours of service, and once the trucking side is settled, or at least in a new round of litigation, we will see hours of service changes for passenger carriers introduced. FMCSA is simply giving too much attention to the subject to think otherwise. If and when it does introduce new rules, those who have been ahead of the curve in planning will suffer the least pain. All carriers get calls for trips that just don’t seem right; trips they should not allow. If your operation is growing more dependent on these question-able types of trips it is definitely time to think about diversifying.
BUSRide 20 February 2012
risk management
Electronic Hours of Service Recorders (AOBRDs): This highly sought technology by enforcement is on its way to reality through one of two methods: rulemaking or congres-sional action. In fact, it was recently included in highway funding legislation under consider-ation. It is widely accepted in trucking circles, and whichever way it becomes required, pas-senger carriers can expect to be included.
While we have yet to see the real benefit of this technology from the perspective of road-side enforcement, it will prevent anyone from fudging handwritten logs. Most current AO-BRD systems are manually adjustable, which makes any non-adjustable data such as GPS locations key to their effectiveness.
What should you be doing now? Talk with your vendors of the current technology-based systems on your vehicles to see if they plan to integrate AOBRDs into their systems. Most will. If you have contracts coming due for re-newal, evaluate systems from other vendors. Make sure any agreements guarantee their AOBRD system will meet all future guidance regarding enforcement interfaces without in-curring additional costs.
Driver Training: An entry-level driver train-ing regulation has been on the books since 2004 that requires training for all commer-cial drivers with less than one year driving experience prior to July 2004. This regulation was subject to litigation largely based on its required topics, or more correctly, the lack of, and has been routinely ignored and not enforced. A proposal in 2007 to modify the training requirements was unsuccessful. The FMCSA will announce another attempt next year. This is not a bad idea and it will require a more robust training program.
This leaves carriers in two scenarios: hire only those experienced drivers who can dem-onstrate they have met the training require-ments, or provide the training themselves to inexperienced drivers or those who lack the proper documentation. To simplify compliance most carriers will want to provide the training themselves. This means that if you do not have an in-house driver training program, you may want to start thinking about developing one or establishing a relationship with a training school or program which is likely to be able to meet any proposed requirements. BR
continued
February 2012BUSRide 21
An old Chinese proverb has it that if you are planning for one year sow rice. If you are planning for 10 years plant trees. If the plan is to last a lifetime, then educate people.
The announcement in June from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adminis-tration (FMCSA) of its second strategic plan since its inception in 2000 is re-mindful of this sage advice.
It is important to understand the ne-cessity of long-term planning to direct short-term action. The ongoing work of U.S. DOT and FMCSA, activities and programs such as the Strike Force In-spections, CSA and closures of rogue companies, represents sown rice. The Motorcoach Safety Action Plan Secre-tary LaHood called for a year or so ago is planting trees to bear fruit. However, educating people to respond, change and grow over the long haul is far more complex. Hope for the future begins with the teacher devising a cohesive lesson plan that lays out the end goals and the objectives along the way. It takes something like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 2011-2016 Strategic Plan: Raising the Safety Bar, to keep everyone focused on what they need to do, and to instill trust in the Ad-ministration as a guide and mentor.
Administrator Anne Ferro sees the mission clearly as one to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involv-ing commercial vehicles. While noting the progress and recent successes in the face of public outcry, Ferro concurs there is more to do, which is why she has rolled out the latest Strategic Plan as the road map that charts our course for at least the next five years.
The Strategic Plan establishes safety as the highest agency priority through three core principles:
Raise the bar to enter the motor •carrier industryMaintain high safety standards •to remain in the industry
Remove high-risk carriers, driv-•ers and service providers from operation
The majority of bus and coach opera-tors get it. New people, new companies enter the industry every day, and their
ultimate success or ill fate has a lot to do with how well they understand and commit to the bigger plan for a safer operation and support for this far-sighted, visionary strategic plan. BR
FMCSA’s well-laid five-year Strategic Plan
By David Hubbard
Everyone is in on the act to raise the safety bar
BUSRide 22 February 2012
Glaval Bus and FCCC readies the Legacy for charter service
Glaval Bus, Elkhart, IN, a division of Forest River Inc, and a component in the Berkshire-Hathaway conglomer-ate, will introduce its new 40-ft Legacy to charter tour motorcoach operators during UMA Expo 2012 in Long Beach, CA. Built in conjunction with its partner, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corpora-tion (FCCC), the Legacy features the heavy-duty Freightliner S2C chassis
with rear air-ride suspension. A Cum-mins 6.7L ISB V8 Diesel240HP engine and Allison 2200 PTS Transmission with Park Pawl 5 speed provide the power. The Legacy is available direct through Glaval Bus and its associated dealer network.
Glaval Bus elected to produce the new model with Freightliner when GM ceased production on its 5500 Series
chassis two years ago. The company says it needed another upscale bus in the 29,000 GVWR category.
The Legacy on exhibit at UMA Expo marks the debut of a configuration suit-able for large chartered groups. It fea-tures bonded windows upscale seating for up to 45 passengers, rear lavatory, overhead and under floor storage, and a rear-drop baggage compartment.
Glaval Bus says the styling and com-fort combines with rugged durability in the construction. Versatile floor plans and configurations for the Legacy also fit with public shuttle service and ADA-compliant paratransit applications.
The Legacy, built of 1-1/2-inch gal-vanized Steel-Safe construction and Altoona-tested for 10 years; 350,000 miles, comes with a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty.
Built on the FCCC S2C with rear-ride suspension
continued on page 24
You’re proud of the service you provide. So are we.
Reliability is one of your most valuable assets. It’s also one of ours.
Your passengers trust you to get them where they need to go,
just as you can count on Protective to develop a solid
insurance program that is backed by an experienced staff.
For more information, contact Stacy Renz at (800) 644-5501.
BUSRide 24 February 2012
Legacy SpecificationSWheelbase 219”/259”/279”exterior Height Approximately 129exterior Width 96”interior Height 78 1/2”interior Width 92”Length 32-, 35-, / 37-,40-ft; up to 481”
cHaSSiS SpecificationSengine Cummings 6.7L V8 Dieselengine Rating 240 hp; 560 lb-ftgVWR 26,000 lbsalternator 320 Ampfuel System 65 gal or 100 gal alternate fuel B-20 “BioDiesel” capabletransmission Allison 2200 PTS w/ Park Pawl 5 Speedparking Brake Air-operated w/push and pull knob on dashWipers Intermittent single motorBattery 2 Batteries 1900 CCA totalcruise control Standard electronicfast idle StandardSteering Adjustable tilt/telescopingWheels Dual rear wheels 22.5”, six 10-hole disc, 22.5”x 7.5” RW steel painted whitetires Michelin XZE 235/80R 22.5 14 plyStereo Not included. OptionalSpeakers Total of 8 speakers included in conversion (includes 2 in the drivers area)tow Hooks Front frame mounted
Driver’s Seat Bostrom Talladega 910 Highback Air SuspensionDef tank 10 galRear axle Ratio 5.13 to 1air System DV-2 Autodrain valve w/ heaterfront axle Rating 10,000 lbfront Spring 10,000 lb Tape LeafRear axle Rating 19,000 lbRear Spring 21,000 lb Air-Ride Air Liner Door Handles/Locks Manualaux power In dash 12-Voltfront Bumper OEM ChromeWindshield WasherReservoir 1 Gallon under hood
Glaval Legacycontinued
BUSRide 26 February 2012
going green
In today’s world of environmental concerns and impacts of each industry, the bus industry is now giving serious thought to the level of impact on the en-vironment. We are now looking at ways to be efficient in tires, engines, fuel consumption and aero-dynamics.
Washing your bus can be another dy-namic way to be environmentally sound and save money as well. Let’s put some myths to bed and pass on some ideas
on how to be green while saving money and improving your image when it comes to washing your buses.
Today there is technology available to meet any needs and desires of your washing requirements, be it budget or en-vironmentally based. Generally, the most popular automatic machinery to wash vehicles today consists of automated
Environmental impact and green focus on bus washing
By Jack Jackson
drive through, rollover and walk-around units. These automated systems enable a bus to be washed and rinsed in less than five minutes. Available as well are water reclamation and recycle sys-tems to offset environment concerns and save on water costs.
However, there are many operators still using the manual pressure washer and hand brush scrub system, taking up to 30 minutes or more to wash and rinse. Reliable labor, time costs and wash consistency are the major frustrations with any opera-tor utilizing a manual handwash system.
Let’s take a look at facts about bus washing:
Washing buses in your parking lotDo you know some municipalities and states have banned
washing cars on the street and even your driveway? Yes, that wa-ter goes directly to the storm sewer and immediately into your local water source, whether it is a stream, river, lake or ocean. If you are washing in your parking lot, where does that drain go? Most likely, it goes directly to the closest aquatic system in your area.
The chemicals being used for washing end up in the local aquatic systems. Even if you use the proper “biodegradable soaps” you are still sending grease, oil, gasoline and other con-taminants with that wash water into the water shed.
The Environmental Protection Agency suggests washing your vehicles on gravel or grassy surfaces, since Mother Nature knows how to neutralize those contaminants in the soil. How-ever, this can’t be efficient for any bus operator that has multiple vehicles to wash. The surface would obviously become inundated with water and mud, so there has to be more thought put into large vehicle washing.
There are technologies available to capture your wash water in your parking lot, recycle and reuse this water. Also there are companies that will capture and dispose in the proper sewer sys-tem so as not to pollute your environment.
Washing inside your buildingWashing inside your building, in the majority of cases, means
you are tapped into your municipal water sewage system, thus the wash water is being sent to your treatment facility. While this does help the environment, there are costs.
The municipality has to clean this water. Also, your com-•pany or building is paying for water that’s possibly on a meter. Check your water bill and understand it. Are you paying for sewage discharge as well? Many com-•panies do not realize that there is a water charge in and many times there is a “water out” charge. Some areas meter water in and out, with a hefty charge for water dis-charge. You are paying for water in and then paying again for water out, sometimes twice the amount to discharge.
Right: The Awash Eco Water Pump System is an automatic, self-
contained unit designed to increase both water pressure and volume for
increased efficiency.
Left: A Mobile Soap Sprayer is a low-pressure stainless steel mobile sprayer that cleans using brush systems and not chemicals.
BUSRide February 2012 27
Environmental impact and green focus on bus washingToday’s technology allows for water treatment systems •at your wash bay. There are many systems available that allow you to capture your water, clean it and reuse for washing. This would allow a zero discharge, thus saving money and the environment.
Handwashing busesA three-quarter-inch water hose dispenses 17 gallons of
water per minute. Do the math and washing a bus for 30 min-utes equates to 510 gallons of water. Each gallon weighs 8.3 pounds, so you may have used over two tons – or 4,200 pounds – of water to wash that bus.
Whether you are washing inside your building or outside on your parking lot, the use and cost of water can be a major hid-den expense for your facility. Do the analysis and find a major saving, especially when you look at your cost-per-gallon of water.
Today’s technology for cleaning buses, no matter if you are using an automatic system, a walk-around single brush unit, pressure washer or old fashioned hand brush, can be a green initiative in your company. It’s a matter of education of water usage, techniques and analysis. With water shortages and en-vironmental impacts this is a growing concern, and one long ignored.
The cost of water varies across the continent, thus it can have different impacts depending on your location. Do you draw water out of a well or lake? We hear from these custom-ers that we don’t pay for water, so not a concern. We have to believe there is a cost to all of us eventually.
For most of us the municipality supplies our water through pipes to our facility. Take a minute to examine the water bill and come up with a cost-per-gallon of water. This is not easy, but it’s necessary to determine your cost-per-vehicle of wash-ing.
After determining the cost of water you will have to capture the cost of labor, chemicals and supplies, like brushes and cloths, etc. It is understandable why only 1 percent of compa-nies know the actual cost of washing a bus.
Overall, bus washing has much more of an impact than most operators’ take time to consider. There is a major affect to both the environment and the bottom line of every company, city and municipality. Take time to consider your footprint on the environment. BR
Jack Jackson is President of Awash Systems in Toronto, Canada. He can be reached at [email protected]. Find Awash Systems at www.awashsystems.com or call (800) 265-7405.
BUSRide 28 February 2012
The Temsa bus and motorcoach brands belong to Temsa Global and runs in more than 40 markets worldwide includ-ing Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The company has bus and coach production plants in Adana, Turkey and Cairo, Egypt, to offer myriad models that accommodate vari-ous transportation modes and the many needs of each re-gional market.
Now with the only 35-and 30-foot monocoque design mo-torcoaches available to North American operators, CH Bus Sales, Faribault, MN, the exclusive Temsa distributor in the U.S, will showcase the 30-ft TS30 model this month during UMA Expo 2012 in Long Beach, CA.
“This 30-foot coach length marks a significant addition to the small bus market in North America,” says CH Bus Sales President and CEO Robert Foley. “Operators are excited by the fact that it is an upscale option that is not body on chas-sis. Some applications of a cutaway are fine, but there are many instances where the use of a true motorcoach will perform much better.”
In addition to monocoque construction, the advantages
of transporting up to 32 passengers in the smaller 30-foot coach, according to Foley, are the greater baggage capacity, the comfort of full-scale motorcoach seating and amenities and an onboard lavatory. Foley says bus and coach operators are trying to save costs without jeopardizing the quality they offer their customers.
“The shorter length Temsa models are becoming more at-tractive to operators who are not filling their 45-foot coaches on every trip,” says Foley. “These options save on the pur-chase price, insurance costs, mileage and lower tolls.”
Academy Bus Lines, Hoboken, NJ, Cardinal Bus, Middle-bury, IN, and Pacific Coachways, Garden Grove, CA were some of the first North American operators to purchase the 35-ft coach Temsa introduced in 2008. In the past quarter, Vandalia Lines, St. Louis, MO; Skyliner Tours, Astoria, NY; AFC Transportation, Houston, TX; Cavallo Bus, Springfield, MO; SFO Limo, San Francisco, CA; Rochester Bus Ser-vice, Hastings, MN; Jefferson Lines, Minneapolis, MN; and Bloomington Shuttle, Bloomington, IN, have put the Temsa TS35 into service.
CH Bus Sales and Temsa gel for 2012
By David Hubbard
The TS 30 model debuts at UMA Expo; national sales and service in place
CH Bus Sales will put the 30-ft Temsa TS 30 on exhibition during UMA EXPO 2012, Long Beach, CA.
Robert Foley serves as president and CEO, CH Bus Sales, Faribault, MN.
Duane Geiger serves as executive vice president, sales and service, CH Bus Sales, Faribault, MN.
February 2012BUSRide 29
Cardinal Bus operated three of the first units to arrive in the U.S. and has since traded these for three 2012 models equipped with EPA-compliant Cummins engines.
Dan Shoup, president and CEO of family-owned Cardinal Bus, says the 35-foot TS35 is a perfect fit for the smaller athletic teams his company transports.
“We typically carry teams of 15 to 30 students for these smaller division schools,” he says. “We feel better and the clients feel better about them riding in a coach that is full, and the schools are far more confident with the Temsa coaches on longer trips.”
CH Bus Sales solidifies operationFoley says the Temsa U.S. sales organization is in place
and represents a wealth of industry experience.Executive Vice President, Duane Geiger, heads the na-
tional sales team of Tim Vaught and Larry Williams in Texas and the South; Tony Mongiovi, New Jersey and the North-east; Randy Angell, Midwest; and Randy Kolesar, Pacific and Western region. This group averages 20 years of expe-rience in the motorcoach industry. The company reports it will add an account executive in the Southeast later in the spring.
“This team will wear several hats, but they enjoy the challenge and have the experience,” says Foley. “A lot has come together in the last four months.”
CH Bus Sales has opened a service facility in Orlando, FL, which has a consistent port pickup and customer delivery routine in place, in addition to performing outside service work for operators.
“We currently have two established parts warehouses in Las Vegas and Orlando. We also have a solid warranty ad-ministration and after sales support team headed by Mar-vin Borntrager, who has 28 years of experience in the mo-tor coach industry. In addition to the two locations in Las Vegas and Orlando, we are assembling a reliable technical support network across the country” says Foley
Foley says the service support growth begins with a col-laborative effort with Creative Bus Sales, Chino, CA, which will add support in Chino, CA, Hayward, CA, Sacramento, CA, Elkhart, IN, Phoenix, AZ, Albuquerque, NM and Atlantic Beach, FL. CH Bus Sales also has service arrangements with David Frank in the Texas area, C&J’s Bus Repair Ser-vice, Minneapolis, MN, and Perfect Body and Motor Coach Solutions in the Northeast. “Our plan is to have support in every major city in the U.S. and eventually in Canada,” says Foley. “We recently established our product research and development committee, which Tim Vaught leads. The committee, which includes operators and Temsa person-nel, is reviewing our TS35 and TS30 models, along with our U.S. prototype of the 45-ft coach which we will introduce to North America this time next year.” BR
BUSRide 30 February 2012
tours & travel
For many motorcoach operators and tour companies, 2011 saw a rebound in the tourism and travel business. After a couple of years of sluggish sales in an economy that was at times in free fall, last year the motorcoach tourism industry began to experience spirited sales and renewed excitement.
“For our members 2011 was much better than 2010, despite some of the economic volatility that’s still going on,” says Lisa Simon, president of the Lexington, KY-based National Tour Association. “It’s not like everyone got back to where they were pre-economic crisis, but they certainly had a better year.”
At the NTA’s convention in Las Ve-gas in December, many operators told Simon they were booking business di-rectly on the event floor, a rarity in the past few years. Simon says she noticed a related trend.
“We’ve been having shorter booking cycles for years, but now operators are starting to see longer booking cycles,”
Simon says. “I don’t know what’s driv-ing that, other than maybe people are more careful with their money so they are planning farther in advance and are being wise about where they want to go and do.”
“2011 was a very strong year,” says Kristy Kennedy, group marketing spe-cialist for the Adirondack Coast Visi-tors and Convention Bureau. “People were starting to travel more.”
Deborah Duerr, the director of tour-ism sales at Niagara USA, has found success in repackaging existing tours. Late last year she put together a tour called “The Ghost of Niagara,” tying in the apparently haunted Fort Niagara, the Olde Angel Inn and other spooky locations near Niagara Falls.
“It’s putting a new spin on tours and tying them together,” Duerr says. “We’ve been featured on the Syfy Channel’s ‘Ghost Hunters’ and ‘Scari-est Places in America’ on the Travel Channel.”
Duerr says the problem Niagara USA has is people thinking the only attrac-tion is the Falls itself.
“We have been building the idea that there are other things to see here,” she says. “We have our Niagara win-ter market, which is a European-style outdoor market with wonderful shop-ping and ice skating. We have a new culinary school that’s opening this year, too.”
For 2012, Simon says she is seeing a resilient market in faith-based travel.
“We found that 40 percent of our operators are actually producing faith-based products,” Simon says. “Specifi-cally, it’s going on pilgrimages, visiting shrines, or mission and fellowship trips. I believe that’s understated be-cause that was based a specific prod-uct designed around a religious- or faith-based experience. That doesn’t include the operators who are working with their local church groups, but they are going on a more traditional type of vacation.”
Simon claims a number of NTA members are diversifying their mar-kets and going for younger clients.
“According to our 2011 survey, the senior market was about 42 percent of
While majestic Niagara Falls is still a major draw, the area has other attractions for motorcoach travelers to enjoy. Photo courtesy of Niagara Tourism
By Glenn Swain
Outlook strong for North American travel
BUSRide 32 February 2012
our tour operators’ market,” she said. “Ten years ago it was 80 percent.”
Duerr suggest companies become more aware of their markets and not assume travelers are coming from the usual areas.
“We always assumed we were the 600-mile radius market, but now we’re finding that a lot of our motorcoaches are coming in from farther away,” Du-err says. “I think it’s a combination of people looking for different products,
and it may be the motorcoaches them-selves. Now they’re luxury coaches. People are starting to realize they can travel in comfort with a group that’s going to interesting places.”
Kennedy says tours are filling up for
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With the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, reenactments …
tours & travel continued
February 2012BUSRide 33
September’s 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, a big event for not only New York State but nationwide. The ob-servance will be held the weekend of Sept. 7-9.
“We’re seeing resurgence in history-
based tours, as well as our wine tours,” Kennedy says. “Those tours are spiking more than we expected.”
“The outlook for travel in North America is very strong,” Simon says. “Vacationing and traveling is more of
an entitlement than a right and luxury. While some plans may have been can-celed over the last few years because of the economy, I think people have a lot of pent-up demand. That’s why the out-look for 2012 and 2013 looks good.” BR
… will be popular not only in New York State but around the U.S. Photos courtesy of Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau
BUSRide 34 February 2012
The British market for city buses fell back badly in 2010, not just because of the global financial crisis, but also two of the major groups cut back heavily on their normal procurement of new vehi-cles. The effect was still felt in the first half of 2011.
Recovery came in the second half and forward order books for 2012 are look-ing healthier with a recent boost by the British government’s decision to give a further $40 million US toward the pur-chase of hybrid buses, which will make up much of the difference between a standard diesel bus and a hybrid ver-sion.
Since 2004 Alexander Dennis (ADL) has concentrated on its design, manu-facture of double deck buses for British, and export markets, as well midibuses, which have proven very popular.
Colin Robertson became chief exec-utive officer for Alexander Dennis in the spring of 2007 following a number of senior executive positions with Terex, including a stint in the United States. Within a matter of weeks of his arrival ADL bought out Plaxton, the only re-maining builder of luxury coach body-work in the United Kingdom, giving the enlarged company a turnover in excess of $350 million US per annum. As it turned out, Plaxton gave ADL valuable additional capacity to build city buses.
Under Robertson’s leadership, ADL
further modernized its product range, including hybrid buses with BAE Sys-tems. This program has been so suc-cessful that ADL is currently the larg-est producer of hybrid buses in Europe with nearly 500 in service or on order at the turn of the year.
Proven very reliable even in the heaviest of traffic in London, some of the earliest deliveries already have ac-cumulated nearly 200,000 miles with savings in fuel consumption of around 30 percent.
ADL and BAE Systems are working closely on further refinement of the hybrid drive system. They plan to in-
troduce a stop-start function very soon and anticipate that it will give a further 10 percent saving in fuel consumption.
During his press conference at the recent exhibition in Birmingham, UK, Robertson stressed the importance of export business to compensate for the fluctuations in the British mar-ket. ADL has developed a new version of its 40-foot Enviro 500 double deck bus, which is 13.5 feet in height for the North American market. The floor is only 14 inches above ground, helped by the use of smaller wheels and tires. A Cummins ISB engines fits vertically in line coupled to fully automatic Allison gearboxes. The engine can be either four or six cylinder depending on over-all length and the customer’s power requirements.
ADL describes the new product as a “Go Anywhere Double Deck” that opens up new opportunities across North America for transit routes previously hindered by low bridge constraints and the need for special height permits.
Robertson was delighted to an-nounce orders and options for a total of 220 of these new 99-passenger ve-hicles to operators in Ottawa and To-ronto for Q3 2012 delivery. ADL also is
New growth for Alexander Dennis focuses on North AmericaBy Doug Jack
letter fromeurope
The Plaxton Elite comes across as very luxurious.
The two-axle Enviro 400 is a very popular Alexander Dennis model in the UK.
February 2012BUSRide 35
delivering the shorter two-axle Enviro 400 double deck buses with open tops for sightseeing to Hawaii.
ADL already has double deck fleets running in New York, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver.
“I believe that after a brief rebound the global economy is back on its heels,” said Robertson, speaking to the economic state. “The persistent stag-nation in Europe and renewed weak-ness in the U.S. means that global output from the developed world for the medium-term will not be better than anemic – and the risk of another slowdown is very real. Those who stand still, in good or bad times, are dead in the water.”
Robertson has driven a major cul-tural change in ADL with results clear-ly seen in the product range. He says his company has re-calibrated the way it plans, resources, designs, engineers, manufactures and provides whole-life support for its customers.
Financially, ADL has performed ex-tremely well. The group has increased its output 60 percent from 2009 to 2011 with a record order book equivalent to $560 million US. Robertson forecasts that number rising to $700 million in 2012, justifying his claim ADL is the fastest growing bus manufacturer in Europe. The icing on the cake is the fact that the company is also become debt free.
Dennis chassis are assembled in a factory at Guildford, which is about 25 miles south west of London’s Heathrow Airport. They are designed for close in-tegration with the group’s bodywork, but can also be supplied to other body-builders.
All models use Cummins engines of various different sizes, coupled to Al-lison, Voith or ZF fully automatic gear-boxes. Axles are a mixture of Dana and ZF, making it relatively easy to source these components in North America for customers needing to comply with Buy American requirements. Bodywork can be supplied in kit form for assembly by local labor.
The Alexander factory at Falkirk in Scotland principally builds double deck city bus bodywork, not only on ADL chassis, but sometimes also on Sca-
The 49-ft Volvo with a Plaxton Panther body is popular on express services.
BUSRide 36 February 2012
nia. Other products include a full-size, heavy-duty single-deck transit bus body.
All the construction is in Alexander’s own time-tested bolted aluminum sys-tem. Although aluminum is much more expensive than steel, the savings in weight are particularly important with a double deck bus. There is also com-plete resistance to corrosion and the ease of recycling, an important factor with Europe’s end-of-life regulations
which are affecting all kinds of automo-tive products.
The assembly of midibus bodywork was transferred two or three years ago to the Plaxton factory at Scarborough on the north east coast of England. These are also built in the same bolted aluminum and range in length from 29 to 38 feet.
The Plaxton factory has traditionally built luxury coach bodywork, principal-ly on Volvo chassis, but also on Iveco, and more recently on Scania.
Plaxton is also the principal supplier of coaches to the British operations of megabus.com. Although they run some double deck coaches on UK services, the main work horses are 49-foot tri-axle coaches mounted on Volvo chas-sis.
Most coaches in the UK are built to an overall length of 40 feet on two ax-les. Plaxton is the market leader. When megabus.com introduced its tri-axle giants, many wondered whether they would be able to work in our congested towns and cities, with narrow streets and tight corners. They are in fact re-markably maneuverable, with the third trailing axle also steering, giving great operational flexibility. Two tri-axle models can handle almost the same number of passengers as three 40-foot coaches with considerable savings in running costs.
With ambitious plans to grow further, ADL says it is heavily committed to new product development and is not resting on its laurels.
Doug Jack is with Transport Resources in the United Kingdom.
The Enviro 200 midibus is built to various lengths and currently holds 70 percent of the UK market in this weight range.
letters from europecontinued
T h e E x c l u s i v e M a i n t e n a n c e R e s o u r c e f o r t h e T r a n s i t a n d M o t o r c o a c h I n d u s t r y !
Feb 2011
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) CSA enforcement program is
not just about the front office and the driver. Naturally, the maintenance facility plays a
critical role in keeping unsafe vehicles off the road. B y T h o m a s B r a y
C S A e n f o r c e m e n t p u t s m a i n t e n a n c e u n d e r t h e s c o p e
T h e s h o p a n d d r i v e r s s h a r e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r a s a f e s c o r e
Vehicles often come under inspection once the officer or inspector spots something broken or out of place. Mechanics must
repair or correct such easy-to-notice defects before the vehicle hits the road.
BUSRide 38 February 2012
The most common and most severe violations under the CSA grading system cited during roadside inspections point directly to the maintenance team.
Tire tread depth less and 2/32-inch Severity level 8•Stop lamp violations Severity level 6•Brakes out of adjustment Severity level 4•No proof of annual inspection Severity level 4•Defective brake hose/tubing Severity level 4•Defective/no lighting/ reflective devices Severity level 3•Oil and/or grease leak Severity level 3•Inoperative headlamp Severity level 2•Accessories in unsafe condition Severity level 2•Used, unsecured or no fire extinguisher Severity level 2•
The CSA program tracks a total of 22O maintenance-related violations. Around 170 driver scores are maintenance-related. The violations that create the most damage in the scoring system include:
Out of service vehicle Severity level 10•Tire defects Severity level 8•Suspension defects Severity level 7•Defective lights Severity level 6•Steering defects Severity level 6•Brake defects Severity level 4•
If a vehicle maintenance violation results in an out-of-service order, the severity of the violation increases by two.Any reported violation affects the driver’s CSA score for 36 months; the company score for 24 months.
Catch the small stuff — Vehicles often come under inspection once the officer or inspector spots something visibly wrong — something broken or out of place. Mechanics must repair or correct such easy-to-notice defects before the vehicle hits the road.Repair and document — A safety-related defect reported by a driver needs to be corrected and documented before the vehicle is driven again. Do not force drivers to operate defective vehicles.
C S A e n f o r c e m e n t
February 2012BUSRide 39
Keep and store accurate maintenance and inspection records — They must be available for at least 12 months. Implement a documented preventative maintenance program — Prevent problems before they arise — rather than deal with them after a violation.Qualify mechanics to do the work — Do not perform brake work or annual inspections without proof the maintenance staff can meet the qualification standards for such tasks.Show proof of inspection — Keep a decal or copy of the annual inspection form on board.
Poor inspection and maintenance reflects in the violations on roadside inspection reports, which affect the scores that carri-ers receive in the CSA vehicle maintenance category. A consci-entious and effective maintenance program for safe and proper working vehicles is the only way to keep the CSA scores low.
CSA scores improve as more time passes with more clean inspections since the last violation.
Thomas Bray serves as Senior Editor, Transportation Management, for J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc.
BUSRide 40 February 2012 BUSRide Maintenance40 February 2012
products & services
Once considered a disposable piece on a diesel engine, hydraulic elec-tronic unit injector (HEUI) pumps are now available from Jasper Engines & Transmissions as a reliable, remanu-factured component the company says customers can install with con-fidence.
HEUI fuel systems appeared on the market around 1994. This system uses engine oil under high pressure to pump fuel into the combustion chamber.
As oil leaks are one of the biggest issues with these pumps, Jasper uses critically-sized O-rings to pre-vent leaks from the rear end sealing plate. All the O-rings within the pump are replaced, along with any discharge fittings. To prevent the common loss of flow or pressure Jasper installs a set screw in the housing to prevent the swashplate from turning, and also replaces the thrust washers for the plunger rotor. The company says this is a key wear item that can cause pressure and flow loss.
Jasper Engines & Transmissions Jasper, INwww.jasperengines.com
Jasper reliable HEUIs pumps
The updated Rotary Lift parallelo-gram wash bay package maximizes bay space and product life. The com-pany says its new lift with wash bay kit is third-party tested by ETL and ALI certified to meet ANSI safety and per-formance standards.
Rotary Lift manufactures a full line of parallelogram lifts with lifting ca-pacities up to 100,000 lbs. and plat-
form lengths from 26 to 48 feet long and can be ordered with the new wash bay package.
Rotary Lift says the mechanics of the parallelogram design are ideal for positioning engine compartments beyond the ends of the lift runways to create total access for cleaning the en-gine and other service areas over the water reclamation pit.
Rotary Lift, Madison, INwww.rotarylift.com
Rotary Lift updates parallelogram wash bay lift
BUSRide 42January 2012 BUSRide Maintenance 42 January 2012
products & services
Super torque impact wrench is fasterACDelco offers the Li-ion 18V half-
inch Super Torque Impact Wrench with 480 ft./lbs. of torque and 0-2,000 rpm / 0-2,600 ipm for faster speed applica-tion. This impact wrench provides du-rable aluminum gearbox housing, and variable speed with reversible control and electric brake switch. A powerful in-house motor comes with an external changeable carbon brush and anti-slip
soft grip provides comfort and good protection during work. It includes a built-in LED light for convenient illu-mination during work a battery indi-cator shows battery capacity. Use for tire changes and any application that demands bolts.
ACDelcoGrand Blanc, MIwww.acdelco.com
Dialight expands SAE/DOT vehicle lighting portfolio Dialight says its LED Low Beam 4-x
6-in headlamp for transit buses and commercial vehicles operates at less than 14 watts and uses more than 70-percent less energy than conven-tional halogen headlamps and one-third the energy of the leading LED competitor in its class. The company
says this exceptional energy efficien-cy helps to reduce stress on the elec-trical system and potentially improve fuel economy.
The Dialight Low Beam Headlamp requires no cooling fans or other mov-ing parts to manage heat, eliminating the failure points commonly found in
other LED products.The Dialight unit offers a life expec-
tancy of more than 10 full years, seven backed by Dialight’s full-replacement peace of mind awarranty.
Dialight Farmingdale, NJwww.dialight.com
February 2012BUSRide 43BUSRide Maintenance
How IndyGo works with its aging mechanics
When I became the director of main-tenance for with IndyGo, the transit agency for Indianapolis, IN, I first be-gan diffusing what I called my “demo-graphic time bomb.” IndyGo’s mainte-nance team is getting older with most of our mechanics age 50 or older. I knew I had to keep my seasoned work-ers happy, while I sought new talent to avoid a high rate of attrition when they retire.
I began by paying attention to what would minimize physical discomfort and maximize employee efficiency. Several ergonomic changes inside the garage included purchasing thick rubber mats to help with tired feet, new computer screens with bigger type, bar-type stools to help relieve spine pressure while doing data entry and portable PC diagnostic units that wheel right up to buses.
Additionally, we have reduced fa-tigue by redesigning how we park our buses so employees don’t have to take as many steps to get to the service tracks. This is also a change that al-lows maintenance to spend more time working on the buses, and less time trying to find them.
To keep the company from being stuck between a rock and a hard place when these valued employees retire, we have started to cross-train our maintenance staff. We are allowing our general laborers to take technician courses to become certified and prop-erly trained as attrition starts to set in. It’s a great investment that allows us to do maintenance on our mainte-nance team.
We also acquire future talent through internships and partnerships with high school diesel technology programs. Over the summers we work with phe-nomenal young men. We hired one such student from Arsenal Tech High School as a part-time laborer during
his senior year and will continue to train him so he will want to continue his career with us as an expert me-chanic.
These changes and proactive mea-sures have been small investments that have yielded large dividends. Pro-ductivity has gone up and absenteeism
has gone down. Listening to and car-ing about employees is a big part of my job.
Vicki Learn is the Director of Maintenance for IndyGo in In-dianapolis, IN. IndyGo is the Indianapolis Public Transporta-tion Corporation, which provides public bus transit services throughout Marion Count, IN.
By Vicki Learn
ask an expert
The key is to ease their path and plan ahead for attrition
1. Please check ONE category that best describes your primary business: 10 [ ] Motorcoach Operator 11 [ ] Transit Operator 12 [ ] Mfg/Supplier/Distributor 14 [ ] Financial/Investment Firm 15 [ ] Government Agency 16 [ ] Bus Services/Repair 17 [ ] Bus Terminal 18 [ ] Association 19 [ ] Advertising Agency 20 [ ] Other (please specify)
_______________________________
2. If Motorcoach, please check ALL areas that apply to your business: 21 [ ] Tour 22 [ ] Sightseeing 23 [ ] Intercity 24 [ ] Schedule Service/Line Haul 25 [ ] School 26 [ ] Paratransit 32 [ ] Suburban 33 [ ] Shuttle
3. Please check ONE category that best describes your job function: 40 [ ] Executive Management CEO, Chair, Pres, Owner, GM, VP Director& Related Titles) 42 [ ] Operations/Maintenance Management (Purchasing, Planning, Safety Manager) 45 [ ] Engineering (Engineer, Analyst Civil, Planning, Design, Manufacturer) 44 [ ] Sales/Marketing Management (Vice President, Director, Manager, Staff) 49 [ ] Consultant (Analyst, Financial Business, Advisor) 47 [ ] Other (please specify)
____________________________________
4. What is the number of people employed by your company/agency: 50 [ ] 1 to 24 51 [ ] 25 to 99 52 [ ] 100 to 199 53 [ ] 200 to 499 54 [ ] 500 or more
5. How many buses are in your company’s fleet (if applicable): 60 [ ] 1 to 10 61 [ ] 11 to 49 62 [ ] 50 to 99 63 [ ] 100 to 199 64 [ ] 200 to 499 65 [ ] 500 or more
6. Please indicate your purchasing authority: 70 [ ] Authorize 71 [ ] Specify 72 [ ] Influence/Rec 73 [ ] None
H110
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12 FRee ISSUeS (a $39.00 Value)
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ETPLA
CE •
MA
RK
ETPLA
CE •
MA
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ETPLA
CE •
MA
RK
ETPLA
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BUSRide February 2012 45
1. Please check ONE category that best describes your primary business: 10 [ ] Motorcoach Operator 11 [ ] Transit Operator 12 [ ] Mfg/Supplier/Distributor 14 [ ] Financial/Investment Firm 15 [ ] Government Agency 16 [ ] Bus Services/Repair 17 [ ] Bus Terminal 18 [ ] Association 19 [ ] Advertising Agency 20 [ ] Other (please specify)
_______________________________
2. If Motorcoach, please check ALL areas that apply to your business: 21 [ ] Tour 22 [ ] Sightseeing 23 [ ] Intercity 24 [ ] Schedule Service/Line Haul 25 [ ] School 26 [ ] Paratransit 32 [ ] Suburban 33 [ ] Shuttle
3. Please check ONE category that best describes your job function: 40 [ ] Executive Management CEO, Chair, Pres, Owner, GM, VP Director& Related Titles) 42 [ ] Operations/Maintenance Management (Purchasing, Planning, Safety Manager) 45 [ ] Engineering (Engineer, Analyst Civil, Planning, Design, Manufacturer) 44 [ ] Sales/Marketing Management (Vice President, Director, Manager, Staff) 49 [ ] Consultant (Analyst, Financial Business, Advisor) 47 [ ] Other (please specify)
____________________________________
4. What is the number of people employed by your company/agency: 50 [ ] 1 to 24 51 [ ] 25 to 99 52 [ ] 100 to 199 53 [ ] 200 to 499 54 [ ] 500 or more
5. How many buses are in your company’s fleet (if applicable): 60 [ ] 1 to 10 61 [ ] 11 to 49 62 [ ] 50 to 99 63 [ ] 100 to 199 64 [ ] 200 to 499 65 [ ] 500 or more
6. Please indicate your purchasing authority: 70 [ ] Authorize 71 [ ] Specify 72 [ ] Influence/Rec 73 [ ] None
H110
9BR
* Signature (REQUIRED BY US POSTAL SERVICE): Date:
Name: Title:
Company:
Address: City/State/Zip:
Phone: Fax: E-mail:
Yes! It is okay to contact me via e-mail regarding my subscription. No
*Signature is required by the United States Postal Service
YES! I wish to renew my FREE subscription to . No
FREE subscriptions are offered to domestic subscribers who meet qualification criteria. Publisher reserves the right to fulfill all paid subscriptions first. Subscribers receiving a FREE subscription are not guaranteed every issue.
PLEASE FAx ComPLEtEd FormS to 602-265-4300
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12 FRee ISSUeS (a $39.00 Value)
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BUSRide 46 February 2012
PENNTEx INdUSTrIES, INC.202 Plaza DriveManchester, PA 17345Phone: (877) 590-7366Charles [email protected]
PennTex Industries, Inc. manufactures heavy duty alternators, external regulators and mobile electronic devices, with 14V alternator outputs ranging from 200 to 350 amps. The PX-833 model is a 28V, 330 amp air-cooled upgrade for the belt-drive 50DN oil-cooled alternator and was specifically designed for transit bus and mo-torcoach applications.
PArAdIgm TEChNoLogY CoNSULTINg, LLC50 Millstone Road Bldg 400; Suite 150East Windsor, NJ 08520Phone: (609) 890-4150Fax: (609) 890-4154Michael GummelE-mail: [email protected]
Paradigm Technology Consulting, LLC (PTC), a Microsoft Certified Partner, is the publisher of The Paradigm Transportation Suite (PTS) - PTS is a work force management focused suite of applications for the transportation industry and is designed so that organizations can utilize what they need in order to replace or supplement existing applications including Operations, Fleet Maintenance, Financial, GPS/Wi-Fi, Customer Relationship Management, Driver and Labor Management as well as Human Resource.
ProAIr, LLC28731 County Road 6Elkhart, IN 46514Phone: (574) 264-5494Fax: (574) 264-2194Dennis Mitchell, PresidentJeff Armstead, Sales ManagerE-mail: [email protected]
Manufacturer of air conditioning, heating and defrost systems for all types of buses and shuttle vehicles. Specializes in climate control systems for driver and passenger areas and also stocks a complete line of related aftermarket parts.
SArdo BUS & CoACh UPhoLSTErY503 S. Main AvenueMinneola, FL 34715Phone: (800) 654-3524Fax: (352) 242-9290Sandy FollisEmail: [email protected]
Sardo’s quality craftsmanship and unique cus-tomer service have made us an industry leader in motorcoach and transit refurbishment. Our professional Mobile Road Crews travel directly to your facility for all of your interior needs. We offer the best warranty in the industry and guarantee our workmanship for as long as you own your coach!
