0513 Busline Magazine

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EDITORIAL & CORPORATE OFFICES

Rankin Publishing Co., Inc.Don Rankin and Linda Rankin, Publishers

204 E. Main Street • P.O. Box 130Arcola, IL 61910-0130, USA

Email: [email protected]: www.rankinpublishing.com(800) 598-8083 (U.S.) • (217) 268-4959

Fax: (217) 268-4815

Editorial: Harrell Kerkhoff, EditorRick Mullen, Associate Editor

Design: David OpdykeReception: Sandy Pierce

AdvertisingContact Kevin Kennedy @ 623-434-8959

Email: [email protected]

Don Rankin @ 800-598-8083Fax: 217-268-4815

Email: [email protected]

C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T SJUNE 2013June 1-5

Canadian Urban TransitAssociation (CUTA) Annual Conference

St. John’s, NewfoundlandInfo: 416-365-9800

June 2-7Community TransportationAssociation of America Annual Expo ConferenceAlbuquerque, NMInfo: 800-891-0590

JULY 2013July 19-24

National SchoolTransportation Association

Annual Meeting& ConventionTulsa, OK

Info: 800-222-6782

AUGUST 2013August 19-20

Midwest Bus &Motorcoach Association

Annual ConventionSt. Charles, MOInfo: 608-354-7110

SEPTEMBER 2013September 10-11BusCon 2013Chicago, IL

Info: 800-576-8788

September 29 - October 2APTA

Annual MeetingChicago, IL

Info: 202-496-4800

OCTOBER 2013October 26-31

Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association

Annual ConventionBoston, MA

Info: 301-984-5700

JANUARY 2014January 11-15American Bus

Association MarketplaceNashville, TN

Info: 800-283-2877

FEBRUARY 2014February 16-20

United Motorcoach (UMA) Expo At Travel Exchange

Los Angeles, CA Info: 800-424-8262

Busline Magazine is published 6 times a year by Rankin Publishing, Inc., 204 E. Main, P.O. Box 130, Arcola, IL 61910-0130. Publisherassumes no liability whatsoever for content of any advertisement or editorial material contained herein. Copyright 2013 RankinPublishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written consentof Rankin Publishing, Inc. Subscription Rates in United States: 6 issues $25. Single Copy rate: $10 including postage/handling;Buyer’s Guide $15 including postage/handling. International rates: 6 issue annual Air Mail Subscription $60 U.S. dollars net

RAPID RESPONSE.....................................Page 6INDUSTRY NEWS ...................................Page 41

ON THE COVER:Steve and Kari Tjossem, of Hawkeye Stages, are shown with one of the company’s

Temsa motorcoaches. Hawkeye Stages operates from five Iowa locations. See page 8.

IN THIS ISSUEThird Generation Motorcoach Firm, Serves National Customer Base From Its 5 Iowa Locations

Hawkeye Stages...........................8Transit Emphasis On Customer Service Yields Increased Ridership ..................................................20

CTAA EXPO Set For June 2-7 In Albuquerque ........................28

5Star Specialty Programs ....................................................29A Travel Exchange Panel

Keys To Success In Group Travel .........................................30

Busline Vehicle Showcase:

ALTERNATIVE FUELS /HYBRID VEHICLES

39, 40

Page 4 BUSLINE May/June 2013

MAy/JuNE 2013

Published byRankin Publishing, Inc.

www.buslinemag.comM A G A Z I N ECO

NTENTS

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ARBOC Specialty Vehicles www.arbocsv.com 32

Atlantic Detroit Diesel-Allison www.atlanticdda.com 14

Bauer Compressors www.bauercng.com 25

Bauer’s Intelligent Transportation www.coachsales.com 23

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Budget Truck & Autobody www.budgettruckandauto.com 47

BusCon Expo www.busconexpo.com 19

Buses For Sale.com www.busesforsale.com 43

Chestnut Ridge Foam www.chestnutridgefoam.com 45

CTAA www.ctaa.org/expo 50

Distinctive Systems www.distinctive-systems.com 35

Espar Climate Systems www.espar.com 22

Freightliner www.freightlinerchassis.com 3

Glaval Bus www.glavalbus.com 15

Holdsworth www.holdsworthfabrics.com 31

Hometown Trolley www.hometowntrolley.com 28

Kirks Automotive, Inc. www.KirksOnline.net 47

MAHA Lifts www.maha-usa.com 33

MGM Brakes www.mgmbrakes.com 26

Midwest Bus Corporation www.midwestbus.com 27

Mile-X www.mile-x.com 44

Motorcoach Manager www.motorcoachmanager.com 36

National Interstate www.natl.com 7

Nissan Commercial Vehicles www.nissancommercialvehicles.com 9

Prevost Car www.prevostcar.com 5

Protective Insurance Company www.protective insurance.com 17

Proterra www.proterra.com 2

Relational Bus Systems www.rbs2000.com 34

Resorts Casino Hotel www.ResortsAC.com 48

Safety Step www.safetystep.net 44

Service Insurance www.serviceins.com 46

Sutrak www.sutrakusa.com 42

TEMSA www.temsa.com 13

Turtle Top www.turtletop.com 11

Vanner Power www.vanner.com 12

Volvo www.prevostcar.com 52

Willingham Inc. www.willinghaminc.com 21

MAy/JuNE 2013

Published byRankin Publishing, Inc.

www.buslinemag.comM A G A Z I N E

Read or Download Complete Issues Of Busline Magazine Online At: www.buslinemag.com


Busline Vehicle Showcase:

ALTERNATIVE FUELS /HYBRID VEHICLES

Page 48

Relational Bus Systems .............................34Distinctive Systems ...................................35Motorcoach Manager ................................36BUYERS GUIDE ..........................................37

MCI....................... 39 ABC Companies.......39

Proterra..................40 GILLIG ....................40


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By Harrell Kerkhoff, Busline Magazine Editor

Known as the “Hawkeye State,” Iowa is hometo 3 million people and famous throughoutthe world for its large agricultural landscape.

The state, however, enjoys a diversified economy,urbanized areas, a number of colleges and universi-

ties, and a populace that enjoys exploring destinationswithin Iowa and beyond. It’s also home of Hawkeye Stages, a third-genera-

tion motorcoach operation that currently dispatchescoaches from five different locations in Iowa —

Decorah (the company headquarters), Fort Dodge,Newton, Ottumwa and Waterloo. “By maintaining multiple terminals, Hawkeye

Stages is equipped to efficiently serve nearly all ofIowa, collectively handling the ebb and flow ofdemands within individual market areas,” HawkeyeStages President Steve Tjossem said, during a recent

interview at the company’s newest facility inNewton. “We like to think that certain qualitiesfound with Iowans — and Midwesterners as awhole — enhance our daily work experiences,whether it’s the performance of co-workers orinteraction with customers. “As much as we try to promote our state, we

do however realize there is a limited potentialfor inbound group travel traffic, so we oftenfind ourselves operating motorcoaches to greatdistances away from home.”

The service area for Hawkeye Stages includes allof Iowa and segments found within certain sur-rounding states. The company travels as well to des-tinations found throughout the continental UnitedStates and into Canada. Hawkeye provides both


“By maintaining multiple terminals, Hawkeye Stages is equipped to efficiently serve nearly all of Iowa, collectively handling the ebband flow of demands within individual market areas. We like tothink that certain qualities found with Iowans — and Midwesternersas a whole — enhance our daily work experiences, whether it’s theperformance of co-workers or interaction with customers.”

— Hawkeye Stages President Steve Tjossem

HAWKEYE STAGES Third Generation Motorcoach Firm,

Serves National Customer Base From Its 5 Iowa Locations



charter and tour trips from a mixed fleet of 25motorcoaches that feature different seatingcapacities that can accommodate 29 to 57 pas-sengers. The origin of the company dates to 1954

when Steve Tjossem’s grandfather, BernardWhite, purchased the regular route operatingauthority and five used busesfrom Waterloo Stages. “My grandfather had a trucking

company known as White’sMotor Transport. My dad,Lawrence Tjossem, was alsoinvolved with the trucking opera-tion. They started in the bus busi-ness in 1954 while remaininginvolved with trucking forawhile. The bus side of the busi-ness originated in Decorah, whichis where our company headquar-ters remain today,” SteveTjossem said. “Personally, I start-

ed at Hawkeye Stages full time in 1986 afterreturning from college. Of course, like mostpeople who have grown up in the bus busi-ness, I really started working as a kid by wash-ing buses. After college, I worked in our busdepot as the company was still operating lineruns. I worked nights and weekends and slow-ly became involved with more portions of thecompany. I have been president of HawkeyeStages for 13 years.” The company’s first new coach was pur-

chased in 1954. It was a 29-passenger FlxibleVisicoach for $15,417. The company receivedoperating authority for several other line runs,along with charter authority, over the nextseveral years; while a trip to watch theUniversity of Iowa Hawkeyes play in the 1957Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, served as the

first group tour departure organized and soldby Hawkeye Stages. Over time, Tjossem said the line run busi-

ness could not sustain itself and all regularroutes were dropped by the company. Instead,Hawkeye Stages developed into a high-endprovider of charter and tour transportation.This has been aided with the help of two sistertour companies — Legacy Tour & Travel andNorthLand Travel. “Hawkeye Stages first provided traditional

motorcoach tours in 1957, and then startedoperating tours under Legacy Tour & Travelapproximately 7 years ago,” Tjossem said. In 2008, officials at Hawkeye Stages pur-

chased Northwest Iowa Transportation, basedin Fort Dodge, along with this motorcoachoperation’s NorthLand Travel tour company.“Northwest Iowa Transportation was oper-

ating all of its scheduled tours under the nameof NorthLand Travel at the time of the pur-chase, while we (Hawkeye Stages) were oper-ating tours as Legacy Tour & Travel. Whenthe companies combined, it provided a perfectopportunity to redefine the roles of bothNorthland and Legacy,” Tjossem said.“NorthLand Travel specializes in publicscheduled group tours to such places asWashington, D.C., New York, NY, andBranson, MO. A lot of what is sold throughNorthLand Travel revolves around the tradi-tional motorcoach tour, but we are increasing-ly expanding into air, rail and cruise tours.“Legacy Tour & Travel, meanwhile, pro-

vides private customized tours for preformedstudent and adult groups. It also offers tradi-

tional motorcoach trips alongwith tours to such far away loca-tions as London and Costa Rica.The bulk of what inbound trafficwe have is generated by Legacy,bringing in international groupsfor primarily agriculture-relatedtours.”In recent years, according to

Tjossem, Hawkeye Stages’Legacy Tour & Travel andNorthLand Travel have actuallygenerated more revenue andprofit than its motorcoach char-ter operation. “These two tour companies

have easily been the largest gen-erator of demand for our coachservice as well,” he said. “About30 percent of our charter busi-ness comes from our two tourcompanies. The second largestpercentage is from college-relat-

ed transportation demand.”Hawkeye Stages has also been particularly

successful during the past few years withproviding extensive student trips via motor-coach to Washington, D.C. These trips takeplace at different times of year, and includecurrent and retired teachers who aid in theeducational experience while visiting thenation’s capital. “There are around 25 schools that partici-

pate in this program right now. It’s become


“...we are able to use the coach as a classroom while en route to the maindestination. This travel time is used to prepare students for what they aregoing to see in Washington, D.C. This is the type of trip that I think thoseinvolved with the coach business need to work on. It’s important to findways to take advantage of what we (as an industry) have to offer.”

Shown is the headquarters of Hawkeye Stages, located in Decorah, IA.

The Hawkeye Stages office staff and tour guides located at the

company’s Decorah, IA, office are, above left to right, Pat Downs,

Carlyn Kraabel, Denise Baumler, Joleen Sorenson, Pavel Makarov,

Julie Swenson, Cathy Krupa and Tom Spindler.

Shown at left is Byron Everman.




part of their yearly curriculum and provides awonderful piece of business for our compa-ny,” Tjossem said. “In fact, we have groupssigning up for the summer of 2014 whohaven’t even started their 2013 trip yet. Theseschools are from Iowa, Minnesota andWisconsin.“What is great about these trips is that we

are able to use the coach as a classroom whileen route to the main destination. This traveltime is used to prepare students for what theyare going to see in Washington, D.C. This isthe type of trip that I think those involved withthe coach business need to work on. It’simportant to find ways to take advantage ofwhat we (as an industry) have to offer.”Co-owner Kari Tjossem, who is Steve’s

wife and works at Hawkeye Stages inaccounting, added that a few years ago thesestudent trips were opened to include parentsand grandparents as well. “Therefore, we are now transporting adults

who are traveling with their children andgrandchildren on these trips,” Kari Tjossemsaid. “It’s a wonderful way to introduce people to

a kind of travel that they might not otherwisetry,” Steve Tjossem added.

Managing 5 Locations

While operating from five locationsin Iowa, it’s imperative that offi-cials from Hawkeye Stages remain

focused on effectively coordinating the com-pany’s various transportation activities. Ofcourse, doing this is often easier said thandone. “It’s difficult in many ways, but today’s

technology really helps us when it comes tobookings and knowing where our equipmentmust be located,” Steve Tjossem said. “This,more than anything, helps tie everybodytogether. We rely a lot on technology as it’sdifficult to physically get around and seeeverybody on a regular basis within our com-pany due to the distance between some of ourfacilities.”The company’s headquarters remain in

Decorah, a town of approximately 8,000 peo-ple located in the bluff country of northeasternIowa. Decorah is famous for its Norwegianheritage, celebrated by the local VesterheimNorwegian-American Museum, and also asthe home of Luther College.Most of the mechanics employed by

Hawkeye Stages are based out of the Decorahfacility. These mechanics often travel to othercompany locations, such as Waterloo andNewton, to perform maintenance work. The company’s facility in Waterloo, a city

located approximately 77 miles southwest ofDecorah, includes a fully equipped mainte-nance shop; while tour offices remain in FortDodge (approximately 100 miles west ofWaterloo) and Decorah. Hawkeye Stages also

The Fort Dodge, IA, NorthLand Travel office

staff shown are, left to right, Michelle Reed,

Rhonda Strutzenberg and Jan Cswercko.

The Fort Dodge, IA, Legacy Tour & Travel office

staff shown are, seated, Bob Oliver, and back row,

Deann Haden-Luke and Gerald Bures.


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maintains a facility in Ottumwa, located insouthern Iowa, while its newest location is inNewton, a city in central Iowa located approx-imately 30 miles east of Des Moines. “We purchased the Newton facility in early

2012. It was formerly the home of a car deal-ership,” Steve Tjossem said. “We were look-ing for a place to consolidate our former oper-ations in Des Moines and Marshalltown, IA(located approximately 30 miles north ofNewton). Geographically, it made sense tolocate in Newton. It’s in the heart of a goodshare of our strong customer base in centralIowa. “Hawkeye Stages is still able to adequately

service Des Moines (the state capital) since

Newton is not that far away, and we have kepta sales person in Marshalltown as well.”The Newton facility includes office space

and a large maintenance area manned by afull-time Hawkeye Stages’ mechanic. “We currently don’t have much of a tour

office presence in cen-tral Iowa, which issomething we want tobuild on with ourNewton addition,” hesaid. “We also have extra space here that weare going to rent out. Our first tenant is theNewton Convention & Visitors Bureau, whichis great because we share a common interestin tourism. Our (Hawkeye Stages) receptionist

at the Newton facility will also work for all ofour renters, and a conference room here isavailable as well for everyone.”Steve Tjossem said renovating the Newton

facility was quite a process. This included dis-mantling the facility’s original single-panewindows along with installing geo-thermalheating and cooling systems to make thebuilding more energy efficient, as well as con-structing a maintenance pit inside the garagearea so buses can be maintained from under-neath. The facility also came with many advan-

tages. For example, it’s located on a hill andacross the street from a large supermarketcomplex. “Our facility is very prominent in Newton

and we have already received a lot of atten-tion,” Steve Tjossem said. He added that it has become obvious over

the years that having “cookie-cutter” facilitiesin place at each of Hawkeye Stages’ five loca-tions does not make good business sense. “We learned quickly that we weren’t going

to be able to have every facility the same,


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offering the same type of services and staff.There is just not enough going on in ruralIowa to justify this type of offering,” SteveTjossem said. “However, we are spreadaround geographically as a company to getinto many different markets.”

Quality Employees Make A Difference

With a workforce of slightly over100 employees spread over fivelocations, Hawkeye Stages pro-

vides a wide variety of opportunities for thosepeople looking for rewarding employment.The catch is, most positions require not onlysome type of technical skill, but the ability towork well with customers. These positions include motorcoach driv-

ers, mechanics, washbay personnel, generaland administrative staff, charter sales people,

dispatchers, marketing staff, tour planners,tour sales staff, tour managers/guides andtravel agents. By far, the most visible and largest segment

of these employees, however, is the drivers. AtHawkeye Stages, approximately 60 people areemployed by the company as either a full- orpart-time driver. It’s a position of greatresponsibility, according to Steve Tjossem. “A driver should be able to safely and

smoothly maneuver the coach as needed, worklong days with occasional extended timesaway from home, thoroughly prepare beforeall trips and be able to independently follownecessary routes,” he said. “He/she shouldalso be able to work professionally and cheer-fully with group leaders and passengers.“There are so many things involved with

being a good driver. It’s a position thatrequires not only taking good care of passen-gers and equipment, but interacting with peo-ple in a professional manner. A driver shouldbe outgoing and entertaining.”

He noted that driversoften find themselves inplaces that are unfamiliar,and thus must be able tosuccessfully find their wayaround. This is not alwayseasy with a bus full of pas-sengers.

“Drivers often don’t get the respect theydeserve,” Steve Tjossem said. Kari Tjossem added: “Sometimes cus-

tomers don’t understand that a motorcoachcan’t always go everyplace, or that driverscan’t always drive from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’without stopping.”When a driver is hired, Hawkeye Stages

provides one-on-one training that centers on

coach familiarity, safe operation of the vehi-cle, compliance requirements, customer serv-ice, proper documentation, company policiesand procedures and more. “When first dispatched, our new drivers

travel with experienced drivers as often asnecessary so they can learn additionalspecifics about the job. Ongoing driver train-ing is primarily provided at quarterly meet-ings,” Steve Tjossem said. “We have greatlyrelied, through the years, on existing drivershelping in the training process. It’s beneficialwhen new hires can learn from really goodexisting drivers and see first hand the properway to do different tasks.”He added that a portion of the company’s

employee recruitment effort starts with word-of-mouth recommendations, such as currentemployees who refer their acquaintances toofficials at Hawkeye Stages for possible hir-ing.“For example, some of our best drivers

have come through referrals from existing

drivers,” Steve Tjossem said. “However, it’sbecoming increasingly difficult to find enoughnew employees this way. We also seek appli-cants via our website, newspaper ads, jobservices and job fairs. “Hawkeye Stages attempts to retain

employees by treating everyone withrespect, paying a competitive wage, provid-ing certain benefits and maintaining arelaxed but professional work environment.One challenge is that we have lost somegood motorcoach drivers over the years tothe trucking industry. There are truckingcompanies that are able to provide higherwages. However, as a motorcoach company,I feel we pay better than most operators.”Hawkeye Stages has established a brand

of quality service conducted with integrity,Steve Tjossem added, and the ability to holdtrue to this brand has allowed the companyto remain strong in an ever changing andchallenging industry. “A solid brand like this is only attainable

if a company is able to attract and retainquality people to provide the service.Hawkeye Stages has been blessed throughthe years with a long list of such people,” hesaid.

Using Equipment To Fit Specific Needs

As the tour business continues tochange, smaller group sizes arebecoming more of the industry stan-

dard, according to Steve Tjossem, and inmany cases it ismore desirable forcustomers than thetraditional groupsize of 50 or moretravelers.The increased

int imacy of a smaller group can make for amuch more enjoyable travel experience, headded. “Hawkeye Stages has been able to suc-

cessfully tap into this exciting trend, andthere is much reason for optimism,” he said.“The timely arrival of our fully equipped 36-passenger luxury Temsa coaches, which weare using for some of our tours, provides anexcellent option to satisfy the transportationneeds of these smaller groups.“We recently purchased two 2013 Temsa

TS35s, removing a few seats to accommo-date 36 passengers. This allows for extra legroom.”The company’s Temsa TS35s are also

equipped with leather seats featuring three-point seat belts, electrical outlets, Wi-Fi,mesh seat back pockets, cup holders, a cord-less microphone, four-monitor video sys-tems, window shades and a rear window. “We very consciously equipped these

coaches with all of the ‘goodies,’ wanting to


“Sizable growth within our charter bus operation may not be in our future, but I believeincreased profitability is in this future. Our tour companies show great potential for growth,and we will increasingly become less of a coach company that has its own tour entities, andmore of a tour company that has its own coaches. The change in mentality within the companythat comes with this transition is likely to make us a stronger coach operation as well.”

Shown above is the Newton, IA, facility

of Hawkeye Stages.

The Newton, IA, staff includes

Melissa Berry and Rick Brannen.


make sure that our tour passengers wouldaccept them as a smaller, but still luxuriousoption. Electrical outlets and Wi-Fi veryquickly went from extra features to ‘musthaves,’” Steve Tjossem said. He added that the relationship between

Hawkeye Stages and Temsa is relativelyyoung.

“We have been waiting for a viable mid-sized tour coach option for several years. Wenow have a mid-sized coach that does notcompromise on quality,” he said. “Althoughour history with CH Bus Sales (the exclusiveU.S. Temsa distributor) is limited, our famil-iarity with several of the individuals

involved with the company gave theminstant credibility for us.”There is more to the equipment side of a

charter and tour company, of course, thanjust providing new vehicles. The appearanceof each vehicle, whether new or not, is ofutmost importance. “An older, well maintained coach can

often be favorably received by the customer.Meanwhile, a new coach that is poorly main-tained is not so readily accepted by the cus-tomer,” Steve Tjossem said. “This is a goodindication of the importance of clean andattractive coaches. Hawkeye Stages thor-oughly cleans coaches between every trip,and works diligently at keeping up with nec-essary body work. Good first impressionsare critical.”Cleaning crews at each of Hawkeye

Stages’ five locations take care of the oftendaily chore of washing vehicles as well ascleaning their insides. To aid in this, four ofthe five facilities have large power brushes. “Again, it doesn’t matter if it’s a brand

new coach. If people board and there is stuffon the floor this can leave a very bad impres-sion,” Steve Tjossem said. Kari Tjossem added: “If a company is not

taking care of cleanliness issues when itcomes to its buses, then customers may startwondering what else is not being main-

tained, such as the critical operating parts ofthe vehicle. People will tie all of this togeth-er. Therefore, cleanliness is always critical.”Although technical advancements in

today’s motorcoaches have been significant,Steve Tjossem said advancements in tech-nology that have helped Hawkeye Stagesgrow the most often are found in other areasof operation. “Common improvements that are now

often taken for granted, such as with charterreservation/booking systems, have had themost impact on our growth,” he said. For example, officials at Hawkeye Stages

have found that knowledge gained throughmileage calculating and reservation softwaresystems to be extremely beneficial. This typeof technology helps company personnel gainquicker access to a customer’s history, lead-ing to a more efficient operation and to cus-tomer service improvements. It also meansHawkeye Stages is able to handle more busi-ness. “A lot of today’s advanced technology is

becoming basic, such as our ability to quick-ly gain important mileage information forthe purpose of fuel tax reporting,” SteveTjossem said. “We also make good use oftechnology with our student groups as theycontinue to use iPads while on board alongwith PowerPoint presentations.”

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May/June 2013 BUSLINE Page 17


1 4


Sticking With A Good Game Plan

Among the many challenges thatface today’s motorcoach opera-tors is knowing what to proper-

ly charge customers, and then having thecourage to not back down from thisamount. This business philosophy hasled to the past success of HawkeyeStages, and Steve Tjossem sees no needto change for the future. “Because of the success of Hawkeye

Stages’ tour companies (Legacy Tour &Travel / NorthLand Travel), and the cus-tomer base these entities provide to ourcoach business, there has been minimalpressure on us to chase marginal chartercoach work,” Steve Tjossem said. “This abili-ty to focus on quality work, rather than justquantity, has allowed the company to becomemuch stronger, and to build a brand that tendsto grow itself quite well.“Sizable growth within our charter bus

operation may not be in our future, but Ibelieve increased profitability is in this future.Our tour companies show great potential forgrowth, and we will increasingly become lessof a coach company that has its own tour enti-ties, and more of a tour company that has itsown coaches. The change in mentality within

the company that comes with this transition islikely to make us a stronger coach operationas well.”Steve Tjossem further explained that he has

found it easier, as a company, to compete inthe tour business. This is because while thetour side can still be price competitive, it’susually not at the same level as found whenoperating motorcoaches. “If we, as a tour operator, can continue to

build this part of our business, we can contin-ue to feed quality charter work to our coachcompany. This gives us a stronger base thatallows us to be a little more choosy aboutwhat we do with our charter rates,” he said.“The travel and tour operation also comeswith it a little different customer service men-tality. It’s our hope that with an increased touroperator mentality, we can step it up a notch ortwo as an overall company when it comes tocustomer service. We want this stronger focusto filter through the whole organization.” As the Hawkeye Stages’ brand is not one

geared toward the price-driven customer,Steve Tjossem said that in order to sustain andgrow such a brand, his company must be com-mitted to winning and keeping business byproviding consistent quality and service. “Hawkeye Stages must provide customer

service at a higher level than our competitors,or the ability to charge more for the servicewill deteriorate over time and the model willcollapse,” he said. “Our company has becomelarge enough that management responsibilitieshave been delegated to multiple people.Because of this, consistency has at times beenmore difficult to maintain, and certain projectsare more difficult to push through. Price pres-sure within the marketplace dictates that wegain efficiency with any kind of growth, andthen not lose that efficiency.”Many of the same opportunities and chal-

lenges facing Hawkeye Stages hold true for

motorcoach operators located across theUnited States and Canada. According to SteveTjossem, the bus industry has much to offerand the future should be bright as long as cer-tain operators start reversing the tendency ofselling themselves short. “The effort to educate the public on the

value of motorcoach travel is too often under-mined by some operators who stoop to a levelof service that justifies a bad reputation,”Steve Tjossem said. “Strong operators need toremain committed to quality and prove to thepublic that we, as an industry, have much tooffer.“One of the unfortunate aspects of the

motorcoach industry is that a lot of businesshinges on pricing. As a company, offeringprices that are too low will eventually start asnowball effect. Margins eventually shrink towhere the company can’t pay its drivers aswell and also can’t have nice equipment. Itinfluences everything.”Despite such challenges, Steve and Kari

Tjossem both remain optimistic about thefuture of Hawkeye Stages. “In a state like Iowa, you have a chance to

develop a lot of strong relationships with cus-tomers. Many of these relationships last foryears. For example, we have had very long

working relationships with LutherCollege, Wartburg College and GrinnellCollege,” Kari Tjossem said. Steve Tjossem added that there

remains strong out-bound demand fromIowa residents who want to visit placeslocated beyond the state. “This is a good thing. It would be nice

to receive greater in-bound demand aswell from people wanting to visit Iowafrom other places,” he said. “There aremotorcoach companies in the countrythat service a lot of this type of demand,and it can look pretty appealing at times.It’s important to understand, however,that these companies also probably faceeven more competition than what we (at

Hawkeye Stages) have as a motorcoach oper-ator.”Officials at Hawkeye Stages market their

company’s various services through a varietyof ways including such traditional outlets asnewspapers, directory ads, radio, Websites,emails, mailings, travel shows and personalvisits with group leaders. However, the great-est “door opener” of all, Steve Tjossem said,continues to be the satisfied customer talkingpositively to other people about his company’sservices.“Positive word-of-mouth referrals are criti-

cal, especially for the charter busi-ness,” he said. “We also conductsurveys among customers, such asthose who have taken our tour trips.We can gain access to some goodinformation as to where people like

to visit (in the future). Most of these surveys,however, center around the critique of ourservice in general, asking about the cleanli-ness of our vehicles, how our drivers per-formed, etc.“The main thing is to take care of our pas-

sengers. We get a lot of opportunities to quotecharters but tend to be a little higher in pricecompared to certain competitors. Therefore,some types of traditional marketing aren’treally the best for us. They would lead to morepeople wanting quotes who are only interestedin going with the lowest-priced operator.”As a company, Steve Tjossem said that

Hawkeye Stages is at a good size right now,and it’s not going to grow by cutting rates. “We have actually downsized some over the

last few years because we let certain cus-tomers walk rather than offer a lower price,”he said. “For future growth, Hawkeye Stagesmust maintain an exceptional team of individ-uals who somehow, despite their individuali-ties, find a way to work together in order tohold true to the company’s quality brand.”

Contact: Hawkeye Stages, 703 Dudley St.,

Decorah, IA 52101. Phone: 563-382-3639.

Website: www.hawkeyestages.com.

“The effort to educate the public on the value of motorcoach travel is too oftenundermined by some operators who stoop to a level of service that justifies a badreputation. Strong operators need to remain committed to quality and prove tothe public that we, as an industry, have much to offer.”

The Newton, IA, garage staff for Hawkeye Stages includes,

from left, Bob Stanton and Ron Simonsen.


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METRO Regional Transit Authority, servicing Summit County,OH, which includes the city of Akron, operates a total of 208vehicles, including 131 larger fixed-route buses and 77 smaller

paratransit buses.“Soon, we will be receiving our first set of articulated buses,” said

METRO Executive Director Richard Enty. “Thereare six of them coming.”All of METRO’s current vehicles are wheelchair

accessible. Some vehicles are equipped with anhydraulic lift to accommodate scooters or wheel-chairs, while others “kneel” by lowering the front pas-senger corner of the vehicle to curb level so passen-gers can roll aboard on a slide-out ramp. In addition,all METRO line-service buses are equipped with bikeracks.“On an average weekday we record 17,800 board-

ings,” Enty said. “On an annual basis it is 5.2 million,and of that number, 247,000 are paratransit riders.There are more than 2,300 bus stops in our system.“METRO employs 239 operators, including special

service operators who are drivers of paratransit vehi-cles carrying fewer than 14 passengers. In addition,we have 33 mechanics and 14 service technicians,who wash and fuel vehicles on a daily basis.“METRO’s mission is to enhance the quality of life

for our community by providing innovative transportation solutions that aresafe, dependable, cost effective and customer-focused, now and in thefuture.”Recently, METRO has been busy making some significant upgrades to its

system, including the addition of 33 CNG (compressed natural gas) buses toits fixed-route fleet in 2012.“We have replaced a computer-aided dispatch automatic vehicle location

system on our paratransit fleet, and we also completed installation of a videosecurity system on all of our fixed-route buses,” Enty said. “In addition,METRO opened a new off-street turnaround for seven bus routes in thenorthern part of Akron called the Independence Turnaround.“The Independence Turnaround is a transfer center where seven routes

come together and where people cantransfer from one bus to another. We call ita ‘turnaround’ because the buses go in andthey turn around and they head back out.”In the part of Akron where the

Independence Turnaround is located,METRO once served a large suburbanmall. Ownership of the mall changed and

the new owners did not want METRO service there any longer. The need forthe turnaround was determined because people were forced to transfer onthe street, as METRO no longer had access to the mall area. “Transferring on the street was not a good experience for customers,

especially the disabled and those in wheelchairs,” Enty said.METRO maintains two park and ride lots and also

provides express bus service into downtownCleveland, OH, located about 30 miles north of Akronin Cuyahoga County on the shores of Lake Erie.“Service to Cleveland was also expanded to serve

northeast Ohio’s main Veterans Administration hospi-tal, the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center atWade Park in Cleveland,” Enty said. “A VA facilitylocated in the southern part of Cuyahoga County,which had been in operation since World War II, wasclosed. As a result, many of our veterans were havinga hard time getting serviced, so we decided to expandour express bus service to Cleveland, extending fromdowntown Cleveland to the Louis Stokes ClevelandVA Medical Center.“The Greater Cleveland RTA (regional transit

authority), the system I retired from in 2007, built oneof the country’s finest full-service rapid transit lines,which includes dedicated bus lanes and high platformsalong Euclid Avenue.

“It is actually called the ‘Health Line’ because it serves several hospitalsin the University Circle area of Cleveland. The Greater Cleveland RTAallows METRO to use that corridor. Once our bus gets to downtownCleveland, it heads east to the VA center using the Health Line corridor.“METRO buses can’t operate past the Greater Cleveland RTA Health

Line high platforms, therefore we don’t use their dedicated lanes. However,the roadway was rebuilt — all the utilities were buried, etc. — and now it isa very nice operating environment for buses. Once we put this in place forveterans, a number of Summit County residents who work at the Wade ParkVA asked us to add a little more service. “One of the trips in the morning ran at a time convenient for them to get

to work, but in the afternoon, the service ended too early. We responded to


By Rick Mullen, Busline Magazine Associate Editor

Busline Magazine recently spoke with officials from three public transit entities who shared how their systems have evolved to service the needs of their ridership base. These officials also shared some exciting new programs and innovations taking place at their respective operations.

METRO Executive Director Richard Enty


a petition from 70 VA workers who requested we run a slightly later bus inthe afternoons so they could ride home from work.“We also found that many of the VA workers were car and van pooling

from one of our park and ride lots located in the western part of SummitCounty near Interstate 77, which is a direct route into downtown Cleveland.When we added the additional service to the VA, we believe some of theworkers abandoned the car/van pools to ride our express buses.”In speaking of travel corridors, Enty alluded to METRO’s Transit Master

Plan, which outlines how the transit system should evolve during the next30 years.“In the Transit Master Plan, we identified five primary travel corridors in

Summit County,” Enty said. “The most traveled corridors that were studiedfor BRT (bus rapid transit) are two combined routes that we call the Market-Arlington corridors. These corridors are carrying the largest percentage ofour ridership right now. The BRT corridor analysis indicated that some ofthe trips along the Market-Arlington routes wereovercrowded. Therefore, beginning this year, wereduced headway time on the Market-Arlingtonlines from about 20 to 23 minutes in the peak,down to 15 minutes. It is still a little early, but weare looking at how this has affected ridership. Wedo know people appreciate the more frequentservice.”Summit County consists of 22 municipalities

and 9 townships, Enty reported. The county’s pop-ulation, according to the 2010 census, is 541,781people, including 199,000 in the city of Akron.To service the county, METRO operates five

facilities, including its main administration andmaintenance facility. Perhaps the jewel ofMETRO’s facilities is the futuristic looking, state-of-the-art Robert K. Pfaff Intermodal TransitCenter, which was completed in January 2009.The center was renamed after Pfaff on May 16,2012.“Bob Pfaff was my predecessor here,” Enty

said. “He had been executive director for 17 years.He started out as a bus driver at METRO 38 yearsago and passed away last July. He was highlyregarded by transit professionals nationwide aswell as civic and governmental leaders. He was agreat mentor and we miss him.”According to METRO officials, about 4,000

public transit passengers travel to downtownAkron each weekday, including workers, students,entertainment users, shoppers and those in transitto other locations. In addition, 60 percent of allMETRO bus-to-bus transfers (more than 2,000daily) occur downtown.

“We use a pulse system,” Enty said. “Manyof the routes come into the center at the sametime, and people can go across the platformand transfer. All of our routes go to the centerand we also have Greyhound and buses fromtwo neighboring counties that use our maintransit center.” The new 14,000-square-foot transit center pro-

vides off-street transfers, eliminating the need forpassengers to cross a busy city street in order tochange buses. The climate-controlled, glass-and-steel building offers an enclosed waiting area for300 people.The building also houses METRO customer

service representatives, restrooms, vendingmachines, an ATM, storage, office space, a cafe,

and security in the form of more than 90 cameras plus a joint city of AkronPolice and Summit County deputy sheriff-staffed substation.

“A lot of school kids use the transfer center. It is a safe place,”Enty said. “We’ve been told it is one of the nicest such facilities in thecountry.”According to METRO, during the center’s first year of operation, the

rooftop solar panels, one of the largest arrays of solar panels in Ohio, pro-vided nearly 20 percent of the electric energy consumed there. The transitcenter was granted the Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design) Certification for environmentally friendly construc-tion in April 2010.In addition, the transit center has 45 geothermal wells for heating and

cooling and recycled materials were used in constructing the building wher-ever possible. Also, about 75 percent of construction scrap material wasrecycled.




Enty feels that one of the most telling ways support for public transporta-tion in Summit County is high, is its citizens’ willingness to help fund thesystem.

“I think public transportation is very much viewed as a valuableamenity, both for mobility, as well as for the environmental benefits,”Enty said. “When we last went to voters for a second .25 percent salestax increase in 2008, we got a tremendous amount of support. Manypeople voiced appreciation for our paratransit serv-ice, because it provides so much mobility to seniorsand the disabled. “We are getting ready to pioneer some additional para-

transit service, which will be area specific. The northernpart of Summit County is less densely populated and ourroute service doesn’t work quite as well there. However,there is still a need for people who live in this area to goshopping, travel to doctor appointments, etc., so we aregoing to pioneer a dial-a-ride paratransit for the generalpublic starting this fall. “This new project is in response to people wanting to

travel within their communities and not necessarily come allthe way to downtown Akron from the northern part of the county. Thefixed-route that goes there doesn’t run on a very frequent basis because thedemand is low to moderate and the trip takes nearly two hours by bus. Weare very interested in getting as much service as we can around the countyand the paratransit service model for lower-density suburban areas hasproven successful elsewhere. For example, Toledo (OH) Area RTA ad ourneighboring county's Portage Area RTA operate this type of demand-response service that their communities find very popular. “METRO has a very good partnerships with both Summit County and the

city of Akron. Numerous other communities, including the cities of Stow,Barberton and Cuyahoga Falls have also been very supportive.

“They understand METRO supports economic development by helpingget people to work and to job training. The facilities that we build and main-tain also provide jobs for county residents.”Despite widespread support throughout the county, funding remains a

challenge for METRO, as it is in most public transportation entities.“The three priorities that I have focused the organization on via the budg-

et process, establishment of the 2013 departmental and individual prioritiesand development of key performance measures are: safe-ty, customer service and financial responsibility,” Entysaid. “We receive a lot less funding from the state of Ohiothan we used to, even 15 years ago. Ohio spends an aver-age of less than $2 per capita on public transit, comparedto neighboring states Michigan and Pennsylvania thateach spend on average more than $40 per capita.“The current biennial state budget now under considera-

tion in the Ohio legislature would allocate just over $7 mil-lion annually to transit statewide. That amounts to about one-

tenth of what Ohio Transit Association members requested of thestate’s top transportation leader in a meeting earlier this year.“State of good repair bus replacements and facility improvements

require a local match that currently falls nearly completely on county tax-payers. More assistance from the state would help Ohio transit authoritiesleverage more federal dollars to meet basic capital needs.”As members of one of the nation’s largest demographic groups — the

Baby Boomers — are at or approaching retirement, an aging workforce isanother of the challenges facing METRO.“The average age of our drivers is pretty high,” Enty said. “Many

younger people have left this part of the Midwest to find jobs in the bur-geoning areas of the South and Southwest. One of our challenges is to helpkeep our senior drivers sharp, both mentally and physically.

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membership to the YMCA. In addition, we have developed a mile-longwalking course that rings our property. One of our supervisors even puttogether a ‘Biggest Loser’ contest — like the TV show — to help peoplebecome more health conscious.“Also, in cooperation with our Transport Workers Union, we have recent-

ly added a quarterly safe driving incentive. For holding preventable acci-dents down, all operators will share in a pay bonus depending on how fewof these accidents actually occur.”Looking down the road, Enty is excited about METRO’s participation in

the upcoming Gay Games 9® in August 2014, which will be jointly hostedby the Cleveland and Akron areas.“We are already beginning to work on developing systems to support the

30,000 athletes plus visitors we are expecting in the early part of August2014,” Enty said. “We have a number of venues here in Akron for track andfield, martial arts, soccer, and softball. There is also a marathon planned inAkron, plus golf at the Firestone Country Club. We will even be hosting arodeo at the Summit County Fairgrounds. The really cool thing about GG9is that it is fully inclusive and open to anyone interested in competing. Fora small fee, people 18 and older can register and even participate in theopening and closing ceremonies.“METRO, in conjunction with the Greater Cleveland RTA, Portage RTA

and Stark RTA, is continuing to work toward regional cooperation to get theathletes and visitors from place to place. Exciting times are ahead forSummit County and its neighbors.”Contact: METRO RTA, 416 Kenmore Blvd., Akron, OH 44301.

Phone: 800-227-9905. Website: www.akronmetro.org.

Serving Reading, PA, and surrounding Berks County, Berks AreaRegional Transportation Authority (BARTA) became a countytransit authority in January 2010.

“We are a relatively small authority. We operate about 55 fixed-routebuses and 35 Special Services Division vehicles. Special Services is our

paratransit system,” BARTA Manager of Programs & Marketing JanetWeiss said. “We have 21 fixed routes to serve Reading and Berks County.We also subcontract some of our paratransit service.”Before BARTA became a county authority, the city of Reading and Berks

County purchased the Reading Bus Company in 1973. This purchase led tothe formation of the Berks Area Reading Transportation Authority, whichwas in operationuntil January 2010,when BARTA chan -ged “Reading” in itsname to “Region -al,” thus reflectingits status as a coun-tywide entity.During 1978, the

BARTA Special Ser -vices Division wasestablished when theBerks County Commissioners ordered 33 publicly funded social serviceagencies to give up their transportation systems. The commissioners real-ized that by consolidating everything under BARTA, they were able to pro-vide transportation for more people at a tremendous saving. Special Services provides door-to-door transportation. An application

must be completed prior to using the service. Two working days notice isrequired to schedule most appointments. Individuals who qualify for trans-portation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are entitled tonext-day service. According to BARTA, this specialized transportation system was the first

of its kind in the state of Pennsylvania and one of only a handful in opera-tion in the United States at the time of its inception.“For the fiscal year 2011-2012, BARTA carried about 3.2 million fixed-

route and 252,774 Special Services passengers, for a total of about 3.4 mil-

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lion,” Weiss said. “During the same time period, BARTA traveled about 1.6million fixed-route and 857,556 Special Services miles, for a total of about2.5 million.”Offering the best in customer service is a high priority at BARTA. The

BARTA Transportation Center (BTC), which was opened in downtownReading in March 2002, serves as a central trans-fer point for most of the bus routes. The BTC hasa passenger waiting area with an automated busarrival and departure system, along with manyother passenger amenities. Included within theBTC is a parking garage for monthly permit park-ing, a community police station and potentialretail space.BARTA also operates five park-n-ride lots

throughout Berks County that are served byBARTA’s fixed-route system.

“We refer to riders as our ‘customers,’” Weiss said. “We try to instillin our drivers the need to treat people with courtesy. If customersweren’t riding the bus, the drivers would not have jobs. We try to getthat across.

“(Many years ago) the idea was to get people on the bus and then getthem off and not worry about anything except being on time. Now, weare much more customer oriented. We would rather have our driversbe less strict on the schedule and focus on taking care of our cus-tomers.”BARTA’s commitment to customer service seems to be paying off as

Weiss reported public transportation in Berks County is well supported bycounty and state governments, as well as the public.“We don’t have a lot of detractors,” she said. “I think we have a pretty

good support base in this area. Our ridership has been growing. We were up4 percent last year on fixed-route runs and 3.1 percent in our SpecialServices, for an overall 3.9 percent increase. We have experienced a steady

increase every year. We have many choice riders. BARTA conducted somesurveys a few years ago that indicated more than 50 percent of passengerswere choice riders.“BARTA also has a partnership with Commuter Services of Southeastern

Pennsylvania. With this partnership, people who use the bus can sign up foran emergency ride home program. If something hap-pens and a person needs to go home early or he orshe must work overtime and their bus doesn’t runafter a certain time, that person can make otherarrangements to get home. Whether the personcalls a friend or a cab or whatever, he or she will bereimbursed for that expense. It is a phenomenalprogram. “Commuter Services and BARTA are a great

partnership. Nine counties are involved in theCommuter Services area. Commuter Services’ people

are great. They will come with us to visit different employers. While realiz-ing transit may not be the right match for everybody, Commuter Servicestries to match people with car and van pools, ride sharing, etc.”Weiss spoke of two major projects at BARTA. One of the projects recent-

ly completed harkens back to the now defunct Reading Railroad, whichbrought anthracite coal from the Pennsylvania coal region to cities along theSchuylkill River. The railroad is one of the four railroad properties in theclassic United States version of the Monopoly board game.“We just completed a $5 million restoration project of the original

Franklin Street Station, which was part of the Reading Railroad system,”Weiss said. “The station had been deteriorating to the point that the roof wasabout to collapse.”BARTA acquired the Franklin Street Station on December 14, 2005,

with the intent to reopen it to again serve the public as a transportationhub for bus services, as it had in the past. The station will also include asmall museum.



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The station was originally dedicated on January 25, 1930, and wasdesigned in the renaissance revival architectural style and is symmetrical indesign. The one story building is 140 feet long and 47 feet wide. The largecentral portion was the passenger waiting area and is 77 feet long by 42 feetwide with a 26-foot high ceiling. The original building had a marble terraz-zo floor and terracotta wainscoting (a decorative wall embellishment).“After being dedicated in 1930, the station was in operation until the

Reading Railroad quit operating,” Weiss said. “After the Reading Railroadquit running, SEPTA (The Southern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority)out of Philadelphia took over the rail service. SEPTA came to Reading until1981. When SEPTA stopped service, the station was closed. So between1981 and two years ago it was empty and deteriorating.“The one really remarkable thing about this project is the terracotta wain-

scoting and the marble terrazzo floors have been restored with the originaltiles. It is beautiful.”When interviewed recently, Weiss said a dedication and open house of the

newly restored Franklin Street Station was planned for May.A second major and unique project is currently underway at BARTA and

involves some of the system’s vehicles.“We are currently involved in a project with a company developing a

wireless charging system for all-electric vehicles,” Weiss said. “There willbe bases implanted in the ground in a variety of locations and the vehicleswill only have to drive over the top of the bases to recharge.“We currently have two all-electric vehicles being readied and they will

be used in our Special Services Department. We are also looking at the pos-sibility of purchasing some all-electric buses for our fixed-route service, aswell.“A company is converting two of our gas powered paratransit buses. They

will take the gas engines out and ship them back to us and install electricmotors, batteries and all the things to accomplish a total conversion. The all-electric buses will be able to be charged by both plugging them in or by the

wireless connection.”In November 2010, the company was awarded a nearly $587,000 grant

from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’sAlternative Fuel Incentive Grant program.The grant was to be used to develop the technology for the BARTA sys-

tem that will recharge electric and plug-in vehicles wirelessly. The technol-ogy consists of an integrated suite of hardware and software that can beoperated with any type of vehicle. It does not require a conductor to connectthe vehicle to the power grid.“The state gave us a grant for the two all-electric vehicles being convert-

ed,” Weiss said. “(At this time) we are operating nine hybrid diesel-electricbuses on fixed routes, as well as five hybrid diesel-electric vehicles used byour Special Services Department.”In speaking of the challenges BARTA faces as it moves into the future,

Weiss said No. 1 is funding, not an unusual situation for many of thenation’s public transit systems.“We could always use some more money so we could expand services,”

she said. “We don’t run on Sundays and we are not a 24/7 authority. We havemany people who work on Sundays and they have no other way to get towork, so it is a challenge for them. There are people who would like laterservice on all of our routes. There are some routes that run later in theevening, up until 11 p.m.”As for the future of public transit in Berks County and nationwide, Weiss

feels riding the bus is an underused resource.“I don’t think public transit is going to go away,” she said. “In some areas

it may get smaller and in other locations it may grow, but I don’t think it issomething that we will ever be able to totally do without.

“I also think the younger generation is a little more ecologicallyminded. I think, in a lot of cases, they would just as likely board a busas jump in a car. The economy is also a factor. It is a lot more expensivenowadays to operate a personal vehicle. The days when a person could



buy a car for $500 and fill the tank for $5 are long gone.“A monthly bus pass to ride BARTA is $47. I can only fill my car up for

one week with $47. If you take the bus to work instead of commuting, youare giving yourself the equivalent of a $100 raise each month, or maybeeven more. “Public transportation is a good investment if it works with a person’s

work schedule, location, etc. I realize it is not something that everybody canuse. For example, BARTA in located in a very rural county. We have areasthat are far from Reading and people out there must rely on their own trans-portation.“I would hate to see public transportation go away. The gridlock we have

on the highways now would just be magnified.”Contact: BARTA, 1700 N. Eleventh St., Reading, PA 19604.

Phone: 610-921-0601.Email: [email protected]: www.bartabus.com.

Greenville, SC, is a fast-growing community with a population ofabout 50,000 people, whose public transportation needs are met byGreenlink Transit. Greenlink also serves the nearby cities of

Mauldin and Simpsonville. The metro area of Greenville is about 450,000people as of the 2010 census. For several years, Greenville has been “remaking” itself after facing some

tough economic times with the decline of the textile industry in the area.“The Greenville area was formerly a textile manufacturing center,”

explained Greenlink Transit Director Mark Rickards.Indeed, for a long time Greenville was known as “The Textile Capital of

the World.” However, in the process of remaking itself, the city has beenable to attract other industries especially in the automotive and aerospacefields.

“The leading industry here now is BMW along with Michelin, Fluor andGeneral Electric,” Rickards said. “In addition, the city has developed avery viable downtown. In the 1990s, city, state and federal highwaydepartments actually removed a highway bridge in downtown Greenville,replacing it with a pedestrian bridge called the Liberty Bridge that spansa scenic waterfall on the Reedy River where textile mills once stood. “There has also been a lot of redevelopment of the transit system. However,

it is still a route/pulse-type system that operates out of a transit center that wasbuilt in 1992. We operate 35-foot buses on about 12 fixed routes. We are look-ing to expand both regionally and internally in the next 10 years. “The biggest issue we face in being able to expand is that we depend

solely on local, state and federal funds and fares. We do not have a dedi-

Greenlink Transit Director Mark Rickards



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cated funding source.“We try to keep the fares as low as possible. We need more hours and

days of service. We don’t have Sunday or late evening service. We alsodon’t have enough buses to expand into our regional communities.

“Our sister cities in South Carolina, Charleston and Columbia, allhave a small percentage of sales tax that goes directly to transit. Weare looking to do the same over the next two years.It is within our mission to seek a dedicated fund-ing source to allow Greenlink to expand. In the meantime, we will continue to grow incrementally where we can.”Greenlink records an average of 540,000 miles per

year with a ridership of around 1 million. The system’sbuses run on clean diesel fuel and Greenlink officials arelooking at using all-electric vehicles as an alternative in thefuture, according to Rickards.All Greenlink buses are wheelchair accessible and are equipped

with bike racks. The Greenlink system also features GAP (GreenvilleArea Paratransit), an ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) paratran-sit service provided for individuals who, because of a disability, areunable to use the fixed-route bus service.GAP provides comparable service to the regular fixed-route bus in

terms of shared rides, curb-to-curb pickup, service area, hours and daysof service.Measures to ensure passenger safety and security are in place through-

out the Greenlink system.“Our facilities are all part of the city of Greenville,” Rickards said.

“We work closely with the local police. We haven’t had a lot of issueswith crime other than some vandalism at shelters. In total, we have 58shelters. We have cameras on the buses and we have video system sur-veillance at our facilities.”While the city has rejuvenated itself in recent years, Greenlink has also

placed a renewed emphasis on customer service.“Customer service is something we have really highlighted much

more now than what was done in the past,” Rickards said. “Our

employees are trained to consider every person as a ‘customer’rather than a ‘passenger.’ It is most important that individual atten-tion is given when we can. I think our drivers have good relationshipswith customers.”Rickards also spoke of two programs in the planning stage that are in

the budget for next year.One involves developing connecting commuter routes to nearby

Clemson, SC, and Clemson University. A second project is toestablish a public/private partnership with Greenville’sminor league baseball team, Greenville Drive, to oper-ate a trolley service for the public. “We also have a public/private partnership with a

local hospital and local educational entity, CU-ICAR (Clemson University’s International Center for

Automotive Research),” Rickards said. “CU-ICARworks with St. Francis Hospital in conjunction with

Greenlink in operating a private/public partnership route.”Looking ahead, Rickards sees a positive change in attitudes

as to how public transportation is viewed in the Greenville area andbeyond.

“Perceptions are evolving quite a bit as we become more of a cos-mopolitan area,” Rickards said. “International workers and studentsare coming to the area more and more from countries in Asia andEurope where there has traditionally been wide acceptance andusage of public transit. “People are certainly becoming more aware of the benefits of public

transit. Although Greenville primarily remains an automobile-orientedcommunity, I see progress. I feel very positive about the future of publictransit. Our ridership is up and ridership is up nationwide.”

Contact: Greenlink, 1021 S. Main St., Greenville, SC 29601.Phone: 864-467-5001.

Email: [email protected]: www.greenvillesc.gov/RideGreenlink/.


This year’s annual Community TransportationAssociation of America (CTAA) EXPO isscheduled for June 2-7 at the Albuquerque (NM)Convention Center. New Mexico’s transportationnetwork includes all modes of transit — fromregional rail to regional rural transit, and from busrapid transit to commuter-focused services. The2013 Community Transportation EXPO featuresseveral key elements, including:

Trade FairThe trade show opening and reception will

take place on June 4, while the trade fair itself andluncheon are scheduled for both June 5 and 6.

One-, Two- And Three-day SessionsThe Community Transportation Intensive

Sessions take place June 3-5. The sessions meettraining requirements for those seeking CCTMand CTPA certification. All certification cours-es have a testing component.

Three-Day Courses: June 3-5• Vehicle Maintenance Mgt/Inspection (VMMI)

• Passenger Service and Safety (PASS) Train-the-Trainer WorkshopTwo-Day Courses: June 3-4

• Certified Community Transit Supervisory (CCTS)• Professional Dispatching and Scheduling (PDS)• Preparing for the CCTM and CTPA Examinations

• Certified Safety and Security Officer (CSSO)• The Competitive Edge

One-Day Courses: June 3• Transit Marketing for Community/Public Transportation• Developing Policies and Procedures for Transit

• Leadership & Motivation• Developing Performance Measures for Mobility

Management & CoordinationOne-Day Courses: June 4

• Financial Management for Transit Agencies• Thinking Like a Business

• How to Address the Issue of Distracted Drivers• Design Thinking for Mobility Solutions

Professional Development WorkshopsVarious training sessions taught by recog-

nized experts are offered in the morning andafternoon of June 5 and 6. All EXPO registrantsare able to participate in any session.Professional Development Workshop topics

planned for EXPO 2013 are: mobility manage-ment, dialysis transportation, livability and sus-tainability, innovative service design, serviceregionalization, advancing safety and security,transit facility development, creative fundingand grant writing, the competitive edge, veter-ans transportation, social media for transit,strategic partnerships, and senior transportation.

Two General SessionsEach year at EXPO, Community

Transportation officials feature two general ses-sions that offer a discussion from recognizedexperts on key community and public trans-portation topics. This year’s two general ses-sions will be held on June 5 and 6. On June 5, Lt. Gen. Russell Honore will pro-

vide the conference keynote address with hispresentation titled, “The New Normal:Leadership and Preparedness in the 21stCentury.” Lt. Gen. Honore is best known for hisrole in leading the U.S. Defense Department’sresponse teams after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.The second session, on June 6, examines

reframing the value of transit and changing theway those in the industry highlight the out-comes that transit engenders.

Roadeo & Awards BanquetHeld June 2, the 24th Annual National

Community Transportation Roadeo will honorthe value of rural and community transit opera-tors. Drivers compete for top scores on a coursethat tests skills of these drivers. It’s followed bya banquet and awards ceremony.

Special EventsTwo special EXPO mini-conferences titled

“Volunteer Transportation and MobilityManagement” and “Tribal Transit Summit” arescheduled for June 3 and 4, and the CommunityTransportation Awards Breakfast is set for June 5. Local transit tours, meanwhile, are scheduled

for June 6. These will be followed by “EXPO’sBig Night Out: A Celebration Of Route 66,”June 6. The Community Transportation EXPOwill conclude on June 7. The day includes aHappy Trails Farewell Breakfast. Visit www.ctaa.org/expo or call 800-788-

7077 for more information.

CTAA EXPO Set For June 2-7 In Albuquerque




5Star Specialty Programs Reduce Risk – Reduce Cost

Seven Elements To Reducing Risk And Cost With A Formal Loss Control Program

By Charlie Johnson, VP Loss Control Services – 5Star Specialty Programs

Businesses, old and new, are continuously looking forways to mitigate risk. Though risk can’t be avoidedcompletely, factors to reduce it can and should be

managed — which begins at the organizational level. Reducing bottom line premium cost is a key objective for

any successful business. Senior management must take own-ership of their company’s loss control, demonstrate the orga-nization’s commitment to developing a loss control program,and establish key performance indicators to follow up onprogress and measure safety. Here are seven elements that have helped organizations

reduce risk and cost by committing to a formal loss controlprogram:

1. Management Involvement and Support — When sen-ior management supports the overall safety effort, companieshave a better understanding of how accidents can be con-trolled and affect loss ratio, and that any situation can be man-aged safely. It is essential, though, for all department heads toplay a role in supporting these efforts by developing safetyrules, manage losses, control hazards, motivate supervisorsand labor forces, review results, and hold personnel account-able;

2. Assignment of Responsibility — It is the duty of uppermanagement to ensure employees have a clear understandingof what their job entails. It is also their duty to assign respon-sibility, authority and accountability to key personnel. Anemployee who knows what is expected of his/her perform-ance, has the authority to accomplish tasks, and is heldaccountable for results, is not only professionally satisfied,but is motivated to follow safe procedures. A policy statement expressing management’s desired direc-

tion is a key factor to a successful loss control program. Thepolicy itself may include items such as the purpose of the pro-gram and what it will cover; who will be assigned safetyresponsibility; if there will be assistance in the form of a safe-ty director or safety committee; and, who will have the author-ity to administer the safety program;

3. Maintenance of Safe Working Conditions — Once aplan is in place, it must be maintained. After reading a policystatement or attending a presentation, people tend to forgetwhat was presented to them. To maintain a safe working con-dition, self-inspections should be conducted daily, weekly ormonthly — depending on the job. An inspector must be selec-tive, know what to look for, practice observingbehaviors/trends, guard against habit and familiarity, recordobservations, and prepare a checklist.

An inspector should also create a job hazard analysis(JHA). This includes defining the job; breaking the job into asequence of steps (each describing what is being done); iden-tifying hazards; determining what can go wrong resulting inan accident; and, recommending safe job procedures thateither eliminate or control hazardous operations;

4. Employee Training — If a loss control program isdeveloped and personnel held accountable, then employeesneed to be properly educated — especially if there is a new-hire or replacement made. Safety education may includedeveloping a training program (if one doesn’t already exist);determining training needs; defining program objectives; pro-vide additional supervisor training (if needed); and, requiringnew-hire training;

5. Record Keeping and Reporting — Supervisors areoften responsible for keeping accurate, up-to-date informationon management safety reports, planned inspection summaries,safety checklists, job analysis worksheets, employee orienta-tion records and major loss announcements. By having thesereports current and organized, companies are helping protectworkers’ health and safety as well as identifying potentialproblems in the workplace;

6. First-aid and Medical Assistance — First-aid givenquickly and efficiently can save lives, assist in the preventionof minor injuries turning serious, and, in most cases, be theonly treatment necessary. If an accident does occur, it isimportant to have a first-aid policy and procedure in place.This might include a first-aid trained staff, on-site facility,equipment, supplies, and a recording of all cases; and,

7. Employee Awareness, Acceptance, and Participation— To ensure employees continue to be mindful and informedabout mitigating risk, maintain their interest by managing losscontrol activities. Consider webinars, posters, contests orcampaigns to support safety motivation and promotion.People are driven by things like self preservation,personal/material gain, responsibility, leadership, logic, andhumanity — so use those concepts for your loss control pro-gram and safety advantage. The goal of reducing risk and implementing a loss control

program is not to discourage companies, but rather encourageemployees to think safety and precaution while on the job.Taking ownership of a strong loss control program, as well asinfluencing employees on a regular basis, is the key to havinga strong and successful business. And, most importantly, wecan anticipate safe work environments — for everyone.

Visit www.5starsp.comfor more information.

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By Harrell KerkhoffBusline Magazine Editor

An advantage to combining the annualUnited Motorcoach Association andNTA (formerly known as the National

Tour Association) conventions is that this pro-vides an opportunity to learn how everyoneinvolved with the group travel business processcan work together for the success of allinvolved parties.

To further pro-vide insight, anindustry panel ses -sion titled KeysTo Success InGroup Travel washeld as part of theinaugural TravelExchange pro-gram in Orlando.This session inv -olved representa-tives from the

hotel, motorcoach, tour, and attractions seg-ments. Panelists were asked questions related togroup travel trends, pricing, challenges andopportunities. The panelists for this hour-long session were:

Brian Scott, of Escot Bus Lines, in Largo, FL,representing the motorcoach industry; LindaJeffries, of Newseum, in Washington, D.C.,

representing the attractions business; J. ChrisBabb, of The Group Tour Company, inWashington, D.C., representing tour operators;and Brian Butterworth, of The Red Lion Inn,in Stockbridge, MA, representing the lodgingindustry. Serving as moderator for the session was

David Brown, of Holiday Companies, inRandleman, NC, a motorcoach operation.

QUESTION: What changes have you seenin the group travel market from a businessand financial perspective over the past fouryears — from the prosperity before the

Great Recession to now?

Butterworth — The Red Lion Inn“Our business dropped off (during the recent

recession), the worst year being 2009. We havegrown steadily ever since, and 2012 finishedhigher than 2008, which had been our bestyear.” Babb — The Group Tour Company“From a tour operator perspective, one of the

biggest changes since the financial meltdownhas been (an increase in) price negotiations.Everyone seems to be very price sensitive, andmany people are taking shorter trips. Peoplewho were once traveling for 7 to 10 days arenow traveling for 5 to 7 days. People who oncewere taking overnight stays are now taking one-day trips. I suspect most motorcoach companies

have experienced the same pattern.“Many tour operators were fortunate (at the

beginning of the recession) as most businesswas booked 18 months in advance. It was real-ly in 2010 and 2011 when the financial well-being of many tour operators started shrinking.I think we are finally seeing a turn for the betterwithin the industry.”Jeffries — Newseum“At Newseum, unfortunately, we did see (a

trend of) cancellations among our retail tours(during the recession), but our school markethas been strong and steady. They (schools) are

booking shortertrips on average,and where aschool mighthave used fivemotorcoaches inthe past now itmay be usingonly two to fourc o a c h e s .Fortunately forus, Newseum isjust turning 5years old (at its

Washington, D.C. site), so we are still a newattraction.”Scott — Escot Bus Lines“For us, 2009 and 2010 were slower years,

with 2010 actually a little bit worse. Business in

A Travel Exchange Panel

Keys To Success In Group Travel

Representatives from the hotel, motorcoach, tour, and

attraction segments answered questions related to group

travel trends, pricing, challenges and opportunities.

Moderator: David Brown,

Holiday Companies,

Randleman, NC.Brian Butterworth,

The Red Lion Inn,

Stockbridge, MA.


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2011 came back really nice, and 2012 also looked good. We definitely see anincrease in price negotiations (among customers), and there is a lot of resist-ance when trying to increase prices.”

QUESTION: What do you see is the future of group travel over the next five years?

Babb — The Group Tour Company“As a tour operator, I think it’s going to

continue to grow. There are three trends that Ihave noticed. No. 1, the use of technology hasincreased (among tour passengers), especiallysince the new iPads came out. We have start-ed seeing more people with these devices andwanting to use them as they travel, whichnecessitates the need for WiFi. Access toWiFi on motorcoaches is in greater demand. “No. 2, the average size of groups traveling

is changing. Filling up a 55-passenger motor-coach can be difficult as groups continue toget smaller. I think this trend will continue. “And No. 3, where we used to see groups that were comprised of purely

students or purely seniors, we are now seeing them more comprised ofgrandparents, parents and kids all traveling together. There are completefamilies filling up a motorcoach. This means (travel) itineraries mustbecome more diverse in an effort to appeal to a much larger demographic. Iwould think this trend will become more pronounced five years down theroad as baby boomers become older, have more disposable income and arestarting to travel more with their families.” Jeffries — Newseum“Overall, (the group travel) market is becoming a little more demanding

as it pertains to activities. They look for special activities, and, for the mostpart, are willing to pay (extra).”Scott — Escot Bus Lines“We rely on group travel for a good part of our business. From our per-

spective, we hope this market stays strong and grows. What I have seen froma local standpoint, it’s becoming more difficult for smaller ‘mom and pop’operators to continue to do well.” Butterworth — The Red Lion Inn“In talking with operators and suppliers, they seem willing to offer (cus-

tomers) more free time during travel and providing a tour with more options.These trips are not quite so set in stone. More options are being given to peo-ple in hopes of attracting additional business.“The Red Lion Inn is an historic full-service hotel located in the

Berkshires of New England. Our town (Stockbridge, MA) is a popular des-tination for tours, such as during the fall foliage season. One thing we havedone is work with different tour directors to come up with a (lunch reserva-tion) program at The Red Lion Inn for individual passengers. This providesa lunch option for those on a motorcoach trip who are in our town (for avisit). I also offer operators a flyer that lists things to do in Stockbridge dur-ing ‘free time.’”

QUESTION: How have the habits of your clients changed over the past four years?

Jeffries — Newseum“We haven’t seen a big change in habits over the past four years as

Newseum is still absorbing new markets. We have seen fewer seniors thanwe thought we would. In response, we offer a special senior month atNewseum to encourage increased visitation. “In going forward, I think all of us need to look at our visitation habits and

(what groups) we are missing out on. Social media can help encourage morepeople to visit. We (at Newseum) also send out information to tour guides sothat when their group visits us they are more aware of what is going on withour attractions.”

J. Chris Babb,

The Group Tour Company,

Washington, D.C.



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Scott — Escot Bus Lines“Our business has changed

significantly, not just during thepast four years, but the pastdecade. It’s been an intentionalshift and an intentional diversi-fication so we aren’t so alignedspecifically to the charter busbusiness. “The charter business is very

respondent to negative and pos-itive situations that come fromoutside forces. These arebeyond our control. Therefore, we have active-ly tried to diversify our contracts to a morescheduled-service type work. Over the past fouryears, the pace of this focus has quickened. Andso, fortunately, when the last recession hit in2009 and 2010, because we diversified, wewere OK. We have intentionally shifted ourbusiness to try to insulate ourselves from thoseoutside forces.”Butterworth — The Red Lion Inn“On the group travel side, we are seeing more

international travelers. The state ofMassachusetts, and New England overall, arevery aggressive in attracting international trav-elers. There is an organization called ‘DiscoverNew England’ that works to attract tour opera-tors from around the world. It has a great pres-ence, especially in Europe. Also, Japan Airlines

has started a non-stop flightbetween Tokyo and Boston,which is bringing a lot ofJapanese travelers (to NewEngland).”Babb — The Group Tour

Company“Our company is located in

Washington, D.C. Especially inthe springtime, a lot of motor-coaches come to this market,particularly with student groups.(The Group Tour Company)

works with motorcoach companies, other touroperators, travelers, etc., to customize trips.Before the recession, a common motorcoach (toWashington, D.C.) would consist of 2 teachers,2 parent chaperones and 50 kids. Over the pastcouple years, many such trips have changed towhere we are seeing 25 kids traveling with 20parents and some teachers. This change hasmeant that we now not only have to fulfill theneeds of the teachers wanting to see the educa-tional elements of a trip, but also fulfill theneeds of families involved in the same trip look-ing for more of a family vacation. We even haveseen instances where families are traveling inseparate cars following the motorcoach. “This requires us to change the way we com-

municate with our group leaders, motorcoachcompanies and other tour operators. They all

have had to recognize this diverse trend. “This change is not only taking place with

student groups but with adult groups as well.They are becoming part of family vacations. It’sled to the rethinking of what a standard (travel)itinerary should be for the East Coast.“This change can be hard, especially for peo-

ple in the motorcoach and group tour industrieswho understand that the prospect of cars (pur-posely) following a 55-passenger motorcoachdown (busy) Interstate 95 is not necessarily agood thing. Not only is the motorcoach drivernow worried about the safety of his passengers,but also about the two or so cars behind him(that are part of the trip.) There is a message thatwe need to get out to consumers that travelingby motorcoach is a lot different than traveling ina family vehicle.“We have also seen the senior market not

only travel more with other generations, butthey want to do more adventurous things aswell. The standard national park tour is nolonger acceptable for many travelers.”

QUESTION for Brian Butterworth — The Red Lion Inn

People who purchase group travel tripsoften are able to find a great hotel at a greatrate for two or three years, then suddenlythe price goes up or the availability goesdown. What are the root causes for this?

Brian Scott,

Escot Bus Lines,

Largo, FL.


May/June 2013 BUSLINE Page 33May/June 2013 BUSLINE Page 33

“Obviously, every hotel, tour operator andattraction is a different business that works offof different business models. The tour and trav-el business is important to The Red Lion Inn asit represents for us an area of growth. We havea very loyal following. Our business is definite-ly driven by travelers and tourists. “We also work with tour operators, corporate

meeting planners, etc., to fill in during (the off-season) when it’s still a great time to visit ourarea, but there isn’t the same type of demandamong travelers. “There are officials from some hotels who

want to work with group travel people at certaintimes and not work with them at other times.That’s unfortunate. I would say, however, thatmany hotels are interested in doing businesswith (group travel professionals). It’s good,however, when tour operators take the time tounderstand the business needs of a hotel. Thishelps everyone work well together. “As far as pricing is concerned, hotels have

investors. Their job is to get the most for aroom. If there is a convention in town, the priceis probably going to go up.”

QUESTION For Brian Scott — Escot Bus LinesDoes the group touring market provide a better

or worse margin than your other confirmations?

“From the late 1980s continuing through the1990s (the group travel business) was a big areaof growth for us. (Group travel) is still an impor-tant part of our business model, but we havesince spent a lot of time developing our businessto where we are selling the seat rather than sell-ing the bus. Both business models have theirunique benefits and challenges. “We try to work (in group travel) with a range

of customers. Our goal is to build long-term rela-tionships and work with sizeable enough groupsso that we are properly servicing their needs. “As far as margins go, (group travel) is on the

thinner side. However, it’s one that provides areasonable amount of volume and keeps a lot ofbuses busy for a good portion of the year.Therefore, it’s an important part of our business,but one that we try to manage in terms of thenumber of trips we take on during an annualbasis.”QUESTION for Linda Jeffries — NewseumYou get a lot of individual foot traffic at

Newseum. Therefore, how important is thegroup travel segment to your success?

“The group segment comprises about 35 per-cent of the visitors to Newseum. Of that 35 per-

cent, about 65percent is fromstudent travel.Because (grouptravel) is bookedin advance towhere we knowwho is comingand when theyare coming, thishelps us withstaffing issues. Italso helps us to

better know how (overall business) is going tobe throughout the year.“We have the luxury of having just about

unlimited space at Newseum. We don’t turnpeople away, and because of that, a lot of times(groups) will book late with us. We do have theluxury of being very flexible.“In Washington, D.C., one of our biggest

challenges at Newseum, being a paid attraction,is that there are so many other things in our cityto see that are free. A lot of these free attractionsare also considered ‘must see.’ “Another challenge has to do with the

amount of time people now have for an attrac-tion. Some operators have not been toWashington, D.C., for years themselves. They

Continued On Page 41

Linda Jeffries,

Newseum,

Washington, D.C.


RBS, Inc., is a major provider of Tour and Charter Management Systems

specifically designed for the motorcoach industry. For 20 years, RBS

has been designing, implementing and supporting its premier prod-

ucts: GoChart and GoTour. The company serves more than 500 North

American customers.

GoChart Charter Management System features customer and contract

management, scheduling, dispatching, accounts receivable and

numerous accounting/operations reports. Modules allow companies to

customize the RBS system to fit their needs. The security module is

now more powerful with stricter controls, and requires each employee

to access RBS using a unique login and password. User-defined per-

missions allow access to specific areas of the program depending on

job types such as administrator, salesperson, dispatcher and driver.

GoTour is a browser-based tour management system. GoTour man-

ages reservations, itineraries, payables, receivables, and produces

management reports and customer documents for group and retail

tours. Access GoTour from any computer that has an Internet connec-

tion. GoTour is hosted at a secure RBS-managed data facility. The RBS

professional staff manages the server hardware, software and network,

including all updates and daily backups.

Web Manager provides reliable credit card authorization, online quote

generation and notification, driver access to schedules and document

storage and retrieval. This includes:

• Credit Card Processing — Integrated into the

RBS GoChart and GoTour applications;

• Quote Request — Customers request

quotes online by providing basic information

which is used to open a quote in GoChart.

Email is forwarded to the customer and sales

staff notifying receipt of online quote;

• Special Requests for GoChart Data Access via

the Web — Provides web access to driver’s

schedules allowing drivers to access schedules

from home, office or anywhere with an Internet

connection; and,

• Document Storage and Retrieval — GoChart

offers secure storage and retrieval of paper and

electronic documents. Letters, contracts,

maps, itineraries, emails, memos, notes,

copies of receipts/checks can be scanned

using a desktop scanner and quickly assigned

to charters and/or customers. Users can

access stored documents by clicking buttons

on customer and charter screens. Stored doc-

uments can be accessed anywhere there is an

Internet connection.

GoTran provides transit data capturing, report-

ing and customer invoicing. Users can easily

create and duplicate transit routes, runs and

stops for dispatching. The system can capture

manually entered or bus-generated actual rider-

ship and cash fare data. Captured data can be

reported in summary or detail form by route, run

or stop; includes flexible customer invoicing.

Offsite Backup and Recovery software and serv-

ices are designed with disaster recovery in mind.

A backup client on your server connects remote-

ly and backs up your critical RBS data daily. Only

you and RBS have access to this data.

Notification emails are sent each time the data is

backed up. RBS insures that backup data is

properly available for restoration and maintains

terminal services/remote desktop environment to

which your data can be moved. You will have

access for two users, for one month, while you

re-establish your network infrastructure.

Call RBS at 800-448-7001 or

visit www.rbs2000.com to request an

evaluation copy of GoChart. Visit our new

website at www.rbs2000.com to request

a user name and password to access

our GoTour demo site.


ADVERTORIAL

Relational Bus Systems



Distinctive Systems is an independent soft-

ware vendor specializing in the development of

products for coach, bus and truck companies.

Established for 30 years, they have supplied

hundreds of systems to operators throughout

the United Kingdom, Ireland, North America,

South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and

beyond.

The range of software is comprehensive and

includes systems for managing coach based

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transport operations, gross payroll, vehicle main-

tenance, workshop management and both back

office and online reservations for extended

tours, sightseeing trips and shuttle services.

All of the applications are Windows based

and have been developed using Microsoft

Visual Studio. The success that has been

achieved over the years comes about as a

direct result of their unique experience of both

the IT and passenger transport industries.

Both 2012 and 2013 have been particularly

exciting at Distinctive Systems. A new Rental

Option has been offered to clients for all 3 of the

Distinctive Systems applications. This has led to

another record amount of new client adds to

the Distinctive Systems user base. In fact, year

after year, for the past 3 years, have seen

increased user additions in record numbers.

The Annual User Group meeting, coupled

with an ongoing webinar series and expanded

Support Services, has ensured successful

implementations, ongoing growth of the usage

of the applications with existing clients and con-

tinued interaction with the publisher and actual

developers of the products.

Numerous features and enhancements have

been added to the entire product suite.

Topping the enhancement list is the new Coach

Manager Gross Payroll module. The module has

been eagerly anticipated by clients since new

functionality for gathering vehicle and driver

actual mileages and duty times was introduced

just over a year ago. Intended to form the basis

of the planned payroll functionality from the

outset; the finished result provides operators

with the most powerful specialized payroll solu-

tion ever to be made available to the North

American motorcoach industry.

Also recently released is an integration from

the Microsoft SQL Server based Coach

Manager charter and contract booking system

to Microsoft Dynamics GP General Ledger. The

integration, which is incorporated directly into

the Coach Manager software, consists of a

batch controlled CSV export of invoice, credit,

adjustment and payment transactions.

An integration built using Microsoft's

Integration Manager tool is then used to import

the resulting data file into Microsoft Dynamics

GP General Ledger. The Coach Manager side

of the integration is available free of charge to

all clients with current Coach Manager

Software Maintenance agreements.

Additional features have been continually

added to the Tour Booking System (TBS). In

April 2013, a fully revised and updated data

driven website, which is a component of the

in-house reservation system, was released. It

allows operators to create and maintain a

professional website without the expense of

employing a specialist web design company.

The full TBS application can be further

extended with the addition of the TBS Online

Booking facility. The Online Booking facility

allows clients to create an account, enter pas-

senger names, select their seats, choose pick-

up points, select their preferred accommoda-

tion along with any supplements, accept or

decline insurance and pay either a deposit or in

full as appropriate.

Work on the Vehicle Maintenance System

(VMS) has continued as well. An optional tire

management module has been designed to

manage the maintenance and history recording

of individual tires fitted to vehicles in the fleet.

This new module is now available.

For further details, or to arrange a no obligation

demonstration, please call 646-448-9981.

Distinctive Systems: Specializing In Comprehensive Software

ADVERTORIAL



Motorcoach Manager

Transportation Software Systems

Call or email today for your FREE information pack with demonstration CD.

800.780.6880 or [email protected]

Motorcoach CHARTER Manager

Motorcoach TOUR Manager

Motorcoach MAINTENANCE Manager

Motorcoach SHUTTLE Manager

Modules may be purchased individually or combined. Single or multi-user licensing. Prompt technical support.

• Tracks all aspects of your operation• Simplifies creating charters and tours with templates• Multiple dispatch management options• Extensive financial reporting

Flexible enterprise level managementsoftware provides a complete trackingsolution with personal, committedcustomer service.

Software Systems That Work

Saves time, money and mistakes.

Motorcoach Manager Provides

Software Solutions To Fit

Successful operators in the charter and tour

industry must develop systems for handling

all the logistical components of the service

they provide. They must be ready to respond

quickly to the changing needs of customers,

employees and government entities.

Motorcoach Manager provides an orderly way

for tracking all the changing information so

operators can be ready for any situation.

Motorcoach Manager is easy-to-use soft-

ware which provides a powerful blend of

innovative features designed to reduce costs

by making record-keeping easier and more

accurate. Training and support ensure suc-

cess. The software’s flexible reporting system

is built on data entered one-time on a color-

coded form and organized to provide in-

depth management tools.

As the industry changes, Motorcoach

Manager refines its features and functionality

in collaboration with its clients. This year the

focus is on refining the fully integrated modu-

lar products to optimal form.

The four modules can be tailored to the

needs of each motorcoach company. The

charter, tour, maintenance, and shuttle mod-

ules can be combined to match each opera-

tion. Details can be personalized.

Motorcoach Charter Manager provides a sys-

tematic process for handling all the details of

a trip order — from the initial customer call

through the final reconciliation of the finances,

IFTA mileage and fuel reporting, and driver

payroll calculations. It includes visual tools to

increase income through effective utilization

of the fleet. It provides control of scheduling

and dispatching, whether an order calls for

one coach or for several coaches and drivers

running at different dates and times.

When a trip is repeated, the data can be

entered once and then duplicated. Line runs

and shuttles not requiring reservations can be

handled with this feature in the charter mod-

ule. School bus companies use the charter

module effectively for sports and field trips as

well as routes.

Motorcoach Maintenance Manager comple-

ments the charter module by keeping a histo-

ry of equipment maintenance. Parts are

tracked from the purchase to the use on a

vehicle and a parts inventory is maintained.

The software can be used to invoice mainte-

nance work done for outside companies. It

tracks scheduled preventive maintenance

and remembers what work needs to be done

on each piece of equipment. The parts inven-

tory can handle multiple garages.

Motorcoach Tour Manager, also available as

Tour Optimizer for companies that don’t own

motorcoaches, simplifies the creation of

group or retail tours by developing and cost-

ing itineraries, taking reservations, selling tick-

ets to groups or individuals, creating rooming

lists, name and luggage tags, etc. It tracks

payments to hotels and attractions. Once a

tour package has been developed, it can be

used again on a new date.

Companies running regular shuttles with

reservations can use Motorcoach Shuttle

Manager. Daily shuttles can be pre-entered in

batches and passengers can be quickly

booked onto the correct shuttle. Round-trip

tickets are issued and various reports on the

number of riders, cash receipts, etc., are pro-

duced. Online reservations are an option.

The software is appropriate for all sizes of

charter, tour, scheduled service or mainte-

nance operations, including companies with

divisions. Multiple offices can be handled

using state-of-the-art networking.

For additional information,

call Motorcoach Manager at 800-780-6880

or visit www.motorcoachmanager.com.

Motorcoach Manager

ADVERTORIAL



Chevin Fleet Solutions43 Orchard Hill DriveSharon, MA 02067 USAPhone: 781-793-0788 Fax: 781-784-6894Web Site: www.chevinfleet.comProducts: Chevin Fleet Solutions, an industry-provider of enterprise fleet management infor-mation systems, provides fleet managementsoftware that enables transit, demand responseand charter organizations to enhance equipmentavailability, safety and reliability. Included isthe ability to manage preventive maintenance,maintenance management, inventory, fuel, driv-er, accident and risk management as well ascomprehensive and infinitely flexible reporting.Chevin’s software becomes a central repositoryfor all fleet related data, allowing organizationsto manage complex fleet and operations datawith a single enterprise-wide system. 11

DDS eFleet Services Inc.11920 Forge PlaceRichmond, BC V74 4V9 CANADAPhone: 604-241-1441 Fax: 604-241-1440E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.efleetservices.comCompany Officers: Michael DixonProducts: Complete solution of fleet manage-ment capabilities into a single hosted systemthat is delivered as a subscription service,including: GPS fleet tracking, GPS navigation,hour of service, two-way text messaging, com-puter-aided wireless dispatch, point-of-salepayment processing and integrated ticketingcapabilities.Features are provided with minimal start-up

costs, and the system is designed to be scalableto fit business needs. eFleet is personalized tothe vehicle and organization it serves.Dispatchers and managers coordinate fleetactivities through a web-based system that ismanaged, supported and hosted by eFleet.Routine tasks can be automated. Examplesinclude: driver logs, IFTA reporting, ETA vehi-cle reporting, engine diagnostics, paperlessticketing, comprehensive record keeping of tripnavigation, and charge and customer details. 13

Distinctive Systems Inc.See Ad On Page 35131 1/2 S. Washington St.Binghamton NY 13903 USAPhone: 646-448-9981E-Mail:[email protected] Officers: Don Greenglass, BobHopwoodProducts: Distinctive Systems is a leadingsupplier of software to the coach industry.Established for 30 years, over 750 operatorsrely on one or more of the company’s latestMicrosoft SQL-based systems for the efficientmanagement of their companies. The mainsystems at Distinctive Systems include itsCoach Manager Charter and ContractBooking System, the Tour Booking Systemand the Vehicle Maintenance System. 13

Enghouse Transportation2150 Islington Avenue, Suite 205Toronto, ON M9P 3V4 CANADAPhone: 416-915-9593 Fax: 416-915-9594E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.enghousetransportation.comProducts: With over 25 years experience,Enghouse Transportation, formerly TranSchedSystems, offers a comprehensive and robustsuite of products that serve the transportationmarket. CoachWorks is its state-of-the-artmotorcoach management software packagedesigned to enhance all aspects of a charterbusiness. CoachWorks encompasses tools forthe charter industry, including sales, dispatch,and accounts receivable. By combining multi-ple functions into one universal program,CoachWorks can increase productivity andstreamline the input and maintenance of esti-mates, trip orders and financial records.Enghouse applications can be deployed indi-vidually, combined with other Enghouse solu-tions, or integrated with third party transporta-tion technology vendors. 12

GIRO Inc.75 Port-Royal EastMontreal, QC H3L 3T1 CANADA

Phone: +1 514-383-0404 Fax: +1 514-383-4971E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.giro.caProducts: GIRO Inc. is a leading provider ofsoftware solutions for planning and managingpublic transport-related operations. Its HAS-TUS™ fixed-route product addresses bus,metro, tram, light rail, and commuter rail.Meanwhile, the GIRO/ACCES™ productaddresses demand-response (paratransit) serv-ices. The software offers modular solutions tocover vehicle and crew scheduling, operations,and customer information, as well as planningand analysis. 13

Mentor Engineering Inc.#10 - 2175 29th St. NECalgary, AB T1Y 7H8 CANADAPhone: 403-777-3760 Fax: 403-777-3769E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.mentoreng.comProducts: Mentor Streets® Transit is a fullyintegrated transit ITS solution that includesCAD/AVL, event management, schedule androute adherence, mobile computing, report-ing, and more. Streets Transit can help agen-cies streamline operations to increase on-timeservice, improve driver/dispatcher communi-cation, simplify scheduling and provide bettercustomer service.Mentor MyRide™ is a passenger informa-

tion system that makes real-time bus locationand status information available to riders anytime, from anywhere. From real-time mapsand bus departure information to trip planningand SMS, MyRide enhances customer service.With MyRide, passengers can access real-timebus departures and get instant map updates.Additionally, riders can text message theagency from any bus stop to receive the depar-ture times of the next few buses leaving thatstop. MyRide integrates with Google™ Mapsfor easy trip planning, and passengers can cre-ate rider accounts to receive automatic alertsfor specific routes and stops, when they wantthem. 11



Motorcoach Manager, Inc.See Ad On Page 363517 Marconi Ave., Suite 207 Sacramento, CA 95825 USAPhone: 916-972-1800 Fax: 916-972-1875E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.motorcoachmanager.comCompany Officers: Shirley Campbell,President; Scott Hale, Vice PresidentProducts: Motorcoach Manager is innovative,flexible software which provides a complete, cost-effective system for managing charter orders,scheduling and dispatching, group, retail, and sight-seeing tours, shuttles, scheduled line runs, schoolbuses, and vehicle maintenance. The four modules,which may be purchased in any combination, areCharters, Tours, Maintenance, and Shuttles.The application is the result of years of collab-

oration between the Motorcoach Manager’s staffand hundreds of clients and prospects. Ideas forfeatures are incorporated throughout to makemanaging charters and tours as easy as possible.The software can be tailored to each motorcoachoperation.Add-on features such as online reservations,

bar coding, optimized pricing, a built-in email sys-tem, utilization charts, availability charts, financialanalysis tools, tight security, etc., are either includ-ed or available. Motorcoach Manager runs on stan-dard computers with any current version ofMicrosoft Windows. Single-user or multi-user (net-worked) versions are available. Responsive, timelycustomer service is the company’s priority. 13

Norse Systems, Inc.245 Sage Hollow RoadGuilford, CT 06437Toll Free: 800-769-8468 Fax: 203-457-8033E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.norsesys.comProducts: Providing integrated software to thebus industry for more than 26 years. NorseSystems offers “Virtual Server” deployments. Nocapital investment is required, just a fee per user.The most recent innovation from Norse is “ScreenDriver,” a complete application development envi-ronment provided with the application software.In addition to one source for system infra-

structure, application software and professionalsupport, Norse offers a set of integrated softwareavailable to the industry. A single fee per userprovides a managed hardware and software solu-tion. Applications are offered for charter sales,line run, tour reservations, school bus routing,dispatch, driver qualification, accident manage-ment, IFTA taxes, fuel management, work flowcontrol, maintenance, inventory, purchasing andmulti-site logistics, driver and employee time andpay, integrated financial systems, individual seatreservations for tours and shuttles, and more. 11

Paradigm Technology Consulting, LLC22 S. Main StreetAllentown, NJ 08501 USAToll Free: 866-782-4636

Phone: 609-890-4150 Fax: 609-890-4154E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.ptcllc.comCompany Officers: Bridgette Hobart-Janeczko, President; Michael Gummel, ProductEngineer Products: Paradigm Technology Consulting,LLC (PTC) is a Microsoft Gold CertifiedPartner focusing on human resources and labormanagement for the transportation industry. It isPTC’s approach to assemble best of breed solu-tions for the motorcoach industry, and to offeran end-to-end turnkey solution that makes itpossible for operators in the industry to leveragethe best technology available. This is done bybringing together the solutions offered byMicrosoft, Enghouse, Collective Data andeFleet as well as PTC’s own TransportationSuite. The Paradigm Transportation Suite (PTS)is a suite of payroll and labor managementapplications designed for operators with morecomplex payroll and workforce managementneeds including those involving union contracts.In addition to selling, implementing and sup-porting operational systems like CoachWorks,Paradigm also sells, implements and supportsfinancial systems such as Microsoft DynamicsGP, customer relationship management systemssuch as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, vehiclemaintenance systems from Collective Data, andComputer-Aided Wireless Dispatch and FleetManagement solutions from eFleet. 13

RBS - Relational Bus Systems, Inc.See Ad On Page 3410 Lancaster Street - Box 215Cherry Valley, NY 13320 USAToll Free: 800-448-7001 Fax: 607-264-8070E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.rbs2000.comCompany Officers: Bob Schecter, President;Walter Buist, VPProducts: RBS, Inc. designs, implements andsupports Tour and Charter Management systemswith more than 400 customers in NorthAmerica. Products include:GoChart Charter Management Sys tem fea-

tures customer and contract management,schedule and dispatch, and accounts receivable.Modules allow system customization to fit acompany’s needs and size. Powerful, user defin-able security requiring unique login and pass-word is available; GoTour Management System, a browser-

based system, manages tour reservations, itiner-aries, receivables and payables, produces cus-tomer documents and management reports forgroup and retail tours. The RBS cloud-basedsystem is hosted at RBS’ secure data facility.GoTour is entering the beta testing phase for itsfourth release, “GoTour v4,” including a “type-to-find” feature and help that includes videos; Offsite Backup and Recovery provides daily

offsite data backup and features limited onlineaccess to a customer’s data in the event of a dis-

aster; and,Web Manager modules include simple, reli-

able, real time credit card authorization forGoChart and GoTour; online quote generationand notification; integrated document storageand retrieval; and web access to drivers’ ordersfor GoChart. Demos available by appointment. Visit the new website and logo at:www.rbs2000.com. 13

RouteMatch Software, Inc.Atlantic Center Plaza1180 W. Peachtree St., Suite 1130Atlanta, GA 30309 USAPhone: 888-840-8791E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.routematch.comProducts: RouteMatch is a provider of transitITS software and solutions. Founded in 1999,the company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Targeting private and public sector passenger

transportation providers, the company’s prod-ucts address routing, scheduling, dispatching,billing, reporting, fixed-route CAD/AVL, para-transit and fixed-route integration, businessintelligence, transportation coordination andmore. 10

Schedule Masters, Inc.300-1B Conestoga DriveBrampton, ON L6Z 4N5 CANADAPhone: 905-495-5402 Fax: 905-495-5404Web Site: www.schedule-masters.orgProducts: “The Master Scheduler” is a fixed-route scheduling software tool that includes:scheduling, blocking, run-cutting, rostering,daily operations/dispatch, Web-based trip plan-ning, customer complaint tracking, performancetracking, reporting and mapping. 07

ViaTour Software200 South Main Street, Suite BTempleton, CA 93465 USAPhone: 505-466-6300 Fax: 866-587-9350E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.viatoursoftware.comProducts:ViaTour Software is a reservation andtour management system that automates a com-pany’s back-end workflow by integrating reser-vations, operations and accounting. Born as aniche market solution for travel planners in theeducational travel market, ViaTour tour manage-ment software also answers the requirements ofcoach tour operators.This all-in-one system supports users

throughout the entire tour lifecycle from propos-al, costing, and marketing, through reservationprocessing and communications, to tour opera-tions and, finally, business analysis. ViaTourbundles these feature sets into four applicationlevels: Basic, Standard, Pro and Enterprise. It’suser-friendly and integrates with MicrosoftOffice. Enterprise, with data in SQL server,allows for Web integration, publishing andremote online access. 10


A BUSLINE BUYERS GUIDE


Motor Coach Industries

MCI® Commuter Coach Hybrid/CNG

Whether a public transit or government agency’s mandate is tomeet clean-air standards, lower fuel costs or improve expressservice for its ridership, the MCI Commuter Coach is proving to beone of the safest, most comfortable, flexible commuting optionsavailable today. With clean-diesel, hybrid and CNG options, all BuyAmerica-compliant and Altoona-tested, MCI has something fornearly everyone.

The Commuter Coach, available in 40- and 45-foot versions,boasts the best MDBF (mean distance between failure) rate in itsclass. Plus, it offers a 42 percent greater seating capacity than acomparable transit bus, at a cost that MCI says is 15 percent lowerper seat, depending on specifications. The high-floor coach alsooffers nimble performance and admirable safety at highwayspeeds, with a smooth, quiet ride.

The wheelchair-lift-equipped coach is designed with plush, for-ward-facing seats along with individual temperature controls andLED reading lights for a tour-level riding experience that tran-scends typical transit. In some markets, commuters have beenknown to let non-MCI buses pass by without boarding becausethey prefer the comfort of the MCI Commuter Coach.

Motor Coach Industries; 1700 E. Golf Road, Suite 300,Schaumburg, IL 60173; Ph: 847-285-2000; 800-428-7626;

Fax: 847-285-2013 Email: [email protected]; Web site: www.mcicoach.com

Model .................................................MCI® Commuter Coach Hybrid/CNGPassenger Capacity ................................................................................57, 49Length.......................................................................................................45’40”Height ............................................................................................................11’5”Interior Height.........................................................................................78.25”Engine Options ..................................................Cummins ISL, ISX or ISL GTransmission Options .................................Allison B500, Allison B500R,

Allison EP 50 Hybrid DriveFuel Tank Capacity...............................164 gal. – CNG 114.6 Diesel Gallon

Equivalent (DGE)Fuel Options.........................................................Clean-diesel, hybrid, CNGGVWR .........................................................................50,000 lbs., 46,000 lbs.

ABC Companies

Van Hool A300L FC - Fuel Cell

The Van Hool Company was honored with the BusWorld Kortrijk2009 Grand Environment Award, citing the company’s A330 Fuel Cellmodel. The hybrid-diesel electric bus offers a uniquely environmen-tally-friendly alternative for public transport providers. In theUnited States, the Van Hool A330 Fuel Cell has been well-received bythe American public where partners ABC, Van Hool, and AC Transitpioneered a “green” transit initiative in 2005. Along with AC Transit,Connecticut Transit also has this model in current service.

This next generation of Van Hool’s fuel cell bus — the Van HoolA300L FC — retains its place as one of the most technicallyadvanced transit buses available today, according to ABCCompanies. This clean, quiet, energy efficient 40-foot transitemits only water vapor from the tailpipe. The new model busesare lighter than the earlier generation fuel cell bus. Advancedlithium-ion battery systems and a more durable fuel cell powerplant are key features of the new buses.

Virtually noiseless, yet powerful enough to climb grades inexcess of 18 percent and reach speeds of 50 mph, the A300L FC ispowered by a zero-emission hydrogen-fueled, hybrid-electricengine, utilizing a 120 kW fuel cell system, onboard battery power,and regenerative braking. Its clean operation can have an imme-diate positive impact on street-level emissions.

ABC Companies; 1506 30th Street, NW; Faribault, MN55021 USA; Ph: 507-334-1871; Fax: 507-334-0246

Email: [email protected]: www.abc-companies.com

Model .....................................................................Van Hool A300L Fuel CellSeating Capacity.................................28 Seated + 4 Fold-down + DriverLength..............................................................................................................40’Width ..............................................................................................................102”Height ............................................................................................................11’5”Engine..............................Hybrid Electric/UTC Power Pure Motion™ 120Type of Fuel......................................................................Gaseous HydrogenChassis...........ZF Rear Axle W/Offset Differential & Double ReductionAir Conditioning ....................................Sutrak Heating/Air ConditioningWheelchair Lift Option................Fold Out Wheelchair Ramp at Door 2Steering ..............................................................ZF Variable Ratio SteeringSuspension...................................................Air Suspension w/Air Springs

& Telescopic Shock Absorbers


A BUSLINE BUYERS GUIDE


Proterra

EcoRide™ BE35

Proterra provides zero-emission, Altoona-tested transit solu-tions through its innovative and forward-thinking electric buses.The largest of any bus in its class, Proterra’s EV buses not onlycater to public needs but also provide real-world proof in Pomona,CA, and San Antonio, TX, that all-electric transit works. It holds thecapability to carry 35-seated and 29-standing passengers withinits entirely window-wrapped, 35-foot exterior that offers everypassenger a view while getting them from Point A to Point B viaProterra’s fast charge technology.

Beyond the fact that Proterra’s buses are efficient in terms ofmaintenance and savings, just as important is the fact that Proterrais altering the perception of public transportation: it broke Altoonarecords by reaching the highest fuel economy and lowest noise lev-els of any transit bus ever tested, according to Proterra.

By providing the world a livable future and harnessing Americaninnovation, Proterra is a “Champion of Change” by changing theenvironment for the better, changing the pocketbooks of transitagencies for the better, and changing the idea of what it is to usepublic transportation. Proterra does this by making transportationentirely accessible without disturbing the daily hustle of urban citycenters or the quietness of family neighborhoods.

Proterra, Inc.; 1 Whitlee Ct.; Greenville, SC 29607 USAPh: 864-438-0015; Fax: 864-281-1894

Email: [email protected]; Website: www.proterra.com

Model .......................................................................Proterra EcoRide™ BE35Seating Capacity............................................64 (35 seated, 29 standing)Length ..............................................................................................................35’Width ..............................................................................................................102”Height ............................................................................................................11’2”Engine............................................................................Battery Electric OnlyType of Fuel ..................................................N/A - Zero Emissions BatteryChassis................................................................N/A - Composite StructureAir Conditioning ......................................................Thermo King (electric)Wheelchair Lift Option..........................................................Ricon or Lift-USteering.........................................................................................................TRWSuspension .....................................................................................................Air

GILLIG

GILLIG Low Floor CNG/Low Floor Hybrid

GILLIG’s past alternate fuel experience has led to the latestaddition of its line of green alternatives — a CNG fueling option.

GILLIG’s CNG bus design includes a walkway that runs thelength of the roof tank mounting cradle, where the tank enclo-sures can be safely opened to inspect and maintain the CNG tanks,valving and piping. The GILLIG tank enclosure design providesmaintenance personnel with a safe, secure place from which towork on the CNG fueling system. And best yet, Altoona testreports document GILLIG’s 6-plus MPG equivalent average on theAltoona test cycle.

GILLIG has also been building diesel hybrid buses for morethan a decade, and its years of experience have resulted in thebest and most complete hybrid product line, according to thecompany. Altoona test results show that the GILLIG Hybrid isquiet, reliable and fuel efficient. Customers attest to its smoothacceleration and the ease of assimilating these hybrids into theirfleets. With rising fuel prices and increased environmental aware-ness, GILLIG Hybrids can be a great addition to a fleet.

GILLIG LLC; 25800 Clawiter Rd.; Hayward, CA 94545 USAPh: 510-785-1500; Fax: 510-785-6819

Email: [email protected]; Website: www.gillig.com

Model .....................................................Low Floor CNG / Low Floor HybridSeating Capacity...............................................................................26, 32, 40Length.......................................................................................30’, 35’ and 40’ Width...............................................................................................................102”Height .............................................................................................................136”Engine ...........................................................Cummins ISL-G / Cummins ISBType of Fuel ...................................................................................CNG / DieselChassis .......................................................................................................GILLIGAir Conditioning..........................................................................Thermo KingWheelchair Lift Option............................................................................Lift-USteering..........................................................................................................TRWSuspension ...........................................................GILLIG Front, Neway Rear


are depending on their historical knowledgefrom 10 years ago and don’t realize the time itnow takes to get from one attraction to another.Many itineraries have changed since 9/11, andmany of the ‘must-see’ attractions are now moredifficult to visit. You have to make appoint-ments through the National Park Service forcertain attractions. It’s a very big challenge fortour operators to coordinate all of this and stillwork (Newseum) in as well.”

QUESTION for J. Chris Babb — The Group Tour Company

What is your ideal bus transportationprovider look like?

“We work with many motorcoach companiesthat are family-owned and managed. We like to

develop long-term relationships. This type ofmanagement and consistency is important. “It’s also important to work with companies

that have qualified drivers. You can’t have asuccessful tour unless you have a good driver,good equipment, good guide and good itinerary.It’s an issue if a company doesn’t have experi-enced drivers who know the rules of the roadand know the cities they are operating in.“Also, everyone seems to be looking at mar-

gins more closely. Therefore, there are attrac-tions now that don’t offer comps to driversand/or guides. This is unfortunate.”Linda Jeffries added: “People have to get out of the frame of mind

that ‘comp’ means ‘complimentary.’ It shouldactually mean ‘compensation,’ a reward forbringing the business to a place and (recogniz-ing) everything that the driver and the escortsometimes have to put up with.”

Travel Exchange Panel:Continued From Page 33

MGM Brakes, Charlotte, NC, a 100 precentBuy America Company, now offers Bus OEMdeployment of Electronic Air Disc BrakeMonitoring systems for heavy commercialvehicles. MGM’s development of the e-Stroke

Electronic Brake Monitoring System contin-ues with the release of e•STROKE for Air Disc

Brakes. MGM’s spokespeople say that priordrum brake technology utilized an ElectronicController (ECU) and Hall Effect SensingTechnology within the actuator, to monitorbrake stroke. It is widely deployed on S-Cam(drum brake) applications with thousands ofsystems in daily service. MGM’s new Air Disc Brake monitoring

technology utilizes the same ElectronicController (ECU), but now adds new opticalsensing to monitor push rod movement inte-gral to the actuator, and is environmentallysealed between the caliper and the actuator,according to the company. Today’s reality of reduced maintenance

staffs and declining budgets demand opera-tional effectiveness at all levels. MGM sayselectronic brake monitoring as a proactiveapproach to maintenance has increased in pop-ularity as the technology has developed. Thistechnology enables operators to reduce costsby catching problems as a symptom, which isidentified electronically. These symptoms, ifundetected, can result in premature componentdamage, additional parts replacements, exces-sive downtime, or vehicle safety issues. Officals at MGM say air disc brake systems

pose unique challenges to maintenance opera-tions. Periodic inspections are difficult, due tothe lack of brake component accessibility,which can make physical removal of wheels anecessity. Even with wheel removal, thecaliper mechanism allows no access to mov-ing parts in order to determine proper adjust-ment or function. NTSB has recently recom-mended Brake Monitoring Systems for safetyon all heavy commercial trucks and buses.CVSA has long recognized the limitations ofphysical inspections during safety inspectionsof air disc equipped vehicles, according to thecompany. Officials at MGM Brakes believe its

onboard technology, using integrated electron-ic brake monitoring, is the most cost effectiveway to provide real-time diagnostic evalua-


From MGM Brakes: New Electronic Air Disc Brake Monitoring System

Holdsworth Presents New Collection Of Fabric Designs

Holdsworth company is now offering its new Elements collection and Defender fabrictreatment. Holdsworth spokespeople say the Elements collection is a new generation ofdesigns available in 125 different design and color permutations, covering grays, blues,

reds, greens and browns. Inspiration forthe designs came from a multitude of cur-rent trend areas which encompass architec-tural details, mathematical and geometricpatterns, as well as natural and organicinfluences. The new collection coordinates with

other Holdsworth trim and ancillary fab-rics for complementary textile finishes onwallsides, curtaining and headrests to cre-ate versatile interior schemes on vehiclefleets. The Elements collection is available

to order with a 55-yard minimum and four week leadtime. Defender is Holdsworth’s triple action long-lasting

fabric protection treatment. The company says this sin-gle treatment can be applied to fabrics to ensure fabricshave an invisible protective shield that makes them anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-stain. Holdsworth saysDefender will protect the surface of the fabric preventingwater, oil and other stains from adhering to the surface. Holdsworth is part of the Camira Group whose North

American headquarters is in Indianapolis, IN. Customersin the eastern half of the United States are serviced by Wagner & Associates (Phone: 919-552-4466) and in the western part by BusTex Corp (Phone: 303-404-0890).

Visit www.holdsworthfabrics.com for more information.

tion. As a safety device on tour buses depart-ing from remote locations, or as a maintenancealert for city transit bus operations, real-timemonitoring of air disc brakes may equate tosafer vehicles and better component utilizationover the long haul. The company says MGM’selectronic brake monitoring system can alertthe driver via vehicle displays, or alert mainte-nance to wheel and problem specific faults inthe mechanical function of the caliper system,or air delivery system via AVM or diagnostictools. For more information, telephone 800-527-

1534 Ext. 750, or visit www.mgmbrakes.com.

Read Or Download Busline Magazine Online At

www.buslinemag.com


Greyhound Lines Orders 130 MCI® D4505 Models

Motor Coach Industries will deliver 130 MCID4505 coaches to Greyhound Lines as part of atwo-year contract. MCI officials say Greyhound’s new D4505

coaches will reflect the company’s updated lookand will come equipped with wheelchair lifts anddigital amenities now available on all of its newerGreyhound coaches, including Wi-Fi and power

outlets at all passenger seats. The new coachesalso come with three-point passenger seat beltsand leatherette seating for 50. Greyhound hasalso ordered MCI’s optional air-ride driver’s seat,and added security features including an aislegate and driver’s shield. “Greyhound Lines has once again selected

MCI to deliver on its commitment to provide itspassengers with safe, comfortable and environmen-tally friendly transportation,” said MCI President

and CEO Rick Heller. “This is a significant con-tract. It demonstrates MCI’s ability to supplyReliability Driven coaches, parts and service, andallows us to participate in Greyhound Lines’ expan-sion. We are proud to be a part of its success in serv-ing its growing ridership.”

MCI Combines Private, Public And Setra Sales Teams

Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is unifying itsprivate, public and Setra new coach sales teamsunder one group. The new sales team will be ledby Patrick Scully, who moves to the position ofexecutive vice president sales and marketing forMCI.MCI President and CEO Rick Heller said:

“We’re making this move for several reasons.First, we want to provide our customers with onepoint of contact for new coach sales. Our salesteam will be responsible for selling MCI and Setraproduct to both public and private sector customersalike. We have heard from customers who havesaid they would prefer one sales contact for eitherMCI or Setra purchases, and we are ensuring wemeet that customer requirement. Second, we willhave a tightly unified sales organization focused oncustomer responsiveness. There’s a great deal ofexperience and talent at MCI, and the new salesstructure will give customers greater access to it.”

Under the new structure, there will be one keynew coach sales contact representing MCI andSetra brands to both private and public sector cus-tomers. The pre-owned sales team, which is basedout of the MCI service centers, remains unchanged.Under the new structure, Scully directly

reports to: Pat Ziska, vice president of the fieldsales group; Mitch Guralnick, who heads the pre-

owned sales group;Mike Denny, whoheads a new sales andfinancing operationsgroup; Brent Maitland,who leads the newlyformed marketing team;Tom Wagner, majorcommuter accounts; andPam Lawrence, whosupports the group’sadministrative needs.

Scully joined MCI in 2012 as vice president ofpublic sector sales and marketing followingMCI's acquisition of the U.S. and Canadian dis-tribution rights for Setra motorcoaches fromDaimler Bus, where Scully was formerly chiefcommercial officer responsible for both privateand public sector sales.

Visit www.mcicoach.comfor more information.


MCI news

Patrick Scully



Village Charter, Inc., Announces PurchaseOf New Temsa TS35 Coaches

Village Charter recently added a new TemsaTS35 coach to its fleet. Village Charters, Inc.d/b/a Village Tours and Travel, began operatingin Wichita, KS, in 1980. Village is privately

owned by Jeff and Norman Arensdorf.The company offers over 200 retail tours

across the country annually, and offers charterservices. Village expanded into the Oklahoma

City market with its tour division in 1989, addedcoaches to that market in 2005, and last yearacquired Time Lines. Headquarters are maintained in Wichita, with

a third branch in Salina, KS. Village operates afleet of 47 charter coaches, and this is the firstTemsa in the fleet. The coach is a fully integral mid-sized coach

that offers a spacious interior for passengers anddriver. The TS35 is constructed from stainlesssteel, and has independent front suspension andautomatic transmission, CH Bus Sales is the exclusive distributor of

Temsa motorcoaches in the United States. CHBus Sales is a privately owned corporation.Temsa is a fully owned subsidiary of SabanciHolding, a financial and industrial group inTurkey.

Visit www.chbussales.com or www.temsaglobal.com for more information.

National Interstate Named To Forbes 100 Most Trustworthy Companies

Receives Highest Score In Small-Cap Category

National Interstate Corporation announces that it has again been named to Forbes 100 MostTrustworthy Companies. In this year’s small cap group, National Interstate is one of five com-panies receiving the highest current score of 99, and one of only three companies receiving ascore of 99 for each of the last four quarters. National Interstate has been on the Forbes 100 MostTrustworthy Companies list for the past four years, and, in 2010, was named the most trustwor-thy small-cap company. The Forbes list recognizes companies that consistently demonstrate transparent and conserva-

tive accounting practices, have a low incidence of high-risk events, and have appropriate boardsupervision. To create the list, over 8,000 companies traded on U.S. exchanges were evaluatedand scored. “We are very pleased that Forbes continues to recognize National Interstate as one of

America’s most trustworthy companies,” National Interstate President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer Dave Michelson said. “Since our company was founded in 1989, we have been commit-ted to the highest level of ethical business practices in everything we do. We are proud to remainon Forbes’ highly prestigious list, and believe our openness and integrity is a key asset that isimportant to all of our business partners including our current and prospective customers, agentswho represent us, and those who choose to invest in our company.” To view the March 18, 2013 article, visit www.forbes.com.


Windstar Lines Adds 2013 Van Hool T2145 To Fleet

“One of the great things about Windstar is thefamily aspect. I get to work with my family inrunning the business and we try to treat our cus-tomers like family,” says Jeff Greteman, presi-dent of Carroll, IA, based Windstar Lines. “In1995 my parents, Mike and Cathy Greteman,were running a little tour company and decided

to buy their own coach in an effort to ensure thequality of transportation they offered clients.“My younger brothers, Scott and Pat, both

started working at Windstar when they were 21.We love working together and we’re even clos-er than when we were growing up.” Since 1995, the company has grown dramat-

ically, with additional Iowa locations in CedarRapids; Dubuque and Des Moines. Other loca-tions are Lincoln, NB; and Rochelle, IL.

Windstar (www.gowindstar.com) has nowgrown to 57 coaches, offering luxury tours,convention planning and charter service inIowa and Illinois as well as Omaha and portionsof Nebraska. Windstar recently took delivery of a 2013

Van Hool T2145 with chrome mirrors, a backup camera, a multi-monitor DVD system, Hi-FiAudio and CD Player, and a full fabric interior.

Harrison Global Expands Fleet With 2 Van Hool C2045s And 2 GCA M1235s

Harrison Global, a Waltham, MA, based cor-porate travel specialist (www.smartertrans-portation.com) has recently acquired fourmotorcoaches for its Cary, NC, location. Brett Tyson, Harrison Global’s director of

organizational development said that the com-pany, started by brothers David and DerekMarcou in 1986, has been experiencing growthat all of its locations. Currently it operates outof five facilities centered around Boston,Washington, DC, and North Carolina’sResearch Triangle. “We specialize in providing upscale chauf-

feured transportation to corporate, hotel andcollege clientele. That business has been steadi-ly growing. Our owners, David and DerekMarcou, have always envisioned adding motor-coaches to Harrison Global’s offerings,” said

Tyson. “Brad Jackson, who manages our Cary,NC, division, has substantial charter experi-ence, and when we added coaches to his fleet in2010, business accelerated. We’re buying fouradditional coaches for the Cary fleet and expectto be operating motorcoaches out of our otherlocations in the near future.”

The recent acquisition consisted of two VanHool C2045’s and 2 of ABC’s M1235 mid-sized coaches. The C2045’s have Van HoolGrand Luxe leather covered seats with 3-pointseat belts, perimeter lighting, luxury entertain-ment system with 15.4-inch video monitors,Wi-Fi, 110 volt outlets, satellite TV, woodgrainflooring, and Van Hool’s rear passenger win-dow. The M1235’s carry 27 passengers and areconfigured with a rear luggage compartmentand lavatory. They, too, have a deluxe entertain-ment system, and 3-point seat belts.

Visit www.abc-companies.com.


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ABC Companies Appoints New Parts Territory Sales Manager

ABC Companies has appointed MikeRichardson as parts territory sales manager forthe Southern region. Richardson’s territory willinclude Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New

Mexico. He comes toABC with over 33years of experience inthe coach industry. Richardson began

his career in this indus-try with Carrollton BusCompany as a driverand mechanic. He thenspent the next 25 yearswith Motor CoachIndustries starting out

as their shop manager and ended his tenure withMCI as the parts and service manager for theirsouth central region. Most recently, he was thedriver training and maintenance manager forthe Tornado Bus Company. For more information, contact ABC

Companies at 800-222-2875 or visit www.abc-companies.com.

Brent Maitland Named MCI Vice President Of Marketing And Product Planning

Brent Maitland has been named MCI vicepresident, marketing and product planning. Inthis newly created position, Maitland is respon-sible for promoting and communicating theMCI Reliability Driven and Setra corporate

brand strategies in boththe private and publicsectors using a varietyof media, includingprint and electronicadvertising, and pro-motions. At the same time,

Maitland will workclosely with MCI’sengineering and after-market teams to bring

new products to market, while furthering cus-tomer satisfaction.Maitland, who has been associated with

MCI since 2004, assisted in creating the MCIReliability Driven marketing messages relat-ed to coaches, parts and service. He alsomost recently led the redesign and marketlaunch of the 2013 MCI J4500 coach. Priorto that, he held several executive positionswith the company, including leading pre-owned coach sales and MCI Service Centerbusinesses. Prior to joining MCI, Maitland was a part-

ner in KIMA Consulting and a consultantwith Deloitte and Touche. He is a graduateof the University of Michigan’s Stephen M.Ross School of Business.

Veolia Transportation Names Ryan Larsen

President Of IntelliRide Division

Ryan Larsen has been named as president ofVeolia’s new IntelliRide division. Theannouncement was made by Veolia’s CEO

Mark Joseph. IntelliRide officials

say its mission is toimprove the quality ofparatransit, medical ser -vices and other sharedride human services,while reducing cost.IntelliRide partners withtransit authorities, hum -an service agencies, andprivate health providers

to seamlessly integrate classic ADA fleets andflexible fleets (taxis, vans, etc) and rigorouslymanage their performance. Veolia spokespeople say that as a 28-year

transit veteran, Larsen has served in nearlyevery capacity in the transit industry. Prior to joining Veolia, Larsen served as

president of Ecolane, a web-based softwarefor managing paratransit. Larsen earned a BA in history and an MA

in urban and regional planning from theUniversity of Iowa. He is a member of the

APTA Access Committee, and APTA OlderAdults Transportation Subcommittee. Visit www.veoliatransportation.com and

www.veoliatransdev.com for more information.

ARBOC Specialty Vehicles AnnouncesAppointment Of John Walsh As Vice

President Of Sales & Marketing

ARBOC Specialty Vehicles has hired JohnWalsh to the position of vice president of salesand marketing.In his new position, Walsh will oversee all of

the sales and marketing activities which willinclude developing newbusiness opportunitiesboth domestically andinternationally. Prior to joining

ARBOC, Walsh spent23 years with NationalBus Sales & Leasingin leadership rolesincluding presidentwhere he was respon-sible for leading theentire operation of thecompany. Most recently, he served as CEOfor VPG Autos.Visit www.ARBOCsv.com for more infor-

mation.


Call for specifications. Easily added to seatingrequirements within vehicle bid packages.

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John Walsh

Brent Maitland

Personnel


Prevost Signs Agreement With Greyhound For 90 X3-45 Motorcoaches

The relationship between Greyhound and Prevost, which began in2007, continues with the signing of a new order for ninety (90)Prevost X3-45 motorcoaches. The coaches have been designed byPrevost to meet tough standards set by Greyhound’s commitment to

customer satisfac-tion, according toPrevost. Prevost President

and CEO GaetanBolduc said, “Prevostis proud to once againsupply high qualitycoaches which realizethe criteria estab-lished by Greyhound

and its passengers. Taking into consideration the safety of passengers anddrivers across North America, Prevost and Greyhound have workedtogether to set the highest standards for our industry.” The 90 X3-45 coaches are equipped with Prevost AWARE, a safety

feature which includes Adaptive Cruise Braking, Following DistanceAlert and Stationary Object Alert. The coaches also have dual 1800 wattinverters powering 110 volt outlets and Wi-Fi Internet access throughoutthe coach cabin for each passenger. Delivery of the X3-45 coaches is scheduled to begin in May and be

completed in April 2014.

Prevost Joins Family Of Official NASCAR® Partners

Prevost and NASCAR have announced a new multi-year partnershipthat designates the Sainte-Claire, Quebec-based company, as the OfficialLuxury Motorcoach of NASCAR. The company says that in doing so,Prevost reinforces its nearly 30-year association with the No. 1 spectatorsport in the United States, and increases its visibility. Prevost President and CEO Gaetan Bolduc said, “Prevost motorcoaches

are fixtures at NASCARevents, populating driver,team owner, and NAS -CAR officials’ parkinglots. Prevost hospitality,executive, and technicalsupport coaches serve asmobile work stations.” With 38 race weekends

and an average race-dayattendance of more than100,000 fans at NASCARSprint Cup events, manythousands of fans experi-ence NASCAR via tourand charter bus groupsannually. Prevost’s involvement

with NASCAR began inthe 1980s as FeatherliteCoaches and Marathon Coach provided trackside offices and living quar-ters for competitors, sponsors, suppliers and families who made the racetrack their home throughout the race season. “Prevost’s state-of-the-art motorcoaches provide a home-away-

from-home for our drivers, team owners, partners, and fans through-out the course of our demanding season,” said NASCAR Chief SalesOfficer Jim O’Connell. “Our three national series provide a grandstage for Prevost to showcase its luxury motorcoaches.” NASCAR will utilize Prevost’s motorcoaches this year for at-track

hospitality through the NASCAR Fuel for Hospitality® program. TheNASCAR Fuel for Hospitality program was designed for OfficialNASCAR Partners to provide employees and customers with a VIPrace-day experience at the track. In addition, Prevost will also be join-ing the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council® to buy and sell directlywith top Fortune 500 companies.

Prevost Opens New Service Center In Houston

Prevost has opened a new Service Center in Houston, TX. TheHouston facility is a new construction building providing 5,400 square-feet, including a service area with two drive-through bays. The service center is staffed with Prevost technicians who are certified

for bumper-to-bumper maintenance and repair for all Nova Bus vehicles,and Prevost and Volvo Bus coaches, including Volvo engine and trans-mission. The facility is equipped with a controlled access fence, operational

after hours, monitored by a security patrol and a video surveillance cam-era. The Prevost Service Center is located at 10155 Windfern Road,Houston, TX 77064. Phone: 713-849-8562.Other Prevost Service Centers are in South Plainfield, New Jersey;

Jacksonville, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Dallas, Texas; Mira Loma,California; Delta, British Columbia; Fort McMurray, Alberta; andQuebec City, Quebec. Visit www.prevostcar.com for more information.


News From Prevost


A recent announcement states ARBOC Specialty Vehicles will expand its product offerings in the paratransit market through an emerging partner-ship with Freightliner Custom Chassis, and the co-development of a low-floor rear-engine custom chassis. Through the partnership, which started infall 2012, ARBOC Specialty Vehicles — a custom builder of paratransit vehicles for a variety of applications based in Middlebury, IN — and FCCCare working through a collaborative process to develop a customized, dedicated chassis for ARBOC’s Spirit of Liberty product line. Officials say the new product will be powered by an FCCC rear diesel

pusher and feature a low-floor design that will eliminate the step-up over therear axle, and will equip the Spirit of Liberty for use in a variety of low-floorapplications such as assisted living facilities, hotel and rental car transport,transit agencies and others. The low-floor chassis will offer customers aGVW of up to 25,900 lbs., and feature ARBOC’s low-floor interior through-out the passenger area with no steps including oversized wheelchair zones.

ARBOC and FCCCexpect to start productionsoon after full test valida-tion. The Spirit of Libertyline offers three modelsranging in body lengthfrom 28 feet to 33 feet andseating capacity from 31up to 37 passengers.

Through its three key product offerings, the Spirit of Mobility, Spirit ofFreedom and Spirit of Liberty, ARBOC says it offers low-floor paratransitproducts that serve a variety of industries and applications as well as meet-ing and exceeding 2014-2018 federal fuel economy standards. Visitwww.ARBOCsv.com for more information. Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation manufactures chassis for the

motorhome, delivery walk-in van, and school bus and shuttle bus markets.Visit the Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation website at www.freightlin-erchassis.com.

CH Bus Sales Conducts Temsa Operator Training

CH Bus Sales and Temsa recently held an extensive technical training ses-sion for Temsa operators, technicians and mechanics. The two-day sessionwas held at the Creative Bus Sales facility in Elkhart, IN. Leading the ses-sions was Cihan Yaycioglu, the U.S. Temsa technical representative. The all-encompassing presentation, training tools and hands on training

covered detailed familiarization with the Temsa coach. Temsa and CH BusSales personnel with the experience and knowl-

edge to answer all questions and concerns wereavailable. The participants said the training wasvery beneficial. CH Bus Sales and Temsa plan to continue

offering technical training to customers through-out additional regions of the United States. CH Bus Sales is the exclusive distributor of

Temsa motorcoaches in the United States. CHBus Sales is a privately owned corporation withan industry experienced ownership and man-agement team. Visit www.chbussales.com orwww.temsaglobal.com for more information.


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Alcorn McBride Inc.3300 S. Hiawassee Road, Building 105Orlando, FL 32835 USAPhone: 407-296-5800 FAX: 407-296-5801E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.alcorn.comProducts: Compact, rugged, easy-to-install GPSaudio/video players. Perfect for guided tours andlocation-based advertising. 09

ASA Electronics/JENSEN2602 Marina Drive, Elkhart, IN 46514 USAToll Free: 800-688-3135 FAX: 574-266-5979E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.jensenheavyduty.comProducts: ASA Electronics is an internationalmanufacturer and supplier of audio and videoequipment and backup camera/observation systemsfor the transit, mid-size and coach bus industries.ASA’s high quality JENSEN® Bus Entertainment

product lineup includes LCD TVs and monitors(including wallmount, flip-down and wedge-styledisplays), heavy-duty stereos with integrated PAs,PA/DVD controllers, DVD players, wired remotecontrols, microphones and accessories.ASA also offers the exclusive Voyager®

Observation Systems which include single cam-era, split-screen, tri-view, and quad-view systems.Voyager Observation Systems are designed toincrease road safety, elimate dangerous blind spotsthat typically surround buses, and aid drivers indaily driving maneuvers such as backing, merging,changing lanes and making wide turns. 09

AudioConexus Inc.556 O’Connor Drive, Suite 129Kingston, ON K7P 1N3 CANADAPhone: 613-507-1300 FAX: 905-492-1301E-Mail: [email protected] Site: www.audioconexus.com

Company Officers: Jonathan Stanley, President &CEO; Doug Humphreys, Executive Vice President,Sales; Ange Berlin, Vice President, CreativeProducts: AudioConexus is a commentary sys-tem specialist, offering digital hardwired multi-lingual commentary systems for GPS triggeredaudio entertainment at every seat in one or manylanguages. The company also features wirelessmultilingual commentary designed for sightsee-ing operators where portability and flexibility areessential to fleet management. The carry on,carry off TriggerPOINT multilingual commen-tary system removes the operational and visitorrestrictions affiliated with hardwired solutions.Passengers use wireless receivers and headsets.AudioConexus’ single language system isdesigned to deliver GPS triggered audio com-mentary over public address systems. Every com-mentary system features free Route Builder soft-ware. Commentary systems are self-managed. 13


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Intec Video Systems23301 Vista Grande, Laguna Hills, CA 92653 USAPhone: 949-859-3800 FAX: 949-859-3178E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.intecvideo.comCompany Officers: Donald Nama II, President; Dino Nama, Vice PresidentProducts: Rear vision camera systems and industrial strength video safe-ty systems. 13

KVH Industries, Inc.50 Enterprise Center, Middletown, RI 02842 USAPhone: 401-847-3327 FAX: 401-849-0045E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.kvh.comProducts: KVH Industries is a leading manufacturer of solutions that pro-vide global highspeed Internet, television and voice services via satellite tomobile users on land, the sea and in the air. 10

REI (Radio Engineering Industries, Inc.)6534 L Street, Omaha, NE 68117 USAToll Free: 800-228-9275 FAX: 402-339-1704E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.radioeng.comProducts: Designs, manufactures, services and maintains a full range ofmobile electronics for the transportation industry. Solutions include:audio/video passenger entertainment systems; mobile video surveillance,passenger safety announcement players; PA systems; camera observationsystems; radios; HD monitors; speakers and microphones.REI fleet management solution provides a quantifiable return on invest-

ment, reduces risky driving behavior and can improve operating efficien-cies. Variety of features: smart phone apps, vehicle diagnostics and mainte-nance, trip planning, fleet management, real time ETAs, routing, studenttracking, alerts, ad-hoc messaging, reports, passenger information systemsand more. REI prides itself on designing, manufacturing, servicing and main-taining customer friendly, comprehensive systems. Founded in 1938. 13

Safety Vision, LLC6100 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. N., Houston, TX 77041 USAPhone: 713-896-6600 FAX: 713-896-6640E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.safetyvision.comProducts: Provider of mobile video solutions for transit, police, schoolbus, commercial, and other public and private sector fleets since 1993.Safety Vision mass transit onboard surveillance camera systems enhancepassenger and public safety; improve driver/operator performance;increase ridership and revenues; reduce risk of fraudulent claims; and max-imize operational efficiency.Comprehensive mobile video solutions include onboard surveillance,

collision avoidance and driver behavior modification systems.Components include mobile digital video recorders (MDVRs); rear-, side,and forward-view interior and exterior cameras featuring infrared technol-ogy; in-cab monitors; video-viewing and -sharing software; and vehiclemonitoring software featuring GPS. Advanced surveillance system tech-nology enables the secure capture, automated wireless download, and sim-plified backend management of video, audio and other evidentiary data. 11

Seon DesignUnit 111 - 3B Burbidge Street, Coquitlam, BC V3K 7B2 CANADAToll Free: 877-630-7366 FAX: 866-664-3677E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.seon.comCompany Officers: Terry Akiyama, PresidentProducts: Manufactures fleet management and video surveillance solu-tions for mobile applications, including the transit, coach, and school busindustries. Seon’s real-time fleet management solution, vMax® LivePlus, provides insight on any route, driver, or vehicle in a fleet. vMax®Live Plus integrates both video and vehicle data into one simple-to-use,web-based application. Track important vehicle data, and the health of abus camera system. Seon will continue to design and develop technolog-ical solutions now and in the future. 13


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Tell us you saw this ad in Busline Magazine, and 1 driver and 1 tour guide will receive a

FREE MEAL!Please call ahead to the phone number listed by

the McDonald’s of your choice.

BOWMANSDALE2112 Bumble Bee Hollow Rd.Off Rt. 15 • Mechanicsburg, PA

717-697-5383CAMP HILL

4230 Trindle Road • 717-737-3896CARLISLE

60 Noble Blvd. in Super Walmart717-960-9400

608 E. High St. • 717-249-77211176 Harrisburg Pike • 717-243-7774905 Walnut Bottom Rd. • 717-249-0694

CEDAR CLIFFExit 19 off I-83 • Camp Hill, PA

717-737-6404CHAMBERSBURG

1075 Lincoln Way East • 717-263-4601NORTH CHAMBERSBURG

2891 Philadelphia Avenue (US 11 N.)717-263-2970CLEONA

493 W. Penn Avenue • 717-272-5677COLUMBIA

1788 Columbia Ave., off Rt. 30717-684-7048DILLSBURG

898 North US Rt. 15 • 717-432-9500EAST MANCHESTER

4245 North George St. • 717-266-3170ELIZABETHTOWN

1284 S. Market St. • 717-367-6471ENOLA

Enola Rd., Exit Rt. 1115 S. off Rt. 81 • 717-732-4228

EPHRATA140 N. Reading Rd.• 717-733-1660

GETTYSBURG517 S. Steinwehr Ave., Bus. Rt. 15

717-334-59201090 York Rd.• 717-337-1030

GREENCASTLERt. 16 and I-81 • 717-597-2589

HALIFAX3761 Peter's Moutain Rd.• 717-896-2535

HANOVER991 Carlisle St., Rt. 94 • 717-632-7531350 Eisenhower Dr.• 717-632-00051448 Baltimore St. • 717-630-0337

HARRISBURG2929 Paxton St. • 717-561-8050

4605 Jonestown Rd. 717-652-7035

7845 Linglestown Rd.717-545-8580

Rt. 83 and Union Deposit Rd.717-564-9320

4403 N. Front St. • 717-238-1048Harrisburg East Mall/Rt. 83 & Paxton St.

717-561-0703Eisenhower Blvd. I-283, Exit 1

717 -939-69725590 Allentown Blvd., Rt. 22Exit 26 off I-81 • 717-652-9123Kline Plaza, 101 S. 25th St.

717-232-0008Uptown Shopping Center

720 Division St. • 717-236-6226Harrisburg Airport • 717-948-39006535 Grayson Rd. in Wal-Mart

717 -561-0445HERSHEY

Rts. 39 and 322 • 611 E. Main St.,Hummelstown • 717-566-6041

JONESTOWNRt 72 & I-81 • 610-562-8462

LANCASTER1880 Hempstead Rd. • 717-509-6988Willow Valley Square • 717-464-51191829 Oregon Pike • 717-569-78981434 Manheim Pike • 717-394-3417

Rt. 30 and Centerville Rd.Lancaster, PA • 717-393-952368 East Town Mall, Rt. 30ELancaster, PA • 717-394-8957

1755 Columbia Ave.Millersville Exit off Rt. 30, Rt. 462

717-397-5112575 N. Franklin St., next to McCuskey

High School • 717-394-79382034 Lincoln Hwy East in Wal-Mart

717-390-1099King & Water Streets • 717-299-6699

Manor Shopping Center1296 Millersville Pk. • 717-293-5706

LEMOYNERts. 11 and 15 North across fromRadisson Hotel • 717-761-7992

LEBANON1202 W. Maple St. • 717-273-8691

757 E. Cumberland St. • 717-273-90231725 Quentin Rd., Lebanon, PA

717-306-6565LEWISTOWN

US 522 & US 22 • 717-248-5255121 Electric Avenue • 717-248-4447

LITITZ990 Lititz Pike, Rt. 501 N.

717-627-4666LITTLESTOWN

430 North Queen St. • 717-359-8946LYKENS VALLEY

4660 Rt. 209 • 717-362-8416MANHEIM

711 Lancaster Rd., Rt. 72717-664-4944

MECHANICSBURGWesley Dr. Exit, Rt. 15

717-761-7525KMart Plaza, 5600 Carlisle Pike

717-766-96756250 Carlisle Pike in Wal-Mart

717-591-9864MERCERSBURG

11924 Buchanan Trial West717-328-0111

MIDDLETOWN2270 W. Harrisburg Pike • 717-944-9535

MIFFLINTOWNRt. 322 and Rt. 35, Mifflintown Exit

717-436-9779MYERSTOWN

295 West Lincoln Avenue (Rt. 422)717-866-2278

NEW CUMBERLAND101 Limekiln Rd. • 717-774-1027

NEW HOLLAND828 W. Main St. • 717-354-9300

NEW OXFORD6040 York Rd., Rts. 30 and 94

717-624-4266

NEWPORTRt. 322 and Rt. 34, Newport Exit

717-567-9344PALMYRA

901 E. Main St. • 717-838-6815PINE GROVE

l-81 , Exit 31 • 717-345-6400RED LION

897 West Broadway • 717-246-1802655 Lombard St., Cape Horn Plaza

717-246-7801SCOTLAND

3347 Black Gap Rd. • 717-263-7507SHIPPENSBURG

333 East King St. • 717-532-7945SHREWSBURY

Exit 1 off I-83 • 717-235-4663SILVER SPRING

Rt. 114 and Shadow Oak Dr.Mechanicsburg, PA • 717-697-3460

SPRINGETTSBURYHallam Exit off Rt. 30, Rt. 462

717-757-9655WAYNESBORO

302 East Main St. • 717-762-9201YOCUMTOWN

Exit 14A off I-83 • 717-938-5705YORK

2125 York Crossing Dr & Rt 74717-767-1381

Exit 4, I-83, 133 Leader Heights Road717-747-9191

York Galleria Mall • 717-757-302660 Arsenal Rd. • 717-699-4600Exit 6W off I-83 • 717-845-93603141 Carlisle Road, Dover

717-767-2594144-158 S. George St. • 717-846-1021

Rts. 30 & 74 in Wal-Mart717-764-8923

380 Memory Lane • 717-757-2912


The exceptional efficiency of an integrated powertrain

The Volvo 9700 consistently delivers a profitable combination of performance, efficiency and passenger-

pleasing comfort. With its dependable Volvo D13 SCR engine, you get a proven platform that saves fuel and

minimizes maintenance. The integrated I-Shift transmission takes fuel economy to the next level by keeping engine

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Learn more at www.prevostcar.com.

35 Gagnon Blvd., Ste-Claire QC, G0R 2V0, Canada | USA 1-877-773-8678 | Canada 418-883-3391

2:28 PM


Documents

0513 Busline Magazine