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See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #1425
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CONTENTS
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JANuAry/FEbruAry 2012 Published by Rankin Publishing, Inc. www.buslinemag.com
IN THIS ISSUE MTR Western Serves Pacific Northwest With Diversified Tour & Travel Options ....8
With Travel Dependent & New Choice Riders
Transit Ridership Remains Strong ...................................20 UMA 2012 Motorcoach Expo February 8 – 12, Long Beach, CA, Convention Center ............................32 Busline’s Buyers Guide To
Vehicle Lifts.........................................36
Busline’s Buyers Guide To
Seating & Fabrics.................................39
Busline Vehicle Showcase
RAPID RESPONSE.....................................Page 6 INDUSTRY NEWS ...................................Page 34
MOTORCOACHES 46 – 53
ON THE COVER: MTR Western CEO H.S. Wright III, left, and COO Jeremy Butzlaff are shown next to one of the company’s Prevost coaches. MTR Western has enjoyed recent expansion. See page 8.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FEBRUARY 2012 February 8-12 United Motorcoach Association Motorcoach EXPO 2012 Long Beach, CA Info: 800-424-8262 February 26-29 APTA Marketing & Communications Workshop Miami, FL Info: 202-496-4800 MAY 2012 May 6-9 APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference Long Beach, CA Info: 202-496-4845
May 20-25 Community Transportation Association EXPO 2012 Baltimore, MD Info: 800-891-0590 May 26-30 Canadian Urban Transit Association Annual Conference Victoria, BC Info: 416-365-9800
SEPTEMBER 2012 September 11-12 BusCon 2012 Chicago, IL Info: 800-576-8788
September 30 - October 3 APTA Annual Meeting Seattle, WA Info: 202-496-4800 JANUARY 2013 January 5-9 American Bus Association Marketplace Charlotte, NC Info: 800-283-2877 January 19-23 United Motorcoach Association / National Tour Association Co-located Conventions Orlando, FL 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. Publisher assumes no liability whatsoever for content of any advertisement or editorial material contained herein. Copyright 2012 Rankin Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written consent of 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
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January/February 2012
EDITORIAL & CORPORATE OFFICES
Rankin Publishing Co., Inc. Don Rankin and Linda Rankin, Publishers 204 E. Main Street • P.O. Box 130 Arcola, IL 61910-0130, USA Email: drankin@consolidated.net Website: www.rankinpublishing.com (800) 598-8083 (U.S.) • (217) 268-4959 Fax: (217) 268-4815 Editorial: Harrell Kerkhoff, Editor Rick Mullen, Associate Editor Design: David Opdyke, Missy Larson Advertising Contact Kevin Kennedy @ 623-434-8959 Email: kevloraz@cox.net Or Don Rankin @ 800-598-8083 Fax: 217-268-4815 Email: drankin@consolidated.net
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Prevost ..................................................46 Motor Coach Industries .......................48 ABC Companies ...................................50
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JANuAry/FEbruAry 2012 Published by Rankin Publishing, Inc. www.buslinemag.com
Temsa ....................................................52 Setra ......................................................52 BCI America ..........................................53
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UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth Numbers Current As Of 01/09/11, courtesy of www.motorcoachexpo.com.
Company
Website
5 Star Specialty Programs ABC Companies Aesys Inc. Alexander Dennis Inc. Amaya-Astron Seating Atlantic Detroit Diesel-Allison Bauer Compressors Bergen Auto Upholstery Co., Inc. Bitzer Budget Truck & Autobody C.E. Niehoff Chestnut Ridge Foam Detroit Diesel Distinctive Systems eFleet Euramtec/Prima America Freightliner Holdsworth Fabrics Imeco, Inc. Lancer Insurance MAHA Lifts MCI (Motor Coach Industries) Midwest Bus Corporation
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www.5starsp.com www.abc-companies.com www.aesysinc.com www.alexander-dennis.com www.amaya-astron.com.mx www.atlanticdda.com www.bauercng.com www.bergenseat.com www.bitzerus.com www.budgettruckandauto.com www.ceniehoff.com www.chestnutridgefoam.com www.DetroitDiesel.com www.distinctive-systems.com www.eFleetServices.com www.euramtec.com www.freightlinerchassis.com www.holdsworthfabrics.com www.groupeimeco.com www.lancerinsurance.com www.maha-usa.com www.mcicoach.com www.midwestbus.com
29 33 44 27 19 26 32 41 34 44 18 39 15 28 42 30 3 40 11 13 37 21 22
Company
Mile-X Mohawk Nissan Commercial Vehicles Penntex Industries Prevost Car Protective Insurance Company REI (Radio Engineering Ind.) Relational Bus Systems Rotary Lift Safety Step SEFAC Service Insurance Stertil-Koni Sutrak TEMSA TIB Trans/Air Mfg. TriMark Corporation Turtle Top UMA Vanner Power Volvo Willingham Inc.
Website
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www.mile-x.com 43 www.mohawklifts.com 38 www.nissancommercialvehicles.com 9 www.penntexusa.com 12 www.prevostcar.com 56 www.protective insurance.com 23 www.radioeng.com 5 www.rbs2000.com 14 www.rotarylift.com 31 www.safetystep.net 45 www.sefac.com 37 www.serviceins.com 45 www.stertil-koni.com 36 www.sutrakusa.com 10 www.temsa.com 25 www.tibinsurance.com 24 www.transairmfg.com 42 www.trimarkcorp.com 43 www.turtletop.com 2 www.uma.org 54 www.vanner.com 16, 35 www.prevostcar.com 7 www.willinghaminc.com 17
Read or Download Complete Issues Of Busline Magazine Online At: www.buslinemag.com Page 6
BUSLINE
January/February 2012
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See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #1439
2:28 PM
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MTR Western Serves Pacific Northwest With Diversified Tour & Travel Options The company also provides set-route shuttle transportation, corporate transportation and transportation for a number of large events. “For example, we recently provided travel for the Pac-12 Football Championship Game. This included transportation for the game’s sponsor, Dr. Pepper, as well as the visiting team from UCLA,” Butzlaff said. “From an athletic travel standpoint, MTR Western has carved out a pretty good niche for itself in the Pacific Northwest. This is especially true with collegiate transportation, including not only the various colleges and universities based in our locations, but also those inbound colleges and universities that are coming into this region to play. We have done a good job of making these teams happy and providing ourselves with repeat customers.” Company officials, however, don’t necessarily view MTR Western as a niche transportation provider despite its involvement with specific travel segments. Instead, providing overall solid customer service, which involves quality employees and equipment, remains its main focus. “We want to be known as a company that is well rounded and good at everything it does,” Butzlaff said. “Our focus is to be one of those companies where our customers can book a trip and know they will be taken care of — day in and day out.” New Ownership Leads Company TR Western, which began operations in 2003, was purchased in early 2011 by H.S. Wright III. He is now the company’s chief executive officer. Wright’s family is well known in Washington and the surrounding Pacific Northwest for heading various large construction projects, including The Space Needle in Seattle during the early 1960s. “The purchase of MTR Western was a natural fit, rounding out a strong portfolio by the family business in the hospitality industry,” Butzlaff said. “Since the purchase, the company has changed and is as strong as it’s ever been. We operate in many of the same areas as the prior ownership. Our headquarters is now located about two blocks from The Space Needle in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle.” Soon after the company was purchased, Wright and Butzlaff visited with many of MTR Western’s employees and were impressed with their dedication to the transportation industry. “The one thing that was apparent was the level of dedication and loyalty that these employees had for the company. They really believed in the
M By Harrell Kerkhoff Busline Magazine Editor Modern equipment, new ownership, business expansion and a continued philosophy of providing solid customer service are key elements driving the success of MTR Western, a motorcoach company serving the Pacific Northwest from seven locations in the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Seattle, WA, MTR Western currently has a fleet of 95 revenue-generating vehicles and approximately 170 employees. Along with its main office and yard in two separate Seattle locations, the company also has facilities in Calgary, AB; Vancouver, BC; Portland, Eugene and Medford, OR; and San Francisco, CA. “We consider ourselves a diverse transportation company considering all of our operating regions,” MTR Western Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Butzlaff said. “Our company’s three main travel segments are tour and travel, such as over-the-road type work; athletic transportation for both collegiate and professional teams; and per capita sightseeing, particularly in San Francisco and Seattle.” Page 8
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MTR Western company representatives, shown on page 8, include, left to right, Carrie Randal, Alesa Cullens, Amanda Emery, Sean Bolin, Jeremy Butzlaff, Kijana Liu, Duane Church, Justin Dennison, Carol Schleiffers, Susan Rozewski and Howard Wright.
company and our product. I had never seen that type of company loyalty,” Butzlaff said. “This remains the key to our success — the work that our people do. I feel we have some of the best drivers, mechanics and other staff members in the business. This has helped us develop a strong rapport with clients. These staff members have done a phenomenal job during the past eight years of promoting the company name and representing our brand.” This employee base has also helped MTR Western with its No. 1 goal of maintaining a strong safety record, which Butzlaff said has continued through the ownership change. “Safety is paramount to everything we do, making sure that our vehicles are maintained properly and that the passengers have the safest ride possible,” he said. Keeping equipment up-to-date and well maintained not only helps the company build upon its safety record but also attracts both new and current customers with added curb appeal. Among the company’s fleet of vehicles are approximately 60 Prevost motorcoaches, used in a variety of
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applications in both Canada and the United States. “Our relationship with Prevost has been outstanding. Prevost has been very supportive through our ownership change and the company is great to work with,” Butzlaff said. “In this industry it’s important to have strong partners, whether it’s other motorcoach companies or suppliers. You need partners to survive. Prevost has played an important role in helping us through our recent transition of new ownership, and we are looking forward to a long relationship with the supplier.” Along with providing vehicles with strong curb appeal, officials at MTR Western have used green technology as a way to attract customers. This comes in the wake of more corporate clients having to meet certain mandates in an effort to be as environmentally friendly as possible. “I think we are doing a pretty good job with our environmental focus. It’s a huge initiative, especially being in the Pacific Northwest. This area is a little bit more progressive, especially in northern California. It can make conducting business more challenging at times, but it’s also paramount to what we do,” he said. He added MTR Western strives to be a good corporate and environmental citizen. “For example, our office in Seattle is located in a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building,” Butzlaff
January/February 2012
said. LEED is an internationally-recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. MTR Western also has recycling programs in place at each of its facilities, and the company uses the latest in clean diesel engine technology with its fleet. “It’s essential to both our corporate success and corporate clients that we have the latest and greatest in terms of environmentally friendly vehicles,” Butzlaff said. “As part of our employee training, meanwhile, drivers are taught about fuel conservation, the importance of idle reduction and using environmentally friendly chemicals when washing vehicles. “Being a company that is heavily focused on tourism, we want to protect those areas where our customers are visiting. It’s our backyard, and we have to do everything we can to make sure these areas remain healthy for people to see and play in years from now.” Along with meeting various environmental initiatives, there are other ways to attract today’s transportation customers. This includes using motorcoaches that feature the latest in amenities. “Everyone is very connected today and wants the opportunity to charge cell phones and cameras while on a motorcoach. Giving people the ability to stay electronically connected is huge,” Butzlaff said. “From a safety standpoint, using onboard cameras is also key for
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us in terms of helping protect the company and drivers. Also, new engine technology with our Prevosts has helped increase fuel savings. That is a game changer with fuel prices going up. New engine technology has been fantastic. “I don’t think the average customer quite understands all the complexities and nuances that come with these new motorcoaches and how advanced they really are today. From a consumer standpoint, customers want their motorcoaches clean, safe and reliable. It’s often all about cleanliness with customers and being able to walk inside the vehicle and have it feel inviting.” Butzlaff admits that keeping a vehicle as large as a 40- to 45-foot motorcoach clean for every trip is not a simple task. This is a challenge that MTR Western, and every quality motorcoach
MTR coach graphics reflect the company’s service to local sports teams.
company, constantly works on. “It’s one of the hardest aspects of the business to do well and efficiently. It’s often overlooked as the general public doesn’t always understand how difficult it is to keep these vehicles in top shape given the number of people who are on and off them on a daily basis,” he said. Butzlaff credit’s MTR Western’s employees, including drivers, with helping share the load of cleaning the company’s vehicles. “We don’t have wash crews in place at every one of our locations. During over-the-road trips, therefore, it's often up to the drivers to keep these vehicles clean,” he said. “Our drivers can spend an inordinate amount of time maintaining their vehicles and making sure they look good. I was astounded the first time I saw what our drivers
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did to keep their vehicles clean and how they did it, just from a pride factor. I was incredibly proud myself, and happy.” The Great Northwest rom the sites and sounds of San Francisco to the vastness of the Canadian Rockies, the service region of MTR Western is both immense and breathtaking. Throw in such natural attractions as the Oregon coast, Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound — along with well known cities including Portland, Seattle and Vancouver — and it’s easy to see why this part of the world is very attractive to both tourists and residents alike. “Obviously I’m a bit biased, having grown up in Washington, but I think motorcoach travel is a
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See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #1333
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great fit for the Pacific Northwest,” Butzlaff said. “First of all, it’s one of the most beautiful areas in all of North America. This brings with it a fair number of tourists, and tourism supports one of our larger travel segments. There are a lot of people who also have chosen to live in this region.” Another advantage is the prosperous nature of many local economies in the Pacific Northwest, including those in northern California. “Everyone has been affected by the down economy, but this part of the world has weathered the storm a little better than most,” Butzlaff said, noting successful companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Starbucks and Boeing
all have a strong presence in the region. “These companies are doing very well and their penchant for future growth should be great. This is also great for us. There are many good corporate partners in the area,” he said. “The travel and tour markets have also been doing well in Canada and Alaska. A lot of our guests piggyback with us to and from the cruise lines, and many people want to take trips to the Canadian Rockies. We are starting to see growth in various markets again despite today’s economic times.” Another advantage to doing business in the Pacific Northwest comes from the area’s strong
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #830 Page 14
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trade relations with such Asian countries as China and Japan. This helps increase incoming tourism. “The economy in Western Canada is also currently strong due to oil money coming in from Alberta,” Butzlaff said. With any location, however, there are challenges to contend with as well. Many tourist areas of the Pacific Northwest are seasonal in nature, meaning busy summer travel is often followed by a slower winter period. “We have to find creative ways to market to people and keep equipment rolling during the slower months. The seasonal nature of our business is probably the biggest challenge,” Butzlaff said. “Another challenge comes from the smaller population base in certain areas of our service region. There are a lot of miles between San Francisco, Portland and Seattle and not a lot of people.” To stay busy in the winter season, MTR Western offers packaged tours to area ski resorts, while company officials also focus hard on providing transportation for athletic teams such as those involved with hockey. “Having a great reputation also helps. This translates well when involved with local communities, colleges/universities and convention and visitors bureaus,” Butzlaff said. Due to the seasonal nature of the company’s business, the number of MTR Western employees can fluctuate depending on the time of year. “Right now (in December) we have about 170 employees. That number will jump another 15 or 20 around April to better meet seasonal demands,” Butzlaff said. Although all employees at a motorcoach operation are valuable, the most visible position is often that of driver. Butzlaff said this is a job where huge responsibilities are normal and special talents are needed. Not only do bus/motorcoach drivers need to understand the vehicles they are driving, they also must have in their possession customer service skills that are paramount for providing a successful trip. “They have a tough job. These employees may drive four or five days a week with four or five completely different types of customers. Drivers must be able to read into their passengers to satisfy their different needs,” Butzlaff said. “Drivers also have to be problem solvers. Not everything is going to go perfect during a trip. They often have to solve problems on the fly. “It’s important to be adaptable in an everchanging environment. Drivers need to be able to roll with the punches. It’s also essential that they are properly rested, properly trained and always feel good about what they are doing each work day.” To make sure it provides quality drivers for every trip, MTR Western has in place what Butzlaff described as a rigorous hiring and training process. “We average one hire for every four or five candidates who apply to be a driver,” he said. “There are some basic qualifications that these
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candidates must meet before they are ever granted an interview. This includes having a CDL license, a clean driving record and credible references. Once these qualifications are met, there are three interviews that take place as well as a road test.” Candidates who pass the interview phase and the road test are then ready for MTR Western’s training program. This includes participation in driving courses and review of the company’s various policies and procedures. “The goal is to make sure new drivers are able to safely and efficiently handle all sorts of things that can happen while on the road and in a vehicle,” Butzlaff said. He added that once a driver is hired, MTR Western has a strong track record of keeping him/her on board for years to come. “We offer competitive wages, but really it comes down to hiring the right people, those who want to be here and fit in well with our organization,” Butzlaff said. “One of our company’s goals is to be known just not in the bus industry as a great company to work for, but throughout our service region as well. We spend a lot of time and money on hiring the right people and building the best possible team. “No one comes to work for free, but often money alone isn’t the highest objective for a person when looking for a new job. People want to be treated fairly, have a say in what goes on with-
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in an organization and be part of a team. The team mentality is huge with us.” Butzlaff said MTR Western drivers will often develop special relationships with certain groups and are compelled to make sure these trips go off without a hitch. “Our drivers represent the company, but they are also representing themselves. They love what they do and do a great job,” he said. Service Region Continues To Grow ne important advantage MTR Western enjoys by having seven different facilities at its disposal is being able to better take care of drivers and equipment while on the road. “If a coach breaks down, we have the ability to get additional equipment relatively quickly to the site instead of having to use a third party,” Butzlaff said. “For example, if we have a breakdown in Kamloops, BC, it’s an equal distance between our Vancouver and Calgary facilities. Having seven facilities from a maintenance standpoint provides us with a huge advantage. “Also, our company places a strong emphasis on being a local leader in each of the market areas it serves. Each of these locations is operated differently to some degree. How we operate in Eugene, for example, is a lot different than how we operate in San Francisco. This is due to the very nature of the cities themselves and business segments.”
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January/February 2012
According to Butzlaff, having multiple locations in place can also be challenging as well. “It can be difficult and expensive to keep seven sites in operation,” he said. “Without a doubt, however, it’s well worth the extra energy and expense. Having different locations in place provides us with more opportunities and allows us to be local leaders and operate more efficiently. Each of these markets vary in size. For example, the Medford area is very small in population compared to Seattle, San Francisco and Vancouver.” An effort to add to MTR Western’s service region is also in the works. Company officials recently announced expansion plans to the eastern part of Washington and northern Idaho — namely the Spokane, WA, area. “After talking with some of our clients and partners we have determined that this market is a good place for us to expand. It fits well within our business plan of being a company in the Pacific Northwest,” Butzlaff said. “We will be locating some vehicles in Spokane starting in early 2012 to service not only collegiate work but corporate and the travel/tourism segments as well. We are really excited about expanding into this market.” In a rebranding effort, MTR Western has also announced that its sister company, Oregon Coachways, will soon be known as MTR Western as well, starting in the first quarter of 2012. Oregon Coachways primarily works out of
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SEAT COVERS AND INTERIORS Seat parts, all models Replacement seat foam Flooring and step treads Sound and video systems Magazine pockets
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Medford and Eugene. “Oregon Coachways has been a fantastic brand with a great staff. The problem is, we (MTR Western) are often competing against ourselves (Oregon Coachways) in certain markets,” Butzlaff said. “This rebranding is a big step for us. We certainly recognize that the Oregon Coachways’ name has had a fantastic life, but it makes a lot of sense for us to have a uniformed brand for our entire area of business.” Along with making sure its brand is strong, officials at MTR Western also focus heavily on providing strong customer service. From the shine on the tires to the knot of a driver’s tie, Butzlaff said customer service encompasses everything the company has to offer. “We can’t stress it enough. It includes how our agents answer the phone to our billing department sending out invoices in a timely manner,” he said. “MTR Western’s objective is to make sure its customers are having a great time and want to return. This is all paramount to our success.” Building Toward A Promising Future s MTR Western’s new ownership looks forward to its second year at the helm, Butzlaff sees growth possibilities ahead — not only for the company but the entire bus transportation industry as well. “We have been able to make some adjustments here and there to help our company grow.
A
This includes signing new deals with partners,” he said. “I’m also pretty optimistic about the future of the entire bus and motorcoach industry. I think it has done a fairly decent job weathering the economic storm thus far, although the storm is not over. There are definitely industry challenges left. This includes certain regulations and legislation being discussed. “Any legislation can provide ripple effects throughout an industry. It’s important to push for the right type of legislation and regulations and to be pre-emptive rather than reactive. More often than not, being reactive means you are going to pay more and be in a worse situation.” He added a lot of challenges in the bus/motorcoach industry can be overcome by better educating the riding public as well as transportation providers. For example, education and outreach can help keep rates that motorcoach companies charge for trips from getting too low, according to Butzlaff. “It’s all about education within the industry itself, showing motorcoach owners how to find their own keys to success. Everybody’s success is going to be different, but there are still benchmarks and certain criteria financially that companies need to understand and achieve,” he said. “For this industry to succeed, motorcoach companies will have to succeed together. We, at MTR Western, want to be successful as an organization, but we need the industry to be successful as well. This includes
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #1212 Page 18
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January/February 2012
‘mom and pop’ companies with one or two coaches to those businesses with much larger fleets. “Getting rates up as an industry is paramount to everyone’s growth. People shouldn’t be afraid to make a profit in this business. They need to charge proper rates in order to accomplish this goal.” According to Butzlaff, company officials consider MTR Western to be a premium brand that provides exceptional equipment and drivers. “It’s not cheap to operate this way. Therefore, it’s important to command a good rate. Clearly, not every company’s rate structure is going to be the same, but when you see rates that are 20 or 30 percent different, then you know the same standards are not being upheld throughout the industry. This is exactly the message that must be presented to people. You get what you pay for in many regards,” he said. In looking ahead, Butzlaff said MTR Western officials are looking forward to transporting a wide variety of customers for years to come. “We are excited about MTR Western’s place in the industry,” he said. “It’s historically been a strong company, and we want to continue to grow and be good corporate and industry citizens.” Contact: MTR Western, 16 W. Harrison St., No. 100, Seattle, WA 98119. Phone: 1-800-975-0464. Website: www.mtrwestern.com.
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See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #743
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Transit bus ridership remains strong in many regions of the United States as passenger demands and demographics continue to grow. New transit services/routes are being put into place to not only serve those dependent on this type of transportation, but satisfy new “choice” riders. Busline Magazine recently interviewed four transit professionals from different parts of the country. The basic goal was to learn more about what each system is doing to grow transit bus ridership, and how they are preparing for future challenges and demands.
while on the shoulders. It’s all GPS-coordinated. Technology also provides information to these drivers about any coming obstructions in tarting a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) pro- the road.” Along with serving the five suburban comgram on its Cedar Avenue corridor in 2012 is the big news coming from the munities with public transportation, MVTA also Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA), operates peak period express service from these communities to downa pubic transportation town Minneapolis and provider serving the downtown St. Paul. Also, southern Minneapolis/ MVTA operates all-day St. Paul (MN) suburbs bus service for the of Burnsville, Savage, University of Minnesota; Apple Valley, Eagan and serves as an agent for and Rosemount. Jefferson Lines, a private “Our new BRT servregional intercity bus ice on Cedar Avenue company based in runs between Lakeville, Minneapolis. MN, and the Mall of “We have about America in Blooming10,000 average daily ton, MN. Riders can also riders overall and a fleet connect to an existing of 118 buses,” Selvig light rail system if they said. “Customer service need to reach other desis a critical link for us. tinations,” MVTA Cust Our philosophy is that omer Relations Man every caller should turn ager Robin Selvig said. “The Cedar Avenue BRT will include a station- into a bus rider. This is not to-station service, allowing riders to ride short- always possible, but remains a er distances with at least 15 minute frequen- mindset when addressing customer needs. We document and cies.” She added the new BRT service will include investigate every customer issue. Our buses include cameras, helping travel on “bus only shoulders” of the line. “Successful operation of shoulder usage has us verify what really is happening been in place in Minnesota for quite a while. on each vehicle. “We want our riders to know that MVTA has a fleet of 10 buses for Cedar Avenue that are equipped with special technology to we take their comments/situations help drivers operate on these shoulders,” Selvig very seriously.” Part of MVTA’s customer service said. “This technology allows our drivers to feel confident that their buses are properly centered philosophy is making sure all of its Page 20 BUSLINE January/February 2012 By Harrell Kerkhoff Busline Magazine Editor
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buses are both clean and attractive. This helps in marketing the company to possible new riders. “Probably our biggest marketing opportunity comes from our fleet of vehicles. They serve as moving billboards while going up and down the roads in our service areas. There is a real clean look to our buses. They are very visible and identifiable,” Selvig said. “MVTA also participates in community events such as parades to make sure people know we are part of the community.” Regarding employees, MVTA contracts with Schmitty and Sons. The private company hires the majority of the transit authority’s work force and is responsible for the actual running and maintenance of MVTA’s equipment. “We collaborate very well together. Schmitty and Sons employs people for such positions as drivers, maintenance personnel and trainers. We are an extension of (Schmitty and Sons) and they are an extension of us. It’s an excellent public/private partnership and has provided us with an extremely effective way of managing our services at MVTA,” Selvig said. “We have seen good results. For example, MVTA has not had a single missed trip due to any operaMVTA
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Reliability Driven
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See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #1551
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tional issue for over three years. We also just received word that our MVTA buses have passed Minnesota Department of Transportation inspection with no deficiencies. This has also occurred for the third year in a row.” “This is an extraordinary achievement in our industry,” added Dan Schmitt, president of Schmitty and Sons. “We are very proud of our mechanics and other staff.” When asked about any transit usage trends currently taking place, Selvig said that as MVTA’s average rider is aging, this is being offset by younger riders using the transit authority’s University of Minnesota service. “Many of our local routes are doing quite well in terms of ridership numbers. This includes our 30-minute service between the Savage/Burnsville area and the Mall of America. We are constantly monitoring the size of buses being assigned to certain routes, making sure we are properly accommodating riders,” Selvig said. “In many ways, our face in the community is best shown by our local service.” Looking forward, Selvig sees bus ridership growth ahead, not only for MVTA, but also for many other U.S. transit providers as well. “We are seeing that there is definitely a place for transit and bus travel in a lot of different areas. New technologies coming along will improve services,” she said. “At MVTA, we
expect some of our existing routes will turn into feeder lines to help grow our new BRT corridor.” Contact: MN Valley Transit Authority (MVTA), 100 E. Hwy. 13, Burnsville, MN 55337. Phone: 952-882-7500. Website: www.mvta.com.
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idership recently hit a record high in Pinellas County, Florida, home of such well known cities as St. Petersburg and Clearwater. According to the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), more transit rides were taken on its vehicles in 2010-2011 than ever before during the 108 years of public transportation service in the county — 13,103,206 rides to be exact. “We feel this is clear evidence of the value Pinellas County citizens place on public transit, especially during this economic recession,” PSTA CEO Brad Miller said. “More people than ever are relying on PSTA to get to their jobs, access medical services, get to the store, or hopefully ... to apply for a new job.
“We have launched some new or improved services which have helped. One bright spot is with our tourism-based trolley service, which has been a big hit. We added a new route to this service in our Clearwater area. It goes along the beaches and focuses on the tourism business, even servicing a spring training baseball stadium. Ridership has exceeded expectations by three times.” A l t o g e t h e r, PSTA provides service to about 42,000 daily riders in Pinellas County. It also has a few routes that go outside of the county to and from down town Tampa. Miller, who was named CEO of PSTA approximately six months ago, said the transit authority launched in October a new trolley bus service that has replaced some existing bus routes. It connects downtown St. Petersburg to the Gulf of Mexico beach front area that is located across the county. Ridership for this service has grown over 18 percent.
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the environment, they are also expected to improve transit options, increase access to jobs and employment centers and increase ridership. The eight new buses are 40-feet long and expected to arrive toward the end of 2012. Once these new vehicles are in service, one out of every six PSTA buses will be hybridelectric diesel. PSTA also recently began purchasing hybrid sedans for its supervisory staff, as well as other hybrid support vehicles. It’s also been announced that PSTA will soon be launching its first comprehensive transportation planning effort in two decades. “The goal is to redesign the PSTA bus system and make it even better for both residents and visitors to our great community,” Miller said. He added PSTA is planning to PSTA seek substantial public input over has caused PSTA to defer 100 percent of its bus the coming year as part of this planning initiareplacements from its 5-year capital program. tive. “We look for this effort to dovetail with the The 13-year-old buses that will be replaced due to these funds have the greatest number of recently completed alternative analysis conbreakdowns of the nearly 200 buses in PSTA’s cerning a possible light rail line in the county. The plan is to see how our network of bus fleet.” Not only will these hybrid buses be good for routes can interact and coordinate with a light In other good news, PSTA recently received word that it has been awarded $5 million as part of a competitive Federal Transit Administration grant program known as “State of Good Repair.” This money will help PSTA replace eight older buses with new hybrid-electric diesel buses. “This news couldn’t have come at a better time,” Miller said. “The economic downturn
rail system if it comes to fruition,” Miller said. “We are pushing forward on a lot of new initiatives, but our No. 1 challenge continues to be funding. PSTA is funded by a local property tax and our area has been hit hard by a drop in the local housing market. Property values have decreased by more than 35 percent. However, we have been able to grow ridership despite these challenges.” PSTA has been able to do this, in part, by focusing on local tourism. “We are blessed with some of the nicest weather around which translates into many tourists using our system. We also have a lot of riders who work in area hotels and restaurants,” Miller said. PSTA officials continue to invest in new technology to better prepare for current demands and future ridership growth. As part of this focus, PSTA is launching a new AVL (automatic vehicle location) system. Riders will be able to better determine when their specific bus is expected to arrive via a message sent to their smartphones. “Investment in technology is directed toward our customers, getting them the information they need. It’s all part of making our system simpler and easier to use,” Miller said. As far as the future is concerned, Miller sees bright days ahead in general for bus transit trav-
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January/February 2012
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el. He noted that many metropolitan areas in the United States are no longer able to build their way out of traffic congestion. Therefore, public transportation will become a greater source of successfully moving people to their desired destinations. “Bus travel has eclipsed the concern of whether or not it’s going to be an important transportation mode for the future. We are well beyond that discussion. It’s here to stay and we are focused on making it right for the customer,” Miller said. “It’s important that the proper resources are in place to expand. I see great things coming in the future.” Contact: Pinellas Suncoast Trans. Auth. (PSTA), 3201 Scherer Dr., St. Petersburg, FL 33716. Phone: 727-540-1800. Website: www.psta.net.
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new name, a new logo and new buses have all helped The Transit Authority of the City of Omaha (NE), otherwise now known simply as “Metro,” continue to grow. Metro provides public transportation in a metropolitan region that is now
pushing 1 million residents in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. “We have approximately 4 million passenger boardings a year. In contrast, our boardings were around 3.1 million in 2004,” Metro Executive Director Curt Simon said. “Obviously, the increase in gas prices has been a factor in growing ridership, but we have also made a conscientious effort to upgrade our image and fleet. This rebranding effort started one and a half years ago and has included a name change from MAT (Metro Area Transit) to just Metro. We also have made sure our buses are cleaner and better looking. The entire effort has paid dividends.” Metro used recent stimulus money to help upgrade its fleet which Simon said is a real attraction to riders. “All of the new things we have done have centered around the desire to please customers. Nobody wants to get on an
old and dirty bus. There is really nothing that can take the place of an upgraded fleet and trying to keep buses at a reasonable age to
Metro
ensure reliability,” he said. As part of its new image, Metro officials have also changed the uniforms worn by the transit authority’s bus operators, as well as creating an entirely new website which includes a Google Transit trip planner. With this planner riders can download information to their portable devices. Metro currently has a fleet of approximately 135 buses and services 35 routes. This includes rush hour circulators and express routes. The transit authority also operates a paratransit program. “Metro has a pretty large area to cover at around 121 square miles. Omaha is a community where the eastern part of the city borders the
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January/February 2012
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Missouri River, so all of the suburban expansion has been to the west. As things have changed and businesses have moved away from the downtown core, it’s required us to be more multi-directional,” Simon said. Historically, he added, providing public transportation in the Omaha region has been met with challenges. Simon said that for a metropolitan area coming close to the 1 million population mark, its infrastructure, grid system and roads are in excellent condition. “It’s still pretty easy to get around in a car. A lot of development that has occurred over the past 50 years has somewhat been focused on the automobile, just like most other U.S. cities. We are seeing this change, however, including a more modern focus concerning Omaha’s master plan and what today’s urban planners want to accomplish for the area,” Simon said. “An effort is being made to change some of those patterns that have caused diminished city population densities and so forth. Transit can be part of this change. The goals (at the local level) are extremely aggressive, which present challenges to make all of this work.” There are indications that the younger population is becoming more receptive to public transportation, Simon explained. He added that the challenge for the future is coming up with development plans that will help provide the type of services these younger riders require. Metro currently has a work force of approximately 300 employees. This includes 185 or so
bus operators. In the future, some of these operators may be driving compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. “We are working with our local gas utility in response to a grant that we were fortunate enough to receive, allowing us to purchase six CNG vehicles. We are still working out the logistics,” Simon said. He added that when it comes to alternative-fuel vehicles, “You have to be either all in or all out. We currently don’t have the infrastructure to accommodate compressed natural gas. There is a fair amount of facility retrofitting that must take place. Our plan is to try out the technology and see where it takes us in cooperation with our local gas utility. After awhile, we will know if this is something that is appropriate for us to do on a greater scale in the future.” Despite challenges, Simon sees demand for public bus transportation only growing. “The days of $1.78 per gallon gasoline may well be over. Demand for transit is bright. Whether there are going to be adequate resources provided by local, state and/or federal governments to meet this demand, however, is yet
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #636 Page 28
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to be determined. My crystal ball is not that clear,” he said. “With this increased demand comes extra pressure placed on transit properties, like ours, that live off fixed incomes. Therefore, it’s necessary to find other funding sources to make this all happen.” Contact: Metro, 2222 Cuming St., Omaha, NE 68102-4392. Phone: 402-341-0800. Website: www.ometro.com.
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ocated on the western side of San Francisco Bay in California, The San Mateo County Transit District, also known as SamTrans, has been providing bus service to the region since 1976. The agency also serves as the managing entity for Caltrain, a commuter railroad operating between San Francisco and San Jose. “We are the primary public transportation provider in San Mateo County, located just south of San Francisco, and serve approximately 45,000 people on an average weekday. Our service region includes the San Francisco International Airport,” SamTrans Public Information Officer Christine Dunn said. “We also have one express
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bus route that goes into San Francisco, as well as provide main line service on El Camino Real — an arterial route that runs the length of the county.” SamTrans, which has a total of 48 routes, uses both standard size and articulated buses in a fleet of 350 vehicles. In an effort to SamTrans help make public transportation travel more seamless in the region, Sam Trans is currently transitioning to a regional fare card system called Clipper®. It involves the use of a plastic fare card for riders while traveling on a number of different transit systems in the San Francisco Bay Area. “As a result, we have eliminated our monthly paper passes. There are more than 20 transit agencies in the Bay Area, and they each have their own fare structure. So once everyone transitions to Clipper, then riders will be able to move from one transit system to another without having to deal with different fare media,” Dunn said. “Riders have been asking for this feature for many years.” The SamTrans Service Plan is another objective for the transit authority going forward. This will
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include an in-depth study on the transit authority’s bus system. “It’s been about 10 years since the last plan. We are holding a number of public meetings while analyzing our whole system with an eye toward making SamTrans more cost effective and sustainable over the long term,” Dunn said. “For us, funding has been a big issue. The economy has been very tough and a lot of funding has been eliminated. In the last few years, SamTrans has had to reduce service, increase fares, lay off employees and freeze salaries. This is why we are now focusing on the SamTrans Service Plan. It’s important for us to look at ways where we can better sustain our service, even during a down economy.” Maintaining a solid work force and keeping equipment clean and modern are two other ways SamTrans works to satisfy customer demands and grow its public transportation presence. “For example, SamTrans trains its own bus operators who go through a very extensive program. We are most interested in hiring drivers
January/February 2012
who haven’t worked as bus operators in the past. It’s important that we train them on how to operate buses the ‘SamTrans way,’” Dunn said. “We also provide very good customer service, which gives us great pride. This includes buses that are extremely clean. They are washed every day and we eliminate graffiti immediately. “It’s important for us to provide personalized service to customers and encourage them to call us with any trip planning needs and/or advice. We also work hard to resolve any complaints that may come up.” She added that a large percentage of SamTrans’ ridership base involves transitdependent people. “Our bus service is really a lifeline for these people. This has been constant,” Dunn said. “We are also starting to see more jobs becoming available in the Bay Area. Traffic often increases when this happens. When traffic increases, more people begin looking for alternative forms of transportation. “I see a growing interest as well for public transportation among those people who are becoming more concerned about protecting the environment.” Contact: San Mateo County Transit District / SamTrans, 1250 San Carlos Ave., P.O. Box 3006, San Carlos, CA 94070-1306. Phone: 650-508-6200. Website: www.samtrans.com.
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Long Beach, CA, is the home of the United Motorcoach Association’s (UMA) 2012 Motorcoach Expo. The 28th annual event is scheduled to take place at the Long Beach Convention Center on February 8-12. The first event of this year’s UMA Motorcoach Expo will be the 8th Annual Ray Dupuis Memorial Golf Tournament at the Oak Creek Golf Club in Irvine, CA. The tournament takes place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, February 8. UMA Expo registration is available at the exhibit lobby. On Wednesday, registration will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Additionally, the State Association Summit is scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday in Room 204. This will be followed by a Welcome Reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The reception will take place at the Hyatt Regency. Thursday, February 9, starts with registration at 7:30 a.m. through 6:45 p.m. A continental breakfast and UMA Active Member Meeting will take place from 8:30 to 9 a.m. Both events can be found at the Promenade Ballroom 104, as can the Opening Session titled, “Year Of The Motorcoach Professional,” which is scheduled from 9 to 10 a.m. This will be followed by the Legislative &
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UMA EXHIBIT HALL HOURS February 9 – February 11 Thursday: Sneak Preview 4:45 - 6:45 p.m. Friday: 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Lunch served)
Saturday: 9 a.m. - Noon
• Marketing — New Developments In Electronic Marketing (Room 103); • Operations — Enforcement: FMCSRs, HOS, Out-Of-Service Criteria, Etc. (Room 101); and, • Finance — The Habits Of High Performers (Room 102 - continued from previous hour). A major event on Thursday will be the Exhibit Hall Sneak Preview, taking place from 4:45 to 6:45 p.m. Exhibitors will give demonstrations and showcase their latest industry products and services during the preview.
The UMA Expo on Friday, February 10, will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a Maintenance Competition held at the Pacific Coachways facility. This event will last until 11 a.m. and gives participants a chance to compete against each other to solve different maintenancerelated issues. Friday’s Expo registration is scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will also be a continental breakfast and General Session titled, “Driver, Owner And Tour Operator — Working Together For A Successful Trip.” This event takes place from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. at the Promenade Ballroom 104.
(Brunch served) Regulatory Update, from 10 to 10:45 a.m., also held in the Promenade Ballroom 104. It’s at this latter event that attendees will be informed about new federal regulatory initiatives and given insight on what to expect from the U.S. Congress. Also on Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the annual Maintenance Interchange will take place in Room 204. Motorcoach owners, operators and maintenance personnel are invited to openly discuss maintenance issues at this event. Participants can submit maintenance topics in advance and provide suggestions for solving problems in this day-long session. The first of four concurrent hour-long “Solution Sessions” for Expo attendees takes place from 11 a.m. to noon on Thursday. The first group of sessions is as follows: • Marketing — Improving The Sales Process (Room 103); • Operations — Becoming The Desired Employer: Hiring The Best (Room 101); and, • Finance — Charting Your Company’s Financial Future: Buy, Sell Or Pass Down (Room 102). Also from 11 a.m. to noon, an Associate/ Travel Partner Membership Meeting with Coach Builder Elections will take place at UMA Booth No. 734. A Leadership Luncheon is scheduled from 12:15 to 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Promenade Ballroom 104. It will feature a presentation titled, “Disney’s Approach To Brand Loyalty,” and will be followed by the second set of concurrent Solution Sessions, scheduled from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. They are as follows: • Marketing — Cutting Your Way Through The Underbrush: Organizing Solutions To Save Time And Money (Room 103); • Operations — Driver Panel: Technology, Behavior, Training And Owner Responsibility (Room 101); and, • Finance — The Habits Of High Performers (Room 102 - continued to the next hour). The third concurrent Solution Sessions on Thursday are slated for 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. They are as follows:
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News The fourth and final hour-long concurrent Solution Sessions during this year’s UMA Expo are scheduled from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m on Friday. They are as follows: • Marketing — Emerging Marketing Techniques: Uncovering Customer Wants (Room 103); • Operations — Getting Involved At The Local Level (Room 101); and, • Finance — Big Ideas Don’t Work: A Practical Guide To Making Money (Room 102). The UMA Exhibit Hall will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Lunch will be served at the Exhibit Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also on Friday, from 2 to 3 p.m., the National Association of Motorcoach Operators (NAMO) will hold a meeting in Room 203. Friday’s final event will be the 9th Annual Vision Awards Banquet, scheduled from 6 to 11 p.m., at the Grand Ballroom. It will include a reception, dinner, industry awards and cigars/cordials. The final day that the Exhibit Hall will be open during the 2012 UMA Motorcoach Expo is Saturday, February 11. Show floor hours for this day are 9 a.m. until noon, with registration also beginning at 9 a.m. Brunch at the Exhibit Hall will be served from
Clean Seal Celebrating 20-Year Partnership With Trimgard, Uni-Grip Clean Seal, Inc. and Trimgard have enjoyed a 20-year partnership of providing a line of PVC and vinyl moldings for the truck, RV, trailer and automotive markets. The products are used primarily for body side molding, edge trim, truck molding, step tread molding and automotive running boards. Bill Dawson, vice president and general manager of Clean Seal, Inc., said, "Our long 20-year relationship has been a great opportunity for both of our companies." Also for 20 years Clean Seal, Inc. and Uni-Grip, Inc. have partnered to bring a full line of grip seal products to the recreational vehicle, truck, bus and marine industries, 10 a.m. until noon. Meanwhile, a Motorcoach Council Live Auction on the exhibit floor is scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon. The final two 2012 UMA Expo-sponsored events are set for Sunday, February 12. A tour showing where movie stars live will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., while a tour of Long Beach is scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Photo provided by the Long Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
among others. These products are important to seal out moisture and dust, keeping the vehicles and equipment in better operating condition. Dawson said, “We are extremely pleased with our relationship with Uni-Grip and look forward to many more years of partnership in the future.” Clean Seal, Inc. is a national manufacturer and distributor of weather stripping materials to the transportation, appliance, bus, rail, boating and recreational vehicle industries. In business since 1978, Clean Seal custom manufactures a variety of shapes and sizes of sealants for customers. They stock EPDM, Neoprene, Silicone, Nitrile and Dual Durometer extrusions for just-in-time delivery. The company also offers vulcanizing services, custom cutting, die cutting, and the application of heat activated adhesive tapes to the extruded rubber and foam seals. Clean Seal recently added a line of rubber hose including gas tank fill hose as well as a line of electromagnetic shielding products. Visit www.cleanseal.com.
Some of the Many Features: - Highest Reliability - Lightest and most Compact Design in the World - Highest Speed Range of any Transit Compressor in the World - German Designed, American Built
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #1022 Page 34
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News
Prevost Launches New Website Prevost has launched its new website at www.prevostcar.com. In addition to an updated look and feel, Prevost officials say the new website features an enhanced user interface with easy to navigate menus and easily accessible links. The site provides quick links to Prevost Parts Promotions and On-line Parts Order ing, the On-line Warranty Tool, and Prevost Liaison telematics system. In addition, visitors can get information and view photographs about Prevost Seated Coaches and Conversion Coaches, and special coach features such as the Volvo D13 engine and Prevost AWARE Adaptive Cruise Braking. Prevost says the website is geared to provide Prevost operators with the resources they need to operate their business productively. The site provides information about tuition-free service training, links to an archive of vehicle technical publications, and gives access to videos about
Prevost and Volvo coaches and features. The site also highlights new resources for Prevost operators, such as the Prevost webinar program and the new Prevost Service Locator mobile app. The new website also provides Prevost owners with contact information of Prevost Coach and Parts Sales Teams, Prevost Support Teams, and Prevost’s Service Network, which includes 7 Service Centers, 138 Prevost-certified Service Providers, Prevost Action Service System 24/7 Call Center, and a team of Prevost Service Managers who handle urgent response in the field. The Prevost website is available in English and French.
Stout’s Transportation Adds 5 New Prevost H3-45s Stout’s Transportation Inc., based in New Jersey, recently took possession of three
Prevost 2012 H3-45 motorcoaches and plans to take delivery of two more this month. For over five decades, Stout’s has served the tri-state New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania area as well as a wide swath of the Eastern seaboard stretching as far south as the D.C. metro area. Stout’s Transportation takes pride in maintaining a new fleet with all the latest technologies. The new H3-45s, which bring its motorcoach fleet to 25, are the company’s first Prevosts. The new vehicles, equipped with standard H3-45 features and amenities, have already started racking up miles on the road. “Thus far we’ve had nothing but great comments from our customers as well as our drivers,” Tisone noted. “Both groups are appreciating the legendary Prevost comfort and drivability.” Stout’s Transportation is a family owned and operated business providing tour and charter service to customers departing from the tri-state area and beyond. Its numerous customers range from church and social groups to corporations, schools, and universities. Stout’s also serves athletic organizations like the NBA and NHL, as well as the Trenton Titans of the East Coast Hockey League and the Camden Riversharks of baseball’s Atlantic League. Visit www.prevostcar.com.
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ARI-HETRA 12775 Randolph Ridge Lane Manassas, VA 20109 USA 703-359-6265 FAX: 703-359-6405 Web Site: www.ari-hetra.com Products: ARI-HETRA is the U.S. manufacturer of a full line of heavy-duty vehicle maintenance equipment. Known for products including its mobile lifting system, exhaust extraction system and heavyduty wheel service equipment.
ARI-HETRA Mobile Lifting Systems are capable of servicing all types of heavy-duty vehicles and equipment. There are no limitations regarding vehicle weight, wheelbase or configuration. 08 Automotive Lifts & Machinery Corp. (ALM) 200 Benchmark Industrial Drive Streator, IL 61364 USA 800-544-5438 FAX: 815-673-2292 Web Site: www.alm-autolift.com
Products: ALM Corporation is a U.S. manufacturer of Mobile Column Lifts. The company has been in business since 1982 and specializes in heavy-duty lifting. Call for a free CD or to schedule a demonstration. ALM offers a full line of accessories. 06 Gray Manufacturing Company, Inc. 3501 S. Leonard Rd. St. Joseph, MO 64503 USA 816-233-6121
Leading in heavy-duty lifting
As number 1 in heavy-duty vehicle lifts in the world, Stertil-Koni is synonymous for superior solutions and expert service. Our customized systems are entirely made in the USA by specialists with unique expertise. Thanks to their quality, our superior solutions and in-house production, Stertil-Koni continues leading by example in heavy-duty lifting.
MOBILE COLUMN LIFTS
IN-GROUND ECOLIFT
STERTIL SUPERIOR SOLUTIONS BY QUALITY PEOPLE STERTIL KONI, 200 LOG CANOE CIRCLE, STEVENSVILLE MD 21666, UNITED STATES, WWW.STERTIL-KONI.COM
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #601 Page 36
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SKYLIFT
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FAX: 816-233-7251 Web Site: www.grayusa.com Products: Gray Manufacturing is a familyowned and operated company. It designs, manufactures, sells and services innovative, highquality and reliable professional service equipment for the automotive, truck, and service vehicle industries. Gray offers a complete line of professional service equipment including: mobile column lifts, wheel lift systems, transmission and component jacks, air jacks, floor jacks, vehicle support stands, shop presses, wheel dollies, fluid handlers, forklift jacks, oil filter crushers, and truck tire changers. 09 MAHA USA See Ad On Page 37 2404 East Highway 134 Pinckard, AL 36371 USA 866-624-2872 FAX: 334-983-1094 E-Mail: info@maha-usa.com Web Site: www.maha-usa.com Company Officers: Wolfgang Raffler, Chief Operating Officer Products: MAHA USA is currently building lifting equipment at its 90,000-square-foot production facility in Pinckard, AL. MAHA USA provides over 100 different products
dedicated to the heavy-duty industry including mobile column lifts, scissor lifts, PBBT certified brake testers and wheel service equipment. MAHA USA has developed and certified a series of wireless battery powered mobile column lifts, the only wireless lifts with proven ball screw technology, lifting up to 144,000 pounds. In 2011, MAHA USA introduced the KAR 250/350 Heavy-Duty Scissor Lift, lifting up to 118,000 pounds. A complete workshop supplier, MAHA USA offers a full line of heavy-duty workshop equipment consisting of low-rise wheel lifting systems, jack stands, transmission and clutch jacks, shop cranes, lifting tables and wheel service equipment. 12 Mohawk Lifts (Mohawk Resources Ltd.) See Ad On Page 38 P.O. Box 110 Amsterdam, NY 12010 USA 800-833-2006 518-842-1431 FAX: 518-842-1289 E-Mail: sperlstein@mohawklifts.com Web Site: www.mohawklifts.com Company Officers: Steve Perlstein, Sales Manager - sperlstein@mohawklifts.com; Ray Pedrick, Sales - rpedrick@mohawklifts.com; Buck Gasner, Sales - bgasner@mohawklifts.com; Mitch Weller, Sales - mweller@mohawklifts.com
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #1013
Products: Mohawk, the leader in lift technology, offers environmentally safe above-ground lifts ranging from 6,000 to 240,000 pound capacities. Since 1981, Mohawk has manufactured the highest quality, safest auto and truck lifts available. Mohawk is a lift supplier for garages, independent shops, government, state, utility, and fleet lifting requirements. Mohawk’s popularity is based on a combination of safety systems, design, construction, and an inclusive warranty. Mohawk is one of the few lift manufactureers whose products have passed rigid third-party compliance testing to ANSI/ALI ALCTV-2010. Certification of ANSI compliance has become important to lift specifiers and users. Demand certification by looking for the ALI Certified and ETL Listed marks. Mohawk Lifts are designed, welded, and manufactured in the U.S.A. Mohawk builds the best products with the finest materials, to the highest standards. The Mohawk staff will assist with a fleet evaluation, CAD shop design assistance and answer any technical questions. 12 Rotary Lift See Ad On Page 31 2700 Lanier Drive Madison, IN 47250 USA 800-640-5438
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #849 January/February 2012
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Lifts That Last
A Lifetime
TWO-POST LIFTS 7,000 through 30,000 lb. capacity two- post lifts.
Model Shown: TP-16
TR SERIES RAMP STYLE LIFTS Model Shown: TR-19
10,000 through 125,000 lb. capacity models give complete under vehicle access for trucks and buses.
MOBILE LIFTS
Model Shown: MP-18
FAX: 800-578-5438 E-Mail: userlink@rotarylift.com Web Site: www.rotarylift.com Company Officers: Gary Kennon, President; Matt Webster, Vice President and General Manager; Jim Dirksen, Vice President, Sales and Marketing Products: Rotary Lift is a leading manufacturer of vehicle lifts designed to increase technician productivity and fleet uptime. With a commitment to product quality, testing and safety, Rotary Lift’s products have achieved a solid reputation. Rotary Lift offers a full line of heavy-duty vehicle lifts for servicing the wide range of buses on the road today. The line includes inground, scissor, parallelogram, mobile column and four-post surface lifts. With more than 1,000 installed over the last 10 years, the Rotary Lift MOD30 environmentally friendly inground lift is a reliable choice. It was recently updated with an ultralow profile superstructure for lifting low-floor and kneeling buses. Rotary Lift’s new EFX60™ inground scissor lift is fast and easy to set up, so technicians can spend more time working on the bus. The EFX60 also uses stronger components for extended service life. The new Wireless Mach 4™ mobile column lift is the only wireless lift with standard back-up communication cables to ensure virtually zero downtime, according to the company. Rotary Lift is a Vehicle Service Group (VSG) brand. VSG’s global headquarters and ISO 9001-certified North American manufacturing operations are in Madison, IN. Rotary Lift’s MOD30, EFX60, Wireless Mach 4, Mach 4, parallelogram and heavy-duty four-post lifts are all made in the U.S.A. 12
Sefac, Inc. See Ad On Page 37 23 Fontana Lane, Suite 110 Baltimore, MD 21237 USA 443-730-1023 FAX: 443-730-1026 E-Mail: sefac@sefac.com Web Site: www.sefac.com Company Officers: Allister Collings, President Products: Sefac sells, services and refurbishes heavy-duty mobile vehicle lifts, jackstands, transmission jacks and wheel dollys. 12 Stertil-Koni See Ad On Page 36 200 Log Canoe Circle Stevensville, MD 21666 USA 410-643-9001 FAX: 410-643-8901 E-Mail: lifts@stertil-koni.com Web Site: www.stertil-koni.com Company Officers: Jean DelAmore, President Products: Stertil-Koni, based in Stevensville, MD, is one of the fastest growing heavy-duty vehicle lift companies in the United States. With an extensive inventory of lifts, and working through an exclusive network of distributors, Stertil-Koni sells its complete line of heavy-duty vehicle lifts throughout the United States and Canada. Stertil-Koni has expanded manufacturing of its broad range of mobile column lifts in the United States with manufacturing facilities in Streator, IL. Stertil-Koni manufactures all types of heavyduty lifts, including mobile column lifts, platform lifts, parallelogram lifts, in-ground axle engaging lifts, and two-post lifts. Stertil is ISO 9001 certified, and most lifts are ALI/ETL certified. 12
Mohawk MP-series electric / hydraulic mobile lifts available in 2,4,6 or 8 post configurations.
‘Signs In Action’ From Aesys, Low Cost Complete Intelligent Transit Solution Model Shown: 50-32 S
PARALLELOGRAM LIFTS 36,000 through 100,000 lb. lifting capacity with track lengths from 26 to 48 ft. long.
www.mohawklifts.com 1-800-833-2006 P.O. Box 110, Amsterdam, NY 12010 Phone: 518-842-1431 Fax: 518-842-1289
AVAILABLE UNDER GOVERNMENT CONTRACT
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Combining Aesys’ 30 years of LED signage experience with ETA Transit Systems, Inc (ETA)’s state of the art open architecture Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) software, Signs in Action offers transit agencies a low-cost and flexible complete intelligent transit solution, according to Aesys. The system incorporates the Spatial Positioning on Transit™ (SPOT™) software with displays for on-board, bus stop, and bus station. Core system features include automatic vehicle location (AVL) with predictive arrival technology, automatic voice announcements (AVA), and emergency response plan messaging. The system also offers optional modules for integration with other systems such as mobile video surveillance, fare box, and automatic passenger counting devices. ETA President John Maglio hailed the partnership as, “Combining a solid, well-established manufacturer of transportation variable message signs with a leading supplier of proven, cutting-edge ITS software applications” and “a major step forward for both Aesys and ETA.” Colin McGregor, managing director, Aesys North America said: “With the ETA partnership, we are able to offer our customers a complete ITS solution that is affordable and scalable for both small and large transit agencies. Our customers will be able to provide a full range of bus status information, including on-board, at bus stops and stations, and even on mobile devices.” Visit www.aesys.com and www.etatransit.com for more information.
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Amaya-Astron Seating See Ad On Page 19 Pirules 16E, Complejo Industrial Cuamatla Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico 54730 +52(55)5311-5000 FAX: +52(55)5317-4111 E-Mail: donovan@asientosamaya.com.mx Website: www.amaya-astron.com.mx Company Officers: Donovan Albarran, Export Sales Manager; Rose Arellano, Sales Products: Passenger seats for buses and coaches, with or without three-point seat belts. Amaya-Astron seats fulfill FMVSS 208, 209, 210, 222, 225. 12 American Seating 401 American Seating Center Grand Rapids, MI 49504 USA 800-748-0353 FAX: 616-732-6870 E-Mail: info@americanseating.com Website: www.americanseating.com Company Officers: Dave Mclaughlin, VP of Transportation Sales; Gary Thompson, Transportation Marketing Manager Products: Since 1886, American Seating has been a company striving to exceed customers’ expectations with products and services. American Seating’s products and customer resource tools that serve the transportation industry, and stand as testaments to innovation and a commitment to meeting customers’ needs include: Insight® transit seats; Vision® stainless seats; PREMIER®, a belted seat offering protecting both belted and unbelted passengers; securement systems; and, interactive customer support tools that allow customers to visualize a vehicle interior immediately, and stream-line the decision making process. The company is committed to transportation seating, including city service, rail, motorcoach and demand-response markets. 12
Bergen Auto Upholstery Co., Inc. See Ad On Page 41 375 North Street, Suite U Teterboro, NJ 07608 USA 201-457-9100 FAX: 201-457-9103 Website: www.bergenseat.com Products: Seat replacement and complete interior refurbishing, including seat covers, ceil-
ings, sidewalls, lav area, under racks, dash and entrance area. Bergen is a distributor for American, National and Amaya seat parts, with a large inventory in stock. Bergen offers a complete cleaning service, seat cover shampooing, seat frame cleaning, cleaning of sidewalls and A/C ducts, and shampooing of any carpeted surface. Bergen road crew is available to install on location. 08
Think 302 Protects Protects Think FMVSS FMVSS 302 Passengers and Equipment? Equipment? Passengers and
F.R. Cushioning (meets FMVSS 302)
CR SAFGUARD™ XL Fire-Resistant Cushioning
Both seats above were subjected to BS 5852 Source 2 Ignition.
SAFGUARD™ XL Fire-Resistant Cushioning… • Complies with advanced F.T.A. fire safety criteria. • Minimize risk and liability related to vehicle fire safety. • O.E.M. and maintenance seat retrofit applications. Call for specifications. Easily added to seating requirements within vehicle bid packages. January/February 2012
Telephone: 800-234-2734 Fax: 724-537-9003 e-mail: crfoamsales@verizon.net
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B
Polyester runs on oil. Sheep run on grass. Choose wool fabrics for superior performance in transport interiors. Specify Holdsworth Defender for anti-stain and anti-microbial protection.
Chestnut Ridge Foam, Inc. See Ad On Page 39 P.O. Box 781, Latrobe, PA 15650 USA 800-234-2734 FAX: 724-537-9003 E-Mail: info@chestnutridgefoam.com Website: www.chestnutridgefoam.com Company Officers: Larry Garrity, President; Carl Ogburn, Executive Vice President; George Romainish, VP OPS; Mike Shannon, Sales Manager, Surface Transportation Products: SAFGUARD XL fire-resistant seat cushioning complies with F.T.A. fire safety criteria. SAFGUARD XL eliminates the profuse burning and known fire hazards associated with FMVSS 302 cushioning if exposed to open flame ignition sources. Provides the fire performance needed in today’s environment. Helps avoid the potential for individual and transit authority liability. Available to all seating manufacturers for O.E.M. vehicles and direct to maintenance facilities as replacement cushions. SAFGUARD XL represents major advancements in seat cushioning durability and comfort. A DVD is available showing comparative fire performance tests of bus seats. This DVD can help as an educational tool to depict how fire may impact bus vehicle interiors when seats are exposed to a minor flaming ignition source. Contact Chestnut Ridge Foam for a free copy of this fire testing. Operators can update their new bus or van vehicle specification to include SAFGUARD XL fire resistant seat cushioning. CR SAFGUARD XL products can easily be added to new vehicle seating specifications. Contact Chestnut Ridge Foam for vehicle specification verbiage. 12 Fabric Services 103 Hinsdale Farms Road Bristol, IN 46507 USA 574-848-5100 FAX: 574-848-1776 E-Mail: dgordon@fabserv.com Website: www.fabserv.com Company Officers: John Wuori, CEO & President; Don Wade, VP of Design Development; Dave Gordon, Transportation Senior Account Manager Products: Fabric Services is a valued source of a variety of textiles to a broad range of industries. It provides an extensive array of wool/polyester, moquettes and vinyl, leather and polyurethane coated fabrics. Other products include: headliner/sidewall textiles, cargo-liner and non-woven textiles. 12 Freedman Seating Company 4545 W. Augusta Blvd. Chicago, IL 60651 USA 773-524-2440 FAX: 773-252-7450 E-Mail: sales@freedmanseat.com Website: www.freedmanseating.com Products: Freedman Seating is a seat producer for all types of buses. It designs, tests and builds seats for every type of bus, coach, van and school bus. Freedman offers integrated 3-point seat belts for buses and coaches. New items for 2012 include the “GO” seat, a thinner, customizable, modular seat; and Sanitized® anti-microbial Grab Rails, a first to the transit industry, according to the company. Freedman Seating is also a partner with USSC/4One as a supplier of seats to the heavy-duty bus and BRT market. Within Freedman is the FSTL testing facility. FSTL is an A2LA accredited lab, capable of in-vehicle testing and safety evalutaions. 12 Holdsworth Fabrics, Ltd. (a Camira Group Company) See Ad On Page 40 Hopton Mills, Wheatley Park Mirfield, W. Yorkshire WF14-8HE ENGLAND +44-1924-490591 FAX: +44-1924-495605 E-Mail: info@holdsworthfabrics.com Website: www.holdsworthfabrics.com Daniel Wagner & Associates, Inc. 7520 Panther Lake Road, Willow Springs, NC 27592 919-552-4466 FAX: 919-552-0999 E-Mail: dan@holdsworthusa.com Holdsworth North America, Inc. 2840 Fortune Circle East, Suite F, Indianapolis, IN 46241
www.holdsworthfabrics.com T: 317 484 0305 F: 317 484 0706 Booth: #443, Long Beach, CA February 8 - 12
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317-484-0305 FAX: 317-484-0706 E-Mail: michelle@holdsworthnorthamerica.com BusTex Corp. 3010 W. 111th Drive, Westminster, CO 80031 303-404-0890 E-Mail: john@holdsworthusa.com Products: Designers and manufacturers of high quality wool blend commercial transport fabrics. Holdsworth also produces polyester fabrics, sidewall coverings, curtains, leather and polyeurethane-false leather for the bus, coach, rail and marine industries. 12 LaFrance Industries 3536 Raymar Blvd., Cincinnati, OH 45208 USA 513-871-5954 Website: www.mvmills.com/lafranceindustries Products: LaFrance fabrics are styled with patterns in a wide array of colors. LaFrance now offers highly styled Eco Friendly fabrics produced with recycled yarn. The yarn is produced utilizing post-consumer waste and post-manufacturing waste. The Eco fabrics are abrasion resistant and colorfast. All of LaFrance fabrics are available with Enhanced features including water repellency, oil and stain resistance, and anti-bacterial and anti-fungal characteristics. Easy maintainance. All LaFrance fabrics are made in the USA and are readily available. 10 Lantal Textiles, Inc. P.O. Box 965, Rural Hall, NC 27045 USA 905-823-9427 Website: www.lantal.com Products: Lantal Textiles is a Swiss company specializing in the weaving of high-quality, well-designed velvet pile fabrics for the bus industry. Though Lantal has been in business in Europe for over 66 years, the company first introduced these velvet pile fabrics to North America in 1997. As in Europe, Lantal is a leader in design in North America. Lantal is a major supplier of upholstery and companion fabrics to bus and seating manufacturers. 11 North American Fabrics Inc, aka NAFI 1155 Cleveland Ave., Reading, PA 19610 USA 610-374-3108 FAX: 610-374-3383 E-Mail: nafispp@aol.com, nafipa@aol.com Company Officers: Ann G. Poziemski, President; Paul C. Poziemski, Sales Manager Products: Sales representative for Botany Weaving of Dublin, Ireland, manufacturer of woven wool blend upholstery fabrics for the transportation industry since 1934. Botany Weaving produces two types of fabric, wool plush moquettes and flat woven fabric in a variety of colors and designs. Sales representive for Altro Transflor since 1997. Altro is the manufacturer of slip resistant floor coverings used in buses and trains. Altro has been producing floor coverings for over 90 years and offers a wide variety of colors and designs. 12 Recaro North America 3275 Lapeer Road West Auburn Hills, MI 48326 USA 248-364-3818 FAX: 248-364-3806 E-Mail: info@recaro-nao.com Website: www.recaro.com Products: Recaro is a manufacturer of driver seats for the transportation industry. Recaro produces a full range of driver seating products that will fit most applications. Built in the USA for North American drivers. 07 Sardo Bus & Coach Upholstery 503 South Main Avenue Minneola, FL 34715 USA 800-654-3824
FAX: 352-242-9290 E-Mail: sandy@sardobus.com Website: www.sardobus.com Company Officers: Lou Sardo, President; Sandy Follis, VP Sales; Kathy Cruse, National Sales Manager Products: Sardo Bus & Coach Upholstery’s craftsmanship and customer service have made it an industry leader in motorcoach and transit refurbishment. Sardo’s Professional Mobile Road Crew provides experienced, on-site installation service at customers’ facilities. This minimizes down time, and gives personal attention to every detail. Sardo also manufactures custom fit seat covers for mail out service with instructions and seat cover liners for easy installation. Seat covers, sidewalls, flooring and more, Sardo helps with all interior objectives. Sardo provides warranty and guarantees its workmanship for as long as an operator owns the coach. Call for quotes. 12 Willingham Inc. See Ad On Page 17 20008 244th Ave. S.E. Maple Valley, WA 98038 USA 425-432-9867 FAX: 425-432-3668 E-Mail: jason@willinghaminc.com Website: www.willinghaminc.com Company Officers: Jason Willingham, President; Gene Willingham, CEO; Vivian Willingham, Secretary/Treasurer Products: Seatcovers, complete interiors, floors, step tread kits, parcel rack door and bay door pistons, foam rubber replacement kits, net pockets, cup holders, grab handles and accessories. Seat parts for all models. Western sales representative for National Seating Co. 12
If Your Seats Are Not Becoming To You, They Should Be Coming To
BERGEN AUTO UPHOLSTERY
‡ Quality Workmanship
‡ Large Selection of Fabric
‡ On Time Delivery
‡ A Guaranteed Fit ‡ Unsurpassed Customer Service 0UZ[HSSH[PVUZ°HrL°H[°V\Y°MHJPSP[`°PU°TeterborV °51°VY° BerNLU Z°9VHK°*rL^°^PSS°PUZ[HSS°H[°`V\Y°SVJH[PVU Call, fax or e-mail us today for a quick quote, and see for yourself why Bergen Auto Upholstery is your seating headquarters.
Bergen Auto Upholstery Co., Inc. 375 North Street, Suite U, Teterboro, NJ 07608 Toll Free: 800-732-8750 Phone: (201) 457-9100 Fax: (201)457-9103 e-mail: bergenauto@aol.com website: www.bergenseat.com
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #1113 January/February 2012
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News
MCI Deliveries
Hawkeye Stages Purchases New MCI® J4500 Expanding its level of luxury service, Iowa-based Hawkeye Stages has put a third MCI J4500 into its touring fleet. The new 2011 MCI J4500 features a highly upgraded interior chosen to woo discerning passengers. Offering generous leg room, the coach’s 52 passenger seats are crafted of leather with fabric inserts for durability. The MCI coach, which is powered by a clean-diesel Cummins engine and ZF ASTronic transmission, also features a high-end Bosch enter-
tainment system with 15-inch video monitors. Hawkeye Stages additionally installed its own 110-volt outlets and Wi-Fi. “We were looking for a more luxurious coach, one that we could use on our own tours,” said Steve Tjossem, president and third-generation leader of the family-owned company. “We spec’d this out to be a little nicer, and it’s been very well received.” Hawkeye Stages, which bought its first MCI coach in 1980, runs a fleet of 26 coaches. With a history that goes back to 1954, Hawkeye Stages offers charters and luxury tours from several locations in Iowa, including Waterloo, Fort Dodge, Des Moines, Marshalltown and Hawkeye’s headquarters in Decorah. The company's website is www.hawkeyestages.com. AA Transportation Adds MCI® J4500 To Serve Expanding College Service This Shrewsbury, MA, transportation company recently took delivery of a new MCI J4500 to
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #1227 Page 42
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January/February 2012
Royal Star Extends “Aloha on Wheels” With 12 New MCIs
serve a growing demand from colleges and universities in the Worcester, MA, area, according to Division Manager John Pond. The latest J4500 joins three other coaches in their all-MCI fleet, added CEO Ron Ernenwein. “We started out as a school bus company at heart and about 10 years ago we diversified into a few limos and midsize coaches to add some meeting and wedding business,” Pond said. “A year and a half ago, we started hearing from our college customers that they were so happy with our service that we should add full-size coaches to our fleet to do more of what they needed.” For information, see www.aatransportation.com.
Royal Star’s 12 new MCI J4500s underscore its motto, “Aloha on Wheels.” The new coaches feature the latest cleandiesel technology, three-point seatbelts for every rider and a high level of luxury. The coaches also offer top-level amenities to passengers as they ascend the spiral stairway and take in the LED lighting. Roomy Amaya Brasil custom upholstery seats with self-retracting footrests and fold-down armrests offer comfort. “Six coaches have already been delivered, with more on the way. Our clients love these coaches,” said Marc Rubenstein, vice president and general manager. Visit RoyalStarHawaii.com.
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #629
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News Advice From Mohawk Lifts
Purchasing For The Non-purchasing Professional Mohawk Lifts spokespeople say, there is a faster procurement method that gets you the equipment that you need, meets the legal and competitive purchasing requirements of your agency and the purchasing department, and gets you what your agency needs and wants much faster than the sometimes months it takes to complete a full scale competitive bid. It’s called cooperative procurement. Cooperative procurement results in bids that are awarded a Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract which allows you and your buyer to purchase both the equipment needed and the options you require. Cooperative procurement is legal in all 50 states, and embraced by states, plus tens of thousands of city, county, school and special district authorities and agencies across the United States and Canada. Mohawk says the best known purchasing cooperative is NASPO (National Association of State Purchasing Officials) or its western division WSCA (Western State Contracting Alliance). NASPO cooperative procurements are done on a “lead state” basis whereby one state identifies a need, researches and completes a competitive bid and allows other states to use cooperative procurement to join or “participate” in this specific contract. On a local
government level, once a state establishes a state contract, any city, school or county can use this state contract. Another cooperative is the NJPA or National Joint Powers Alliance (www.njpacoop.org).
The NJPA is made up of 36,000 member agencies across the United States and Canada. NJPA is a governmental agency which recognizes the “joint powers” which are essentially the procurement laws and code that allow one agency to use another joint cooperative purchasing contract. All NJPA contracts are openly advertised and competitively bid to meet the procurement criteria of the NJPA government agency. After bidding, an award is made and the 36,000-plus government
agencies of the NJPA can avail themselves of the discounted and delivered prices offered on the NJPA contracts, according to Mohawk. A third yet smaller co-op with similar competitively bid procurement policies is the Houston Galveston Area Council of governments or HGACbuy.org. While originally started in Texas, and made up mostly of Texas based government agencies, in the past five years, the HGAC cooperative has grown from 1,000 agencies in 10 states to almost 6,000 government agencies with members in 48 states. Using cooperative procurement is simple and legal, yet requires agencies to sign on as members of the cooperative. Membership has no cost to the agency, and membership in the cooperative never expires. As a co-op member you’ll have access to the competitively bid, discounted prices of the buying co-op. Officials at Mohawk state that when using an infrequently purchased item such as a garage lift or fleet maintenance equipment, they start with www.govlifts.com and click a specific state or cooperative contract (such as NJPA, HGAC). Click the item needed and a window shows the list as well as the discounted government price as was bid when the contract was awarded. The full set of terms and conditions of the contract includes freight, lead time, installation, delivery, quantity discounts. Visit www.mohawklifts.com.
TriMark͛s Global Manufacturing and Engineering Services offer expertise, ideas, and resources for your product development projects saving your company time and money. Engineering capabilities x Application engineering x ProE CAD x Prototyping x Program/project management x Product validation and testing Global locations x Manufacturing x Sales & distribution No-worry logistics services
Booth #413
TriMark Corporation 500 Bailey Avenue New Hampton, IA 50659 800-447-0343 ~ Fax: 641-394-2392 www.trimarkcorp.com January/February 2012
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News
Rotary Lift Introduces Certified Wash Bay Parallelogram Lift Rotary Lift has updated its parallelogram wash bay lift package. The new lift with wash bay kit is third-party tested by ETL and ALI certified to meet ANSI safety and performance standards. Rotary Lift manufactures a full line of parallelogram lifts with lifting capacities up to 100,000 lbs. and platform lengths from 26 to 48 feet long. Any of these models can be ordered with the new wash bay package. “The mechanics of the parallelogram design are ideal for positioning engine compartments beyond the ends of the lift runways to create total access for cleaning the engine and other service areas over the water reclamation pit,� explains Doug Spiller, Rotary Lift heavy duty product manag-
Rotary Lift’s new certified wash bay parallelogram lift features an ALI-certified stainless steel control panel that can be wall-mounted, freeing up bay workspace and further protecting the power unit.
225°*o\U[`°9Vad ‹ Tenafly °51°07670 ;,3!° -6 7-00 ‹ FAX:°866-330- 50 www.aesysinc.com ‹ getonboard@aesysinc.com
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #835
Send News Of Your Company To Busline At
drankin@consolidated.net
er. “New marine-grade paint and stainless steel feet resist corrosion caused by constant exposure to water, grime and chemicals.� Rotary Lift’s wash bay lift also includes an ALI-certified stainless steel control panel that can be wall-mounted. The lift’s PLC power unit can now be located outside of the bay, up to 65 feet away from the lift itself. Rotary Lift parallelogram lifts feature a clear floor design that provides complete vehicle access from both sides, as well as from the front and rear, with no obstructions between the legs. Automatic wheel chocks engage when the lift is raised and release when it is lowered. The lifts are available in surface, flush mount and full recess applications. Log on to www.rotarylift.com, or call (800) 640-5438.
www.budgettruckandauto.com
Chris Shigley
Painting Ricon Lifts Fabrication Vinyl Graphics Collision Repair Certified Welding Frame Straightening : $YDORQ 5G ‡ -DQHVYLOOH :, 3+21( ‡ )$; 72// )5(( See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #1139 Page 44
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Darwin Rubeck
REI Promotes Sales Managers Radio Engineering Industries, Inc. (REI) has announced the promotion of Chris Shigley to national sales manager — school bus and Darwin Rubeck to national sales manager — transit & motorcoach. Shigley brings over 10 years of sales experience to REI. Shigley graduated from the University of Nebraska-Omaha with a BSBA in business and a focus in finance. Shigley has been with REI for two years. Rubeck has been in sales for over 30 years and has been an integral member of the REI sales team since 2006. A graduate of Wayne State College, Rubeck has a BS in radio/TV broadcasting. Visit www.radioeng.com.
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ABC’s Van Hool Partner Plans Manufacturing Expansion According to ABC Companies, as part of a company strategy to secure their current position in the American marketplace, ABC’s longtime partner, Van Hool, is planning a capital project that will expand manufacturing capabilities beyond their current Belgium location. The company says the decision is driven solely by their commitment to invest in American distribution of products that are designed to offer North American operators consistent long-term pricing, greater scalability, as well as reduced cycle time from order to delivery. “ABC is proud to support and share the longterm vision of our valued Van Hool partner,” stated Dane Cornell, President and CEO, ABC Companies. “The commitment to expanding production capabilities directly correlates with growing U.S. demand for European technology that enables American operators to continuously evolve and innovate fleet operations.” ABC Companies is a provider to the transportation industry with product and service offerings that cover a full spectrum of operational needs including new and pre-owned full size highway coach equipment, mid-size shuttle transport vehicles, and advanced design heavy duty transit equipment. ABC says it supports customers with a comprehensive after sale service network for service and repairs, collision
services, extensive OEM and quality aftermarket parts needs for transit, motorcoach and heavy-duty equipment from 11 strategically placed locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, private and municipal financing and leasing options are available through the company's financial services group. ABC Expands Operations To Jersey City, NJ, With Acquisition Of Hudson Body Company ABC Companies has recently finalized an agreement with Hudson Body Company of Jersey City, NJ, to acquire the business. A fullservice body repair facility, Hudson Body provides service to many transportation companies and manufacturers through the United States and Canada and specializes in truck and bus body repairs. The facility will continue to operate under the Hudson Body name, dba ABC Companies. With over 60 years in the transportation service market, Hudson Body Company has been family owned and operated since 1947. Equipped with 9 bays, paint booths, and portable lifts, Hudson Body serves operators of small, medium and large fleets, delivering a wide range of services including: bus and body
repairs; general repairs and services; paint, lettering and decal installation; major and minor collision repairs; Interior, electrical and all related components; structural and suspension repairs; and manufacturer warranty repairs Centrally located in the tri-state area, between the approaches of the Holland & Lincoln Tunnels, on Route 1 and 9 in Jersey City, the newly-acquired facility offers unique convenience to customers in the New York metro area and surrounding region. Future plans are in development for an extensive renovation of the existing facility to expand service and parts operations. For more information, contact ABC Companies at 1-800-222-2875 or visit www.abc-companies.com.
Visit Busline @ UMA Expo Booth
933
#
SAFE, STURDY & DURABLE Safety Step will meet all your transportation needs…
s Safety Steps full line of transportation steps are designed specifically for the transportation industry s Anti-tip design makes it impossible to tip over with normal use s Transportation models provide a 6”, 8”, 10” or 12” boost s The 10" and 12" steps have brackets for extra durability s Rugged all-aluminum welded construction s All models are lab tested to hold over 1,000 pounds, but weigh a mere 7 pounds s Non-slip angled rubber leg tips and gripper strips keep your passengers and your Safety Step securely in place s Durable powder coat finish available black, silver or safety yellow
To view all our transportation steps or to order online, visit our website:
www.safetystep.net or call (888) 448-4237 January/February 2012
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Prevost
Prevost
Prevost H3-45
Prevost X3-45
With its striking new appearance, the redesigned H-Series illustrates Prevost’s passion for continuous improvement. Prevost AWARE Adaptive Cruise Braking, the Prevost Electronic Stability Program, and the Prevost Welded Rail System take safety to a new level. The Volvo D13 engine is the only EPA 2010 engine that uses an existing platform, so it is the only engine platform that has been tested with years of real-world road conditions. Volvo’s D13 engine has smooth, quiet operation and drastically lowers emission of air pollutants. The Volvo D13 with advanced SCR exceeds EPA emissions standards to bypass the industry in terms of environmental care. Using its multiplexed architecture, Prevost moved controls for key functions from the dashboard to the steering wheel, helping to increase safety for all on board. Prevost’s new Cluster showcases an insightful Driver Information Display (DID), providing significant advantages to drivers and operators. Important information is easily communicated, offering several valuable tools such as fuel data management, data logging and clear text display messages. Visually, the H-Series grabs public attention and embodies the Prevost brand and its unique DNA in a highly recognizable and memorable way. Its elegance and prestige confirm a company’s status and reputation.
Model............................................................................................Prevost H3-45 Seating Capacity.............................................................................................56 Length ...............................................................................................................45’ Width ...............................................................................................................102” Height........................................................................................................146.25” Wheelbase .................................................................................................316.12” Overhang (front/rear) ......................................................................75” - 107” Inside Height (min./max.)..........................................Floor to Ceiling - 77” Turning Radius ............................................................................................44.6’ Tire Size..........................................................................................315/80 R22.5 Engine .........................................Volvo D13 w/SCR, 435 HP, 13L (EPA 2010) Transmission ..................Allison World, 4th Gen., 6-Speed Auto. Trans.; Volvo I-Shift, 12-Speed Semi-automatic Brakes..........................................................All-Wheel Disc Brakes with ABS Fuel Tank Capacity.......................................................................230 U.S. gal. Air Conditioning .........Carrier 05G compressor w/Base Engine 9 Tons Baggage Capacity............................................................................580 cu. ft. Wheelchair Lift Option...............................Interchangeable Swap & Plug Steering ........................................Steering Wheel w/Integrated Controls, Tilt & Telescopic, and Integral Power Steering, Variable Assistance Power Steering Suspension ..........Wide-Stance Tuned Suspension w/Liftable Tag Axle Page 46
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The X3-45 carries on the Prevost tradition of innovation, showcasing advanced technologies. The Prevost Welded Rail System and Prevost Electronic Stability Program take safety to a new level. The Volvo D13 engine is the only EPA 2010 engine that uses an existing platform. Volvo’s D13 engine has smooth, quiet operation and drastically lowers emission of air pollutants. The Volvo D13 with advanced SCR exceeds EPA emissions standards. The Prevost X3-45 has the longest wheelbase in the touring coach market (334.5 in.), giving passengers a smooth ride, and features the largest under-floor surface area (139 sq. ft.) in the industry. At 134 inches, the Prevost X3-45 has the lowest overall height of all seated coaches, providing easy access to virtually any pick-up or drop-off site. Equipped with the Prevost Advanced Multiplex System, the Prevost X3-45 delivers dependability and maximizes operational efficiency. The user-friendly system features a multitude of benefits, including easier maintenance, faster troubleshooting and quick and accurate diagnosis of problems with vital components.
Prevost 35 Gagnon Blvd., Ste-Claire, Quebec GOR 2VO CANADA Tel: 418-883-3391 Toll-Free: 877-773-8678 Fax: 418-883-4157 Web Site: www.prevostcar.com Model............................................................................................Prevost X3-45 Seating Capacity .............................................................................................55 Length ...............................................................................................................45’ Width ...............................................................................................................102” Height..............................................................................................................134” Wheelbase .................................................................................................334.5” Overhang (front/rear) ...........................................................72.30” - 86.60” Inside Height (min./max.) .........................................Floor to Ceiling - 80” Turning Radius ............................................................................................42.6’ Tire Size..........................................................................................315/80 R22.5 Engine .........................................Volvo D13 w/SCR, 435 HP, 13L (EPA 2010) Transmission ..................Allison World, 4th Gen., 6-Speed Auto. Trans.; Volvo I-Shift, 12-Speed Semi-automatic Brakes..........................................................All-Wheel Disc Brakes with ABS Fuel Tank Capacity.......................................................................208 U.S. gal. Air Conditioning .........Carrier 05G compressor w/Base Engine 9 Tons Baggage Capacity .............................................................................513 cu. ft. Wheelchair Lift Option...............................Interchangeable Swap & Plug Steering ........................................Steering Wheel w/Integrated Controls, Tilt & Telescopic, and Integral Power Steering, Variable Assistance Power Steering Available Suspension ..........Wide-Stance Tuned Suspension w/Liftable Tag Axle
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Prevost
Prevost
Volvo 9700
Prevost X3-45 Commuter Coach
The Volvo 9700 is a coach that makes an impression. A modern exterior with characteristic Volvo feel is matched by an elegant interior featuring soft, gentle shapes and well-designed trim. Exceptional comfort abounds throughout the Volvo 9700. Electronically controlled air suspension and a rigid frame design make for a confident, reassuring ride. A low interior noise level and comfortable seats also ensure an enjoyable journey, and large tinted windows provide excellent visibility all around. High-efficiency brakes, electronic stability program, three-point seat belts and Volvo-unique impact protection for the driver and the other road users are just some examples of its safety equipment. With all its service points grouped together logically, the Volvo 9700 is easy to maintain. Highly integrated components – like the D13 engine and IShift Transmission – simplify service scheduling and make for convenient “one-stop shopping” when vehicles require maintenance. The I-Shift is an intelligent transmission system that combines the robustness and dependability of a manual gearbox with the comfort and convenience of an automatic transmission. Its latest generation ensures substantially improved performance and fuel economy. Productivity, efficient design and safety define the Volvo 9700.
The X3-45 Commuter Coach is designed from the Prevost platform known for durability, reliability, and lifetime value. The X3-45 coaches are constructed to be used in a demanding commuter application which requires reliable vehicle performance, and the coach has been 12-year Structural Integrity Tested. Developed with a focus on transit operation concerns such as passenger safety, accessibility, low operation costs and ease of maintenance, the X3-45 Commuter features a very reliable structure. The Prevost Electronic Stability Program is the first system with rollover and under/over-steer protection and electronically compensates for quick reactions in adverse conditions, according to Prevost. The Prevost X3-45 includes three-point seat belts on a 20G rated welded rail system for an exceptionally secure passenger environment. Passengers of the X3-45 Commuter immediately notice the large entry area through the bi-part doors with the lowest steps and shortest stairway, making it easier on mobility challenged passengers. Another feature noticed by passengers is the high interior space – a full 80-inches of space from floor to ceiling. Additionally, the commuter can be outfitted with a Wi-Fi system, state-of-the-art sound and video, and electrical outlets at each seat to keep passengers plugged in and in touch while commuting.
Model .................................................................................................Volvo 9700 Seating Capacity.............................................................................................54 Length ...............................................................................................................45’ Width ...............................................................................................................102” Height..............................................................................................................145” Wheelbase ......................................Between front and tag axle - 254.84” Overhang (front/rear) .....................................................................112” - 109” Inside Height (min./max.) .................................Front - 77.2”; Rear - 72.8” Turning Radius..........................................................................................42.83’ Tire Size..........................................................................................315/80 R22.5 Engine .........................................Volvo D13 w/SCR (EPA 2010), 435 HP, 13L Transmission ..............................Volvo I-Shift, 12-Speed Semi-automatic Brakes...............................All-Wheel Disc Brakes w/ABS double circuitry Fuel Tank Capacity........................................................................210 U.S. gal. Air Conditioning .........................................................Carrier - AC353 GenIV Baggage Capacity................................400 cu. ft. (under-floor capacity) Wheelchair Lift Option .........................................................................Built in Steering .....................Tilt and Telescopic, and Integral Power Steering Suspension ..........Wide-Stance Tuned Suspension w/Liftable Tag Axle
Model .........................................................Prevost X3-45 Commuter Coach Seating Capacity .............................................................................................57 Length ...............................................................................................................45’ Width ...............................................................................................................102” Height..............................................................................................................134” Wheelbase .................................................................................................334.5” Overhang (front/rear) .............................................................72.30”; 86.60” Inside Height (min./max.) .........................................Floor to ceiling - 80” Turning Radius ............................................................................................42.6’ Tire Size..........................................................................................315/80 R22.5 Engine .........................................Volvo D13 w/SCR, 435 HP, 13L (EPA 2010) Transmission ....................Allison World, 4th gen., 6-speed auto. trans. Brakes...........................................................................All-Wheel disc. w/ ABS Fuel Tank Capacity.......................................................................208 U.S. gal. Air Conditioning..........Carrier 05G compressor w/base engine 9 tons Baggage Capacity .............................................................................513 cu. ft. Wheelchair Lift Option...............................Interchangeable swap & plug Steering.........................................Steering wheel w/integrated controls, Tilt & telescopic, and integral power steering, (Variable Assistance Power Steering Available) Suspension.................................................Wide-stance tuned suspension w/liftable tag axle January/February 2012
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Motor Coach Industries
Motor Coach Industries
MCI® J4500
MCI® D4505/D4005
The MCI J4500 continues to be the best selling coach in the industry. Passengers appreciate its curb appeal and ergonomic entryway that includes grab rails and spiral stairwell. A new seating configuration increases legroom by a 1/2 inch at every seat. For 2012, the MCI J4500 is more reliable than ever with mechanical advances like a more dependable heater core to an engine that achieves better fuel economy. A wide-ride suspension improves handling and an optional steerable rear tag axle offers a tighter turning radius. Safety features include Electronic Stability Control, a SmartWave tire-pressure monitoring system, a fire suppression system and optional three-point passenger seatbelts.
Part of the industry’s all-time best-selling series of coaches, the 45-foot MCI D4505 and 40-foot D4005 are renowned for their durability, dependability, curb appeal and ride. Included are front-axle Koni shocks for a smoother, more responsive ride. Other improvements include LED courtesy lighting in the parcel racks, and four 10-inch Blaupunkt video monitors as standard equipment. The models feature an ACTIA multiplex system, a fourth-generation technology with more capabilities to maximize a coach’s performance, and an ergonomic driver dash for easy interfacing.
Seating Capacity ............................................................................56 Length............................................................................................45’ Width...........................................................................................102” Height ....................................................................................140.75” Wheelbase...................................................................................315” Overhang (front) ......................................................................78.25” Overhang (rear)......................................................................150.25” Inside Height (min./max.) ........................................................78.25” Turning Radius ..............................................................................47’ Baggage Capacity .............................................................595 cu. ft. Tire Size ..........................................Firestone® 315/80 R22.5, L-rated Wheels ....................................................Hub-piloted steel 22.5 x 9.0 Engine .........................Cummins ISX 11.9L, 425 HP w/ Engine Brake Option: DD13 12.8 Liter, 410 HP 1450 Ft.-Lbs. w/ Engine Brake Transmission.......................Allison B500 automatic trans, 6 forward speeds and one reverse speed or ZF-ASTronic transmission Brakes...............................................................Meritor all-wheel disc Fuel Tank Capacity ...........................................................210 US gal. Cooling System...........Parallel radiator and charge air cooler system Wheelchair Lift Option ...................................................................Yes Steering System .............Leather-wrapped tilt & telescoping steering wheel with ZF variable ratio steering Suspension.........................................Air Suspension with automatic leveling & kneeling feature Page 48
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Seating Capacity .....................................................................55 / 47 Length ...................................................................................45’ / 40’ Width...........................................................................................102” Height .........................................................................................137” Wheelbase........................................................................318” / 279” Overhang (front) ....................................................................76.125” Overhang (rear) .........................................................153.1” / 131.5” Inside Height (min./max.) ........................................................78.25” Turning Radius ...................................................................47’ / 44.7’ Baggage Capacity ..........................................509 cu. ft. / 424 cu. ft. Tire Size ..........................................Firestone® 315/80 R22.5, L-rated Wheels .................................................Hub-mounted steel 22.5 x 9.0 Engine .........................Cummins ISX 11.9L, 425 HP w/ Engine Brake Option: Cummins ISL 8.9L, 380 HP w/ Transmission Retarder Transmission...............................................................Allison B500 or ZF-ASTronic transmission Brakes ..........................................................................All Wheel Disc Fuel Tank Capacity ...........................................................164 US gal. Cooling System ...........................High-mounted parallel radiator and charge air cooler Wheelchair Lift Option ...................................................................Yes Steering System.....................................Ross integral power steering Suspension......Air suspension w/automatic levelling & kneeling feature
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Motor Coach Industries
Motor Coach Industries
MCI® E4500
MCI® Commuter Coach CNG, Hybrid And Clean-Diesel
Loaded with curb appeal, MCI’s flagship luxury E4500, the first of its kind, offers a sumptuous ride with a standard steerable tag axle, along with an amenity package including the standard Cummins Road Relay system. Safety features include Electronic Stability Control, a SmartWave tire-pressure monitoring system, a fire suppression system and optional three-point passenger seatbelts.
Built and appointed for more comfortable intercity commutes, these 45- and 40-foot coaches present plenty of curb appeal and are renowned for their durability and dependability. Offered in clean-diesel, hybrid or CNG configurations, the BuyAmerica compliant and Altoona-tested MCI Commuter Coach gains the newest generation ACTIA multiplex system and an ergonomic reconfigured drive dash. Electronic Stability Control, a SmartWave tire-pressure monitoring system and Amerex fire suppression system are standard. Options include reverse sensing, GPS, video surveillance systems and three-point passenger seatbelts, along with Wi-Fi connectivity and power-outlets for personal electronic devices.
Seating Capacity ............................................................................42 Length............................................................................................45’ Width...........................................................................................102” Height ....................................................................................140.75” Wheelbase...................................................................................315” Overhang (front) ......................................................................78.25” Overhang (rear)......................................................................150.25” Inside Height (min./max.) ........................................................78.25” Turning Radius ..............................................................................45’ Baggage Capacity (below floor) .........................................595 cu. ft. Tire Size ..........................................Firestone® 315/80 R22.5, L-rated Wheels.....................................Alcoa polished aluminum hub-piloted 22.5 x 9.0 with Durabright finish Engine .........................Cummins ISX 11.9L, 425 HP w/ Engine Brake Option: DD13 12.8 Liter, 410 HP 1450 Ft.-Lbs. w/ Engine Brake Transmission...........Allison B500 automatic trans, 6 forward speeds and one reverse speed or, ZF-ASTronic transmission Brakes....................................................Meritor EX225 all wheel disc Fuel Tank Capacity ...........................................................210 US gal. Cooling System ...........Parallel radiator and charge air cooler system Wheelchair Lift Option ...................................................................Yes Steering System .............Leather-wrapped tilt & telescoping steering wheel with ZF variable ratio & steerable tag axle Suspension....................Electronically controlled air suspension with kneeling & high and low-ride features
Motor Coach Industries; 1700 E. Golf Road, Suite 300, Schaumburg, IL 60173; 847-285-2000; 800-428-7626; Fax: 847-285-2013 Email: marketing@mcicoach.com; Web site: www.mcicoach.com
Model .....................................MCI® Commuter Coach D4500/D4000 Available in CNG, Hybrid & Clean-Diesel Seating Capacity ..........................D4500: 57 Pass.; D4000: 49 Pass. Length..................................................D4500: 45.42’; D4000: 40.50’ Height .........................................................................................137” Wheelbase ................................................D4500: 318”; D4000: 279” Inside Height (min./max.) ........................................................78.25” Engine Options..............................................Cummins ISX 11.9 liter; Cummins ISL 8.9 Liter; Cummins ISLG, 8.9 Liter Transmission Options............................................Allison B500 (ISX); Allison B500R with retarder (ISL); Allison Ep50 Electric Drive Propulsion System Fuel Tank Capacity.........................................................164 U.S. Gal. Fuel Options ...................................................................ULSD or CNG GVWR ................................................................................50,000 lbs. January/February 2012
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ABC Companies
ABC Companies
Van Hool T2145/T2140
Van Hool C2045
Renowned for its performance, comfort, and luxury, the Van Hool T2100 series offers more refinements to create a prestigious touring vehicle. Designed for high style and maximum comfort, an impressive lineup of standard features are offered aboard ABC’s highline touring coach to attract the most discriminating passengers. The T2100 series is newly enhanced with a variety of optional safety features including Electronic Stability Control, Hella DynaView® Headlight System, Iteris Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Smartire Smartwave Tire Pressure Monitoring System and Kidde Fire Detection and Suppression System. The T2100 series is offered in a 45-foot length, 57 passenger coach or a 40-foot length, 49 passenger coach — ideal for smaller groups. The T2140 model is the only European premium 40foot touring coach sold in the United States and complements the T2145 model, according to ABC Companies.
Smart operators can drive new revenues to their bottom line with the versatile, reliable, distinctively designed Van Hool C2045. This coach offers rugged reliability for shuttle and line hauls as well as passenger amenities that deliver a luxury motorcoach experience for tour and charter operations. Designed for comfort and performance, the quality-engineered C2045 offers easy maintenance and interchangeability of major replacement parts and now a host of new optional safety enhancements including Electronic Stability Control, Hella Dyna View® Headlight System, Iteris Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Smartire Smartwave Tire Pressure Monitoring System and Kidde Fire Detection and Suppression System. The C2045 also offers a lineup of design and engineering features that integrate “green” benefits as well. The C2045 provides a complete line of powertrain options — re-engineered to seamlessly accommodate new emission components; an interior baseboard heater system — allowing the driver to heat the interior cabin without running the engine; a space-enhancing rear window option — dramatically enhancing interior space look and feel; and new rounded parcel racks — enabling the installation of big screen monitors. The C2045 provides the most advanced components integrated with innovative and cutting-edge technology.
ABC Companies; 1506 30th Street, NW; Faribault, MN 55021 USA; 507-334-1871 Fax: 507-334-0246 E-mail: bborwege@abc-companies.com Web site: www.abc-companies.com
Model ........................................................Van Hool T2145 / Van Hool T2140 Seating Capacity...................................................................40’- 49 / 45’- 57 Length.....................................................................................................40’ / 45’ Width ...............................................................................................................102” Height .......................................................................................................11’ 10.5” Engine ...............................................................Detroit DD13 2010 Emissions Transmission.................................................................................Allison B500 Chassis .......................................................................................Stainless Steel Air Conditioning .....................................................................................Carrier Wheelchair Lift Option.................................................................................Yes Steering .................................................................................ZF Variable Ratio Suspension.............................................................Independent Front & Tag
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Model ........................................................................................Van Hool C2045 Seating Capacity .............................................................................................57 Length ...............................................................................................................45’ Width ...............................................................................................................102” Height .............................................................................................................11’6” Engine ...............................................................Detroit DD13 2010 Emissions Transmission.................................................................................Allison B500 Chassis .......................................................................................Stainless Steel Air Conditioning .......................................................................Carrier-Sutrak Wheelchair Lift Option.................................................................................Yes Steering .................................................................................ZF Variable Ratio Suspension.............................................................Independent Front & Tag
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ABC Companies
ABC Companies
Van Hool TD925
GCA 3035RE Rear Engine Coach
The highline Van Hool TD925 double deck coach makes a bold statement in any marketplace. With passenger seating up to 83, this coach is an industry frontrunner in reduced carbon emissions and fuel consumption — providing an additional 43 percent more passenger capacity and up to 486 passenger miles per gallon. Featuring an upper deck sky view rooftop, centrally located restroom, ample storage, front and rear stairs, dual-deck entertainment system and more, the TD925 offers one of the most innovative coach designs offered to the U.S.-traveling public since the Scenicruiser®. Proportioned steps and wide doorways provide easy access and easy loading and unloading from both the front and the rear staircases. The lowered aisle and increased interior height enables every passenger to walk upright through the coach. Three point seat belts (lap belts) are standard on all seats. Individual lighting and ventilation, together with state-of-theart, integrated heating and air conditioning systems with upper and lower controls at each level, provide a comfortable environment for all passengers.
Model.........................................................................................Van Hool TD925 Seating Capacity ..................................................................................81 or 83 Length................................................................................................44’ 4 9/32” Width ...............................................................................................................102” Height .....................................................................................................13’ 11/16” Engine ....................................................Cummins ISX 11.9L 2010 Emissions Transmission ..............................................................................Allison B500R Chassis .......................................................................................Stainless Steel Air Conditioning .......................................................................Carrier-Sutrak Wheelchair Lift Option ...................................................................ADA Ramp Steering .................................................................................ZF Variable Ratio Suspension.............................................................Independent Front & Tag
Exclusively manufactured in the USA for ABC Companies by General Coach America, the 3035RE continues to bridge the gap between small and large coach requirements, offering a host of amenities commonly found aboard its full-size counterparts. Its exclusive rear-engine design delivers a traditional “motorcoach” look while inside appointments, including contoured parcel racks, big screen monitors, and underfloor cargo storage, offer smaller groups the same travel experience as a full-sized coach. Built on the Freightliner XBR chassis, the 3035RE features steel and stainless steel construction and a host of big-coach style features and body styling. The ergonomic driver’s cockpit and passenger-friendly entrance offers state-of-the-art design with tilt and telescopic steering wheel and curved modesty panels to create easy, snag-free flow into the passenger area. A rear window option is offered — creating an open, roomy feel in the rear seating area. With product development driven by market demand for more “coach-like” styling and features in small group transport, the 35-foot rear engine coach is truly a fusion of mid-size efficiency with big coach design.
Model................................................................................................GCA 3035RE Seating Capacity.................................41 w/o Lavatory; 39 with Lavatory Length ..........................................................................................................34’11” Width ...............................................................................................................102” Height..............................................................................................................138” Engine ...................................................................................................Cummins Transmission.................................................................................Allison B300 Chassis.....................................................................................Freightliner XBR Air Conditioning ..........................................................AC350 Roof Mounted Wheelchair Lift Option.................................................................................Yes Steering .........................................................................ZF 8018 Steering Box Suspension ..................................................................ZF Independent Front w/60 Degree Wheel Cut
January/February 2012
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Temsa
Setra
Temsa TS 35
ComfortClass S 407
The world class Temsa TS 35 coach is manufactured in Turkey and was introduced to the U.S. market by CH Bus Sales in 2009. The TS 35 is a full integral mid-size coach that provides the same level of comfort and amenities as a full-size coach. This mid-size coach offers a luxurious and spacious interior for passengers and driver. Its integral construction ensures a smooth and stable ride, while its maneuverability will help access remote places. With an American driveline (Cummins/Allison), the TS 35 provides excellent power and optimum serviceability. These are combined with European quality and craftsmanship to create a high-quality driving experience. The TS 35 is constructed from stainless steel for extra durability and safety. Its stringently tested to ensure the highest standards. Temsa and CH Bus Sales plan to introduce a Temsa 30-foot model to the U.S. market in 2012.
Setra has built a motorcoach that can be used for more business applications – providing greater value for the coach operator. Transporting more passengers with more trips provides greater opportunities to build business and receive an even greater return on investment. The Setra ComfortClass S 407 delivers quality German engineering and European styling. This motorcoach was designed to combine functionality with the ability to meet grueling work demands. It is engineered for heavy-duty transportation applications, ranging from continuous line haul and commuter travel, all the way through to group tours and charters. Product safety is evident in every detail. For the past 60 years, Setra has been setting the standards in bus and coach safety with advanced, integrated active and passive safety systems. Disc brakes on all wheels, ABA braking system with antislip control, and Allison retarder as standard, combined with rugged, weight-optimized self-supporting frame structure and a 40-foot turning radius make the Setra ComfortClass S 407 one of the safest vehicles on the road today. New for 2012 is Setra’s Electronic Stability Program (ESP) for all models.
CH Bus Sales 1941 Cardinal Lane, Faribault, MN 55021 USA Phone: 507-331-7911; Fax: 507-331-1338 EMail: bfoley@chbussales.com • Web: www.chbussales.com Model...............................................................................................Temsa TS 35 Seating Capacity.............................................................................................40 Length ...............................................................................................................35’ Width............................................................................................................100.4” Height ..........................................................................................................138.6” Engine .......................................................Cummins ISL 8.9 345 HP – EPA10 Transmission...............................................Allison B500 (retarder option) Chassis....................................................Frameless monocoque chassis in stainless steel Air Conditioning .......................................Roof type air conditioning unit 32kW/Carrier 05G Wheelchair Lift Option ...................................Ricon brand, Mirage model Steering...........................................................................................TRW THP-80 Suspension.........Front: Independent with adjustable shock absorber and torsion bar type stabilizer x 2 air bellows; Rear: Adjustable shock absorbers x 4 air bellows
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January/February 2012
Setra Of North America 6012-B High Point Road, Greensboro, NC 27407 USA Phone: 800-882-8054; Fax: 336-878-5403 Email: sales@dcbusna.com • Web: www.setra-coaches.com Model.................................................................................ComfortClass S 407 Seating Capacity.............................................................................................56 Length ...............................................................................................................45’ Width ...............................................................................................................102” Height.................................................................................................................12’ Engine ............................................................Mercedes-Benz OM 471 EPA 10 410 hp or 450 hp Transmission................................Allison B500R or ZF Astronic 12-speed Chassis .............................................................................Monocoque Integral Wheelchair Lift Option.................................................................................Yes Air Conditioning ..................................................TopAir Bock Compressor Steering .............................................................................................................ZF Suspension ...........................................................................Industry Leading
0112Busline.FINAL_Layout 1 1/16/12 11:03 AM Page 53
BCI America The Explorer 45
Home of the Best Full-Service Travel Plaza in Northern Illinois Featuring… Bus and Coach International (BCI) has announced the launch of its first North American motorcoach: The Explorer 45. The Explorer 45 is a luxury coach designed with customers in mind. This vehicle offers many luxurious features including a sleek exterior design, an ergonomically designed dash, comfort focused seating, a wide, spacious layout and a large amount of luggage space. The Explorer 45 is the ultimate tour coach. All BCI vehicles are built with strict design rules and engineering. The Explorer 45 combines standard U.S. componentry with world class quality and design. Each unit comes standard with a 2010 EPA Cummins ISX 11.9L, an Allison B500, ZF axles and suspension, Knorr Bremse braking system, and a Parker multiplex. The Explorer 45 also includes 3-point seat belts and a rear lavatory. All buses pass both the ECE 66 and ADR 59 rollover testing. BCI is proud to be supported throughout North America by its network of well-established bus dealers. BCI celebrates its North American launch at Booth 134 at the 2012 UMA Motorcoach Expo. BCI America 30 N. Raymond St., Ste. 413 Pasadena, CA 91103 Phone: 888-58 BUSES; Fax: 888-759-0860 Email: infous@bcibus.com • Web: www.bciamerica.net
Model ................................................................................................Explorer 45 Seating Capacity.............................................................................................56 Length ...............................................................................................................45’ Width ...............................................................................................................102” Height .............................................................................................................11’8” Engine ..................................................Cummins ISX 2010 EPA 11.9L 425 hp Transmission.................................................................................Allison B500 Chassis..............................................................................................................BCI Air Conditioning...........................................................................Eberspacher Wheelchair Lift Option.................................................................................Yes Steering ..................................................................................................ZF 8098 Suspension................................................................................................Wabco
Seating for 175, Homestyle Cooking, Daily Specials, Buffet, Soup & Salad Bar, Full Menu, Carry-Out
(815) 562-5840
Seating for 40, Specialty Sandwiches, Homemade Soup, Fresh Salads & Sides, Blue Bunny Ice Cream!
(815) 561-9595
Designated Bus Parking and Pull-Thru Fueling Island
Bus Drivers & Tour Guides Eat free! Mini-Mall — 2 Stores with over 5,000 sq. ft. of shopping!
ATM, Major Credit Cards accepted. I-39 & Hwy 38, Exit 99 Rochelle, IL
OPEN 24 HOURS
Please call ahead! January/February 2012
BUSLINE
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What can you expect from UMA Motorcoach EXPO 2012 to help you elevate your business? t 5P MFBSO BCPVU DVSSFOU JOEVTUSZ UPQJDT GSPN B GVMM TMBUF PG /&8 FEVDBUJPOBM TFNJOBST UIBU BEESFTT XIBU JT NPTU JNQPSUBOU UP NPUPSDPBDI PQFSBUPST OPX t 5P QSFWJFX OFX BOE JOOPWBUJWF QSPEVDUT TFSWJDFT BOE UFDIOPMPHZ GSPN PWFS FYIJCJUJOH DPNQBOJFT PO UIF TIPX nPPS 5IJT ZFBS TFF QSPEVDUT OFWFS TFFO CFGPSF PO UIF TIPX nPPS t 5P FYQBOE ZPVS QSPGFTTJPOBM OFUXPSL CZ NFFUJOH UIF CSJHIUFTU BOE CFTU JO UIF JOEVTUSZ BU UIF NBOZ OFUXPSLJOH FWFOUT‰DPNF BOE CVNQ JOUP PME GSJFOET BOE NFFU OFX POFT t 5P IBWF GVO .BLF ZPVS USJQ UP &910 JOUP B WBDBUJPO BOE FOKPZ BMM UIF CFBVUJGVM CFBDIFT BUUSBDUJPOT BOE TVOTIJOF UIBU -POH #FBDI PGGFST
Registration Now Open! Visit www.motorcoachexpo.com or contact the UMA offices at 1.800.424.8262 for more information. See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #743
Same low ce registration pri as last year— tor for UMA opera members!
0112Busline.FINAL_Layout 1 1/16/12 11:03 AM Page 55
BOWMANSDALE
HANOVER
2112 Bumble Bee Hollow Rd. Off Rt. 15 s Mechanicsburg, PA 717-697-5383
991 Carlisle St., Rt. 94 s 717-632-7531 350 Eisenhower Dr. s 717-632-0005 1448 Baltimore St. s 717-630-0337
CAMP HILL
HARRISBURG
4230 Trindle Road s 717-737-3896
CARLISLE 60 Noble Blvd. in Super Walmart 717-960-9400 608 E. High St. s 717-249-7721 1176 Harrisburg Pike s 717-243-7774 905 Walnut Bottom Rd. s 717-249-0694
CEDAR CLIFF Exit 19 off I-83 s Camp Hill, PA 717-737-6404
CHAMBERSBURG 1075 Lincoln Way East s 717-263-4601
NORTH CHAMBERSBURG 2891 Philadelphia Avenue (US 11 N.) 717-263-2970
CLEONA 493 W. Penn Avenue s 717-272-5677
COLUMBIA 1788 Columbia Ave., off Rt. 30 717-684-7048
DILLSBURG 898 North US Rt. 15 s 717-432-9500
King & Water Streets s 717-299-6699 Manor Shopping Center 1296 Millersville Pk. s 717-293-5706
NEWPORT Rt. 322 and Rt. 34, Newport Exit 717-567-9344
LEMOYNE
PALMYRA
Rts. 11 and 15 North across from Radisson Hotel s 717-761-7992
901 E. Main St. s 717-838-6815
2929 Paxton St. s 717-561-8050 LEBANON 4605 Jonestown Rd. s 717-652-7035 1202 W. Maple St. s 717-273-8691 7845 Linglestown Rd.s 717-545-8580 757 E. Cumberland St. s 717-273-9023 Rt. 83 and Union Deposit Rd. 1725 Quentin Rd., Lebanon, PA 717-564-9320 717-306-6565 4403 N. Front St. s 717-238-1048 LITITZ Harrisburg East Mall/Rt. 83 and Paxton St. 990 Lititz Pike, Rt. 501 N. 717-561-0703 717-627-4666 Eisenhower Blvd. I-283, Exit 1 LITTLESTOWN 717-939-6972 430 North Queen St.s 717-359-8946 5590 Allentown Blvd., Rt. 22 LYKENS VALLEY Exit 26 off I-81 s 717-652-9123 4660 Rt. 209s 717-362-8416 Kline Plaza, 101 S. 25th St. MANHEIM 717-232-0008 711 Lancaster Rd., Rt. 72s 717-664-4944 Uptown Shopping Center MECHANICSBURG 720 Division St. s 717-236-6226 Wesley Dr. Exit, Rt. 15 Harrisburg Airport s 717-948-3900 717-761-7525 6535 Grayson Rd. in Wal-Mart KMart Plaza, 5600 Carlisle Pike 717-561-0445 717-766-9675 HERSHEY 6250 Carlisle Pike in Wal-Mart Rts. 39 and 322 s 611 E. Main St., 717-591-9864 Hummelstown s 717-566-6041
PINE GROVE I-81, Exit 31 s 717-345-6400
RED LION 897 West Broadway s 717-246-1802 655 Lombard St., Cape Horn Plaza 717-246-7801
SCOTLAND 3347 Black Gap Rd. s 717-263-7507
SHIPPENSBURG 333 East King St. s 717-532-7945
SHREWSBURY Exit 1 off I-83 s 717-235-4663
SILVER SPRING Rt. 114 and Shadow Oak Dr. Mechanicsburg, PA s 717-697-3460
SPRINGETTSBURY Hallam Exit off Rt. 30, Rt. 462 717-757-9655
WAYNESBORO 302 East Main St. s 717-762-9201
YOCUMTOWN Exit 14A off I-83 s 717-938-5705
EAST MANCHESTER
JONESTOWN
MERCERSBURG
YORK
4245 North George St. s 717-266-3170
Rt 72 & I-81 s 610-562-8462
11924 Buchanan Trial West 717-328-0111
2125 York Crossing Dr & Rt 74 717-767-1381 Exit 4, I-83, 133 Leader Heights Road 717-747-9191 York Galleria Mall s 717-757-3026 60 Arsenal Rd. s 717-699-4600 Exit 6W off I-83 s 717-845-9360 3141 Carlisle Road, Dover 717-767-2594 144-158 S. George St. s 717-846-1021 Rts. 30 & 74 in Wal-Mart s 717-764-8923 380 Memory Lane s 717-757-2912
ELIZABETHTOWN
LANCASTER
1284 S. Market St. s 717-367-6471
1880 Hempstead Rd. s 717-509-6988 Willow Valley Square s 717-464-5119 1829 Oregon Pike s 717-569-7898 1434 Manheim Pike s 717-394-3417 Rt. 30 and Centerville Rd. Lancaster, PA s 717-393-9523 68 East Town Mall, Rt. 30E Lancaster, PA s 717-394-8957 1755 Columbia Ave. Millersville Exit off Rt. 30, Rt. 462 717-397-5112 575 N. Franklin St., next to McCuskey High School s 717-394-7938 2034 Lincoln Hwy East in Wal-Mart 717-390-1099
ENOLA Enola Rd., Exit Rt. 11 15 S. off Rt. 81 s 717-732-4228
EPHRATA 140 N. Reading Rd. s 717-733-1660
GETTYSBURG 517 S. Steinwehr Ave., Bus. Rt. 15 717-334-5920 1090 York Rd. s 717-337-1030
GREENCASTLE Rt. 16 and I-81 s 717-597-2589
HALIFAX 3761 Peter’s Moutain Rd. s 717-896-2535
MIDDLETOWN 2270 W. Harrisburg Pike s 717-944-9535
MIFFLINTOWN Rt. 322 and Rt. 35, Mifflintown Exit 717-436-9779
MYERSTOWN 295 West Lincoln Avenue (Rt. 422) 717-866-2278
NEW CUMBERLAND 101 Limekiln Rd. s 717-774-1027
NEW HOLLAND 828 W. Main St. s 717-354-9300
NEW OXFORD 6040 York Rd., Rts. 30 and 94 717-624-4266
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.
0112Busline.FINAL_Layout 1 1/16/12 11:03 AM Page 56
The true value of a Prevost coach goes far beyond the purchase price. Prevost coaches enrich your reputation by dependably transporting your passengers in comfort, style and safety. They move your business forward by ensuring the best possible fuel efficiency and lowest operating cost. Our high-deck H-Series Coach offers state-of-the-art amenities that elevate every passenger’s experience. And our longer-wheelbase X3-45 Coach combines a luxurious ride with a wider entry and 80"-high interior passenger space. All Prevost motorcoaches are built to deliver exceptional performance, durability and value. Which makes Prevost the safest investment in a complex industry that’s always on the move.
Please contact your Prevost Regional Sales Manager for more information. USA 1-877-773-8678
CANADA 418-883-3391
www.prevostcar.com
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #1439
T h e u l t i m a t e c l a s s.