MOTOR COACH INDUSTRIES / 2015
ALL STAR OPEN HOUSES
Reliability Rallies offer up onsite deals and training opportunities
T.C.O.
Total cost of operation
Value-minded buyers see comparison
MOdel Behavior
MCI designer keeps it real on a small scale
MCI
Broadens
CANADIAN SUPPORT
All Star Open Houses/
Onsite deals, training opportunities & more...
High vs. Low Floors/
MCI Commuter Coach holds the edge...
Total Cost of Operation/
Value-minded buyers see the comparison...
Bendix Technologies/
Options boost safety on the MCI J4500...
Fleet Service & Support/ MIller Transportation thinks MCI for their fleet service needs...
Video Walk-Throughs for Drivers/
MCI announces the video walk through series for drivers and staff...
MCI Canadian Support/ MCI expands Canadian customer support ...
Reliability Pre Driven/
At MCI Pre-Owned means Pre-Known...
Model Behavior/
Keeping it real on a small scale...
MCI Online Tech Training/
The advantage of web-based learning...
All That Jazz/
Setra coaches at UMA in New Orleans...
At MCI, we live our Reliability Driven philosophy/ Learn what MCI CEO Rick Heller has to say about MCI on Motorcoach Travel News (MTN), a web-based production hosted by ABA Senior Director of Communications Dan Ronan, an Emmy-Award-winning former CNN correspondent. Ronan caught up with MCI CEO Rick Heller at ABA Marketplace. Click here to hear their conversation and how MCI’s Quality at the Source initiative is leading to improvements in coach reliability, parts and service.
FIND US Questions and feedback: 200 East Oakton Street Des Plaines, Illinois 60018 Phone: 866-MCICOACH Email: info@mcicoach.com www.mcicoachcom
All Star Open Houses Reliability Rallies/
All Star Open House Reliability Rallies offer up onsite deals, training opportunities MCI has been celebrating the best-selling rankings of its MCI J4500 and D-Series coaches during its “All Star� open houses 4
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at its MCI Sales and Centers this spring and summer. MCI and Setra operators who attend find their own reasons to celebrate: amazing deals on coaches, parts and service; demo-drives; MCI training and supplier partner educational sessions; and food, fun and prizes. The April 28th
open house at the Dallas MCI Sales and Service Center drew more than 60 guests, representing 30 motor coach operators. Remaining open houses include Blackwood, N.J., on June 9; Winter Garden, Fla., on June 30; and Montreal, Quebec, on Oct. 13.
Remaining open houses include Blackwood, N.J., on June 9; Los Alamitos, Calif., on June 30; and Montreal, Quebec, on Oct. 13.
“We are inviting all our customers and prospects to join us for a fun day and to bring those from their company that might benefit from the experience,” said Patricia Ziska, MCI vice president of new coach sales. “The open houses showcase not just the depth of our product offerings, but highlight
our unified team approach to service, and our Reliability Driven promise in all that we do.” Open-house deals will include down-payment discounts on demos and in-stock inventory; 10 percent off of parts purchased at the event; a discounted $59
hourly labor rate on service scheduled during the open house; and $5,000 off any pre-owned coach purchased during the open house. Operators should RSVP to mcicoach.com/open-house.
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High Floor Versus Low Floor/ MCI Commuter Coach holds the edge in long-distance, high-speed routes
As the nation faces a future with workers commuting longer distances to jobs, greater time demands and fluctuating energy costs, North American coach builder Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is succeeding in getting more riders onto upscale, eco-friendly and energy-efficient coaches.
more and more employers are seeing the BENEFITS that employee transportation solutions offer THEIR companies. 6
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“For companies that need to attract far-flung employees by offering shuttle services and for transit agencies adding long-distance express route service, the MCI Commuter Coach has emerged as an appealing, affordable, and flexible solution that’s up to highway travel,” said Brent Maitland, MCI vice president of Marketing and Product Planning. Maitland maintains that the high-floor MCI Commuter Coach offers inherent advantages over typical low-floor buses, including a safer design, low total cost of ownership and improved passenger satisfaction. The proof is in the numbers: The Commuter
Coach was the company’s top seller in 2014, and the industry’s topselling intercity coach.
Safer by design Riders, transit agencies and corporations have embraced the coach because it offers a sturdy stainless steel semi-monocoque structure that lends itself to longterm durability, and its long-travel suspension affords a smooth, stable ride at highway speeds. Advanced safety features include electronic stability control (which helps secure directional stability), fire suppression and tire pressure monitoring systems. “Optional three-point passenger seatbelts are available now and will be standard in 2016,” said Tom Wagner, vice president of MCI Public Sector, who notes that many of MCI’s innovations are driven by regulatory and agency requirements. MCI also makes the coach available in clean diesel, CNG
or Hybrid powertrain configurations to advance companies’ and communities’ energy-efficiency goals.
TCO Safety isn’t the only consideration for those comparing high- and low-floor buses. Seating capacity — and cost — factor in as well. With seating for 57 passengers, the MCI Commuter Coach has a lower per-seat cost, with 42 percent more seating capacity, versus that of a typical 40-foot transit bus. A recent National Transit Database Maintenance report also finds the MCI Commuter Coach to have 191 percent fewer failures per vehicle than BRT and 55 percent fewer than typical transit buses.
Passenger Satisfaction The higher floor design provides a sweeping view for the driver and passengers. “Plus, the interior amenities rival those of airline
travel,” said Maitland. The Commuter Coach is equipped with forward-facing seating, with individual reading lights and airflow controls. There are also options for power outlets and USB ports at each seat along with Wi-Fi. With final assembly at MCI’s Pembina, North Dakota, plant, the Commuter Coach is Buy America compliant. “North Dakota is an example of commuters traveling to oil and mining jobs from surrounding states and communities where good jobs are scarcer,” said Maitland. “You’ll see MCI coaches on the roads early in the morning, taking people to their jobs.” It’s the same phenomenon closer to MCI’s corporate headquarters in Des Plaines, Ill., where Pace suburban bus transit system runs new MCI Commuter Coaches on its popular “Bus on Shoulder” service. Pace recently announced it is increasing service on its Bus on Shoulder routes due to dramatic ridership increases.
The buses using the shoulder cannot travel at speeds greater than 35 mph, or 15 mph faster than the flow of regular traffic — whichever is less. Special signage and roadway markings show where buses can use the shoulder, and the buses have markings indicating authorization to use the shoulder. “The trend for leading corporations and larger transit agencies to adopt some form of fast-bus service is moving to a necessity,” said Wagner. “We’re poised to meet the need by offering a tour-level riding experience that transcends typical transit by offering maximum performance and safety at highway speeds, paired with operating costs and reliability that make these coaches assets on so many levels.”
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Low Total Cost of Operat Value-minded buyers see comparison /
TCO is a smart starting point for customers to use when making model comparisons Mike Denny
VP COach Finance
When asked about criteria for new coach purchases, many motor coach operators will cite reliability as their numberone consideration, with the cost of the coach, finance rate and residual value following close behind. Operators are also more closely considering total cost of operation (TCO), a figure that takes into consideration residual value plus projected costs such as those revolving around fuel usage. MCI has found that favorable Bosch fuel-economy tests and continued vehicle durability give its J4500 coach the TCO advantage among its competitors. “TCO is a smart starting point for customers to use when making model comparisons,” said Mike Denny, MCI vice president of coach finance. “Whether you tend to keep a coach three or 10 years, your total ownership cost is going to 8
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be impacted by the amount of money you save in operational costs, along with the money you recoup when you sell it. “Over the first five years of new coach ownership, depreciation is typically the biggest expense — followed by the cost of fuel, maintenance and insurance. Choosing a coach that has better resale value than the others is, in the long run, a great way to save money.” MCI has gathered data on its J4500 model that verifies its low TCO compared to competitive models. The J4500 has attained significant fuel economy improvements, when EPAmandated engine changes led the company to implement powertrain optimization; that optimization, along with other recent improvements, deliver competitive advantages proven in third-party testing at Bosch.
tion :
oa ch
THE REPORT SHOWS: The MCI J4500 has a fuel cost savings of $24k versus the VanHool C2045 and $29k versus the Prevost H3-45 over 10 years Over 10 years, the MCI J4500 depreciates $7,350 less than the VanHool C2045 and $4,250 less than the Prevost H3-45
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Texas 9787 Clifford Drive Dallas, TX 75220 (800) 248-4942
Canada 3500 rue Saint-Patrick Montréal, QC H4E 1A2 (800) 663-3328
According to the Bus Solutions Blue Book the J4500 is worth $157,900 after 10 years: $4,250 more than H3-35 and $7,350 more than C2045. Other data point to MCI’s TCO advantage as well. The J4500 offers a leading warranty of 30 months or 250K miles with fewer exclusions, plus Super 60 extended warranty coverage, helping operators to better predict their costs for the first few years of ownership. MCI has also succeeded in making manufacturing and engineering improvements that have resulted in drastically lower warranty claims to begin with. MCI also fully supports its vehicles when it comes to service and parts. Parts fill rates are now at world-class rates, according to MCI Service Parts executives, which helps operators enjoy faster repairs and more uptime. MCI ships nearly 90 percent of all orders within 24 hours, with 95
percent of “Coach Critical” parts (those deemed essential for coach operation) shipped within the same time frame. In addition, MCI has been working to put more parts near customers, with strategic distribution points across the United States and Canada, plus more availability at MCI Service Centers. The quest for uptime also drives many of MCI’s other support services, including 24/7 emergency roadside assistance; expert technician training that includes hands-on as well as online LMS coursework; technical phone and field support; and continued investments in MCI Service Centers. “TCO encompasses so many things that affect a customer’s bottom line,” said Brent Maitland, MCI vice president of marketing and product planning. “Residual value and fuel consumption are the most obvious measures, and primarily what we base our figures on, but the qualities that make MCI ‘Reliability Driven’ also make it longterm value-driven.” Click here for more MCI TCO data in an easy-toread format.
Germany EvoBus GmbH Carl-Zeiss-StaB3 2 89231 Neu-Ulm
ToTAL COSTTheOF OPERATION mci advantage www.MCIcoach.com
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Fuel Econo
Class-leading fuel economy, another MCI advan
MCI J4500 vs. Van Hool C2045
BOSCH AUTOMOTIVE PROVING GROUNDS ENGINEERING TEST REPORT DATA
MCI J4500 AVERAGE MPG
8.70
Van Hool C2045 AVERAGE MPG
8.16
80,000 miles / $4.00 gallon Save $2,434 per year in fuel Save $24,341 over10-year ownership Real results. SERIOUS SAVINGS. 10 www.MCIcoach.com
omy
ncement
MCI J4500 vs. PREVOST H3-45
BOSCH AUTOMOTIVE PROVING GROUNDS ENGINEERING TEST REPORT DATA
MCI J4500 AVERAGE MPG
9.16
PREVOST H3-45 AVERAGE MPG
8.46
80,000 miles / $4.00 gallon Save $2,929 per year in fuel Save $29,287 over10-year ownership Real results. SERIOUS SAVINGS. www.MCIcoach.com
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Save Between $
The MCI J Series coaches can save you $29,000 in fuel over 10 years! That is s company that is committed to helping 12 www.MCIcoach.com
$24k-$29K
u between $24,000 and serious savings from the g you run a better business. www.MCIcoach.com
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coach upt
The new J4500 represents a quantum leap forward in coach
New for 2015 Robust ZF axles and suspension with tight-turning IFS (Independent Front Suspension), Bendix ADB 22X braking system, Denso alternator.
manufacturing Further improvements have come as a result of MCI’s investment in QAS (Quality at the Source) transformation. 14 www.MCIcoach.com
time
h reliability and uptime.
components Improvements include Bitzer A/C compressor, brushless condenser/evap motors, severe-duty tag axle unload valves.
Electrical Improvements include military spec multiplex modules, waterproof Deutsche connectors, and major reduction in wiring and connection points. www.MCIcoach.com
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Warranty Claims a
From 2013 through mid 2014, MCI’s u resulted in a 41% reduction in warrant fewer repairs.
REliabilityDriven 16 www.MCIcoach.com
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are down 41%
uptime enhancements have ty claims, which means
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REliabilityDriven www.MCIcoach.com
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parts & SER
Parts and service are now at world-class rates. These impr have led to faster repairs and better uptime.
89% 18 www.MCIcoach.com
Orders Shipped within 24 hours
RVICE
rovements
95% Coach Critical Orders Shipped
within 24 hours
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The parts you need. Whe
Fulfillment rate of all SKUs has improved 89% in July 2014. Fulfillment rate of Coac from 85% in January 2011 to 95% in July 2
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en you need them.
from 80% in January 2011 to ch Critical parts has improved 2014.
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Residual va
Used coach values are a major contributor in calculating t operation. MCI leads the way with top-of-class resale valu $170,000 $160,000
$157,900 $153,650 $150,550
$150,000
$146,300
$142,850
$140,000 $130,000
$125,300
$120,000 $110,000 $100,000
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Year 10
Year 11 J4500
C2045
H3-‐45
alue
total cost of ues.
Year
J4500 Worth $157,900
Year
J4500 Worth $146,300
Year
J4500 Worth $127,300
10
$127,300 $117,350 $ 117,200
11 12
That is $4,250 more than H345 and $7,350 more than the C2045.
That is $3,450 more than H345 and $21,000 more than the C2045.
That is $10,100 more than H345 and $9,950 more than the C2045.
Year 12 www.MCIcoach.com
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value add
From our warranty to our roadside assistance, from nationwide service outlets to training and support, MCI leads the way.
Leading Warranty
We oer an industry-leading 30-month / 250,000 mile warranty with fewer exclusions and Super 60 extended warranty coverage.
24/7 Roadside Assistance No matter if it is 2:00 a.m. in Tulsa or 2:00 p.m. in Tallahassee, if you need roadside assistance, we are here.
World-Class Support
From our technician training to our ďŹ eld service, we are here to help make sure you get the most out of your MCI products.
Nationwide Service Outlets A nationwide network of service providers means that even if you are on the road, a MCI technician is never far away. 24 www.MCIcoach.com
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ToTAL COSTTheOF OPERATION mci advantage www.MCIcoach.com
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BendixTechnologies Options Boost Safety on MCI J4500/
A suite of active safety and wheel-end technologies from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems are now available on the MCI J4500. Bendix ADB22X air disc brakes; its SmarTire Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS); and ESP Electronic Stability Program full-stability system by Bendix CVS are standard on the MCI J4500. Optional radar safety technologies include Bendix Wingman Advanced, a collision mitigation system; and Bendix Wingman ACB, active cruise with braking.
are our highest priorities when it comes to engineering MCI coaches, and Bendix technologies represent yet advancement in all three,” said Brent Maitland, vice president of marketing and product planning at MCI. “We’ve been through thorough testing that represent extremes in vehicle usage, from high mileage to cold weather, and feedback from the drivers and owners has been fantastic. Hundreds of these coaches are now in the field and working well with customers”
Bendix has produced a video of how its technologies work on the MCI J4500. Bendix is the North American leader in the development and manufacture of active safety and braking system technologies for commercial vehicles. This isn’t MCI’s first 2015 innovation. With the beginning of the model year, MCI added a new tighter-turning axle system with independent frontand tag-axle suspension; and smooth-stopping Bendix braking. “Vehicle safety, performance, and reliability
In the automotive industry, statistics on active safety technologies point to double-digit safety improvements, with frequency of events declining along with severity with one or more sensor based safety system, according to an article in the October 2014 edition of “Thinking Highways.” The article suggests that similar results could be expected of other vehicle types (i.e. motor coaches). It’s also important to note that fewer and less severe crashes tend to translate into less damage,
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Wingman collision mitigation system
driver-related time loss, and business interruption. So how do the Bendix safety systems work? Bendix ESP helps address both roll and directional instability through sensors that recognize and mitigate incidents. Bendix Wingman Advanced is built on the foundation of Bendix ESP. The technology uses a radar sensor mounted to the front of a vehicle to provide active cruise control with braking features, along with collision mitigation technology that delivers both warnings and active interventions to help drivers avoid accidents. The Bendix ADB22X air disc brake, manufactured by Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC, provides improved stopping power while virtually eliminating brake fade, offering drivers a car-like feel and straight, stable stops. BSFB is a joint venture of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Dana Commercial Vehicle Products, LLC.
Bendix’s SmarTire continuously monitors the pressure and temperature of each tire to provide real-time tire information to the driver. The temperature compensation feature allows the system to accurately monitor pressure whether the coach has been sitting idle or has been driving for hundreds of miles. “MCI is working closely with Bendix to help deliver lower total cost of vehicle ownership and strengthen return on investment in equipment, technology, and training,” said Maitland. “Our roadmap takes into account the new advances made by Bendix, and MCI will look to incorporate these on coaches if appropriate.”
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MillerTransportationThinks MCI For Fleet Service & Support/
With a vast inventory of components for MCI and Setra coaches, as well as those for most transit bus makes and models, MCI’s parts and service enterprise is focused on responding quickly to operators’ needs. Most recently, MCI added field representatives and enhanced its in-house 24/7 ERSA program. Parts warehousing locations have expanded to include Los Alamitos, Calif., and Edmonton, BC., with more parts available at all six MCI Service centers in the U.S. and Canada. MCI also guarantees 1,500 Coach Critical parts for MCI and Setra coaches will ship by next business day and offers a value-priced Coach Guard line, and monthly parts specials.
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These enhancements and world-class fill rates are prompting both private and public transportation providers to “Think MCI” for all types of bus and coach parts and service support. Miller Transportation acknowledges MCI’s role in its journey to becoming a successful growing transportation enterprise. The company, founded with a single school bus, today operates more than 28 MCI coaches from its tourand-charter operations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Indianapolis; and fixed route service through Chicago to Columbus, Ohio, in cooperation with Greyhound
Lines. The company also runs coaches made by other manufacturers, and MCI is able to supply parts for all of them. Emmet Miller, Sr., started his company in a way typical of the time in 1937 — he was a farmer supplementing his income. Miller drove his first school bus morning and afternoon, also tending to all of its maintenance. The business grew. In 1960, his two sons, Tom and Emmett Jr., officially joined the company after growing up in it. The Millers moved the business into transit and motor coach services. Today the company is run by third-generation family members: cousins John Miller, who oversees front-office business operations, and Greg Miller, responsible for the fleet maintenance. “We count on MCI for a vast amount of parts supply,” said Greg Miller. “They have people that care, and are dedicated to a quick turnaround. The training (available at the Louisville facility) keeps our staff up to date and the fleet running well. We find MCI Service Parts to be a reliable, dependable solution to our parts and training needs.”
manager. “If they don’t have what we need at the Louisville distribution center, it’s almost certain they can ship the part from another location. And they’ll work with us if we need a special re-engineered part.” MCI Service Parts also turns to Miller to test new parts it plans to market. “We’ll run our new parts on the MCI coaches and they give us performance feedback. It’s a great relationship,” said Scott Robertson, vice president of Product Lifecycle Management at MCI Service Parts. “Miller Transportation is one example of MCI’s dedication to providing world-class service and support, including parts, technical, warranty and training. Our approach is to provide the best service to keep coaches and buses running and earning revenue.” Poised for continued growth, Miller is looking back even as the company moves forward. Says Greg Miller, “We have only one wish: that our grandfather could see us now.”
“We like the turnaround,” said Dennis Hornbeck, shop
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MCI Introduces J4500 C VideoWalk-Throughs f
Our customers were asking for something their drivers could refer to so they could get up to speed on the operation of their new coaches. -Aram Nikitas, MCI regional vice president of sales 30 www.MCIcoach.com
Coach for Drivers/ Taking delivery of a coach can be a whirlwind experience. Between the signing of the papers, inspection of the vehicle, taking of the keys and breathing in that newcoach smell, it’s easy to forget the details of the vehicle orientation. For those who want a refresher, MCI has put together a series of brief videos accessible online and on mobile devices. In the 20 or so videos that have been shot so far, Aram Nikitas, MCI regional vice president of sales, takes customers through common new-coach coach challenges, such as finding and using the battery-disconnect switch; opening the baggage-bay door; and figuring out which dash switches do what. Each video lasts only a few minutes and includes easy-to-follow demonstrations of the operations at hand. There’s also a longer, full-walkthrough version. Says Nikitas, “Our customers were asking for something their drivers could refer to so they could get up to speed on the operation of their new coaches. The online videos are organized so it’s easy for a driver who’s on the road to use his or her phone to get a refresher on how to use the wheelchair lift, how to replace a headlight that’s failed and just about anything else they need to know about the coach.” MCI is currently launching videos for the J4500, with D-Series versions in the works. See more online at http:// www.mcicoach.com/luxury-coaches/J4500/videos.htm.
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MCI Broadens Canadian Support/ With its manufacturing roots in Canada, as well as a great deal of its recent growth, MCI has been moving to make sure its important customers to the north enjoy a service and support network that’s as vast and strong as the country itself. To that end, it has recently added Technical Solutions Managers Jeff Antoine and Remi Levesque to the team. TSMs serve an important role at MCI, helping MCI and Setra operators understand new technologies and gain expertise on various coach systems, and it’s not uncommon to find them under a customer’s hood, providing factory-level troubleshooting . Based near Toronto and serving all of Ontario, Antoine brings with him 12 years of automotive expertise, including stints as technician and dealership shop foreman. Private- and publicsector MCI and Setra customers will be able to count on him for knowledge in diagnostics, troubleshooting and electrical systems. Primarily serving Northeastern Canada, but lending a hand throughout the country, Levesque has a 15-year career as a coach and bus technician, including his tenure as lead
shop supervisor for First Canada, a division of First Transit. Knowledgeable in all coach components, Levesque has special expertise in electrical systems and HVAC, holding Setra certification in HVAC maintenance and repair. “Jeff’s and Remi’s skill levels and dedication will benefit our MCI and Setra operators,” said Dan Besserer, MCI director of Customer Solutions and Technical Services. “Both have experience as hands-on technicians and will support the expertise of our strong Canadian sales teams including Guy Charron and Guy Tessier, and TSM Chad Sadowy.” The additions of Antoine and Levesque come on the heels of MCI’s recent move of its Montreal MCI Sales and Service Center to a larger location at 3550 rue Saint-Patrick. MCI extensively renovated the building, outfitting it with state-of-the-art diagnostics and equipment as well as more mechanics. The new site is more convenient for customers, with more space for repair and parts inventory.
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ALLTHAT JA
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AZZ/
TEXT AND PHOTOS: THORSTEN WAGNER
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Coach market: Setra has been selling the Top-Class in the US for about eleven years, for the last two with a new importer. Reason enough for us to check out the UMA bus and coach show. The article that follows appeared in Lastauto Omnibus , an independent vehicle trade magazine in Germany. This is the English translation. The French Quarter in New Orleans seems to be somewhat out of place in the otherwise rather sober US world. People enjoy the musical and culinary pleasures of the South in an almost European and youthfully fresh way – most often to the creative beat of jazz, which has its US home here, so to speak. And not only during the exuberant Mardi Gras season, which is a little bit like our carnival. A Setra S 417 TC, which is the local name of the familiar 400-series from the Ulm-based manufacturer, seems similarly in tune in the American coach world. The proud overseas history of the bus and coach manufacturer began back in the 1950s with the legendary Silver Eagle and Golden Eagle models, which saw deliveries of about 200 units. After a hiatus, Setra soared to new heights with the S 215 HDH in 1984, and in 2014 consequently looked back on 30 years in the market.
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The 400-series was launched in the premium segment in 2003. To date, it has recorded sales of about 1,100 units. By 2007, the company from Ulm was already able to paste production number 500 on the windscreen at a UMA show in New Orleans. In 2011, the revised Comfort-Class with a markedly American look joined the line-up as the S 407. It did not reach numbers comparable to the Top-Class, however, because this vehicle was now positioned too close to the American midrange touring coaches offered by the new general distributor MCI (Motor Coach Industries) and recording sales of up to 600 units a year. With the discontinuation of the Orion brand in 2010, Daimler started looking for an experienced partner for the independent touring coach which it found in former competitor and market leader MCI. “In the early phase there was a certain learning curve for both partners,” explains Bernd Mack, responsible for the market management of both bus and coach brands in Ulm and Mannheim. “But now we are picking up steam and have also
The Setra Top-Class is an exceptional phenomenon in the US
MCI Regional VP New Coach Sales, Northwest Region Juan Lepe, from left, is joined by TourCoach Charter & Tours owners Vahid and Noonoosh Sapir and Daimler's Bernd Mack in the MCI booth at UMA Expo in New Orleans.
won the customers’ faith in the new constellation. We definitely want to get to triple-digit sales figures as quickly as possible and that is certainly achievable with MCI.” This would also be the prerequisite for more new product developments for the US market, such as a modified Top-Class 500, which some customers there miss sorely. The product and market strategy is coordinated closely with the general importer, especially because the market has very specific requirements. In terms of safety, the requirements are not quite as demanding as in Europe yet – apart from the new seat strength specifications, which today require them to withstand twenty times the Earth’s gravitational force and necessitate changes to the seat attachments. New and luxurious “Voyage Ambassador” leather seats are just one feature of the S 417 TC gracing the MCI exhibition stand in New Orleans. In
addition, the luxury coach, traditionally 45 feet long and 2.6 meters wide, sports a center door, which is uncommon in the US, the Setra TopSky glass roof and a high-end rear lounge – an absolutely exceptional phenomenon at the bus and coach show, which seems small in comparison with the Busworld Kortrijk. Customer interest in the vehicle is accordingly strong. Many major companies such as Arrow Stage Lines in Norfolk, Nebraska, or A Yankee Line in Boston, Massachusetts, put their business very deliberately in the premium image of the tradition-rich German brand. This is not least due to the high-quality design of the Top-Class, which purposely eschews the boxy, elongated and mostly standardized appearance of many American models. True, its two-piece windscreen is also bordered by thick rubber seals and the hallmark Setra rear-view mirrors have www.MCIcoach.com
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The driving experience of the US Setra is nothing short of phenomenal. been replaced with mirrors at driver height. In addition to the luxurious show vehicle, we have the opportunity to steer a more standard demo coach through New Orleans and its suburbs. The cockpit of the Top-Class is largely identical to the German version, apart from the missing shift knob, whose place is taken up by the control unit of the Allison automatic transmission, which is more reminiscent of an urban bus. As in Germany, the AS Tronic was recently discontinued and the ingenious PowerShift 8 box is not in the plans. Americans love acceleration without loss of tractive power too much. As do we . Another special feature performs its duty in the rear, the Mercedes OM471: it is the first representative of Daimler’s common-rail world engine, developed jointly with Detroit Diesel starting in 2007. With a few modifications it is marketed by the Daimler subsidiary as the DD13.
meters or 1,650 lb-ft of torque. Their delivery by means of the Allison transmission is nothing short of splendid. It doesn’t suffer from the by European standards rather modest horsepower figure at all. The engine revs up from low rpms in a way that warms the heart. In addition, there are no noticeable jolts when the transmission changes between the six available gears (overdrive with the longest gear ratio of 0.64 : 1) – which likewise contributes to the classy luxury feeling for the passengers in the Setra. In best Setra style, the touring coach doesn’t even get loud under maximum acceleration of the speed limit or around 130 km/h, which is the legal speed limit on US highways for all types of vehicles. In concert with the flawless suspension (the independent front wheel suspension from ZF will also debut on MCI touring coaches in 2015), the driving experience of the US Setra is nothing short of phenomenal.
Long before the introduction of Euro 6, still in the days of the hyped “EGR-SCR conflict” in Europe, it was clear that Daimler would also gravitate towards the combination of EGR and SCR for EPA10 compliance. Such are the communications pitfalls of a world engine for no less than three triad markets (US/EU/JP).
A minor fly in the ointment: due to the 400-series electronics system, little helpers such as ACC, LGS or ABA will still take a bit of time to materialise. For once, the lawmakers in the US were slower than those in the EU. However, ESP, Front Collision Guard and cornering lights are standard and make the Setra one of the safest coaches on interstate highways.
There are absolutely no pitfalls in the performance of the engine in concert with the automatic transmission. The six-cylinder engine with common-rail direct injection produces 456 horsepower and a whopping 2,100 Newton
After a photo stop at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the football arena, we return to the high-energy city, whose lively jazz music is also the perfect accompaniment on an extended trip in this exceptional US touring coach.
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Two sides of the same coin; Setra and new general distributor Motor Coach Industries Interview: MCI boss Rick Heller about the challenges of the US coach market. The interview was conducted by Thorsten Wagner.
Question: What influence has the sales and marketing of the Setra brand had on your product range in the highly specific and relatively limited US market since 2012? Heller: I believe that the two brands, MCI and Setra, are two sides of the same coin and perfect partners for each other. From the German point of view, the company needed a service and sales infrastructure, which was virtually impossible to realise as an independent business model. This is exactly the area where we as the largest manufacturer in the US are very close to our customers. On the other hand, we are able to round off our product range, which with the J4500 and D-series is more in the medium market segment, with a true luxury product at the top – in other words, a win-win situation for both sides. Question: What plans do you have in the coming years to position Setra even better? Heller: We are currently in the process of investing a lot of time and money in the aftersales support for the brand to further increase internal awareness for the concrete customer experience. When you buy a premium coach, you also expect premium service – and that is precisely what we want to achieve. To this end, we are working with the Evobus colleagues on more product enhancements in order to continue to play an absolute leading role. You will see a number of innovations in the future.
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Question: How would you describe your market position? Is there a threat from China? Heller: The competition is fierce, which is why we take all market players very seriously. They all do a good job, for which I have respect. But at the same time we must be better. To continue to be the market leader, we simply have to sell the best coaches and continuously offer innovations; otherwise we’ll quickly come to a standstill. The Chinese made a serious attempt about six years ago. But it is very difficult for these manufacturers to gain a foothold here. This is in particular an issue of after-sales and the resale values of used vehicles. Setra is an excellent position in the US especially with regard to the latter. Question: What challenges does the US coach market face in general? Heller: There are a number of new laws that would affect us greatly, for example, a new roll-over directive or further modifications to the windows. Both would make the vehicles much heavier. This involves a highly complex and lengthy legislative process. On the other hand, the macroeconomic trends can be viewed as highly positive. More and more people travel by coach, and for two reasons: firstly, many more young people travel by coach today than just ten years ago. And secondly, the somewhat older baby boomer generation is becoming increasingly important because it is this generation in particular that is taking more and more coach trips.
In the interview with Thorsten Wagner, MCI CEO Rick Heller focuses on the targeted product range expansion for MCI.
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Reliability Pre-Driven
AT MCI, PRE-OWNED MEANS
Mitch Guralnick, Vice President, Pre-Owned Coach Sales, in red shirt, center, and Patrick Scully, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketin Leone, Brian Hill, Guy Charron, Janet Cathey, Walter Sturdivant, Marshall Deems, Steve Mallin, Randy Wilcox and Bob Dethloff. Not pictured: G 42 www.MCIcoach.com
n.
S PRE-KNOWN/ Standing behind a pre-owned coach is easy when you’ve known it since it was new. That’s the MCI advantage. As part of the team that manufactures or distributes new MCI and Setra coaches, MCI’s seasoned pre-owned coach sales professionals know each pre-owned MCI and Setra vehicle inside and out. And that expertise extends to trade-ins of every make and model. MCI also gives buyers a pure OEM experience. “All six of our MCI Sales and Service centers feature pre-owned coach inventory,” said Mitch Guralnick, vice president of MCI Pre-Owned Sales. “A buyer has the advantage of not only working with highly experienced MCI representatives, but they can also take advantage of the service and parts available right at our service center. It’s a huge advantage because they can get a pre-driven coach with the confidence of buying from the OEM.” Many buyers of pre-owned coaches are just starting out in their businesses, so an experienced sales representative can be hugely helpful. It’s not unusual for an MCI representative to have been an owner-operator or a professional
ng, in grey shirt, center, with the MCI Pre-Owned Coach Sales Team, from left: John Guy Tessier. www.MCIcoach.com
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Walter Sturdivant, MCI’s pre-owned coach sales representative at the MCI Sales and Service Center in Blackwood, N.J, was recognized for his outstanding sales achievements in 2014.
driver, and many are longtime MCI employees. In the case of Walter Sturdivant, MCI’s pre-owned coach sales representative at the MCI Sales and Service Center in Blackwood, N.J., it was his desire to be a mechanic that brought him to MCI on April 16, 1974. After working for a golf course, where he repaired everything from trucks to carts, Sturdivant joined the MCI Service Center, formerly known as Hausman Bus Sales and Service, in Pitman, N.J., as a shop helper. He worked his way up, becoming an assistant mechanic, mechanic, service shop
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superintendent and shop manager. When MCI acquired Hausman in 1989, which at that time acted as MCI’s coach dealership, Bob Dethloff, Pre-Owned Coach sales representative in Des Plaines, Ill., was assigned to find new sales talent for the New Jersey location. “I suggested Walt,” said Dethloff. “He knew the shop customers and the coaches. I knew he could do it.” Sturdivant’s customers do, too. “‘Let’s make it happen,’ is a favorite saying of his,” said Howard Smith Sr., President and Founder of Oleta Coach Lines, Williamsburg, Va., who in the early ‘90s
bought his first coach from Sturdivant, and nine more through the years. Smith said, “Walt made a good choice. I rode on his integrity.”
2014. Both far surpassed their sales goals and are committed to exceeding customer expectations to create a trusted advisor relationship.
“Even when I was in the pit working on a coach at Hausman over in Pitman, New Jersey, I knew I wanted to be a sales person for the company, and I appreciate the opportunity and longevity to be a small part of the MCI story, ” said Sturdivant.
“MCI has an exceptionally talented sales team,” said Patricia Ziska, vice president of new coach sales. MCI was the number-one supplier of motor coaches in the United States and Canada in the combined private and public sectors in 2014, with the D-series ranking as the industry’s top seller and the J4500 ranking as the private sector’s top seller — and the leader for 11 consecutive years.
MCI honored Sturdivant and Robert Lessor, Dallas-based regional vice president of new coach sales, for their outstanding sales achievements in
Walter Sturdivant, left, and Howard Smith Sr., President and Founder of Oleta Coach Lines, Williamsburg, Va. www.MCIcoach.com
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Model Behavior MCI designer keeps it real on a small scale/ Ask MCI new-product Senior Designer Rod Maskiw to describe his cars, and he’ll tell you all about his 1957 Chevy convertible, his 1969 Boss 302 Mustang, his 1969 Dodge Charger 500 and many more, mostly from the glory days of American muscle cars. He can also tell you he keeps them all in his basement. That’s because Maskiw, who lives and works in Winnipeg, is a model-maker
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extraordinaire, winner of many major competitions and frequently mentioned in magazines devoted to the hobby. While most think of modelcar building as a youth activity, Maskiw and his brethren take the art to heights unimagined by most children. Indeed, his model cars are known for their glassy paint jobs, incredible attention to detail and,
in the parlance of the model-car world, perfect stance—meaning that the car sits realistically on the tires and within the fenders, neither too high nor too low. Looking at a picture of his black-striped Boss Mustang, it’s nearly impossible to peg it as a model as opposed to the real thing. He says he builds six or seven models per year, lavishing between 50 and 100 hours on each. As opposed to sheet-metal plasma cutters, heavy lifts and assembly lines that define the making of fullsize autos, his tools of the trade include tweezers, pliers and a
home paint booth.
Building the dream Maskiw often starts by envisioning the car he wants to build. He’ll generally start with a standard kit, oftentimes the same type used by youth builders. But that’s where the similarity to kids’ play ends. In his quest for the perfect replica, per his research, Maskiw may bring in parts from other kits; sand fenders down to the proper scale size; saw off doors in order to give them functional hinges; configure the seats to flip forward as in real life; and fabricate levers, seatbelt retractors and anything else that
the kit may be missing. In short, if it’s a part that can be seen, it must be perfect. Like most attracted to the hobby, Maskiw started building model cars when he was a boy. And like many, he gave it all up as he approached adulthood. “I discovered real cars, and girls,” says Maskiw. “Then there was college, marriage and family life.” But eventually, the model cars called again.
Car love rediscovered His first adult model was a replica of a car he owned and loved, a 1991 Mustang. But the project that
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MCI new-product Senior Designer Rod Maskiw in his model-car work room. 48 www.MCIcoach.com
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got him into the hobby big-time was a screaming orange ’48 hot rod he made in the late 1990s. His local hobby shop displayed it, and soon he got an invitation from the president of the Winnipeg Model Car Club, who was impressed with Maskiw’s skilled paint job. Says Maskiw, “I met about 25 likeminded people, and it grew from there.” Since then, his cars have won awards at national and international competitions, and his work has been profiled in several issues of Scale Auto magazine. He’s also been approached by car owners who want a perfect replica of their ride. While he usually turns 52 www.MCIcoach.com
down such offers, he’s currently working on one for a man in Pittsburgh whose prized 1932 Ford was named Goodguys 2009 Hot Rod of the Year. He’s also built custom models for close friends and relatives. He says his wife, Nicole, is supportive of the hobby, though at some point, she did wonder what was really going on at all those weekend competitions. Says Maskiw, “She came to a show in Kansas. Once she saw it was a bunch of old gray-haired guys with big stomachs, she didn’t need to know anything more.”
Maskiw, who recently marked his 30th anniversary with MCI in May, says that while model-building is strictly a hobby, it does inform his work. “I think my interest in cars helps me as a designer,” says Maskiw, who was heavily involved in the J4500 redesign a couple of years ago, particularly the stylish front end, exterior lamps and rear cap. “I’m always looking at magazines for the latest thing, whether it’s dashboard design or the lighting, or some other trend we can adapt.” Colleagues praise his ability to incorporate customer input and other ideas into real-world coach-model
improvements such as the J4500 bumper design or ergonomic entry area. He also has a keen eye for manufacturing, using advanced CAD techniques to create coach features that are easy to produce, all the while maintaining top quality. Maskiw likes motor coaches, but he doesn’t make models of them. In the end, his heart belongs to the cars. Says Maskiw, “The cars you love in real life, you build models of. I like too many cars, and I can’t afford all of them in real life. It’s rewarding, and I love showing my work.”
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LMS OnlineTechTraining From MCI.
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Parts & Service
The advantages of web-based learning By MCI Parts, Service and Support Business
Nothing matches hands-on training when it comes to enhancing technicians’ maintenance and repair skills. Online learning tools, like the new Learning Management System (LMS) by Motor Coach Industries (MCI) for example, can give technicians a comprehensive, convenient, customizable training resource they can use at any time, in their own shops. “LMS allows operators to reduce classroom time, and gives the required flexibility for students to take the courses whenever it fits their schedules,” says Scott Crawford, MCI technical training manager and creator of the program. The MCI LMS is comprised of more than 150 online modules, most of them under 15 minutes in length, covering virtually all systems and components found on MCI and Setra coaches. Currently being used by more than 70 companies, the library will grow as technology advances. Convenience It helps to break courses down into small components, so that operators can map and closely monitor the education plans of their technicians. In the MCI LMS, each module additionally includes a knowledge quiz at the end, along with the ability to generate certificates for passing. Most modules are intended for technicians, but several are designed to benefit drivers and other personnel. “When a student is registered, the system will start a transcript to document all training that is completed – just like high school or college,” Crawford says. “There’s a date and time stamp, and each course varies in length, depending on the topic.” The biggest advantage is convenience – technician training that’s 24 hours per day, seven days per week. “I was looking for a system to incentivize my guys, to let them know the steps they need to climb,” says Gene Wordekemper, director of maintenance at Arrow Stage Lines. “There’s nothing better than sending technicians to Louisville for a week of hands-on MCI training, but picking which ones should go is difficult. With LMS, I can see which technicians have that cando attitude, and those are the ones you send to training because they’re engaged.”
“I know how shops can be – Mondays are really bad, or shop business is seasonal, or some other distraction,” Crawford adds. “Taking the classes as necessary is a huge advantage.” Tracking progress LMS include a sophisticated tracking and reporting component. Operators and their maintenance directors can create their own education plan by requiring technicians to take the courses they choose to meet company needs and goals. “A lot of shops do training,” Crawford says. “But how good are their training records, if they even exist?” Managers can also track technician progress, with the system keeping track of data such as whether technicians are meeting deadlines for taking courses; how many courses have been taken; test scores; how many times a technician has taken a particular test to pass; and which course completions are overdue. Tracking technicians’ progress can be a big money-saver when it comes to compliance issues. “Systems like this can help safety compliance for OSHArelated issues,” Crawford says. “For instance, we have a Tire Safety course for OSHA compliance. This course is required by any technician who services a tire. OSHA refers to servicing a tire as anyone who adds air to a tire or removes and tire and wheel assembly from a wheel end . Since this course is owned by the Tire Industry Association, there is a small fee of $55 per location attached to the 3 ½ hour course. Whether the location has one technician or 400 technician at the location, it is $55 a year. That’s very inexpensive considering the fines involved with OSHA violations.” Compatibility A good LMS is designed to work in PC and Mac environments, and on smartphones, tablets and Blackberries as well as on laptops and other computers. Catalogs of courses are conveniently arranged by system, technician level, manufacturer and more. Those who would like to see what MCI LMS can do for them should email training@ mcicoach.com. The online system is currently being offered free of charge to MCI and Setra operators.
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the future of motorcoach travel. Today.
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