BUSRide June 2013
40
Canadian operators debut two-door coaches p12 Denver RTD invests in employees p18 Why and how to keep coaches clean p32 THE MOST TRUSTED RESOURCE IN THE BUS AND MOTORCOACH INDUSTRY JUNE.2013 TO THE FRIENDS LOOK FUTURE TWO p14 BUSRIDE.COM | $5.00
-
Upload
power-trade-media -
Category
Documents
-
view
218 -
download
2
description
The most trusted resource in the bus and motorcoach industry. In our June 2013 cover story, two friends look to the future.
Transcript of BUSRide June 2013
Canadian operators debut two-door coaches p12
Denver RTD invests in employees p18
Why and how to keep coaches clean p32
The mosT TrusTed resource in The bus and moTorcoach indusTry
June.2013
TO THE
FRIENDSLOOKFUTURE
TWO
p14
busride.com | $5.00
L i m i t e d t i m e o f f e r e n d s 3 / 3 1 / 2 0 1 3 . D o n ’ t l e t i t p a s s y o u b y !
Worldwide Monochem –Where Research Drives ManufacturingA global company with over 50 years of experience manufacturing premier deodorizers and cleaning solutions.
Our products get the job done and save our customers money!
Get ready for the seasonwith our Buy 3 get 1 Free Super Summer Sale
Buy 3 cases of deodorizer and get one free!
Get ready for the seasonwith our Buy 3 get 1 Free Super Summer Sale
Buy 3 cases of deodorizer and get one free!
For a Free Sample, Call Us at: 512-267-5190 or by email: [email protected]
100% more fragrance than typical air fresheners.
Keeps any area smelling cleaner, longer.
Environmentally friendly.
100% more fragrance than typical air fresheners.
Keeps any area smelling cleaner, longer.
Environmentally friendly.
Free Air
Freshener Hang
Tag with every
Deodorizer
purchase
Free Air
Freshener Hang
Tag with every
Deodorizer
purchase
env
ironmentally
fr iendly
G R E E NG R E E N
4 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
CONTENTS
Cover Story
Features
JUNE 2013
Two friends look to the future 14One year into AAA Holdings, All Aboard America! and Calco Hotard have no regretsBy David Hubbard
Familiarity breeds customer satisfaction 12
Canadian operators welcome international tourists with two-door Van HoolsBy David Hubbard
The many reasons to keep it clean 32
Champion Coach and Arrow Stage Lines offer why and how to clean a coach By Ann Stockham
Be ready. Be buckled. 35
DOT shows off safety belt message with student art
Special SecTionSummer Safety Series: Passengers and Personnel Take the employee safety challenge 20
Most employee injuries are due to overexertion or slips, trips and fallsBy Matthew A. Daecher
internalizing safety 24
First Transit’s down-up culture means employees care about getting it right By Richard Tackett
onboard surveillance facilitates a safe ride 28
An effective security plan should include development of a comprehensive surveillance strategyBy Ryan Kelly
busride.com
7 UpDaTe
10 DeliVeRieS
11 people in THe neWS
18 TRanSiT aUTHoRiTY
36 MaRKeTplace
DEPARTMENTS
6 FRoM THe eDiToR
30 THe inTeRnaTional RepoRT
By Doug Jack
COLUMNS
32
12
28
14
6 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
Publisher / Editor in Chief Steve Kane
Associate PublisherSali Williams
Editor David Hubbard
Managing EditorRichard Tackett
Account Executives Maria Galioto
[email protected] Pieri
Production Director Valerie Valtierra
Art DirectorStephen Gamble
Accountant Fred Valdez
Contributing WritersDoug Jack, Matthew A. Daecher,
Christopher Ferrone
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to:
BUSRide Magazine4742 North 24th Street, Suite 340
Phoenix, Arizona 85016Phone: (602) 265-7600
Fax: (602) 277-7588 busride.com
Vol. 49 • No. 6
Subscription Rates:
United States: $39 for 1 year, $64 for 2 years, $89 for 3 years. United States via periodicals mail: $42 for 1 year, $69 for 2 years, $98 for 3 years. Canada. Canadian tax (GST) is included. Rest of the world, via air mail: $75 for 1 year, $125 for 2 years, $175 for 3 years. Single copies: $5 for the United States, $6 for Canada and the rest of the world. All prices are in United States Dollars (U.S.D.).
Reprints:
All articles in BUSRide are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the publisher. For reprints of 100 or more, contact Valerie Valtierra at (602) 265-7600, ext. 203.
A publication of:
FROM THE EDITOR
Back in April, I had the pleasure of introducing the BRT Standard on behalf of the Institute for
Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), New York, NY. Funded by The Rockefeller Foundation, The BRT Standard is now in place to assess and rate efficiency, sustainability and passenger comfort in Bus Rapid Transit systems of every size. ITDP says the standard establishes a singular international definition of best practices to certify efforts as gold, silver or bronze.
ITDP has since applied the BRT Standard to assess 50 BRT corridors in 35 cities around the world. Of these, 16 rated bronze; 20 went silver and 12 earned gold.
This month it is my pleasure to pass along the announcement from ITDP that it awarded BRT Standard silver to Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and the City of Cleveland HealthLine. Such coveted recognition marks the service as the highest ranked BRT System in the United States and the only
BRT system in the country to score silver.The BRT Standard scorecard
awards points only for elements of system design that generally improve operational
performance and quality of service, or at least minimize
adverse environmental impacts of the traffic system. The measures included in the BRT Standard will usually tend to improve performance in corridors designed properly for the ridership.
The Cleveland RTA HealthLine involves a partnership from the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospital. Running a fleet of 21 New Flyer Industries articulated diesel hybrid-electric DE60LFA-BRT buses, the system enables passengers to make the 6.8 mile trip in 20 minutes from Public Square in downtown Cleveland to University Circle, which connects the city’s cultural and educational institutions, medical and business centers.
Cleveland RTA CEO and General Manager Joe Calabrese and City of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson accepted the honor for their collaborative efforts in the development of this model BRT system.
David Hubbard EditorBusride Magazine
BUS industry SAFETY council
Cleveland HealthLine BRT scores silver
busride.com | BUSRIDE 7
Cincinnati agency honors its centurion commuter
Cincinnati Metro honored St. Bernard resident Anna Tolliver as a longtime loyal rider on her 100th birthday in April. Tolliver celebrated with the employees in a special event in which Metro CEO Terry Garcia Crews presented her with a year of free passes. Tolliver will continue to ride Metro about three times a week for shopping and doctor appointments.
SAVEFUEL
UPDATE
— First Transit, Cincinnati, OH, received a 2013 Confirmit Achievement in Customer Excellence (ACE) Award, demonstrating
its long-term commitment to providing effective customer service policies and procedures. The agency earned its Confirmit ACE Award for the category “Voice of the Customer” for its management of relationships and performance based on customer feedback.
— National Interstate, Richfield, OH, is partnering with the Transit & Paratransit Company (TAPTCO) to offer a custom training course
for operators. TAPTCO developed the training program, which includes transit and paratransit operator development courses as well as a trainer certification process, to ensure that drivers are fully prepared to provide the safest and most efficient services. TAPTCO will be offering the course to National Interstate customers at preferred pricing.
— Greyhound Lines, Dallas, TX, recently signed a five-year service contract with DriveCam to deploy its driver risk management
system across the entire fleet, following a trial run on the Bolt Bus fleet. Greyhound is reinforcing its safety platform through the DriveCam suite of safety and compliance services.
— FAAC Incorporated, specializing in modeling and simulation technology, has created the Driver Training and Safety Blog to
host online commentary from some of the leading driver training instructors in the country.
Written by instructors for instructors, FAAC says the content covers today’s hot topics, trends, issues, tactics and best practices in driver training for commercial buses and coaches. Regular contributors include FAAC transit, emergency response and public safety specialists Louie Maiello, Rob Raheb, and Chuck Deakins. Visit at www.faac.com/blog.
To further its strategy to continually improve customer service and support, Motor Coach Industries (MCI), Schaumburg, IL, has
melded its private, public and Setra new coach sales teams into one cohesive group, which Patrick Scully now leads as executive vice president Sales and Marketing for MCI. The intent of this move is to provide customers with one point of contact for all new coach sales. MCI says the reorganized sales team will be responsible for selling MCI and Setra products to both public and private sector customers alike.
“We are making this move for several reasons,”
says MCI President and CEO Rick Heller. “We have heard from customers who have said they would prefer one sales contact for either MCI or Setra purchases and we are ensuring we meet that customer requirement. “We will have a tightly unified sales organization focused on customer responsiveness. This new sales structure will give customers greater access to the great deal of experience and talent at MCI.”
Under the new structure, there will be one key new coach sales contact representing MCI and Setra brands to both private and public sector customers. The pre-owned sales team based out of the MCI service centers remains unchanged.
Scully reports to Pat Ziska, who continues as vice president of the field sales group, as well as other members of the team. Mitch Guralnick continues as head of the pre-owned sales group. Mike Denny heads up a new Sales and Financing Operations group. Brent Maitland leads the newly formed Marketing team. Tom Wagner will be responsible for major commuter accounts and Pam Lawrence will support the group’s administrative needs.
Following his tenure with Daimler Bus North America as chief commercial officer, Scully joined MCI in 2012 as vice president of Public Sector Sales and Marketing when MCI acquired the U.S. and Canadian distribution rights for Setra motor coaches.
“I’m honored to be leading such an experienced and dedicated MCI sales team,” says Scully. “The higher degree of responsiveness we will achieve through a seamless operations structure together with smaller, more focused regions will improve our already high customer service levels.”
Patrick Scully to lead a more unified MCI sales team
8 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
UPDATE
A retired transit bus put through a phoenix-like transformation to become a state-of-the art, all-electric vehicle has hit the streets of New York City for testing. The MTA NYC wants to find out if electric propulsion can improve efficiency, emissions and performance over standard diesel buses. The manufacturer is Complete Coach Works, Riverside, CA.
The 1996 40-foot low-floor bus was completely remanufactured with new updated components that include flooring, interiors, multiplexing, wiring and brake and suspension components. It features a new zero-emissions propulsion system that operates without an internal combustion engine.
“This is a first run of a new concept for the MTA,” says Henry Sullivan, chief maintenance officer for the Department of Buses. “We currently operate clean diesels, hybrids and compressed natural gas, but we are always willing to examine new products and new technologies. There are a lot of questions and at this point we are evaluating how many hours of operation we can squeeze out of the batteries before they require charging.”
The bus will be in “shadow service” for a couple of days, following in-service buses along their routes to determine the feasibility of running an all-electric bus in one of the most demanding bus environments in the world.
The current version of the bus, which Complete Coachworks calls ZEPS for Zero Emissions Propulsion System, has an operating range of 95 to 100 miles. The electric bus boasts a four- to six-hour charge rate system and is highly integrated with fewer parts, which should translate into faster installation and easier maintenance.
MTA NYC tests remanufactured electric bus“We want to first determine whether an all-electric bus can
stay in service during our stop-and-go duty cycle, which can often amount to a 20-hour workday for our buses,” says Sullivan. “While it’s too early say whether an all-electric bus is the future of surface transit in New York City, the MTA plans to continue examining the concept.”
busride.com | BUSRIDE 9
UPDATE
INCREASESTABILITY
MARTA jazzes up MondaysMetropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Agency (MARTA)
moved to the groove in April, offering live, free and great jazz performances at a different station every Monday afternoon. It was all part of the Atlanta Jazz Festival’s 31 Days of Jazz. In partnership with the City of Atlanta, MARTA says it hosted these live performances to celebrate the outstanding musical talent in the city and give customers a preview of the Atlanta Jazz Festival in Piedmont Park that kicked off on May 25.
The agency also is offering customers the opportunity to enjoy and spin the MARTA prize wheel for a chance to win a Breeze card.
DC Trails makes a statement at DOT Earth Day FairD.C. Trails, Washington, D.C. presented its green transportation credentials during the Department of Transportation Earth
Day Fair, showing its 2013 MCI J4500 to emphasize how today’s coaches are especially eco-friendly. DC Trails President Bill Torres noted that a fully occupied motor coach can take up to 55 cars off of the road, cutting down on congestion and creating a greener, cleaner highway system.
1 0 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
DELIVERIES
ABC COMPANIES MOTOR COACH INDUSTRIES (MCI)
Windstar recently took delivery of a 2013 Van Hool T2145 powered by a Cummins ISX engine and B500 Allison. The coach features Alcoa Durabright wheels, chrome mirrors, and an ASA back up camera. Like the rest of Windstar’s fleet of luxury coaches, it has a multi-monitor DVD system, Hi-Fi audio and CD player, and a full fabric interior.
Windstar has now grown to 57 coaches, offering luxury tours, convention planning and charter service in Iowa and Illinois as well as Omaha and portions of Nebraska.
Pacific Coachways Trailways recently took delivery of four 2013 J4500 coaches, bringing its fleet to 12 coaches and seven school buses.
The model has been redesigned with new LED headlights, a more elevated appearance, impact-resistant bumpers and some 30 other improvements. Wide-ride suspension, electronic stability control, a SmartWave tire-pressure monitoring system, a fire-suppression system and three-point passenger seatbelts are standard. Pacific Coachways Trailways has added 110-volt power outlets and Wi-Fi connectivity.
DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite, the company that provides transportation to America’s oldest park, has taken delivery of six Motor Coach Industries D4005 coaches. The 40-foot coaches feature “talking bus” DR600 destination sign systems which can transmit data back to a home office.
The D4005s feature clean-diesel Cummins ISX engines and Allison B500 transmissions along with three-point seatbelts and Braun UVL wheelchair lifts. They also offer power outlets at every seat, footrests, parcel racks, individual comfort controls, reading lamps and a DVD entertainment system with video monitors.
DNC Parks and Resorts at YosemiteYosemite Village, CA
6added
Windstar LinesCarroll, IA
1added
4added
Pacific Coachways TrailwaysGarden Grove, CA
busride.com | BUSRIDE 1 1
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
REDUCESPRAY
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo nominated Thomas F. Prendergast, president of New York City Transit (NYCT), to serve as chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Prendergast has served more than three years as president of NYCT and as the MTA interim executive director since January. He replaces Joseph Lhota. The Governor’s appointed CEO is subject to Senate confirmation.
Greater Dayton RTA, Dayton, OH, selected Robert Ruzinsky as its new chief capital officer. The agency developed this new position to meet the competitive federal grants environment and challenging financial capital needs of the agency. In this role, Ruzinsky will be responsible for agency asset management and capital program planning, development and execution. He will manage regulatory compliance of federal, state and local funding programs. His work group will also conduct reviews and provide support for construction and facilities maintenance activities.
Håkan Agnevall is the new president of Volvo Bus Corporation, replacing the acting president of Volvo Buses, Håkan Karlsson, head of Volvo Group Business Areas. Agnevall, age 47, has worked in the industry for many years and has extensive Swedish and international experience. He moves from his former position of vice president at Bombardier Transportation Propulsion and Controls.
Nova Bus, St. Eustache, QB, Canada, appointed John Kardos as vice president of business development based on his proven track record in the transportation industry and more than two years of dedicated work at Nova Bus. Kardos joined Nova Bus in 2010 as bids and contracts director, bringing over 20 years of experience in international sales, business development, long-term contract negotiations and project management.
Thomas F. Prendergast
Håkan Agnevall
John Kardos
ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, Middlebury, IN, named John Walsh as vice president of sales and marketing with responsibility to develop new business opportunities both domestically and internationally. Prior to joining ARBOC, he spent 23 years with National Bus Sales & Leasing in many leadership roles including president. Most recently he served as CEO for VPG Autos, the newest U.S. auto maker with the MV-1.
Stertil-Koni announced that Richard Palmer has joined the company as National Account Manager, a natural progression of years of service in industries associated with heavy vehicle maintenance lifting solutions. Palmer has served as a board member for the United Bus Owners Association (UBOA) and the American Bus Association (ABA) He’s also been involved for years with the American Public Transit Association (APTA).
John Walsh
Richard Palmer
1 2 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
TOUR BUSINESS
Familiarity breeds customer satisfactionCanadian operators welcome international tourists with two-door Van Hools
By David Hubbard
The time it takes to unload 50 passengers for routine breaks on the road has always been a concern for two Canadian tour operators. This year, TRAXX Coachlines, Vancouver, BC, and Great Canadian Holidays and Coaches, Kitchener, ONT, Canada, say all this will change with their recent purchases of Van Hool two-door T2145 motorcoaches built especially for the North American market. TRAXX is operating six T2145s, Great Canadian Holidays and Coaches is putting five into service.
“We make it our policy on our tours to stop every 2-1/2 hours for passengers to stretch their legs, grab a coffee and visit the restrooms,” says Great Canadian Holidays and Coaches President Larry Hundt. “Our process is very organized. Starting from the front, passengers unload down one side and up the other. Still, the time it takes for everyone to de-board and
get back on the coach becomes significant. This problem is now solved.”
Before putting his coaches into service, Hundt says he immediately imposed a strict operational policy to monitor the second door’s use.
“A tour director or host must be available to man the rear door while the driver mans the front,” he says. “Unless the company can ensure a capable person is at the door, it will remain closed.”
TRAXX Chief Operating Officer Nigel Taylor concurs.
“The second mid-door on these new coaches will definitely speed up exit and entry,” he says. “It allows those sitting at the back of the coach access as quickly as those at the front.”
However, Nigel says the real impetus for his decision came from the urgings of tour operators coming to British Columbia from Australia and New Zealand for two-door coaches.
TRAXX Coachlines is operating six two-door T2145 models from Van Hool.
busride.com | BUSRIDE 1 3
TOUR BUSINESS
BUY AIRTABS
Don’t let anything hold you back
For technical information, please visit airtab.com. To purchase please call 970-663-9075 or visit buyairtab.com.
• Up to 2-3% annual fuel savings per coach• Increased stability, less swaying at highway speeds• Less spray and snow collection on the back of the coach
Apply Airtabs™ to the back of your motorcoach. You’ll notice instant results:
“Familiarity goes a long way,” he says. “Australian and New Zealand tourists are used to two-door coaches. We also have a great number of European tourists arriving at our other locations in western Canada.”
Hundt says he got the idea on a trip to Belgium several years ago, seeing the second door as an experiment he wanted to try.
“These coaches are quite commonplace in Europe, and I have always thought they would be a new crowd pleaser in Canada,” he says. “At one time there were some two-door models in the U.S., but not in this day and age, which surprises me. The second door reduces so much of the burden for the driver.”
Hundt placed his order with ABC Companies two years ago during the UMA Expo in Tampa, FL.
“Van Hool makes a lot of different models for a worldwide market. They’re adept at modifying and customizing to customer preferences, so many have two doors,” he says. “My wife Lorna manages our tour business and has been pushing me to consider this option. This is one time she did not mind my spending money on new vehicles.”
Taylor says he is already advertising and marketing the two-door option to international tour operators, and business is already pouring in.
“We just recently booked three coach loads for this summer,” he says. “The customer also signed a three-year contract knowing passengers will be riding on familiar coaches. I think we will attract new customers who are concerned about the time it takes to get customers on and off the coach for breaks and meals.”
Hundt says that as he sends the two-door coaches on a maiden voyage, he will run a standard coach alongside and gather customer comment. BUSRide plans to circle back to report on his side-by-side comparison.
Two-door coaches will significantly reduce the time it takes to unload passengers, according to Great Canadian Holidays and Coaches.
busride.com
I t has been a year since the stress and strain of keeping a family business together eased from their shoulders, ridding the owners of further risk and worry about the future of their time-honored
companies. What to do next for two family-owned motorcoach companies approaching 80 years in age had been a concern for longtime friends Jack Wigley, president of All Aboard America!, Mesa, AZ, and Callen Hotard, president and CEO of Calco Travel and Hotard Coaches, New Orleans, LA.
“All Aboard America! spans three generations,” says Wigley. “The fact remained there would never be a fourth. There simply is no one else in our family with the inclination or desire to lead a transportation company.”
Hotard found himself in a similar situation.
“While there is immense satisfaction in running a family business that I have been involved with all my life, it comes with considerable risk,” he says. “There is a lot of liability out there. Jack and I were both looking for a way to keep our companies alive, move forward and still remain in the business.”
Wigley and Hotard had been weighing all possible options together and separately for several years once the topic of succession planning was discussed in their Spader 20 Group.
“I was looking for something to happen fairly soon,” says Wigley. “To be honest, I had been personally guaranteeing notes and loans since I was in my 30s, and once I reached my 50s I started to think more about how much longer I wanted to deal with this degree of risk and responsibility. For me, the next step was just not there. If anything happened to me, I could only look forward to a real mess on my hands.”
Another option would have been to hire on an outside president and CEO.
“That would not resolve the future ownership issue, nor necessarily reduce the risk,” he says. “Besides, the process could take a while. I may not find the right person the first time around.”
The notion to turn the company over to longtime employees to operate as a co-op was quickly dismissed.
Putting their heads together, the two eventually hit on the idea of merging their companies as a package to market to investors.
“Our aim in marketing our two companies together as one larger entity was to attract a higher quality investor,” says Hotard. “We didn’t believe either of us could achieve that on our own.”
Enter Celerity Partners
With the help of a business broker, their thinking led them to Celerity Partners, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles, CA, dedicated to recapitalizations and proactive acquisitions. This transaction marked the firm’s first foray into the transportation industry. Celerity says it liked what it saw in these particular operators enough to draw their interest in a new area.
“We see All Aboard America! and Calco Hotard as two of the finest assets in the industry,” says Celerity Partners representative Matt Kraus. “They demonstrate dominance in their local markets, and their management teams show terrific depth and expertise. Together, these two companies provide the size and scope to serve as a platform to build a much larger and formidable motorcoach company.”
Celerity Partners felt from day one this transaction was a cultural fit, a quality Kraus says no one should ever underestimate when the plan is to acquire and integrate multiple companies.
Though the motorcoach industry is new for the firm, Wigley and Hotard’s concerns for their family businesses are not a rarity for Celerity Partners.
By David Hubbard
1 4 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013
futureOne year into AAA Holdings, All Aboard America! and Calco Hotard have no regrets
Two friends look to the
All Aboard America! President Jack Wigley (Left) and Calco Travel and Hotard Coaches CEO Callen Hotard joined their companies under the AAA Holdings banner.
busride.com | BUSRIDE 1 5
1 6 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
“The impetus for transactions like these is often owners looking to diversify their net worth,” says Kraus. “More specific to this industry, the transaction has also allowed the Hotards and Wigleys to be freed from daunting possible liabilities.”
Celerity Partners says it now has a greater appreciation for just how challenging it is to build and manage market leaders in this industry. Kraus says the firm certainly realizes the outstanding market opportunity to two best-in-class operators.
“This was the only solution that made complete sense,” says Hotard. “We needed to simply divest ourselves of our majority stake in our companies.”
Through the involvement of Celerity Partners, Wigley and Hotard were able to do just that. Each accepted a minority share of the newly formed parent entity AAA Holdings.
“We had a lot of questions going through the due diligence,” says Wigley. “Having never been through it, I found the process a little nerve racking. Frankly, I didn’t know how I would feel once this deal closed. As it has turned out, this is the difference between me sitting alone in my backyard trying to come up with the right answers, as opposed to now being able to voice my ideas in the boardroom in the company of partners.”
No regrets
Neither partner is expressing any regrets.“We both continue to be in charge of our own operations,” says
Hotard. “On the same hand, this also introduces us to a whole other sector of business. It takes us to the next level.”
Everyone involved agrees it has turned out to be a win-win solution.“We might have combined a few back office functions, but we still
maintain our own brand identities,” says Wigley. “Plus, we keep our own employees and crews on board, many of who have a vested stake in these older companies.”
As they grow more comfortable in this arrangement, Wigley and Hotard are enjoying the chance to explore new opportunities to grow beyond their boundaries, possibly integrating other companies into the entity.
In the meantime, the merger and acquisition has brought All Aboard America! and Hotard even closer.
“When we agreed to join forces, we really didn’t think about doing business together because of the geography,” says Hotard. “However, in that respect, it has really been working to our advantage.”
As it turns out, both operators are seeing for the first time where their respective operations actually overlap, and how they benefit as partners.
There have been opportunities for All Aboard America! to relieve Calco Hotard drivers on their way to California. Pinched for time with a new contract, All Aboard was able to call on Calco for five coaches to handle the business in a quick turnaround.
Praises from Prevost
AAA Holdings initialized its acquisition of the two companies with its first purchase of 10 H3-45 Prevost coaches — five for each entity. Prevost, Sainte-Claire, QB, Canada, noted in a statement to BUSRide that it regards the new company for making an important step in the industry.
“Prevost is honored to be involved with AAA Holdings and proud to deliver the first motorcoaches to this highly regarded union of motorcoach brands”, said Dann Wiltgen, Prevost vice-president of Key Accounts. “We are looking forward to a mutually beneficial relationship we know will have a positive and long lasting influence on our industry.”
Two friends cont.
BusConExpo.com(800) 576-8788
METRO MAGAZINE BRINGS YOU
MORE INFORMATION AT:
One Show. Two Days.Infi nite Possibilities.Now in its 18th year, BusCon continues to bring the bus industry together to share challenges, fi nd solutions and improve performance. See over 60 of the latest buses and newest technology the industry has to offer in BusCon’s 115,000 square foot exhibit hall.
EXPERIENCE INFINITE POSSIBILITIES
BusCon 2013North America’s Biggest Bus ShowWelcome Reception: September 9, 2013Conference & Expo: September 10-11, 2013
I Navy Pier, Chicago
REGISTER BY AUGUST 9 AND SAVE!
BCS04-68fpha_BusRide_jun.indd 1 4/24/13 12:48 PM
1 8 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
THE TRANSIT AuTHoRITy
By Phillip A. Washington
Human capital is our most important asset
of the many initiatives of Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD), our Strategic Leadership Development Program is one of
the most important but least known. While RTD is continually in the public eye as we build out the single largest voter-approved transit program in the nation — the multi-billion dollar FasTracks projects — this innovative and comprehensive curriculum designed to train and empower tomorrow’s industry leaders has remained somewhat under the radar.
The Strategic Leadership Development Program integrates a five-step curriculum that develops both salaried and represented qualified employees for senior management positions. The program fosters growth at every step of the career path through classroom instruction, on-the-job training, life-skills assessments mentoring and collaborations with transit agency peers, organizations and policymakers. Our Multi-Agency Exchange (MAX) is another compelling aspect of this program. Representatives from various transit agencies share ideas, best practices and discuss
real-world operational challenges in a cooperative study environment.
Denver RTD is developing its most important asset — our human capital. We are creating an array of possibilities for advancement that will serve our industry well into the future. In short, we are becoming the “farm team” for the industry.
Transit industry fundamentals
Through entry-level internships and a structured workforce development initiative, employees acquire basic vocational skills and foundational transit-related work experience, and receive an introduction to a wide spectrum of potential careers in public transit.
Employee development
Training continues with a series of classes and personal learning paths to provide employees the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their current positions. These paths also emphasize
Denver RTD is developing its most important asset — human capital.
busride.com | BUSRIDE 1 9
THE TRANSIT AuTHoRITyP
hoto
s: D
enve
r R
egio
nal T
rans
por
tation
Dis
tric
t, D
enve
r, C
O.
Denver RTD identifies and outlines a training path to “grow their own” employees for particular hard-to-fill positions.
Phillip A. Washington serves as general manager and CEO for the Denver Regional Transportation District, Denver, CO.
advanced supervisory, management and leadership abilities to prepare employees for future advancement within our organization.
Mid-level leadership
Once at a supervisory or management level, selected employees benefit from advanced education to further develop the competencies necessary to excel as transit leaders.
Senior-Level Knowledge Exchange
Working collaboratively, representatives of participating transit agencies in Dallas, TX, Los Angeles, CA, and Denver, CO, share ideas, compare best practices, and position themselves as employers of choice within our industry. They also cultivate strategies to attract, foster, and retain exceptional management teams.
Both the MAX Program and Leadership APTA programs prepare participants as the next generation of middle and executive
management in the transportation industry through extensive inter-agency networking, cooperative communication efforts, and transit-specific learning paths.
Executive Leadership
Leaders themselves at this stage, nominated executives continue to hone their skills in critical thinking and strategic change by participating in nationally recognized, advanced leadership seminars and conferences.
In addition to these incremental development programs, we are identifying positions that are difficult to fill in each department at RTD due to either ongoing applicant shortages or the highly specialized skills required to fulfill the job. We then identify and outline a training path to “grow our own” for that particular hard-to-fill position.
This enables us to create and then tap into an existing pool of qualified leaders who
are already familiar with the organization and ready to step up and meet these new challenges. This helps us maintain crucial institutional knowledge.
We are accomplishing much throughout the Denver metro area by proudly serving as a model for progress. We feel it is critical that we continue to make a positive impact on current operations and establish a vision for the future with leadership well prepared for the challenge.
As leaders ourselves, we must continue to set the tone for developing our people and our industry in a way that best leverages resources, maximizes benefit, awards innovation and fosters success.
2 0 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
Take the Employee Safety Challenge By Matthew A. Daecher
SUMMER SAFETY SERIES - PART ONE {Passengers & Personnel}S p E c I A l S E c T I o n
Chances are I have never been to your facility, stepped foot onto one of your vehicles, or
know anything about your overall safety program. Despite this, I’d be willing to place two wagers about your passenger transportation operation:
1. You focus more on passenger safety and DOT compliance than worker safety and workplace safety compliance.
2. Your most frequent employee injuries are due to overexertion or slips, trips and falls.
I can’t predict the winning Powerball numbers, but if my bets about your operation ever paid off, you may take solace in the fact that you are not alone. My above assessment comes from many years of visiting with hundreds of transportation operations, reviewing their safety practices and
looking at collision and injury issues and costs. I would hope that you to aspire to better your
operations and separate yourself from the rest of the pack. You can get started by accepting my challenge to complete at least three tasks that will positively affect employee safety within three weeks of reading this article.
If you’re still reading, I assume you’ve decided to accept the challenge — or at least entertain the idea to alleviate some of the risk lurking within your company.
If you’re on the fence with this, let me sweeten the deal. Being keenly aware that the probability of success relates directly to the amount of effort expended to meet the challenge, I am offering eight options from which you have to select only three to accomplish.
Inspect and address shop working areas for safety hazards.
COVERAGE THAT REVOLVES AROUND YOU
Protective Insurance Company, rated A+ (Superior) by
A.M. Best, has been providing specialized insurance
policies to the transportation industry since 1950.
Our hands-on approach to insurance allows us to
understand the needs of our customers and form
long-standing partnerships. We have a strong safety
culture, a tenured claims department and superior
customer service standards.
Here are just a few of the benefits Protective offers:
• Outstanding cash flow payment options
• Superior claims service
• Ability to package all lines of coverage including
auto liability, general liability, physical damage
and workers’ compensation
• Dedicated loss prevention team that specializes
in the transportation industry
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
MEDIUM FLEET TRUCKING | LARGE FLEET TRUCKING | PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION | WORKERS’ COMPENSATION | INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
EXCELLENCE IN:
FOR COVERAGE THAT REVOLVES AROUND YOU, CONTACT STACY RENZ: (800) 644-5501
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
protectiveinsurance.com
2 2 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
This allows the best chance of success and ensures that everyone participating can choose the tasks that are most applicable to their operations. Overachievers, feel free to take on more than three. Here we go.
TASK 1: Find three tripping hazards. Yes, you have them. Tripping hazards can be anywhere from the front office and maintenance shop to the parking lot. If you can’t eradicate them, do something to call attention to them and make them more visible using visual cues like fluorescent paint, cones, etc.
TASK 2: Find three oversized items, or those that weigh more than 75 pounds that employees are expected to move, lift or carry. Determine if you have equipment such as hoists and wheel dollies available or have a policy in place that requires workers to get assistance for handling these items. If not, do something about it.
Bonus points: If you do have such equipment or policy, ask an employee to actually relocate one of the items to see if the process meets all expectations — if not, conduct an on-the-spot safety talk with all the workers.
TASK 3: Wait until dark. Go out to the employee parking lot. Is there sufficient lighting to illuminate the path between that lot and the area where the revenue vehicles are parked? Is there a danger of a trip hazard? If so, replace all burnt out bulbs or make lighting improvement a top-five capital expenditure item.
Remember, everyone wants more vehicles, but worker compensation injuries can chew a big chunk of out of the bottom line through lost productivity, partial salary payments and insurance costs.
A word to renters: If you rent or lease your operational facilities, suggest to your landlord about your performing improvements for a percentage reduction in rent, i.e., $2,000 in capital investment for a $1,000 rent deduction.
By the way, additional lighting doubles as a deterrent for other break-ins and crime.
TASK 4: Check every set of stairs for hazards. Look for and fix absent or worn friction material, frayed carpeting, missing or loose handrails, or items stacked on edges of stairs.
TASK 5. Inspect and address shop working surfaces. Instruct the shop crew to inspect for oil and grease areas that have not been cleaned up, or maybe oil-dry that has not been swept up. Asking the staff to stop what they are doing and
SUMMER SAFETY SERIES - PART ONE {Passengers & Personnel}S p E c I A l S E c T I o n
busride.com | BUSRIDE 2 3
clean up their areas on the spot will emphasize expectations and responsibility. Repeat this every three days until they understand the policy to immediately handle such hazards.
TASK 6. Stage Operation Sure-Step. During this operation, scout for employees getting on and off the vehicle without taking necessary precautions. Most injuries occur when employees are stepping off the vehicle. Watch for this either during pre-trips where they should they should have to get on and off during the process. Better yet, watch when they return from a trip. They are more likely to be exiting with their hands full — and without three points of contact to help prevent falls.
TASK 7. Beware of walking zombies. Humans are becoming increasingly tied socially to their smartphones, while the industry is asking drivers to not use their personal cell phones while driving the company vehicle.
As a result, smartphone timeouts are creating a nation of walking zombies when the timeout is over. I see it weekly when planes land and passengers empty into the terminal staring at their small screens. The same thing could be happening in your facilities.
With restrictions in place — and hopefully followed — drivers are turning on the personal phone once they park the vehicle and while catching up on the walk back to the building — making them oblivious to potential hazards. Watch for walking zombies in the lot, and talk about this at your next safety meeting.
TASK 8. Require chocks and jack stands. This task requires trips through the garage on three separate days during peak operating hours. If
a vehicle in for service has any wheels on the ground, at least one should be chocked. Any
vehicle on a lift in the area, either partially or entirely, should have jack stands in use for emergency support. If you don’t have enough chocks or jack stands, get more. If they are not being used, have a toolbox meeting and make it mandatory.
While the injuries that result from mishaps that that these practices can prevent may
seem few and far between, they are usually very serious and very costly when they do occur.
A caveat
It doesn’t count if you choose one of these tasks and find nothing wrong or anyone to counsel. Choose another. Somehow I’m guessing you know exactly which of these tasks will be fruitful before you even start.
On a last note, do me a favor. For those of you who accept my challenge, drop me an email at
[email protected] and let me know which three or more tasks you chose and what you discovered.
SUMMER SAFETY SERIES - PART ONE {Passengers & Personnel}S p E c I A l S E c T I o n
2 4 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
SUMMER SAFETY SERIES - PART ONE {Passengers & Personnel}S p E c I A l S E c T I o n
Inte
rnali
zing s
afet
yFirst Transit’s down-up culture means employees care about getting it right
By Richard Tackett
Thomas Harris was most struck by the bus industry’s attention to safety and regulation when he stepped into his role as First Transit and First Services’ vice president, safety and human resources, one year ago.
“I was surprised that the industry is as regulated as it is,” Harris says. “I made the assumption that the aviation industry would be more regulated than over-the road transportation. That’s probably a bias - but you stand a higher chance of harming the public, with the millions of miles that you run per year, with a bus operation.”
Harris joined FirstGroup America, Cincinnati, OH, which provides busing and maintenance services to municipalities, school districts and the general public throughout North America, in May 2010 as a senior attorney. He previously worked for Comair where he handled risk management and compliance.
“The FTA and FMCSA are just as strong and necessary as any of the FAA standards, and First Transit follows those to the letter,” Harris says.
According to Harris, engaging employees is the best practice for improving a company’s
is the industry leader in federal grant writing and administration services, development of innovative media strategies including pre trip onboard safety videos, emergency preparedness planning and TSA security training. We can also provide additional Safety Services for you and your company. Our staff has 40+ years of passenger transportation experience in Motor Coach, Transit, Para-Transit, Shuttle Bus and School Bus service. Our team is specifically trained and experienced in the unique aspects of Safety Management for passenger carrier companies.
can help you to enliven your Safety Program and make it a dynamic, driving force in the success of your business.
can design a Safety Program that fits your company’s needs and abilities as well as help you to proactively address safety issues and concerns. Our staff can review your safety data and interpret it
with you in a way that makes sense of it and therefore becomes useful to help your company to prevent future mishaps. You will gain tools to provide even safer transportation services to your clients and a safer workplace for your employees.
WE CAN HELP YOU TO SUCCEED EVERY DAY!
WE CAN HELPYOU TO SUCCEEDEVERY DAY!
ACCIDENT PREVENTION
MEANINGFUL, MEMORABLE & FUN SAFETY MEETINGS
DRIVER & EMPLOYEE TRAINING
PROFESSIONAL PASSENGER CARRIER SAFETY PLANS
WITH SOUND SAFETY & SECURITY COMPLIANCE
www.terrapinblue.comP.O. Box 1547 Athens, GA. 30603
CALL Ryan Kelly TODAY!(877) 860-2583 or email:
2 6 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
safety record. To that end, FirstGroup holds safety-based leadership conferences. This year, executives gathered in London and then in Baltimore a week later. Both sessions, Harris says, were focused on safety goals and the support that frontline leadership will receive from executives.
“Many have fear about following safety protocols at the lower levels because they’re worried about two things,” he says. “Operationally, they’re worried about
upsetting a customer if they don’t get their bus out on time. Financially, they may send a bus that’s not appropriate to be out on the road, for fear of some CFO or their regional finance person having something to say about that.”
Harris says they haven’t had these problems at First Transit, but they want to make sure local leadership teams know that they’ll be supported in any decision they make. They’ll never be challenged over operational needs or financial assurance.
“We’re going to make sure they think about safety first and worry later about those other two issues that may come about,” he says. “We haven’t had a problem, but we do want to make sure people aren’t afraid of making those good, strong safety decisions every day.”
In the long run, he says, a bad safety record is disastrous for a company’s bottom line.
“You’ll get hit with lawsuits, you’ll have a bad reputation, you’ll lose contracts,” Harris says. “Safety should be second nature, but you have to continually press it on lower-level locations and leadership.”
WELLNESS WaRRioRS
Harris says First Transit is pushing a driver wellness initiative this year.
“We took a look at our drivers and recognized that a lot of them have unhealthy lifestyles because of the fact that they’re driving eight hours a day and don’t really have a lot of time to spend on their own personal health,” he says. “We’re promoting better eating and exercising, because I think that will reduce passenger injuries and improve the drivers’ well-being.”
The initiative was first pushed by FirstGroup’s rail operation in the U.K. Harris says they quickly adopted a similar campaign for their North American operations. All First Transit
SUMMER SAFETY SERIES - PART ONE {Passengers & Personnel}S p E c I A l S E c T I o n
locations have hung up wellness boards which promote both safety and wellness tips.
“The wellness tip might say, ‘Watch your blood pressure,’ and then we’ll add a safety topic along the lines of ‘Also, make sure to keep your cool when you’re on the road.’” Harris says. “It goes hand in hand.”
First Transit recognizes a Wellness Warrior, someone who’s had a great success with their personal wellness, at the end of each month. Harris says the Wellness Warrior space can also recognize someone who’s had a failure in their wellness plan.
“I feel cautionary tales are sometimes just as good as those who’ve done really well, because they can inform other people that you don’t have to be a superhero to be a Wellness Warrior,” he says. “We all fail at times and people can learn from that failure. If you fell off the wagon, for lack of a better phrase, but then you got back on, we want to highlight that.”
ENgagiNg THE faMiLiES
Harris says a First Transit location in Louisville, KY, has added a unique twist to safety training by engaging drivers’ families. The location has hung signs designed by the drivers’ children, reminding staff of crucial safety tips. This practice, Harris says, encourages drivers to internalize safety principles by teaching them at home.
“If you go home and ask kids to do it, you have to explain a topic like ‘Watch for Pedestrians,’” he says. “It’s a good idea because it really gets the drivers involved and engaged in the process. The drivers have taken great pride in the artwork that their children make. It’s one of the best practices that the other groups, including Greyhound, should think about doing.”
LooKiNg foRWaRD
Harris says that this has been one of First Transit’s best years in terms of collisions, passenger injuries and employee injuries. He credits the company’s culture and initiatives for reducing
those injuries and claims.“Our campaigns have been
good, take lower- and upper-back safety, for example,” he says. “We have a lot of shuttle operations, and we deal with push, pull and twist injuries when people pull luggage off of a bus. We spent time making sure drivers knew to properly lift luggage, put it on the ground, and continue that practice every time they lift a bag. Hopefully it carries over to their home life as well.”
Harris says that his organization’s commitment to safety, from top to bottom, is second to none.
“I’d like to believe that all bus carriers hold safety as highly as First Transit,” he says. “I’ve been in aviation where safety is of paramount importance, but these guys seem to have a deeper focus on safety than any place I’ve been. I can’t say it’s bizarre, but it’s unusual to have that strong sense of passion about safety.”
Thomas Harris was most struck by the bus industry’s attention to compliance when he stepped into his role as First Transit and First Services’ vice president, safety and human resources.
No Wires. No Hassles.
Completely secure communication system from the leader in heavy duty lifting.
• Rapid lifting and lowering• No tripping hazard• No external power supply• Easily moveable• Fast setup time
FROM THE LEADER IN WIRELESS MOBILE COLUMN LIFTS
Contact us today800-336-6637www.Stertil-Koni.com
• No length restrictions• On screen display• Up to 8 columns in a wireless set• Capacity: 16,500, 18,000 and
22,000 lbs. per column
SK_MobileAd2_BRfull_0613.indd 1 5/3/13 8:07:22 PM
2 8 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
SUMMER SAFETY SERIES - PART ONE {Passengers & Personnel}S p E c I A l S E c T I o n
facilitates a safe ride
By Ryan Kelly
In the advent of the recent Boston Marathon bombings, surveillance has once again proven to be a critical tool in
recognizing suspicious behavior. In the bus transportation industry, surveillance is more typically used to observe facilities, vehicles, and people in and around the vehicles and passenger boarding areas. Surveillance is also a proactive tool to deter individuals from acting unsafely or illegally.
An effective security emergency preparedness plan should include development of a comprehensive surveillance strategy. The first step is to analyze the facility vulnerabilities and try to eradicate any issues that are weakening security.
A perimeter camera system to observe and record all activities around the bus yard is one means of preventing any vulnerability to company property. Advances in technology have reduced the costs of this technology dramatically, making it easier for bus companies to purchase camera surveillance systems.
Installation of cameras throughout the interior of a facility can help reduce fraudulent worker’s compensation activity and illegal behavior such as theft or inappropriate work activity. Interior surveillance also can be incorporated to also monitor employee and customer interactions, as well as package deliveries.
Onboard video surveillance assists in two critical areas. In the area of passenger safety, vehicle event recorders have proven to modify unsafe driving habits and help reduce accidents. These systems also assist a bus company in litigation by determining the actual factors that contributed to the cause of the accident when there is a difference of opinion. Event recording systems provide
An effective security plan should include development of a comprehensive surveillance strategy.
Onboard surveillance
busride.com | BUSRIDE 2 9
SUMMER SAFETY SERIES - PART ONE {Passengers & Personnel}S p E c I A l S E c T I o n
a safer environment by monitoring passenger behavior and recording unsafe or illegal activity taking place on the vehicle.
Secondly, onboard video surveillance aids in monitoring the efficient performance of buses such as staying on route, idling activity and fuel economy. As technology has progressed, many surveillance systems now offer electronic onboard recording (EOBR) for hours-of-service compliance. Many of these systems can be integrated to monitor drivetrain systems and assist with maintenance requirements.
Onboard video recording devices are available to assist with monitoring the safety and security of passengers and the driver during stops to load and unload riders. Cameras help because:
• Pedestrians are always near the bus as it approaches or leaves a stop.• The driver is typically providing multiple services at one time, such as assisting passengers, loading and unloading luggage and monitoring the vehicle.• Entrances to the bus may be unmonitored.• The driver’s area is vulnerable.• Open luggage doors may provide easy access.• Engine and other access doors may become vulnerable, because the entire bus is likely open and unlocked.
Therefore, a quality surveillance system may help to deter unscrupulous activity
or record activity that could compromise the safety and security of passengers. The onboard recording system can also be used as a teaching tool to mitigate unwanted security events while improving driver customer service.
The two types of vehicle surveillance systems are real-time and event recording. Real-time onboard surveillance systems provide a critical tool in mitigating and responding to events onboard buses by providing immediate information to first responders and company personnel. A motion detector that senses extremes in G Force momentum within the vehicle triggers event recorders. The driver can manually trigger both the event recorder and real-time surveillance system.
However, even the most expensive onboard surveillance system is worthless if no one monitors the information. There
are countless examples of cases where unscrupulous activity was recorded, but the perpetrator got away because no one was monitoring the system. For surveillance systems to be effective, employees must understand the system and develop an appreciation for the technology. A cultural change must take place within company. It requires thorough employee education and top-down acceptance at all levels.
3 0 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT
Sir Brian inspires new Stagecoach leadership
Sir Brian Souter stepped up to chairman of Stagecoach, Perth, Scotland, handing over the position of chief executive officer to Martin
Griffiths effective May 1.Souter co-founded Stagecoach with his sister
Ann Gloag, starting with two coaches running express services between Scotland and London. The government of the day broke up the state-owned National Bus Company and the Scottish Bus Group. Stagecoach expanded rapidly, later taking on rail franchises when British Rail was privatized.
Stagecoach has grown to an annual turnover of around $4 billion and is a major player in the North American coach industry, with its the fast expanding megabus.com network. In the United Kingdom, Stagecoach has the largest fleet of buses and operates many train services, including the busiest London commuter network.
Griffiths kindly agreed to an interview with me for BUSRide a few days before he took up his new appointment.
The man has worked for Stagecoach for 15 years. He holds a first class honors degree in law from the University of Glasgow and is a fully qualified chartered accountant. He became a member of the Stagecoach board in 2000 and has always worked very closely with Sir Brian, with responsibility for implementing and controlling its successful strategies.
Before his current appointment, he was the group’s finance director, supporting Sir Brian in all aspects of the management of the group’s operations and new business development. He was responsible for overall financial policy, taxation, treasury, employee benefits, pension management and rail franchise bidding.
We talked about Souter’s move from CEO to chairman. He is now 59 and wanted to step back from day-to-day management. It is unusual in British corporate governance for a person to make the move from CEO to chairman. Griffiths said the board discussed the situation thoroughly.
“We did not want to lose Brian’s experience and
enthusiasm,” he says. “We had seen people who had played a major role in establishing other companies. When they walked away, sometimes the companies did not do so well. Gerry Watts, previously the senior independent director, has been appointed deputy chairman and he will be assisting Brian. We will make sure there are no conflicts of interest, because more than 50 percent of Brian’s interests are now outside Stagecoach. Above all, we will still welcome the motivation and challenge from Brian. I am also very pleased that the change has the full support of our shareholders.”
Souter Investments hold Souter’s interests outside Stagecoach in a wide-ranging portfolio that includes
Polski Bus, a Megabus type of operation in Poland, along with ferries and coach services in Turkey.
Innovative influence to continue
Souter has a legendary reputation in the industry as an innovator and has a great grasp of the business’s details. I asked Griffiths if he would have a similar style or be different.
“You can only be yourself,” Griffiths says.
“We have great people in the company and they know how we want to run the business. Part of my challenge is to bring through the next generation. We have always encouraged our people to be innovative and I will continue with that policy.”
I remember Griffiths telling me a few years ago, in a light hearted way, that he and his fellow directors always went to work on a Monday morning with a little bit of trepidation. They wondered what new scheme Souter had thought about over the weekend.
Megabus.com was a classic example with the fare structure modeled after low cost airlines. Stagecoach started by using older
CEO Martin Griffiths envisions Megabus sleeper coaches in U.S.By Doug Jack
Sir Brian Souter moves up to chairman and out of the day-to-day.
vehicles to minimize costs, but as soon as the concept proved popular with the public, the company invested heavily in new and well-equipped coaches. Many of those now running in the United Kingdom are 65-seat tri-axle coaches built to just over 49 feet. There are even megabus.com services to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris.
I asked Griffiths whether he envisions further opportunities to grow the business.
“I believe our strategy has been the most consistent of all the major transport companies,” he says. “We have grown our businesses organically, but we also have added companies where we believe they make a good fit, and occasionally we have sold some of them.”
One example was the sale of bus companies in London to an Australian bank in the summer of 2006 for around $400 million and the subsequent re-acquisition in the fall of 2010 for $80 million. Seeing that the company had been under-performing, Stagecoach saw the opportunity to buy it back and turn it around.
Sleeper coaches in the U.S.
A few days before our interview, Stagecoach launched the first of 10 double deck Van Hool megabusgold.com coaches built to the European maximum length of just over 49 feet. Costing around $750,000 each they feature 53 luxurious leather seats that can convert into 42 beds for overnight express services. The company says they will provide more than 1,700 beds per week on journeys ranging from 400-600 miles between London and Scotland.
The group is looking at introducing megabusgold.
com and sleeper coaches to North America, but first has to ensure that vehicles could be built to comply with Buy America regulations.
“North America is very important to the future of Stagecoach,” says Griffiths. “Our challenge with Megabus.com is to get Americans out of their cars and demonstrate to them that there is high quality alternative transport at really affordable prices. If we can persuade even a fraction of the car users to switch to coaches, we will be very happy.”
He says in North America, there are plenty of journeys in the 400-600 mile range where sleeper coaches could be highly effective. While not as fast as airlines, there is none of the hassle of getting to and from airports, checking in an hour before departure, going through security and facing other restrictions. Furthermore, the coach can save the cost of an overnight hotel stay and the fares are very competitive.
Bearing in mind that Griffiths is 47, I asked him where he saw the future for public transport – bus, coach and rail – in the next 10 to 15 years.
“I am really positive about the future,” he says. “We are living in times of austerity but public transport is remarkably resilient. I hope that the economic situation will pick up here and across the Atlantic. All market research says that public transport is very important and will play a major part in reducing congestion, pollution and emissions.”
THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT
Doug Jack is with Transport Resources in the United Kingdom.
busride.com | BUSRIDE 3 1
Stagecoach named company veteran Martin Griffiths as its new CEO.
The upper deck of the sleeper coach with single bunks/seats on the offside and double bunks/seats on the curbside.
The first 49-foot Van Hool double deck sleeper coach at its launch in London.
3 2 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
busride.com
MOTORCOACH• Green / Eco-initiatives• Safety• Customer service • Community outreach• Marketing• Technology • Other
TRANSIT• Green / Eco-initiatives• Safety• Customer service • Community outreach• Marketing• Technology • Other
PARATRANSIT• Green / Eco-initiatives• Safety• Customer service • Community outreach• Marketing• Technology • Other
This December, BUSRide Magazine will launch the 2nd annual Best of BUSRide Awards. We will celebrate bus and motorcoach operations
that exemplify innovations and best practices in:
NOMINATION DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 16, 2013
If you’d like to nominate a company or agency that you feel deserves recognition, please visit our website — busride.com/best-of-busride-awards-nominate/ — and complete a nomination form today!
“For most operators the policy to keep their coaches in top mechanical condition to ensure passenger safety is all but common knowledge,” says Craig Dance, owner and president of Champion Coach, Greenville, SC. “However, it is the wisest of operators who keep their coaches in top aesthetic condition as well to help further assure passenger satisfaction.”
He says ensuring the coaches shine — literally and figuratively — has its payback in turning first impressions into repeat business, and maximizing trade-in or resale values when the time comes to update the fleet.
It’s Champion Coach’s company policy that each coach in the fleet receives a thorough cleaning between every trip.
“The crew gives special attention to vacuuming, polishing glass surfaces and scrubbing the stairwell, which are the most obvious places for first impressions — one way or the other,” says Dance. “Champion drivers even carry cleaning supplies to maintain the polished look out on the road.”
The coaches are waxed and buffed twice a year. Once or twice a year, technicians remove all the seats from each coach and the interiors receive a thorough steam cleaning. Dance says it can take up to two or three days to scrub every surface and tend to all interior detail.
The many reasons to keep it cleanChampion Coach and Arrow Stage Lines offer
why and how to clean a coachBy Ann Stockham
It’s Champion Coach’s company policy that each coach in the fleet receives a thorough cleaning between every trip.
busride.com | BUSRIDE 3 3
Operating immaculate coaches has been part of the maintenance regimen from the day Dance founded Champion Coach in 1998. He says he is instilling those same values in his sons who are getting their introduction to the bus by helping with the cleaning and waxing. This should sound familiar to the majority of BUSRide readers.
“Cleanliness is a sure signal to customers that our company really cares,” says Dance, “If the coach shows up and it isn’t clean, the message is clear, this company care about the experience they are providing to its customers.”
Dance also believes a well-cared for coach sends another important signal.
“A spotless coach is a very good indicator that the operator is clearly on top of safety and maintenance,” says Dance. “We can just hear the customer thinking, ‘If this bus is this dirty on the outside, what’s going on inside in the places we can’t see?’”
Go the extra mile
Arrow Stage Lines, Norfolk, NB, is another company with a reputation for going the extra mile to provide a sterling fleet.
“It doesn’t matter where or how far the coach is headed,” says Gene Wordekemper, director of maintenance. “We clean every vehicle inside and out before every trip.”
Similar to Champion Coach, Arrow Coaches that shine – literally and figuratively – maximize trade-in and resale values.
steam-cleans its seats periodically and buffs and waxes its coaches once a season. Arrow also keeps close tabs on fabric wear and replaces seat upholstery and flooring as necessary.
“Tattered is not the appearance we want,” says Wordekemper. “Even if the coach is seven years old, we still want it to have as
much showroom appeal as possible.”Though a good amount of vehicle
detailing falls to the maintenance shop, Arrow drivers typically take a an owners pride in the coaches they drive on a regular basis, tending to the interiors as needed and keeping the exteriors looking good.
Arrow also stresses efficient cleaning,
3 4 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013 busride.com
To order or locate your nearest distributor:
Phone (800) 939-4047Fax (847) 289-3464
AIR DISC BRAKE PADS
Available for all coach and transit bus applications.
OE Quality, German Engineered for Safety and Reliability
Proven Braking Ability: With ECE R90 approval
you can be assured Bremskerl 8010
will stop your vehicle and passengers safely.
Why are Bremskerl pads di�erent from anything else available
in North America?
Over 80 years experience developing and manufacturing friction material for OE and aftermarket customers worldwide.
Safety �rst. Bremskerl products stop trains, buses, trucks and other vehicles
every day. Stopping the vehicle safely is the most important factor.
Extended Life. We designed our 8010 formulation to provide longer pad and
rotor life when compared to the existing OE and aftermarket pads available in
the marketplace.
100% Non-Asbestos RoHS / REACH / GADSL Compliant
The many reasons cont.
Ann Stockham serves as author of FYI from MCI for Motor Coach Industries (MCI), Schaumburg, IL.
getting away from old-school mop-and-bucket habits and using a metered dispensing system for cleaning products. Wordekemper says it is more precise and does a better job.
Rules of thumb
So to what does a crack cleaning crew pay close attention, according to these companies?• While not every operator has a wash bay, it is not a Herculean task to keep basic dirt and grime at bay.• No one enjoys looking out of a window streaked with dirt or smudged with the oily mark of a previous passenger’s scalp.• Waxing the coaches at least once a year will keep them looking their best
• Attend to minor bodywork; stay on top of scratches and dings. • At the minimum, vacuum seat upholstery frequently; regular steam-cleaning will help keep fabrics looking and smelling fresh. • Taking care of spots and stains when they are fresh offers the best shot at total removal.• Mop, clean or vacuum the floors frequently; scrub away all scuff marks.• Keep the lavatories immaculate. Constant vigilance is paramount.• Do not overlook the tires and wheel wells, they are always in clear sight to customers so keep them clean and shining.
Arrow steam-cleans its seats periodically and buffs and waxes its coaches once a season.
busride.com | BUSRIDE 3 5
FMCSA showcases young artists in “Be Ready. Be Buckled.” contest
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says the most effective safety experts may be the children sitting in the backseat raised to think safety first.
The annual FMCSA “Be Ready. Be Buckled.” art contest gives these kids the chance to share their advice more broadly. Hosted by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership, kids apply their artistic talents to emphasize the fact that safety belts save lives. The 2013 contest winners encourage commercial drivers to buckle up - every trip, every time.
FMCSA announced this year’s winning contest entries in May. Reilly Taylor (above left) of Independence, MO, and Caleb Zhao (above right) of Gaithersburg, MD, earned the grand prizes. Taylor and Zhous and 10 other honorees will see their winning entries transformed into the CMV Safety Belt Partnership’s 2014 “Be Ready. Be Buckled.” calendar.
FMCSA announced this year’s winning contest entries. The two grand prize winners Reilly Taylor (center left) of Independence, MO, and Caleb Zhao (center right) of Gaithersburg, MD, joined DOT Secretary LaHood and 10 other honorees in ceremonies to unveil their winning entries.
busride.com
MA
RK
ET
PL
AC
E
3 6 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013
Church Executive Magazine p r e s e n t s :In the Months Ahead:
busride.com
If you would like to advertise your products or services in these targeted issues, please contact Sali T. Williams
at 1-800-541-2670 Ext 209 or email [email protected]
BUSRide’s special interest topics for well-informed transit and motorcoach operators:
SEPTEMBERTires and Equipment
This month, we’ll highlight new products and best practices in tires, wheels and the equipment it takes
to maintain these moving parts.
JULYVehicular Safety Technology
The key bus and motorcoach safety features will be addressed,
including onboard monitoring technology, fire suppression systems, electronic stability
control and more.
AUGUSTSafety Training and Compliance
Proper training and compliance is “job one” when it comes to keeping passengers safe. We address new mandates from regulatory agencies that are of the utmost importance to maintaining a legal carrier business.
Pier 50, The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA | (415) 595-8164www.coachsales.com | [email protected]
In addition to our inventory, we have 2008-2010 Setra 417S and MCI J4500 models that we can customize to your fleet specifications. New exterior paint, graphics and interiors options are available. Call today for information on this special offer!!
• Black leatherette seating • Low miles• Black on black• Tinted windows• Underneath storage area
• Corian tables• Power outlets• Flat screen TVs• DVD/CD player• Lavatory
Interior/Exterior Features:
2008 56 Pass Motor Coaches Starting at $148,000!High-End Luxury Pre-Owned VehiclesHigh-End Luxury Pre-Owned VehiclesWhy Buy New at Over $500,000? We’re Updating Our Fleet, Over 60 Vehicles Available, But They Are Going Fast, Call Today For Yours and Start Making Money Tomorrow!
I N T E L L I G E N T T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
BUSES FOR SALE
MA
RK
ET
PL
AC
E
busride.com | BUSRIDE 3 7
INSURANCE BUSES FOR SALE
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
PARTS
busride.com
MA
RK
ET
PL
AC
E
3 8 BUSRIDE | J u n e . 2013
BU
S S
TO
P S
HE
LT
ER
SM
any
site
com
patib
le
desi
gns
& co
lors
Pre-
fabr
icat
ed fo
r eas
y in
stal
latio
nsTh
ousa
nds
in u
se
thro
ugho
ut th
e U.
S.A.
80
0.6
03
.66
35
• h
and
i-hut.
co
m
BU
SR
IdE
.CO
MFo
llow
us
at T
witt
er.c
om/B
USR
ideM
ag
“LIK
E” u
s @
Fac
eboo
k.co
m/B
USR
ide
C O N T A C T
Maria [email protected]
or call 800.541.2670 ext 201
SELLING USED BUSES?HIRING PERSONNEL?POSTING AN AUCTION?MARKETING PARTS ORPRODUCTS?
GET IMMEDIATE RESULTS WITH A
MARKETPLACE AD IN BUSRIDE ANDBUSRIDE.COM
PARTS SHELTERS
