“This proposal seeks to undo nearly 30 years of overwhelming bipartisan support for dedicated federal investment in public transit,” Melaniphy wrote. “Since 1983, under President Ronald Reagan, fuels tax revenues have been dedicated to public transit through the Mass Transit Account of the surface transportation legislation.

“We call on Congress to continue the long-standing highway and public transit financing partnership in place today so that our country can continue to create American jobs and foster economic growth, as well as rebuild our aging infrastructure and meet the growing demand for improved and expanded transportation.”

Two stories overshadowed all others in the bus industry in 2011: the implementation and realization of the new Safety Measurement System (SMS) and the resulting consequences and attention a string of unusually severe motorcoach crashes generated.
While there are probably some operators who do not care much for the new SMS, the consensus from a safety viewpoint is this system does what it was intended to do: identify carriers that have issues managing regulatory requirements. How the system interprets certain violations and ranks operators are still contentious areas, but as a whole the new system provides much more information about carriers and their management than the Safestat system it replaced. More information for both regulators and consumers is a good thing.

The unfortunate fatal bus crashes in the first half of the year sharpened regulator and enforcement attention, which had already been at a heightened level for the last several years. Strike forces across the nation and stricter enforcement of violators have resulted in more passenger carrier vehicle inspections and stricter enforcement of violations than the industry has ever seen.
The results of these accidents also re-focused attention on previously introduced legislation aimed at increasing bus safety and provided basis for new legislative offerings as well. Combined with proposed and soon-to-be federal motor carrier safety regulations affecting the commercial vehicle industry, it is fairly easy to guesstimate what the future will hold for carriers in certain areas.

Seat Belts: While three-point belts on new coaches are a given, it is unlikely we will see a retrofit requirement issued for older coaches. Given the life cycle of coaches and the question of economics versus benefit, the optional retrofit of some coaches would simply be too burdensome. However, I would expect standards issued for those who do choose to retrofit their older coaches.
National Registry of Medical Examiners: This would establish a database of examiners qualified to conduct physical examinations on commercial drivers and likely include some type of educational component for the registered examiners. It should be a non-issue for carriers who already use designated examiners and hopefully are comfortable that they are familiar with the certification criteria, guidance and physical demands of the commercial drivers they examine.

Speed Limiting: This proposal is less of a factor for the bus industry than trucking, but nonetheless may become reality if it is included in legislation under consideration. It would require speeds be limited to 65 mph and would likely include all large commercial vehicles.

Drug and Alcohol Test Database: Long overdue, this missing link in driver history evaluation would limit the chances of drivers with past drug or alcohol abuses not apparent on a driving abstract to get hired and work for most legitimate carriers.

Medical Certification and Sleep Apnea: There is growing indication of a revision to the physical qualification criteria, due mainly to fatigued driving issues and the sleep apnea movement. If sleep apnea screening is mandatory at prescribed body mass indexes, carriers will need to determine if they are willing to pay for such screening for potential hires and even current drivers. It would be wise for operators to begin now investigating options and costs for screening. This will help reduce occupational clinics from potentially benefiting unscrupulously from the need-for-screening diagnosis. Any apnea screening should take place independently of a company’s physical examination provider. Since the opportunity to change the physical qualification criteria is not often presented, it is entirely possible and warranted that FMCSA may review and change other areas of the qualification criteria as well.

Safety Fitness Determination: The continued implementation of the CSA program will include a rule allowing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to change carrier safety fitness ratings based primarily on a carrier’s SMS data. While we can expect plenty of challenges to this rulemaking, if it does pass carriers would be susceptible to frequent, perhaps monthly, evaluations of their safety fitness rather than only during routine compliance reviews. How do operators prepare for this eventual reality? Make sure processes and procedures to manage regulatory compliance are effective in maintaining BASIC scores below thresholds. Aiming for rankings below the 50th percentile should keep a carrier in good shape.

While there has been non-stop action on hours of service rulemakings for property carriers for some time, there has been little mention of hours of service changes in passenger carrier circles. Currently, a new hours-of-service rule for trucking is being published. While it barely mentions passenger carriers, those in the bus industry should not turn a blind eye to this issue. I believe the intent is to adjust passenger carrier hours of service, and once the trucking side is settled, or at least in a new round of litigation, we will see hours of service changes for passenger carriers introduced. FMCSA is simply giving too much attention to the subject to think otherwise. If and when it does introduce new rules, those who have been ahead of the curve in planning will suffer the least pain. All carriers get calls for trips that just don’t seem right; trips they should not allow. If your operation is growing more dependent on these questionable types of trips it is definitely time to think about diversifying.

Electronic Hours of Service Recorders (AOBRDs): This highly sought technology by enforcement is on its way to reality through one of two methods: rulemaking or congressional action. In fact, it was recently included in highway funding legislation under consideration. It is widely accepted in trucking circles, and whichever way it becomes required, passenger carriers can expect to be included.

While we have yet to see the real benefit of this technology from the perspective of roadside enforcement, it will prevent anyone from fudging handwritten logs. Most current AOBRD systems are manually adjustable, which makes any non-adjustable data such as GPS locations key to their effectiveness.

What should you be doing now? Talk with your vendors of the current technology-based systems on your vehicles to see if they plan to integrate AOBRDs into their systems. Most will. If you have contracts coming due for renewal, evaluate systems from other vendors. Make sure any agreements guarantee their AOBRD system will meet all future guidance regarding enforcement interfaces without incurring additional costs.

Driver Training: An entry-level driver training regulation has been on the books since 2004 that requires training for all commercial drivers with less than one year driving experience prior to July 2004. This regulation was subject to litigation largely based on its required topics, or more correctly, the lack of, and has been routinely ignored and not enforced. A proposal in 2007 to modify the training requirements was unsuccessful. The FMCSA will announce another attempt next year. This is not a bad idea and it will require a more robust training program.

This leaves carriers in two scenarios: hire only those experienced drivers who can demonstrate they have met the training requirements, or provide the training themselves to inexperienced drivers or those who lack the proper documentation. To simplify compliance most carriers will want to provide the training themselves. This means that if you do not have an in-house driver training program, you may want to start thinking about developing one or establishing a relationship with a training school or program which is likely to be able to meet any proposed requirements. BR

Matthew A. Daecher is president and CEO of Daecher Consulting Group, Inc., Camp Hills, PA

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL)

“This bill will put Americans back to work rebuilding our roads and bridges and developing new sources of low cost energy,” Mica said. “This legislation may be the most important jobs measure to pass Congress this year.

In summary, the transportation reauthorization and reform provisions:

• Authorize approximately $260 billion over five years to fund federal highway, transit and safety programs, consistent with current funding levels
• Provide long-term stability for states to undertake major infrastructure projects
• Contain no earmarks, compared to the previous transportation law which contained over 6,300 earmarks
• Consolidate or eliminate nearly 70 federal programs
• Eliminate mandates that states spend highway funding on non-highway activities
• Allow states to set their own transportation priorities
• Delegate more project approval authority to states
• Condense deadlines for federal agency project approvals
• Accelerate the approval process for projects in an existing right-of-way
• Encourage states to partner with the private sector to finance and build projects
• Streamline the project delivery process and reduces regulatory burdens for rail projects
• Call for the funds collected for the improvement of the nation’s harbors to be invested for that purpose
• Ensure the safe, efficient transportation of hazardous materials in a manner that does not impose unnecessary burdens on the flow of commerce

The Committee is scheduled to begin consideration of the transportation reauthorization portion of the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act on Thursday, Feb. 2. Legislative text will be available at www.transportation.house.gov.

“The American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act is the largest transportation reform bill since the creation of the Interstate Highway System in 1956,” Mica said. “This is a five-year bill that reforms our federal transportation programs, cuts the red tape and bureaucracy that delays projects across the country, gives states more flexibility to determine their most critical infrastructure needs, provides states with the long-term stability to undertake major improvements, and encourages private sector participation in helping to finance transportation projects.”

“The average federal highway project takes 15 years from concept to completion in the U.S. because of excessive regulations,” said Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN). “This is far more than any other Nation. This bill will streamline the way we approach infrastructure projects by cutting red tape and reducing federal bureaucracy, all while creating millions of jobs for hard working Americans right here in the United States.”

Prevost also had two of the top three coach models in the report’s list of most popular models for fourth quarter and for 2011. The Prevost X3-45 was the bestselling coach and the Prevost H3-45 was the third best-selling coach in fourth quarter 2011. Those same two models appeared in the top three lists for all of 2011.

Andrew Kankula, Prevost senior vice president of Sales and Marketing, says: “Prevost has worked very hard to provide smart, cost-effective solutions to motorcoach operators. This news indicates that operators are looking very closely at long-term operating costs of their vehicles and how those costs affect the success of their business.”

By David Hubbard

The Cupps and the Cornells are business partners and family friends that share the same interests outside their companies.

In the early 1960s Stan Cupp was already involved in the travel business and operating a few school buses when he jumped at the opportunity to buy up a half-dozen fledgling bus companies from the upper peninsula of Michigan to Toledo, OH. He ran his new operation as Delta Bus Lines from his base in Saginaw. In 1980 Cupp accepted an invitation from the Trailways team to become an affiliate and renamed the business Michigan Trailways.

Stan’s sons, David and Randy, who spent much of their time as youngsters around the business washing and cleaning buses continued to work through the ranks of Michigan Trailways for at least 15 years until their father elected to sell the operation in 1988.

With the sudden collapse of that venture after only 10 months into the deal, the new owners relieved the Cupp boys of their duties. David and Randy took it as the chance to create their own motorcoach company, which they launched in 1989 as Blue Lake Charter and Tours. The only hitch in the process was the fact their father was under a strict non-compete clause that prevented his involvement with his sons.

Cupp brothers David (left) and Randy founded Blue Lakes Charters and Tours in 1989 on the work of their father, Stan Cupp and Michigan Trailways.

According to co-owner and vice president Randy Cupp, only the generous assistance of a longtime family friend could make this opportunity possible. Clancy Cornell, the eventual founder of ABC Companies, had grown up with Stan and had begun selling used coaches he purchased from Greyhound.

“We simply could not have managed this without Clancy’s agreeing to help us at the critical time,” says Cupp. “He willingly extended credit to us that allowed us to purchase and operate our first three MCI MC8s.

The early transactions between these two pioneering families marked the beginning of one the more venerable partnerships in the North American motorcoach industry.

“Growing up together, Stan and I shared many of the same family business goals,” says Cornell. “We both grew our businesses from the ground up and shared our passion for the bus industry with our sons. I can say with all certainty that Stan would be more than proud of his sons today.”

As both businesses have grown so have family relations between the Cupp and Cornell sons. Blue Lakes President David Cupp says their camaraderie over the years in business has grown, and outside interests include countless get-togethers and one memorable group excursion to Sturgis, SD on Harley Davidsons.

Cupp says his father may have even been the first operator in the U.S. to purchase a Van Hool when the company brought a demo model to North America to test the market prior to Cornell’s involvement with the Belgian bus builder.

While Blue Lakes ran early 815 Model GMCs equipped with Mann engines coupled to manual transmissions, the Cupps continued to purchase Van Hool coaches after Cornell formed ABC Companies and became the North American distributor.

This year, Blue Lakes will take delivery of four 2012 C2045s to bring the Van Hool count to 20 in the fleet of 55, which includes a number of late model MCIs that have been converted to entertainer and lounge coaches for special events.

Blues Lakes is reaching into its third generation of Cupp family management with David’s son and daughter, Ryan and Betsy respectfully, working in sales and marketing and casino reservations, while Randy’s sons Nathan and Jason are involved in charter sales and maintenance and driver orientation. Ryan Cupp also is a founding member of the UMA Young Guns operator group and secretary of the newly formed Midwest Bus Association.

The history of Blue Lakes Charters and Tours shows in its coaches over the years.

Based in Clio, MI, the $8 million company employs 150 and also operates facilities in Pontiac, MI and Perrysburg, OH, offering a diverse range of services from corporate charters, casino and amusement park runs to extended excursions, such as National Park backpacking trips and the 45-day coach trek Alaska’s Denali National Park for the Michigan Jewish Community Center.

“We give a lot of focus to school and university sports teams and youth organizations,” says David Cupp. “As we are seeing a lot of business from the senior communities waning, we really have to look for ways to attract new markets.”

He says Blue Lakes is the first motorcoach company in his area to initiate an online reservation-payment system for scheduled services that sell trips by the seat.

“The Internet has become such a reality in our business, we had to set up this new system in-house on our website and hire a IT professional to manage it,” says Cupp. “We dropped our Yellow Pages advertising by at least two-thirds.

As the business has passed to each generation and evolved over 40-plus years, Cupp says his family owes much of the stability in operations to a number of drivers and dispatchers who began with the company as Delta and Michigan Trailways.

Cupp says one of the most beneficial efforts to grow and improve has been his involvement over the past three years in the Spader 20 Groups.

“The opportunity to network so closely in a group that ranges from some of the largest bus companies to some of the smallest has really helped,” he says. “We have incorporated a number of suggestions that have literally turned us around in how we do business and how we communicate with our employees and get them more involved in our decision making processes.”

Cupp cites one particularly valuable piece of advice from the group was to make the switch to the more robust motorcoach management software. Another was to be more up front on how Blue Lakes passes fluctuating fuel costs onto its customers.

The history of Blue Lakes Charters and Tours shows in its coaches over the years.

“This is a big problem for so many operators who must quote prices six to 12 months in advance,” he says. “We used to put a disclaimer in small print on the back of the contract that explained the trip was subject to a fuel surcharge. We decided we couldn’t afford the flack we were getting from our customers. Now we print it right on the front in big letters: The cost of this trip is based on today’s fuel costs.

“Internally we are realizing greater value and efficiency by holding more meetings with more of our employees in every area of the operation. We are listening more closely and implementing their ideas. These are our people on the front line doing the work our customers see and judge us by. Their input is crucial to how we operate in this stage of the company.” BR

A Mobile Soap Sprayer is a low-pressure stainless steel mobile sprayer that cleans using brush systems and not chemicals.

In today’s world of environmental concerns and impacts of each industry, the bus industry is now giving serious thought to the level of impact on the environment. We are now looking at ways to be efficient in tires, engines, fuel consumption and aero-dynamics.
Washing your bus can be another dynamic way to be environmentally sound and save money as well. Let’s put some myths to bed and pass on some ideas on how to be green while saving money and improving your image when it comes to washing your buses.

Today there is technology available to meet any needs and desires of your washing requirements, be it budget or environmentally based. Generally, the most popular automatic machinery to wash vehicles today consists of automated drive through, rollover and walk-around units. These automated systems enable a bus to be washed and rinsed in less than five minutes. Available as well are water reclamation and recycle systems to offset environment concerns and save on water costs.

However, there are many operators still using the manual pressure washer and hand brush scrub system, taking up to 30 minutes or more to wash and rinse. Reliable labor, time costs and wash consistency are the major frustrations with any operator utilizing a manual handwash system.

Let’s take a look at facts about bus washing:

Washing buses in your parking lot
Do you know some municipalities and states have banned washing cars on the street and even your driveway? Yes, that water goes directly to the storm sewer and immediately into your local water source, whether it is a stream, river, lake or ocean. If you are washing in your parking lot, where does that drain go? Most likely, it goes directly to the closest aquatic system in your area.
The chemicals being used for washing end up in the local aquatic systems. Even if you use the proper “biodegradable soaps” you are still sending grease, oil, gasoline and other contaminants with that wash water into the water shed.

The Environmental Protection Agency suggests washing your vehicles on gravel or grassy surfaces, since Mother Nature knows how to neutralize those contaminants in the soil. However, this can’t be efficient for any bus operator that has multiple vehicles to wash. The surface would obviously become inundated with water and mud, so there has to be more thought put into large vehicle washing.

There are technologies available to capture your wash water in your parking lot, recycle and reuse this water. Also there are companies that will capture and dispose in the proper sewer system so as not to pollute your environment.

The Awash Eco Water Pump System is an automatic, self-contained unit designed to increase both water pressure and volume for increased efficiency.

Washing inside your building
Washing inside your building, in the majority of cases, means you are tapped into your municipal water sewage system, thus the wash water is being sent to your treatment facility.  While this does help the environment, there are costs.

The municipality has to clean this water. Also, your company or building is paying for water that’s possibly on a meter. Check your water bill and understand it.

Are you paying for sewage discharge as well?  Many companies do not realize that there is a water charge in and many times there is a “water out” charge. Some areas meter water in and out, with a hefty charge for water discharge. You are paying for water in and then paying again for water out, sometimes twice the amount to discharge.

Today’s technology allows for water treatment systems at your wash bay. There are many systems available that allow you to capture your water, clean it and reuse for washing. This would allow a zero discharge, thus saving money and the environment.

Handwashing buses
A three-quarter-inch water hose dispenses 17 gallons of water per minute. Do the math and washing a bus for 30 minutes equates to 510 gallons of water. Each gallon weighs 8.3 pounds, so you may have used over two tons – or 4,200 pounds – of water to wash that bus.

Whether you are washing inside your building or outside on your parking lot, the use and cost of water can be a major hidden expense for your facility. Do the analysis and find a major saving, especially when you look at your cost-per-gallon of water.
Today’s technology for cleaning buses, no matter if you are using an automatic system, a walk-around single brush unit, pressure washer or old fashioned hand brush, can be a green initiative in your company. It’s a matter of education of water usage, techniques and analysis. With water shortages and environmental impacts this is a growing concern, and one long ignored.

The cost of water varies across the continent, thus it can have different impacts depending on your location.  Do you draw water out of a well or lake?  We hear from these customers that we don’t pay for water, so not a concern. We have to believe there is a cost to all of us eventually.

For most of us the municipality supplies our water through pipes to our facility. Take a minute to examine the water bill and come up with a cost-per-gallon of water. This is not easy, but it’s necessary to determine your cost-per-vehicle of washing.

After determining the cost of water you will have to capture the cost of labor, chemicals and supplies, like brushes and cloths, etc. It is understandable why only 1 percent of companies know the actual cost of washing a bus.

Overall, bus washing has much more of an impact than most operators’ take time to consider.  There is a major affect to both the environment and the bottom line of every company, city and municipality. Take time to consider your footprint on the environment. BR

Jack Jackson is President of Awash Systems in Toronto, Canada. He can be reached at jjackson@awashsystems.com. Find Awash Systems at www.awashsystems.com or call (800) 265-7405.

“Our initial analysis of both the House and Senate bills shows that they include positive policy changes that the public transit industry sought,” Melaniphy said. “These include improvements in project delivery, innovative financing and public/private sector partnerships.
“Both houses of Congress will need to address the financing required to support the legislation and it is important to the public transit industry that revenues for the Mass Transit Account continue to be dedicated to public transportation investment. We are committed to working with both the House of Representatives and the Senate committees to move this legislation forward to create American jobs and ensure that the United States remains economically competitive.”

The board unanimously approved a plan to help increase the number of workers from disadvantaged areas to be hired to work on the agency’s transit and road projects.

The Project Labor Agreement (PLA) between Metro and the Los Angeles/Orange County Building Trades Council is believed by Metro to be the first of its kind for a transit agency in the United States. Under the PLA, 40 percent of work hours on Metro projects would be done by workers who live in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and 10 percent of the hours going to workers struggling with poverty.

Many members of the public testified in favor of the plan, most hewing to a simple message: times are tough, they’re unemployed and they need a job “not just to survive, but to live.

Los Angeles Mayor and Board Chair Antonio Villaraigosa voiced praise for the PLA, saying he believes the program will create a path for workers to the middle class.

“I am proud that the MTA Board voted unanimously to become the first transit agency in the nation to use federal and local dollars to create jobs targeted at economically disadvantaged communities and individuals,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “This landmark program is part of a strategy to deliver public transit projects while creating jobs that will lift people out of poverty and into the middle class.”

Michigan Flyer makes eight roundtrips each day between East Lansing, Jackson, Ann Arbor, and Detroit Metropolitan Airport, carrying more than 90,000 passengers a year.

The new fleet of state-of-the-art 2012 Prevost H3-45 coaches is one of the first in Michigan to be equipped with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology, which combines Exhaust Gas Recirculation and Diesel Particulate Filters to produce near zero emissions.

“The decision to invest in this infrastructure upgrade is based on our commitment to our customers, to Michigan Flyer, and to the people of mid-Michigan,” said Indian Trails President Gordon Mackay. “We’re proud that our Michigan Flyer fleet exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 standards on air pollutants and also achieves high fuel economy. Each of these motorcoaches has the potential to remove 50 automobiles from the highway, further reducing air pollution, traffic congestion, and our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.”

The new coaches, all equipped with ADA-compliant wheelchair lifts, also feature a collection of amenities designed to enhance passenger safety and comfort.

One innovative safety feature is an electronic stability system that enables drivers to avoid danger in adverse conditions, such as ice and snow. It monitors vehicle movement, wheel speed, steering angle, and lateral acceleration, then automatically applies brakes or reduces throttle if necessary to prevent skid or rollover.

Now celebrating its fifth anniversary, Michigan Flyer continues to grow. Since its inaugural trips in November 2006, Michigan Flyer has carried more than 400,000 passengers.

Seegebrecht previously served as vice president, marketing, for Navistar’s parts group. Prior to joining Navistar, Seegebrecht spent 15 years with BP in a variety of sales and marketing roles.

“We are proud to add Kathy to the team,” said John McKinney, president, Navistar Global Bus. “Kathy’s experience in the Parts Group and external perspective will provide our group with new thinking and a fresh approach to the market.”