On February 14 the American Bus Association Foundation (ABAF) released the fourth quarter/full-year 2018 Motorcoach Builder Survey. Based on surveys of the major motorcoach manufacturers that sell vehicles in the United States and Canada, motorcoach sales from the participating manufacturers saw a 17 percent decrease over the same quarter in 2017 to a total of 1021 units (677 new coaches and 344 pre-owned coaches) versus 1236 units sold in 2017.
“We saw an increase in new motorcoach sales as companies were updating their fleets,” Peter Pantuso, president and CEO of the ABAF said. “We have also seen a number of buses up for auction as some companies have gone out of the business.”
For 2018, total sales (new and pre-owned) fell 6 percent from 2017. While 45-foot motorcoaches saw a 1 percent growth year over year, sales in 40-foot to 45-foot motorcoaches were down 38 percent from 2017. The 30-foot to 40-foot motorcoach sales also fell 4 percent from last year.
“The industry is still quite healthy,” Pantuso said. “We are seeing a higher number of bus sales — both new and pre-owned — than we saw a decade ago.”
About the Report
Data were collected by John Dunham & Associates for the American Bus Association Foundation. John Dunham & Associates is a leading New York City-based economic consulting firm specializing in the economics of fast moving issues. Data – which reflect updated results from prior reports – were collected by John Dunham & Associates for the American Bus Association Foundation. Changes in data definitions and reporting occurred over the past quarter and are reflected in these figures.
This release originally appeared on the ABA website. You can view here.