BUSRide WebinarPLUS: SelectCare Preventive Maintenance

In an interactive webinar presentation, BUSRide spoke with John Walsh, president of REV Bus Group, to discuss the new partnership and maintenance program by REV Group and Ryder. With the REV / Ryder Maintenance Program, REV customers gain access to industry-leading technology, an expansive facility infrastructure and some of the industry’s best-trained technicians.


Sign up for this program today by calling (toll free): 844-473-8287


Please tell us about SelectCare Preventive Maintenance. What does it involve and how does it work?

REV Group and Ryder formed this partnership to give REV customers a simple, uniform way to maintain their buses.

We have two programs, an on-demand program and the SelectCare Preventive Maintenance program. For the on-demand program, we ask customers to register their vehicles with Ryder. Once a vehicle is registered, customers have access to services in the location that is most convenient for them. If that vehicle is in Atlanta, for example, and it travels to Dallas, the operator can go to a facility in Dallas to have it worked on.

We also have programs set up for preventive maintenance, which are service contracts that we can do with customers on a routine basis. There are two different ways to do this. Once you’re registered, you can set up an appointment or come on set intervals – whether that’s every 90 days or 180 days, it all depends on the sort of vehicle you have.

Who is eligible for SelectCare Preventive Maintenance?

Any REV-branded bus that you buy can enter this program. Also, in the beginning of the program, let’s say you have a fleet of 20 buses and 10 of those are REV buses and 10 of those are non-REV buses – we’re going to allow (again, just at the beginning of the program) for you to register all 20 vehicles.  Maintenance will be available for all vehicles, whether REV manufactures them or not.

It’s very simple to sign up with Ryder. Ryder’s call center in Georgia is open 24/7. When dialing Ryder, you’ll always speak to a real person – for enrollment, scheduled service, or even emergency service.

Where are SelectCare Maintenance facilities located – and how many are there?

About 450 Ryder facilities are now certified to service REV buses. These are in addition to REV’s group of 150 nationwide bus dealers. We firmly believe that these additional locations for preventive maintenance will help our customers improve their services.

Tell us about the SelectCare technicians. Are they trained to work on trucks or buses? Are there exceptions to vehicle type or type of work?

We have nearly 6,000 trained technicians that are all ASE-certified.These facilities service Ryder trucks and REV buses. Technicians are trained on every component of that vehicle. They are going to be certified to work on the chassis of the vehicle, as well as all other aspects of the body – from air conditioning and seats to wheelchair lifts.

At this time, only buses (not ambulances or work trucks) are eligible for the program.

Listen to the webinar!

“SelectCare Preventive Maintenance”

John Walsh and Carlos Mediola, group director and global product manager – SelectCare Ryder System Inc., explain how the new cooperative program from REV Group and Ryder affects fleet optimization; why operators can expect increased cash flow; and how preventive maintenance translates to safer buses!

Available now at www.busride.com/webinars


Can you give us an idea of the costs involved for basic services?

The costs are on a market-based hourly rate relative to customer location within the U.S. Any other special programs are quoted separately.

We will also have an attractive national parts program, so we’ll be able to furnish customers with a list of fast-moving parts upon request.

How does the SelectCare warranty program work?

When a customer has a warranty issue on any REV bus, the first thing we’d like them to do is call our toll-free outline at 844-473-8287. We’ll direct the customer to a local dealership or a Ryder facility, depending on their location.

What effect will this program have on REV and Ryder customers’ ability to optimize their fleets?

When vehicles aren’t on regular preventive maintenance schedules, they are not able to optimize their full lifetime potential.

This program will optimize fleets by making them last longer – it’s that simple.

With longer-lasting, healthy vehicles, agencies have more route options and flexibility – while simultaneously keeping down capital costs for vehicle acquisition.

Because of this program, can REV and Ryder customers expect increased cash flow? If so, how?

Transit maintenance becomes very costly for agencies over time. When handled in-house, preventive maintenance costs exceed acquisition costs by leaps and bounds.

With a robust offering like the REV / Ryder SelectCare program, which offers affordable and regularly-scheduled preventive maintenance, customers will see major savings and thus increased cash-flow.

This program will help our customers to stay organized.

When a vehicle has become neglected, and this is seen quite a bit at Ryder, sometimes it’s just too late and the expense can be catastrophic. This is especially true if it’s something like an engine, for example.

If you are on the program, you will save money – in the short term and long term. We firmly believe that.


You asked, they answered

What need do you think this program will fulfill that may be currently missing in today’s market?

We always say that buying a bus is the easy part, and maintaining it is the difficult part.  Our network is set up for sales through our distribution channels in our dealer network. Many of those sales efforts are on a regional level in multiple states, but service is local. We realize that it’s very difficult for us to ask our dealer network to have a facility in every single town where all our buses are located.

Is this program extended to any other markets
besides bus?

Our new exclusive agreement (and partnership) with Ryder is for our bus division. We have yet to move this into our other divisions at this point, but we will possibly be looking at next steps for an ambulance division and minivans. However, for right now, this is strictly for the REV bus brand.

Will any priority of services be extended to REV vehicles in this program?

Carlos Mendiola: We typically cater to our customers’ fleets and we are viewing our REV customers in the same light. If you call our maintenance center to schedule an appointment, that’s going to guarantee you a prioritized time for that window of service. If preventive maintenance service is being done, and you schedule 24 hours in advance, that will be honored. If there are follow-up repairs that need to be done, we’ll turn those around quickly.

What are some other features or options included in
the programs?

Again, you have the SelectCare Preventive Maintenance program and the on-demand program – these are the two options that we discussed and are offering today.

We’ll also offer an inspection service, DOT inspection, warranty management and consolidated invoicing. These are the more robust programs that you can choose to do with the REV/Ryder program.