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Motorcoaches put stimulus dollars to work

Public and private coach operators across the country are vying for and receiving federal funding under the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), more commonly known as stimulus funding.

There is a lot of talk these days about shovel-ready projects. While it would be difficult to actually find a shovel on the production line of the Motor Coach Industries (MCI) factory in Pembina, ND, it is fair to say the nearly 250 workers at that facility are wrench-ready.

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When the going gets tough…

A down economy presents challenges of every sort. One of the subtler is to nail down the one maxim that keeps everything in perspective. Over the last couple of months I have talked and listened to motorcoach operators and industry leaders who only reconfirmed my belief that when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.

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What a difference a driver makes

Hiring and retaining highly qualified drivers is among an operator’s greatest challenges. With increased ridership and greater focus on public transportation, the pressure to find safe and responsible drivers becomes more crucial as bus operations experience further expansion, but it is not necessarily risky business.

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Transit financing trapped in a house of cards

The best laid schemes of mice and men gang oft agley — an old refrain among transit administrators caught in the backlash of an economy run amok. Little did they know their creative financing five years back would eventually become ensnared in the current mortgage-lending debacle.

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Arbitrary pricing plagues the industry

For too many years too many bus and motorcoach operators have practiced under-pricing as a means to remain competitive. Such single-minded competitive pricing as a standard operating procedure has plagued the motorcoach industry. The fact is this is happening because a great number of coach operators do not fully understand how to price their services. The fair and profitable approach to pricing comes down to some very basic business principles.

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