A candid discussion on how operators can navigate margins, payments, and brand perception when working with brokers and other intermediaries.
By Brian Dickson
To explore these concerns from another perspective, I sat down with Harald Kruse, CEO of Global Charter Services, the parent company of BusBank. Harald has been working to position BusBank as more than just another broker, with a focus on building stronger partnerships with operators.
We walked through five common concerns operators raise about brokers — plus one broader question about the future role of intermediaries in our industry.
1. Margins and Costs
Operator’s Concern: Brokers cut into already thin margins.
I asked Harald how operators should weigh the trade-off between slimmer margins and the reach a broker can provide.
“Look, obviously we need to charge something for our services. But we also take a lot of costs off of the operator — those sales and marketing expenses. And I would estimate that’s five, 10%, maybe 15% of budget, especially if you add in salaries of salespeople. Look at your own P&L and make an assessment of what those costs are.”
He added that BusBank also absorbs operational complexity:
“I like to say the customer doesn’t speak bus. They come to us with a need but don’t know the vehicles or logistics. Our team translates that into a trip operators can easily action.”
I then asked him to share an example of how BusBank’s reach helped secure an operator business that they likely wouldn’t have secured on their own.
Harald pointed to BusBank’s work with a multinational accounting and consulting firm:
“They’ve selected us as their partner for planners across North America, including Canada. One request might come from New York, another from Kansas City or Seattle. But we use our stable of bus operators to fulfill those trips — from a sprinter van airport pickup to a 500-person convention. That’s why having a strong operator base is so important.”
2. Payment Delays
Operator’s Concern: Brokers don’t pay on time, creating cash flow problems.
I asked what operators can do to ensure they get paid quickly when working with BusBank.
“I’ve heard a lot of this, especially at the last UMA I attended, and it was really disconcerting that some people in the industry aren’t paying out the bus operators. I feel like this is a really big differentiator for us because our systems are set up so that our payments go through very quickly.”
Harald explained that BusBank’s funds for each trip are kept separate, with no co-mingling. Operators are paid as soon as trips are closed and reconciled, including extras like tolls or cleaning fees.
He acknowledged that extended terms do come up, especially with government agencies or large corporations:
“This is a reality that is present everywhere in the industry. We try to negotiate down any extended terms, but when they’re unavoidable, we make sure operators know upfront when they’ll be paid. We’re in the same boat with the bus operator — we want to get paid quickly and reliably, and then make sure our operator partners are taken care of.”
Compared to others, he rated BusBank’s payment practices as “an A or A+,” pointing to consistent payouts and no outstanding operator debts, aside from disputes that need reconciliation.
3. Customer Relationship
Operator’s Concern: Brokers block or dilute operator–customer relationships.
Many operators view brokers as competitors, believing that if brokers didn’t exist, the customer would come to them directly at higher margins. I asked Harald how he responds to this idea.
“I don’t view bus operators as competitors, and I don’t think they should view us that way either. They should be viewing us as a distribution channel that’s additional to their core business.
Today’s marketing environment really works best at a national scale, and bus operators are inherently local. So there’s a mismatch there. We provide the marketing on a national scale and distribute it fairly to good bus operators.”
He acknowledged the trade-off: BusBank keeps the customer relationship because of how it translates needs into trips and matches them to operators. But operators gain another channel to showcase their brand:
“With utilization rates averaging around 60%, the trips we bring you are another way to get that big, beautiful billboard on the road, building more exposure and opportunity.”
4. Brand Identity
Operator’s Concern: Brokered trips harm the operator’s brand identity.
I asked Harald whether customers understand that BusBank doesn’t own the buses, and how operators can ensure their service becomes the defining impression of the trip.
“We are completely upfront with our customers that BusBank does not own the buses. And I think that’s important. But it really has to do all around the driver and making sure the driver is set up for success. Both BusBank and the bus operator are dependent on the driver to deliver the best experience to the end customer. We’re all in the same business of ensuring the driver is set up for success.”
While brokers may not actively promote operator brands, Harald framed each trip as an opportunity:
“As long as a broker is bringing you new business and isn’t interfering with your core customers, those trips are chances to showcase your brand.”
He also noted that few national brands exist in the charter space beyond Greyhound and Flix, reinforcing that most operators still compete locally — and that BusBank isn’t seeking to disrupt those local markets.
5. Unrealistic Demands
Operator’s Concern: Brokers oversell or push unsafe, unsustainable trips.
When I asked how BusBank sets boundaries to keep trips realistic, Harald was direct:
“We are really highly focused on the safety of our trips. If a customer request is unrealistic or dangerous, we work with them to adjust the plan before it ever reaches an operator. We don’t like overnight trips, for example, and it’s very difficult to put two drivers on the same trip. So we try to break up trips in a way that is manageable.”
He added that this commitment ties back to BusBank’s relationship with Lancer Insurance and its focus on compliance and driver safety.
6. The Future Role of Intermediaries
Operator’s Concern: What role will intermediaries play in the future of the industry?
I closed by asking Harald how he views the role of intermediaries — whether brokers, BusBank, or DMCs — in the years ahead.
“Intermediaries will always play a role in this and every other industry. It’s a distribution channel, and the question is just how the industry chooses to work with them.
The rest of the travel industry has already done this — airlines and hotels figured out how to aggregate supply and pricing decades ago. That still isn’t a reality in the charter bus industry, 30 or 40 years later. I think it’s something the bus operators, associations, and intermediaries can work together on for our mutual benefit.”
Final Thoughts
This conversation with Harald adds a vital perspective to an ongoing debate. Intermediaries — whether brokers, marketplaces, or DMCs — are part of the landscape, and the real question is how operators choose to work with them.
The takeaway is that while intermediaries introduce trade-offs, they can also provide opportunities if approached strategically. The challenge for operators is finding the right balance — protecting margins, safeguarding brand, and maintaining customer relationships, while still leveraging the reach and resources intermediaries provide.
Brian Dickson is the Owner and Principal Consultant of Bus Business Consultants and author of Ground Transportation Insights on Substack. He draws on leadership experience in motorcoach operations and Disney’s Guest Transportation to help companies enhance efficiency, profitability, and service quality.