Most folks who charter a bus only know that they want to get from point A to B and back. Very few of them realize that there is a tremendous difference in the quality and safety of the bus company who transports their loved ones and friends.

Are You Planning to Charter a Bus? First Do Some Research:

The federal government (as well as some states) rate bus companies on safety. It’s easy to find how the bus company is doing, just go to this website: SAFERSYS.ORG

• go to the center of the screen scroll down and click on COMPANY SNAPSHOT
• Once there select the search criteria you want to use, in our case by name COACH TOURS LTD, our name will come up.
• Click on the name and watch the company statics appear.

Once you have inspected the company statics you can also look at several other safety reports.

• Scroll up on the screen you have open and on the upper right will be a box with “SMS results”
• click there and you will get more info and a graphic that looks like a speedometer.

The lower the number on the speedometer the SAFER the company operation has been rated by the FEDs.

If you want to see how the company you are considering rates in New York State you can check it out at DOT.NY.GOV

• click on safety,
• then scroll down to Bus Safety Network (BUSNET)
• click there and scroll to Carrier Profile for the latest year.

These results are alphabetical so you can click down to Coach Tours (or any company with a New York address) and see their “OUT OF SERVICE PERCENTAGE” anything below 10% is considered a good rating.

Charter Bus Inspections

Some charter bus companies would not welcome an inspection of their maintenance facility. That is a clear red flag regarding how reputable their operation is. A good company welcomes the scrutiny of the regulations and bus inspections – because they have their equipment functioning at the top safety level, their facility reflects that, and they are diligent about their customers safety.

Another consideration is the manner in which they answer the phone. If the phone is answered with the company name you can be pretty sure that they only operate under one name. If however, they answer “BUS COMPANY” you might want to check out the address to see how many names they actually operate under. More than one name is a warning sign.

If you go to the company and find several buses with different state license plates parked there you might want to pass them by, this usually means that one or more states in the Tri State area failed to pass the bus when it was inspected. That is a major concern. In our tri-state area, buses with Pennsylvania plates that operate outside of that state generally indicate that they have lost their operating privilege in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey which have stricter standards. Look on the windshield of the bus and see if it has a nationally approved “Diamond” shaped inspection sticker that is current. All properly licensed Buses in the U.S. also have a USDOT number on each side and the city and state where they are registered. Ask if they are an approved Military Carrier and also if they carry Professional Sports teams, these companies generally carry more insurance and have good safety and reliability ratings. If all else fails and you still aren’t sure if you’ve made the right choice – ask for a list of references, and then give them a call.

Remember, you want a reliable, safe company – not one who just says they are.

If this bus safety information was helpful, please comment on this blog post – and tell me what you think.

Bus Tours – Big or Small / Far or Near

The first thing you need to decide is how large a bus you need. This depends on how many people you have for your trip, how far you are going and amazingly enough how big your friends are. It also depends on what you plan on doing on the bus, whether you intend  to show movies, home videos, sing karaoke, or drink large quantities of beer and other alcoholic beverages during a bus tour pizza party!

You also need to know that some companies are reluctant to travel to destinations where safety inspections might be performed by state and local officials. These places often include amusement parks, casinos, race tracks, large museums, national monuments, and other bus tour favorites.

Let’s tackle the easy questions first:

Motor Coach Travel Bus Size – Comfortable Minibus or Luxurious Motor Coach

Tour bus coaches come is about 3 or four sizes, and mini buses in about five sizes. The smallest mini is 18-20 passengers and has regular suspension. They are good for local trips (20 miles) on good roads, and most have air conditioning – but it’s always best to ask. The small mini buses generally do not have rest rooms or space for luggage.

The next size mini has luggage space and is good for the same type of local trip, perhaps a bit further up in range to about 50 miles, and it seats up to 26-32 passengers. These bigger mini’s may have small restrooms, air conditioning, and reclining seats. You should inquire about the amenities, which vary between tour bus companies.

The most luxurious category is the Full Size Motor Coach. They seat from 43 to 57 passengers and vary in length up to 45 feet. These coaches are the Luxury Highway Coach. They have reclining full width seats, full luggage compartments underneath the coach, additional space for carry-on bags above the seats, rest rooms, video monitors, DVD players, public address systems and some have power outlets for computers and Wi-Fi.  They are considerably more comfortable and quieter than the smaller mini bus and are operated by professional coach drivers. Full size luxury motor coaches are much higher off the road, have large capacity heat and air conditioning, reading lights, air vents at each seat, and are designed to be operated at highway speeds. All these features combine to make full size motor coaches the most comfortable of all the available buses. For adult passengers of medium to large size, the extra seating capacity and width of the Highway Coach should be considered. It’s also the ultimate choice for long trips if you are planning destinations 200 miles from home, or want to spend multiple days away.

Pertinent Additional Questions for your Charter Bus Company to Insure a Great Tour Bus Experience

• Can your group drink alcoholic beverages and eat on the coach? You have to ask! Don’t just assume you can. If you are allowed, you might want to take a ride to the company garage and make sure that the bus doesn’t smell like last night’s beer party or that old pizza from the last week won’t be part of your new trip.
• Ask if there is an extra charge for cleaning up upon return if you and those in your group drink and eat. And ask who decides if you have to pay for the cleaning.
• If your group is going for more than one day ask where (or if) the bus will be cleaned and where the rest room will be serviced, it will make your trip much more pleasant and comfortable for all on board.
• It also is wise to ask what will happen if your bus has any mechanical difficulty, who supplies and pays for the replacement bus if yours isn’t fixable and who arranges for your group to get home.
• Make sure the bus company has a contingency plan if you miss things you were scheduled to see. If you end up needing twenty cabs to get your group to the play, track, game, casino, hotel, or whatever destination – who pays for them? If you pay, will the bus company reimburse you?

All this pre-planning should not be frightening –  it’s all to insure that your motorcoach travel will be memorable for good things.  In the end it will make all of your fantastic plans much more relaxing if you know that you’ve asked all the right questions. So before your get on the road. make sure you are totally comfortable with the answers you received.

Motor Coach Travel Assistance from Coach Tours

Do you want a helpful checklist of what to look for and how to plan your motor coach travel?

Call Coach Tours and we’ll be happy to email one to you – at no charge – no matter what company you end up choosing  .(…of course we’d like you to choose Coach Tours first!)

In future blog posts we’ll look into how to plan your daily itinerary when you decide to take a trip, so your passengers can survive to the next day, and see more wonderful sights and events. Our experience can also assist you in choosing the right time of the year and best price for your bus tour to any destination.

Happy Motor Coaching!!!