How big IS your bus?

It was the middle of the night, and I’d just been dropped at a truck stop to relieve on a long charter. My boss told me it should be easy to find the driver… he’d be the only 6’7” Native American in the place. He was.

Leaping into the bus, I noticed that SceniCruiser driver’s station was virtually identical to the GM 4104’s I’d been driving. Everything would have been fine, IF daylight hadn’t come. At sunrise a look in the mirror told me this bus was WAY longer. All I could see was miles of metal. All of a sudden it was cold sweat and WIDE turns.

Since then coaches have gone up another notch, and for the past couple of decades the majority of production has been 45’. 40’s are still sold for specialized use, but since they cost nearly as much as a 45.. and are less versatile, they are rare.

Many operators have seen an increase in customer demand for smaller buses. Clearly, smaller groups are looking for a lower price, but it’s more than that. Even at the same price, they don’t want to rattle around a cavernous coach.

A number of small bus builders responded to the market by building bigger (up to 45 passenger) buses on heavier duty front engine chassis. They tweaked the suspension, and improved noise control.

In recent years several manufacturers have upped the ante, offering 35’ rear engine vehicles that have the look and feel of heavy coaches.

Smaller coaches may make sense as part of your fleet, and there are number of things to consider in deciding what, if any, mix of sizes is good for you.

If you’re finding that 10% or more of your business is with groups smaller than 39 people, you might want 10% of your fleet to be smaller capacity vehicles.

40’ buses don’t sell for much less than 45’ because they use the same engine, transmission, HVAC and (3) axles.

35’, on the other hand can be much less costly to buy AND to operate. Using smaller engines, transmissions, HVAC and only 2 axles, they are economical to build and operate. Tolls, fuel, tires, brakes etc… you get it.

The newer mid sized chassis’ offer ride quality that approaches the big bus’s, and both front and rear engine models can offer interior amenities that approach high end tour coaches.

There are a few caveats, and features, to consider…

The front engine buses tend to have fewer seats than the rear engine models, and luggage is in the rear. Be sure that the seating capacity and weight rating is what you need. Lavatories are optional, and use seat space.

The front engine will be less costly to buy and maintain, but comes with some pitfalls. Their baggage compartments can be difficult to work with.. They tend to be a bit noisier than a rear engine vehicle and generally are not built as durably, and this will reflect in resale value.

Passengers often think a vehicle with a front engine is a “bus”, as opposed to a rear engine “Coach”, so there may be some difference in what you can charge. A small rear engine bus will likely “look” more like the rest of your fleet, and fit more comfortably in a convoy.

Luggage capacity varies widely, if you’re using the bus on overnights or airport work, you’ll want to do the math… and get enough cubic feet per passenger.

There’s a wide range of quality in this market, so you should consider how valuable things like corrosion resistance, and heavy duty components are to your locale and operation. Warranties vary widely, and are complex, so take the time to confuse yourself.

Either front or rear powered… you’ll want to consider who will support the bus. You can count on it being more complex than with your 3 axle coaches, because warranty and service are often the responsibility of a component’s manufacturer.

You can be caught in a grey area between vendors… so it helps if you have a dealer that can walk you through the process. Some dealers have regional field technical reps who can be very helpful.

Remember that you get what you pay for. Many of the new offerings are good values, but American operators are only able to afford them at a certain price level. In many cases you’ll be getting a bus that approaches a tour bus in amenity and comfort, but not in longevity. You’ll want to finance, and depreciate, with the understanding that these buses may do a fine job… but for a shorter period of time.

If you think I had the white knuckle death grip on the steering wheel the first time I drove a 40 footer… imagine the scene when I drove a 45 footer that was 102” wide.

Ugly.