By Rick Mullen,
Busline Magazine Associate Editor

The following import/export categories include motor buses, coaches, trolley buses and gyrobuses.

The U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau trade figures for May 2019 indicated vehicle imports were up in seven categories outlined, compared to May 2018. For the first five months of 2019, vehicles imports were up in six categories, compared to the first five months of 2018.

The United States imported 277 vehicles in May 2019, up 46 percent from 190 vehicles imported in May 2018. For the first five months of 2019, the United States imported 1,080 vehicles, up 15 percent from 941 for the first five months of 2018.

Canada sent 538 vehicles to the United States during the first five months of 2019, while Mexico exported 264 and North Macedonia shipped 220.

The average price per vehicle for May 2019 was $301,868.75, down 29 percent from the average price for May 2018 of $422,821.31. The average price per vehicle for the first five months of 2019 was $330,117.04, down 20 percent from $410,981.84 for the first five months of 2018.

Public-Transport Passenger Vehicles For Transport Of 10 Or More Persons With Only Comp-Ign Internal Combustion Piston Engine (Diesel Or Semi-Diesel), Other

The United States received 399 vehicles in May 2019, up significantly from 95 vehicles for May 2018. For the first five months of 2019, the United States imported 878 vehicles, up significantly from 242 vehicles for the first five months of 2018.

The United States imported 869 vehicles from Germany during the first five months of 2019.

The average price of the vehicles for May 2019 was $37,730.11, down 21 percent from $47,677.08 for May 2018. The average price per vehicle for the first five months of 2019 was $40,887.56, down 19 percent from $50,372.85 for the first five months of 2018.

Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles With Comp-Ign Internal Combustion Piston Engine (Diesel Or Semi-Diesel), And Electric Motor Designed For Transport Of 16 Or More Persons

The United States imported 43 vehicles during May 2019. No vehicles were received during May 2018. During the first five months of 2019, 161 vehicles were imported, compared to one vehicle for the first five months of 2018.

All the vehicles imported came from Canada.

The average price for May 2019 was $209,855.91. The average price for the first five months of 2019 was $233,250.90, compared to $65,100 for the first five months of 2018.

Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles For Transport Of 10 Or More Persons With Comp-Ign Internal Combustion Piston Engine (Diesel Or Semi-Diesel), And Electric

No vehicles in this category were imported during 2018 and 2019.

Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles With Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Piston Engine And Electric Motor For 16 Or More Persons

No vehicles in this category were received by the United States in May 2019 or May 2018. Two vehicles were imported during the first five months of 2019. No vehicles were imported during the first five months of 2018.

The United States imported two vehicles from Canada during the first five months of 2019, at an average price of $15,200.

Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles With Both Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Piston Engine and Electric Motor for 10 to 15 Persons

The United States imported no vehicles in this category during May 2019 or May 2018. During the first five months 2019, no vehicles in this category have been received, compared to one vehicle during the first five months of 2018, at a price of $10,325.

Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles With Electric Motor Only, For Transport Of 16 Or More Persons Including Driver

The United States imported 31 vehicles during May 2019, compared to one vehicle for May 2018. During the first five months of 2019, 244 vehicles were received, compared to seven for the first five months of 2018.

Canada shipped 209 vehicles during the first five months of 2019.

The average price per vehicle for May 2019 was $196,901.10, down 67 percent from $553,800 for May 2018. The average price for the first five months of 2019 was $107,964.28, down 55 percent from $239,170 for the first five months of 2018.

Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles, With Electric Motor Only For Propulsion, NESOI

The United States imported 27 vehicles during May 2019, compared to four vehicles for May 2018. During the first five months of 2019, 52 vehicles were imported, up 100 percent from 26 vehicles for the first five months of 2018.

China sent all of the vehicles during the first five months of 2019.

The average price per vehicle for May 2019 was $7,621.15, down 25 percent from $10,220 for May 2018. The average price per vehicle for the first five months of 2019 was $7,777.96, down 4 percent from $8,117.35 for the first five months of 2018.

Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles For 16 Or More Persons Including Driver, NESOI

The United States imported 111 vehicles during May 2019, up 39 percent from 80 for May 2018. During the first five months of 2019, 519 vehicles were received, up 17 percent from 444 for the first five months of 2018.

Canada sent 503 vehicles to the United States during the first five months of 2019.

The average price per vehicle for May 2019 was $68,081.26, down 3 percent from $69,947.45 for May 2018. The average price for the first five months of 2019 was $62,674.70, down 16 percent from $74,480.72 for the first five months of 2018.

Motor Vehicles For The Transport Of 10 To 15 Persons Including Driver, NESOI

The United States imported 144 vehicles during May 2019, up 13 percent from 127 during May 2018. During the first five months of 2019, 534 vehicles were received, down 27 percent from 727 for the first five months of 2018.

Canada sent 489 vehicles to the United States during the first five months of 2019.

The average price per vehicle for May 2019 was $37,772.92, down 12 percent from $42,812.60 for May 2018. The average price for the first five months of 2019 was $43,070.64, down 5 percent from $45,135.46 for the first five months of 2018.

EXPORTS

Export totals for May 2019 were up in three categories, compared to May 2018. For the first five months of 2019, three categories also reported increases.

Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles With A Compression-Ignition Internal Combustion Piston Engine (Diesel Or Semi-Diesel) Only

The United States exported 760 vehicles during May 2019, up 9 percent from 695 vehicles exported in May 2018. During the first five months of 2019, 2,790 were sent, down 16 percent from 3,309 for the first five months of 2018.

Canada received 1,630 vehicles during the first five months of 2019, while Mexico imported 541 vehicles.

The average price per vehicle for May 2019 was $70,159.34, down 6 percent from the average price for May 2018 of $74,804.65. The average price for the first five months of 2019 was $66,161.40, down 12 percent from $75,100.52 for the first five months of 2018.

Public-Transport Vehicles With Both Compression-Ignition Internal Combustion Piston Engine (Diesel Or Semi-Diesel) & Electric Motor

The United States shipped 488 vehicles in May 2019, compared to 99 vehicles for May 2018. During the first five months of 2019, 1,815 vehicles were exported, compared to 193 for the first five months of 2018.

Canada received 1,693 vehicles during the first five months of 2019.

The average price per vehicle for May 2019 was $28,287.31, up 114 percent from the average price for May 2018 of $13,221.09. The average price for the first five months of 2019 was $28,131.08, down 14 percent from $32,623.12 for the first five months of 2018.

Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles With Both Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Piston Engine & Electric Motor

The United States exported 34 vehicles in May 2019, down 8 percent from 37 vehicles for May 2018. During the first five months of 2019, 135 vehicles were shipped, up 41 percent from 96 vehicles for the first five months of 2018.

Mexico received 58 vehicles during the first five months of 2019.

The average price per vehicle for May 2019 was $33,652.12, up 16 percent from the average price for May 2018 of $29,079.54. The average price for the first five months of 2019 was $31,132.93, up 7 percent from $29,195.21 for the first five months of 2018.

Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles With Only Electric Motor For Propulsion

The United States shipped 101 vehicles in May 2019, compared to six vehicles for May 2018. During the first five months of 2019, 182 vehicles were exported, compared to 30 vehicles for the first five months of 2018.

Canada received 173 vehicles during the first five months of 2019.

The average price for May 2019 was $29,286.50, down 88 percent from $248,827.83 for May 2018. The average price for the first five months of 2019 was $28,898.37, down 78 percent from $130,030.70 for the first five months of 2018.

Click on statistics to open .pdf file

Complete Coach Works Announces Strategic Partnership With Halsey King & Associates, Inc.

Complete Coach Works (CCW) has announced a new training initiative as part of an ongoing program to further educate its employees on state-of-the-art electric transit vehicles and charging infrastructure.

“This partnership allows CCW to continue its commitment to providing advanced technologies and transit repair solutions to its clients,” according to a press release.

CCW develops go-to-market strategies for the electrification of buses to meet emerging trends within the transportation industry. Through a new collaboration with Halsey King & Associates Inc., CCW will enhance the skills of its workforce by expanding its knowledge of complex electrical systems.

Chuck Barnes, vice president of CCW, said, “CCW ensures the continuation of its high-quality service offerings by investing in one of the most important elements of its future, its employees. At CCW, we believe our employees are critical to our company infrastructure.”

Halsey King & Associates, Inc., will provide electric maintenance and technical training to the CCW staff. Halsey King is a fleet maintenance consultant with over 30 years of international consulting experience. King teaches maintenance technicians, fleet managers and other industry professionals about modern fleet maintenance philosophies, regulations, engineering, standards and management.

“Training will consist of intensive courses including videos, lectures, presentations and hands-on exercises. Subsequently, employees will grasp the basics of electrical components and gain in-depth insight into operational and safety components,” said Barnes. “Together, Halsey and CCW will work to help exceed the expectations of the transportation industry. We are thrilled to work with Halsey King on this training initiative. We are confident that it will help to further establish our staff members as true experts within the field.”

For more information, visit sales@completecoach.com.

From Prevost
New H3-45s For All Aboard America!

Headquartered in Mesa, AZ, with operations in Texas and New Mexico, All Aboard America! offers coach charters, scheduled daily route and express service in rural communities, as well as contracted coach services for park and ride facilities, casino runs, employee shuttles and custom contracts.

“Our company has enjoyed an enduring relationship with Prevost since the company began purchasing coaches from the Canadian bus builder in the late 1990s. All Aboard America! has committed to continuously add to and replenish its coach fleet. In keeping with that plan, the company is acquiring four 2019 H3-45s this year to add to its predominantly Prevost fleet.”

All Aboard America! has unique graphic design plans that ensure no two coaches will look exactly alike.

“The most striking feature of the newest Prevosts is the vibrant color scheme,” said General Manager Eugene Thomas. “One is painted neon Lamborghini yellow, the other a rich metallic copper with our trademark— flourishes that really add spice to our branding.”

Thomas said the all-new black wheel rims add to the “hot rod” look.

“This touch is creating a lot of buzz. We are just trying features we think no one has seen to this point.”

The new H3-45s feature the standard Prevost Electric Fan Drive. All Aboard America! was the first operator to demo the fan-drive system prior to production. The company decided to retrofit the fan assembly on a 2013 model H3-45.

All Aboard America! selected the new Sigma seat from Amaya as an option.

According to a press release, Henry Page launched All Aboard America! in 1936 as Potash Mines Transportation Company to transport miners to and from their jobsites in southeast New Mexico. To keep warm, miners rode in truck-towed trailers outfitted with pot belly stoves, vented by smokestacks inserted through the trailer roof.

The next era saw Page’s daughter, Coradene, and her husband, Jack L. Wigley, form Industrial Bus Lines and expand operations into West Texas and Arizona. The two companies formally merged in 1971, and feeling a need for a fresh identity for its expanding array of services, the company was named All Aboard America! in 1989.

Third-generation owner Jack D. Wigley served as president and CEO. The announcement of his pending retirement in 2017 initiated the transition to the next generation, which has included All Aboard America! becoming a member-organization in a consortium of six major motorcoach carriers located in California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana.

Wrigley’s retirement also saw the changing of the guard when Eugene Thomas, in 2017, transitioned into the role of general manager. Thomas joined All Aboard America! in 2007 as director of maintenance.

“I have worked in this industry for 22 years, and have enjoyed working with Prevost every step of the way,” Thomas said. “Coming from the maintenance side of operations, I have always been impressed and appreciative of the dedication Prevost displays for product support after the sale — our downtime is minimal.”

Prevost is a manufacturer of premium intercity touring coaches and produces conversion coaches for high-end motorhome and specialty conversion. Prevost has its main manufacturing facilities in Sainte-Claire, Quebec, Canada, and has 16 parts and service centers located throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.prevostcar.com.

Bailey Coach Helps Sponsor Local Rotary Mission Trip

The Rotary Club of Hanover, PA, along with Rotary District 7390, recently sponsored a mission trip to New Bern, NC. The group assisted with the rebuilding of two homes in the New Bern area.

Over 5,000 homes were flooded after Hurricane Florence hit the area last September. Bailey Coach donated its Rotary themed coach to transport the group. Another trip is planned for March 2020.

Canada’s Parsons & Sons Has New J4500 Coach From MCI

Scott Parsons (far right), president of Parsons & Sons Transportation Ltd.,
takes delivery of the company’s all-new 2019 MCI J4500 coach from sales,
service and support teams at the Montreal MCI Sales and Service Center.

Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., has delivered a new 2019 J4500 coach to Parsons & Sons Transportation Ltd., serving Newfoundland and Labrador.

According to MCI, based in Conception Bay South, NL, Parsons & Sons serves the most easterly province of Canada where tourists enjoy the region’s glacial fjords, waterfalls, cliffs, national parks and the capital city of St. Johns. The area’s townships and schools also rely on Parsons for group excursions and athletic events beyond their community.

After Parsons took delivery of its newest J4500 from the MCI Sales and Service Center in Montreal, the coach was put into service immediately.

President Scott Parsons said, “I like the legroom, the interior design, the lower more modern driver dash, even the way the sun visor works – it’s a beautiful coach. Our drivers are lining up to take it on a trip.”

“The model’s performance and MCI service support are additional factors contributing to Parsons’ purchase. Operating a mixed fleet of 15 coaches that also includes 2006, 2007 and 2016 J4500s, Parsons likes how the J4500 sticks to the road, especially in blustery conditions. The region is Canada’s windiest, with wind gusts exceeding 80 mph during serious storms late last year,” said MCI.

“The new swing-out style electric e-fan cooling package and a clean-diesel Cummins engine are also appreciated for fuel savings compared to the older coaches,” said Parsons, the second generation to lead the family firm founded by his father, Richard, in 1962.

According to the press release, “A knowledgeable mechanic, having worked with his dad on their company’s earliest MCI models, Parsons has 47 years in the bus business. And he’s still learning by taking online courses offered by the ASE-accredited MCI Academy’s Learning Management System (LMS).”

“The courses are thorough, teaching you how many electrons flow through copper wiring so that you can easily grasp complex content, and spend a lot less time trying to figure things out,” Parsons said.

MCI’s field support is provided by Remi Levesque, MCI’s technical solutions manager (TSM) responsible for the region. Onsite service support is provided at the MCI Service Center in Montreal. Parsons also takes advantage of NFI Parks service and knows that 24/7 MCI roadside assistance is always available.

“Our motto is safety, service and reliability, and the new J4500 and MCI support help us deliver on that promise to our customers,” Parsons said.

Learn more at MCIcoach.com.

Personnel News From Freightliner

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) has promoted Jeremy Buckmeier to product manager of the commercial bus division and April Newton as an OEM account manager.

Buckmeier will remain involved in the RV side of the business where he has more than 17 years of industry experience. This spring, he returned after a four-year stint as director of OEM sales at KING, a manufacturer of mobile communication systems for the RV industry. Prior to that, Buckmeier served at FCCC as a technical sales manager from 2006 to 2015.

“I worked with the commercial bus industry during my first stint at FCCC, so I’m looking forward to re-engaging with those OEMs and the entire market,” Buckmeier said. “I am excited to work with April to grow our presence in a very important and vital market at FCCC.”

Newton has more than 15 years of sales experience at FCCC in RV, the commercial bus and school bus industries. She has an extensive knowledge base of Freightliner Custom Chassis and Daimler systems and products.

“I’m eager to dig in with Jeremy to enhance our support of current and new commercial bus customers,” Newton said. “I’m passionate about this segment, and am looking forward to reconnecting and building relationships with customers.”

FCCC is a manufacturer of chassis for the commercial bus market. Founded in 1995, and headquartered in Gaffney, SC, FCCC has approximately 1,000 employees, and is a part of the Daimler Trucks North America family of companies.

FCCC supports its chassis with services including 24/7 factory-direct support, a nationwide service network with more than 400 dealers in the U.S. and Canada and an official customer-support mobile app. For more information, visit fcccrv.com.

Trans/Air Expands West Coast Sales And Technical Services Team

Jeff Holbert	Steven Fedor

Trans/Air Manufacturing Corporation, a Dallastown, PA-based company in transportation climate control design, manufacture and installation has expanded its West Coast Sales and Technical Services Team.

Jeff Holbert has been promoted to regional sales and technical support manager. He has been with Trans/Air for 15 years, and worked his way up in the industry from assembly-line worker to field- service technician.

Also joining Trans/Air as a regional sales- and technical-service manager is Steven Fedor. He has over 18 years of HVAC experience, as a refrigeration technician, account manager, service engineer and field service rep.

They join David Harden to provide sales and technical support to the West Coast.

Trans/Air manufactures a full line of climate-control systems. Units, parts, service, warranty, and new or aftermarket installations are available through factory-owned operations or distributors throughout North America.

For more information, visit www.transairmfg.com.

HART Leads First Statewide Safety And Security Symposium

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART, Tampa, FL) recently gathered national safety experts and transit peers from across the country for a Florida statewide Transit Safety And Security Symposium.

The event was designed to develop solutions to improve operator and customer safety on public transportation with topics ranging from “Transit Worker Altercations,” to “Hazard and Threat Identification and Analysis.”

“We were proud to assemble national safety experts and our transit peers together to develop real-world safety and security solutions for our industry," said Benjamin Limmer, HART CEO. "We made a commitment to our employees, customers and community that we would be bring together our elected officials and transit industry leaders to discuss innovative approaches to keeping the transit community safe, and we are proud to deliver on that promise."

Vendors also demonstrated the latest in transit safety and security technology. The Safety & Security Symposium was live-streamed on the HART YouTube page.