October 9-11, 2017 Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, Georgia, USA Held just once every three years, APTA EXPO is the world’s largest showcase of technology, products, and services related to the public transportation industry. With more than 800 exhibitors and 12,000+ attendees, APTA EXPO is the where innovation and technology converge to determine the future […]
Double-deck buses have been around the United States for approximately a century. They have traditionally and repeatedly been used to transport larger groups of people. At the same time they have turned heads and created a great deal of interest. The model TD925 Van Hool double-deck coaches currently offered by ABC Companies are easily among […]
A record for an indoor commercial bus show Article and photo by Larry Plachno The annual BusCon event returned to Indianapolis from September 19-21, 2016 for its 21st edition. Sponsored by Bobit Business Media, BusCon is primarily geared to small and mid-size buses for all types of owners and operators including private, government and commercial. […]
by Larry Plachno The recent rash of new and proposed bus regulations has not gone unnoticed by many bus operators. Several have asked whether the feds are moving the interstate bus industry back towards regulation. The basic answer is “no.” Most of the new and proposed regulations are geared towards safety while the years of […]
Late 2016 marks five years since CH Bus Sales began selling Temsa coaches in North America. This is noteworthy for at least three different reasons. One reason is that they are the only company I can think of that entered the market by providing an integral coach with a length that none of the other […]
TRW Integration, Autonomous Driving and More By Larry Plachno Once again, ZF gave the press an early review of what will be shown in September of 2016 at the IAA show in Hannover, Germany. Officially the Internationale Automobil Ausstellung, this show takes place in even-numbered years in Hannover and concentrates on commercial vehicles. Approximately 85 […]
This year of 2016 is special for the Sardo family because they will be celebrating 100 years in the upholstery industry. Their success comes from the Sardo family of professionals who believes that service and quality come first. Each phase of production is supported by teamwork and a commitment to excellence. The Sardo team plans […]
The July issue of National Bus Trader is traditionally dedicated to the conversion market. In looking for recent industry trends and developments to report on, it quickly became obvious that there were some exciting new directions with some of the latest conversions. Steve Zeigler, the director of business development at Prevost, said, “We are seeing […]
Back when MCI got its start eight decades ago in Winnipeg, Manitoba, much of North America was wilderness. Inventor and MCI founder Harry Zoltok understood that a motorized multiple passenger vehicle had to withstand harsh road conditions, along with minus 40 below zero temperatures common during a Winnipeg winter. Today is no different. In fact, […]
As the transportation historians have noted, for the second time in 125 years American transit is moving to electric power. This time the ZEPS battery electric bus from Complete Coach Works is leading the way by making the move economical for operations across America. In the 1880s, city transit in America was essentially limited to […]
We have received several requests from readers asking about Irizar and their new i6 coach on the American market. Irizar is actually quite well known and respected on the European market. They are a major exhibitor at the European bus shows we attend, particularly Busworld. Although based in Spain, Irizar has additional facilities at other […]
Coach conversions and the conversion industry in general have been a topic of telephone calls as well as e-mails and the subject of several questions in recent months. Inquiries have ranged from conversion shells to conversion companies and the value of used converted coaches. Where do things stand today and where are conversions going in […]
The recent production run of ZEPS buses by Complete Coach Works for Indianapolis is a major step forward for electric bus operations in the United States. There is now a fleet of economical American-built battery electric buses in operation that may well be a major step into the future. Here is the story behind electric […]
ZF celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2015. Today the company is one of the largest and best-known automotive component suppliers in the world. ZF’s interesting history includes being originally founded to fill a specific need in a fledgling industry. Over the years it has had its highs and lows and at one point the company […]
The topic of alternative fuels was scheduled for the April issue of National Bus Trader several months ago. The timing turned out to be very appropriate. We have not covered this topic in any depth since 2011 yet there have been some ongoing developments that are changing decisions. While some people think that the topic […]
The United Motorcoach Association (UMA) held its annual Motorcoach Expo in New Orleans from January 18-22, 2015. This marked the 31st annual event since it was founded in Nashville in 1984. Once again it was combined with the National Tour Association (NTA) into the Travel Exchange. The UMA Motorcoach Expo is primarily a trade show […]
Alliance Bus Group introduced their two new CAIO models, the CAIO S3645 and the CAIO 3436, at the ABA Show in St. Louis and the UMA Motorcoach Expo in New Orleans in January of 2015. In addition to stainless steel construction, this new model offers several major improvements over previous models and may well be […]
While we have done several test drives in recent months, it has been years since we have covered intercity coaches on the United States and Canadian market in any kind of detail. In recent months we have received questions from readers, staff and trade show attendees about both new and traditional models. As a result, […]
Spring and summer of 2014 witnessed several MCI Reliability Rally events at various locations around the country. Starting with the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on April 30, subsequent events were scheduled at the Chicago Motor Speedway in Joliet, Illinois on May 22; then to the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on June 4; the […]
