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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - The Motorcoach Industry." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13809.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - The Motorcoach Industry." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13809.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - The Motorcoach Industry." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13809.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - The Motorcoach Industry." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13809.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - The Motorcoach Industry." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13809.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - The Motorcoach Industry." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13809.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - The Motorcoach Industry." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13809.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - The Motorcoach Industry." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13809.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - The Motorcoach Industry." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13809.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - The Motorcoach Industry." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13809.
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3CHAPTER 2 THE MOTORCOACH INDUSTRY INTRODUCTION FMCSA uses the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) to manage data on the commercial vehicle operators under its oversight. Information in MCMIS is obtained from the MCS-150 Form filed by motor carrier firms when applying for a U.S. DOT number. The form requires companies to describe their operating and cargo classifica- tions, as well as to identify the number and types of vehicles operated. Only companies traveling interstate or with haz- ardous cargo are required to register with FMCSA and, there- fore, are captured in MCMIS. MCMIS includes intrastate carriers for selected states as well, although coverage for intrastate carriers is incomplete on a national scale. For this study, motorcoach companies in MCMIS were defined as firms operating a greater number of buses than trucks, as well as operating a greater number of motorcoaches than school buses within their bus operations. The American Bus Association (ABA) defines a motor- coach as “a vehicle designed for long-distance transportation of passengers, characterized by integral construction with an elevated passenger deck located over a baggage compartment. It is at least 35 feet in length and carries more than 30 passen- gers.” As shown in Figures 1 and 2, motorcoaches are distinct from transit buses, which are designed for relatively short trips, often have sideways-facing seats, and lack baggage compartments. The American Bus Association uses the term “intercity bus” interchangeably with motorcoach. Technically, not all motorcoaches serve intercity routes (e.g., some, for example, may be used to shuttle convention-goers between local hotels and convention centers), but this distinction is a minor one. Data provided by the American Bus Association generally represent the entire motorcoach population. MCMIS includes all interstate and selected intrastate motorcoach companies, while the American Bus Associa- tion attempts to estimate all motorcoach companies. This is a key data limitation; because of the nature of motorcoach travel, it is possible that most motorcoach companies have the capability to provide interstate service and are therefore already registered in MCMIS. Another data limitation is that for safety data, statistics are reported by vehicle body type. The motorcoach fatality statistics are regarded as true popula- tion totals and are reported for the “cross-country or intercity bus” vehicle body type. However, readily available injury and crash statistics are estimated from a national sample and do not distinguish transit buses from motorcoaches. The following sections describe the motorcoach industry size and segmentation, safety statistics, and economic indicators. INDUSTRY SIZE AND EXTENT Carriers by Size Data in Table 1 and Figure 3 were obtained from MCMIS. According to this database (which includes all interstate but only selected intrastate firms), there are over 8,000 motorcoach firms with business activities in the United States, owning over 60,000 motorcoaches and leasing an additional 15,000. Of these firms, approximately 5,800 offer for-hire service. As fleet size increases, firms are more likely to have for-hire service. An additional 3,000 firms could not be readily classified, either due to lack of data or equal operations in multiple categories (e.g., truck and motorcoach, motorcoach and school bus). Of the motorcoach companies in MCMIS, over half of the firms operate a single vehicle, and of these, about three- quarters are owner–operators. More than three-quarters of the firms operate five or fewer vehicles. In 2000, the American Bus Association commissioned R.L. Banks & Associates, Inc., to conduct a motorcoach cen- sus. Using mail-in surveys to known motorcoach firms, as well as estimates of unknown firms, the study estimated a total of 4,000 motorcoach firms operating 44,200 vehicles in the United States and Canada, as shown in Table 2. These fig- ures are for all commercial motor carriers, including both pri- vate and for-hire carriers. The data are relatively consistent with MCMIS counts for larger firms, which are more likely to have interstate service, but undercount the small firms operating fewer than 10 vehicles. The American Bus Associ- ation census acknowledges the difficulty in estimating this population based on the industry profile obtained from mail- ing responses, particularly if many of these small firms are private, as was found by the MCMIS analysis. Geographic Distribution The motorcoach industry also can be described based on the geographic location of firms, as shown in Table 3 and Figure 4. The geographic locations were established by the MCMIS

4• Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin; • South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Colum- bia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; • Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont; • Canada; • Mexico; and • Other: Puerto Rico, U.S. territories (including the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Marinara Islands). Carriers by Segment Table 4, Figure 5, and Figure 6 describe the motorcoach industry by segment and fleet size. The industry segments used were established by the American Bus Association in its 2000 Motorcoach Census and represent survey responses from 2,082 motorcoach firms. The census is designed to be repre- sentative of the entire motorcoach population. Over 95 percent of motorcoach firms reported offering charter service, and about one-third reported offering tour service. Smaller firms were less likely to report offering more specialized services such as airport shuttles and commuter service. The totals do not add to 100 percent because firms can offer multiple services. SAFETY This section covers fatality, injury, and crash statistics for crashes involving motorcoaches. Fatality statistics for motor- coaches, trucks, and school buses are available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Although statistics derived from the MCMIS database do not provide complete coverage for significant numbers of intra- Figure 1. Motorcoach or intercity bus. Figure 2. Transit bus operated by AC Transit. Motorcoach Number of Firms Coaches Owned Coaches Owned/Operated Fleet Size All For Hire All For Hire All For Hire 1,000+ 6 5 13,718 12,154 17,425 15,861 500-999 2 2 1,295 1,295 1,383 1,383 100-499 83 74 10,627 9,726 12,684 11,683 50-99 131 116 7,293 6,573 8,808 7,816 25-49 283 250 7,876 6,916 9,641 8,458 10-24 647 573 8,186 7,261 9,747 8,616 6-9 598 512 3,591 3,117 4,343 3,717 2-5 2,452 1,870 5,854 4,845 7,198 5,655 1 4,366 2,425 3,362 2,249 4,366 2,425 Total 8,568 5,827 61,802 54,136 75,595 65,614 Note: This table excludes 82 firms with equal-sized school bus and motorcoach operations, 595 firms with equal-sized school bus and trucking operations, and 2,157 bus firms that did not specify the type of vehicles they operated. Source: FMCSA MCMIS, 2000. TABLE 1 Number of motorcoach firms, coaches owned, and coaches owned/operated by fleet size, 2000 carrier address, and may or may not reflect the actual operat- ing region of the company. In addition, MCMIS does not include all intrastate firms. Census Bureau regions were used to define geographic areas as follows: • West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming;

state motor carriers, the statistics from NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) are regarded as true pop- ulation totals. Statistics from the National Automotive Sam- pling System’s General Estimates System (GES), which reports crashes, are estimated for the entire vehicle popula- tion from a representative national sample. NHTSA reports injuries and crashes in GES for the aggre- gate category of buses, which includes motorcoaches, school buses, and transit buses. Subtracting NHTSA’s estimates of injuries and crashes involving school buses yields combined transit bus and motorcoach injuries and crashes. Transit safety statistics are reported to the Federal Transit Administration’s 5 National Transit Database (accessible at www.ntdprogram. com). However, these transit statistics are not readily com- parable with NHTSA data, possibly because of differences in reporting requirements, such as how crashes and injuries are defined. National Transit Database statistics are reported in a high level of detail and may require further analysis of the source GES data files in order to reconcile them with NHTSA’s estimates. Because vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) for motorcoaches was not available for every year, the fatality, injury, and crash rates over time could not be calculated. For a general estimate of VMT, the American Bus Association 2000 Motorcoach Census reports that in 1999, motorcoaches traveled approxi- mately 2.6 billion vehicle-miles total. This figure is based on responses to a one-time survey and is not annually updated. Table 5 and Figures 7, 8, and 9 show the motorcoach indus- try safety statistics, where available. ECONOMY AND FINANCES This section provides economic and financial information on the motorcoach industry, including sources of revenues, factors affecting profitability, driver compensation, full-time utilization, operating cost per mile, trends in motorcoach sales, trends in passenger-miles, and distribution of passengers and mileage within the industry. Revenues and Expenses Table 6 shows the top 12 motorcoach companies by oper- ating revenue in 2001, based on data from the Bureau of 51% 29% 3%3% 8% 7% 50+ 25-49 10-24 6-9 2-5 1 Note: Total of 8,568 firms. This chart excludes 82 firms with equal-sized school bus and motorcoach operations, 595 firms with equal-sized school bus and trucking operations, and 2,157 bus firms that did not specify the type of vehicles operated. Source: FMCSA MCMIS, 2000. Fleet Size ABA Firms MCMIS Firms ABA Vehicles MCMIS Vehicles 100+ 50 91 11,200 31,492 50-99 120 131 7,500 8,808 25-49 200 283 6,400 9,641 10-24 600 647 9,100 9,747 <10 3,030 7,416 10,000 15,907 Total 4,000 8,568 44,200 75,595 Source: R.L. Banks & Associates, Inc., American Bus Association, 2000 Motorcoach Census; FMCSA MCMIS, 2000. Number of Motorcoach Firms Region All For Hire West 1,641 987 Midwest 1,522 1,121 South 3,189 2,035 Northeast 1,874 1,392 Canada 318 277 Mexico 22 15 Other 2 0 Note: This table excludes 82 firms with equal-sized school bus and motorcoach operations, 595 firms with equal-sized school bus and trucking operations, and 2,157 bus firms that did not specify the type of vehicles they operated. Source: FMCSA MCMIS, 2000. Figure 3. Percentage of motorcoach firms by fleet size owned/operated, 2000. TABLE 2 Comparison of motor carrier management information system data and American Bus Association data for motorcoaches by fleet size, 2000 TABLE 3 Motorcoach firms by geographic region, 2000

Transportation Statistics. Dividing operating expenses by operating revenues shows the operating ratio for each com- pany. The higher the operating ratio, expressed in percent- ages, the smaller the company’s profit margin from opera- tions. The data show that in 2001 the motorcoach company with the most revenue from operations, Greyhound Lines, Inc., had an operating ratio of 99 percent (i.e., operating expenses 6 were equal to 99 percent of operating revenues). Carolina Coach, Inc., and Bonanza Bus Lines, Inc., (ranked third and fourth, respectively) had operating ratios of 73 percent. Com- bined, the top 12 motorcoach companies had operating rev- enues of $1.076 billion and operating expenses of $1.039 bil- lion, for an operating ratio of 97 percent. Sources of Revenues Figure 10 shows the average sources of operating rev- enue for the motorcoach industry, obtained from a United Motorcoach Association survey of 175 motorcoach compa- nies nationwide. According to this study, charter services pro- vide over half of industry revenue. Other sources of operat- ing revenue include advertising, freight revenue, and minor school bus contracts. Percentages do not add to 100 because each source represents an average percentage of total operat- ing revenue across the 175 motorcoach firms. Factors Affecting Profitability The American Bus Association’s “2001 Industry Sur- vey,” representing responses from 161 motorcoach firms, cites five of the most “pressing concerns, issues, challenges, and problems facing motorcoach companies.” Listed in order of most-to-least cited, they are as follows: Northeast – 22% West – 19% Midwest – 18% South – 37% Canada – 4% Mexico – 0.26% Other – 0.02% Note: Total of 8,568 firms. This chart excludes 82 firms with equal-sized school bus and motorcoach operations, 595 firms with equal-sized school bus and trucking operations, and 2,157 bus firms that did not specify the type of vehicles they operated. Source: FMCSA MCMIS, 2000. Figure 4. Distribution of motorcoach firms by geographic region, 2000. Service Type Fleet Size Sample Size Charter Tour Sightseeing Airport Shuttle Commuter Scheduled Other 100+ 41 84% 24% 32% 32% 36% 36% 20% 50-99 83 95% 24% 31% 20% 32% 39% 8% 25-49 137 95% 40% 28% 25% 25% 31% 8% 10-24 455 98% 39% 24% 18% 19% 15% 9% <10 1,366 88% 31% 24% 19% 18% 7% 6% Total 2,082 96% 33% 25% 19% 19% 12% 7% Source: R.L. Banks & Associates, American Bus Association, 2000 Motorcoach Census. TABLE 4 Percentage of motorcoach companies offering service, by segment and fleet size owned/operated, 2000 96% 33% 25% 19% 19% 12% 7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Charter Tour Sightseeing Airport Shuttle Commuter Scheduled Other Percent of Firms Source: R.L. Banks & Associates, American Bus Association, 2000 Motorcoach Census. Figure 5. Percentage of total motorcoach firms offering service, by segment, 2000.

7Percent of Firms 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 100+ 84% 24% 32% 32% 36% 36% 20% 50-99 95% 24% 31% 20% 32% 39% 8% 25-49 95% 40% 28% 25% 25% 31% 8% 10-24 98% 39% 24% 18% 19% 15% 9% <10 88% 31% 24% 19% 18% 7% 6% Charter Tour Sightseeing Airport Shuttle Commuter Scheduled Other Source: R.L. Banks & Associates, American Bus Association, 2000 Motorcoach Census. Figure 6. Percentage of motorcoach firms offering service, by segment and fleet size owned/operated, 2000. Year Motorcoach Fatalities Occupant Fatalities Transit Bus/ Motorcoach Injuries Transit Bus/ Motorcoach Crashes 1991 46 Further analysis required Further analysis required Further analysis required 1992 45 Further analysis required Further analysis required Further analysis required 1993 35 Further analysis required Further analysis required Further analysis required 1994 25 Further analysis required Further analysis required Further analysis required 1995 30 Further analysis required Further analysis required Further analysis required 1996 43 3 19,000 31,301 1997 46 4 9,000 25,901 1998 50 13 14,000 25,629 1999 66 32 13,000 33,244 2000 48 3 Further analysis required 27,935 2001 46 3 Further analysis required Further analysis required 2002 53 20 Further analysis required Further analysis required Source: NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts; University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Bus Accidents in the United States, 1995 to 1999. TABLE 5 Motorcoach fatalities, transit bus/motorcoach injuries, and transit bus/motorcoach crashes, 1991 through 2002 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Year Fatalities Source: NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts. Figure 7. Fatalities in motorcoach-involved crashes, 1991 to 2002.

8Source: NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts. 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 18,000 20,000 1996 1997 1998 1999 Year Injuries Figure 8. Injuries in transit bus and motorcoach-involved crashes, 1996 to 1999. 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Year Injuries Source: NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts. Figure 9. Transit bus and motorcoach-involved crashes, 1996 to 2000. Rank Company Operating Revenues ($) Operating Expenses ($) Operating Ratio 1 Greyhound Lines, Inc. 880,253,778 870,387,200 99% 2 Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc. 49,393,748 39,153,870 79% 3 Carolina Coach, Inc. 23,393,476 17,027,031 73% 4 Bonanza Bus Lines, Inc. 20,656,000 15,174,000 73% 5 Frank Martz Coach Co. 19,046,823 18,645,005 98% 6 Jefferson Partners LP 18,719,371 18,527,758 99% 7 Decamp Bus Lines 14,399,310 14,081,382 98% 8 Vermont Transit Co. Inc. 12,385,026 11,214,471 91% 9 Southeastern Stages, Inc. 10,367,114 8,992,545 87% 10 Carl R. Beiber, Inc. 9,716,022 9,355,596 96% 11 Concord Coach Lines, Inc. 9,100,753 8,630,452 95% 12 Capitol Bus Co. 8,169,753 8,028,694 98% Total 1,075,601,174 1,039,218,004 97% Note: Includes intercity regular route carriers, defined as carriers whose revenue from intercity regular routes exceeds revenue from all other types (local, commuter, charter) combined. Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Motor Carrier Financial and Operating Statistics. TABLE 6 Top 12 motorcoach companies by operating revenue, 2001

1. Increasing fuel, insurance, and equipment costs versus flat or declining revenue; 2. Finding and retaining drivers; 3. Competitors’ cut-rate pricing and noncompliant practices; 4. Problems concerning government regulations; and 5. Finding mechanics and nondriver employees. Driver Qualifications for Employment The basic qualifications for employment as a motorcoach driver are as follows: • Obtain a Commercial Driver’s License; • Pass a physical examination every two years (if trans- porting passengers across state lines); • Be 21 years of age (if transporting passengers across state lines); • Submit to random drug and alcohol testing; • Have no criminal record involving drunk driving, drug use, or hit-and-run driving; • Speak English well enough to read road signs; • Pass an FMCSA written exam; and • Be courteous, even-tempered, and have strong customer service skills. Driver Compensation According to the American Bus Association in their Desti- nations magazine “2001 Industry Survey” of 161 motorcoach companies, motorcoach drivers are paid an average of $10.91 per hour, or $0.32 per mile. Of the firms that responded to the survey, 69 percent paid drivers hourly, 20 percent paid driv- ers by the mile, and 11 percent paid through other methods. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook 2004–2005 estimates the 2002 median charter bus 9 driver salary at $10.64 per hour and the 2002 median inter- urban bus driver salary at $15.15 per hour. Driver Work Schedules A motorcoach driver’s schedule varies depending on the nature of the driving: intercity scheduled routes, scheduled destinations, and tour and charter trips. • Intercity scheduled route drivers may work up to 70 hours per week, and 12 to 14 hours per day. They may drive 8 to 10 hours per day. Drivers’ daily schedules are usually consistent for two weeks or more, fluctuating when routes or schedules are changed through bid or reassignment. Unplanned work may occur based on unexpected demand; the less seniority, the greater the likelihood a driver will be called to work unexpectedly. Quality of rest is consistent, being obtained at home, in hotels, or in terminal facilities. • Scheduled destination drivers may work up to 70 hours per week and 15 hours per day. They may drive up to 10 hours per day. The length of the duty-day may extend as much as 20 hours. Most drivers serving scheduled destinations have consistent daily scheduling. Usually, they have at least one full day per week off-duty, and many times they have two full days, although these are not normally consecutive days. Unplanned work may occur based on unexpected demand; the less seniority, the greater the likelihood a driver will be called to work unexpectedly. Quality of rest is consistent, being obtained at home, in hotels, or in other facilities. • Tour and charter drivers may work up to 70 hours per week and up to 15 hours per day. They may drive 8 to 10 hours per day. Drivers’ daily schedules fluctuate and are dictated by group itinerary. During peak demand, driv- ers may not have a full day off for two or three weeks, but during off-peak seasons the workload is significantly lighter. Quality of rest is consistent, being obtained at home or in hotels. Full-Time and Part-Time Employment Two studies report full-time versus part-time employment in the motorcoach industry. First, according to the American Bus Association’s Destinations magazine in their “2001 Indus- try Survey,” 49 percent of drivers and 72 percent of nondriver employees at motorcoach companies work full time; a total of 57 percent of all employees work full time. This survey covers responses from 161 bus companies. Second, based on mailings, surveys, and statistical esti- mates, the American Bus Association 2000 Motorcoach Census estimates that 63 percent of all employees work full time. As shown in Table 7, the study estimates that larger Other –5% Charter –56% Scheduled –25% Tour –11% Note: Reflects survey responses from 175 motorcoach companies nationwide. Source: United Motorcoach Association, 2000 UMA Benchmarking and Operating Ratios Study. Figure 10. Motorcoach industry sources of operating revenue, 2000.

motorcoach companies have a greater percentage of full- time employees than do smaller motorcoach companies. Driver Duties The duties of a motorcoach driver typically include, but are not limited to, the following: • Inspect the bus before leaving the garage or terminal; • Be alert when driving in order to prevent crashes; • Keep to schedules and adhere to tour guidelines; and • Interact with customers and tour guides as required in order to help make the trip more comfortable and informative. Driver Regulations Motorcoach drivers are subject to a number of FMCSA reg- ulations, which include but are not limited to the following: • Hours-of-service (HOS) regulations—The new HOS regulations that went into effect in January 2004 do not apply to motorcoach drivers. Old HOS regulations, those in effect on October 1, 2002, apply to employees of pri- vate companies, but not of government-owned compa- nies. The old HOS regulations stipulate that a motor- coach driver may not drive 10 – More than 10 hours, following 8 hours off duty; – After 15 hours on duty, following 8 hours off duty; and – After 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days. • Medical standards and physical qualifications— Apply only to employees of private companies, not of government-owned operations. • Drug and alcohol testing—Applies to all drivers of vehicles with a seating capacity of more than 15 pas- sengers. • Commercial Driver’s Licenses—Are required of all drivers of vehicles with a seating capacity of more than 15 passengers. Operating Cost per Mile The American Bus Association, in their Destinations magazine, “2001 Industry Survey” estimates motorcoach operating costs at $1.90 per mile in 2001, an increase from $1.42 in 1999. The United Motorcoach Association’s Bench- marking and Operating Ratios Study estimates that of the costs of sales (all costs directly attributable to trips, exclud- ing general overhead), approximately 32 percent are labor; 28 percent are associated with equipment insurance, licenses, and depreciation; and 39 percent, costs such as fuel and repairs, vary depending on mileage. This breakdown is shown in Figure 11. Both of these studies relied on national surveys to estimate figures representative of the entire motorcoach population. Motorcoach Sales As shown in Table 8 and Figure 12, annual motorcoach sales nationwide peaked in 1999 at 4,100 vehicles, and have since declined to their 1995 to 1996 levels of approximately 2,400 vehicles. According to the American Bus Association, the average cost of a new motorcoach is approximately $350,000. Number of Employees Full-Time Employment 100+ 76% 50-99 63% 25-49 64% 10-24 52% <10 51% Total 63% Source: R.L. Banks & Associates, American Bus Association, 2000 Motorcoach Census. TABLE 7 Percentage of full-time employees at motorcoach companies, by fleet size owned/operated, 2000 28% 39% 32% Direct Labor (Wages, Expenses, Benefits) Mileage Expense, Includes Fuel Equipment Insurance, Licenses, Depreciation Note: Reflects survey responses from 175 motorcoach companies nationwide. Source: United Motorcoach Association, 2000 UMA Benchmarking and Operating Ratios Study. Figure 11. Motorcoach costs of sales, 2000.

Trends in Passenger-Miles Two sources provided data for motorcoach passenger- miles. Table 9 shows the growth in passenger-miles for all motorcoaches from 2000 to 2002 as reported by METRO mag- azine. Bus tours and charter service are grouped separately from line-haul (intercity) service. Table 10 shows the growth in passenger-miles for intercity bus travel from 1991 to 1999 as reported by the Eno Transportation Foundation. Distribution of Passengers and Mileage within Industry According to the American Bus Association’s 2000 Motor- coach Census, scheduled service accounts for half of total vehicle-miles traveled, and charter service accounts for one- third of total mileage. The largest 50 motorcoach companies carry approximately 56 percent of all passengers. As shown in 11 Table 11, larger companies operating more than 100 coaches have nearly three times as many annual passengers per motor- coach, and about twice as many miles per motorcoach, than the smallest companies, which operate fewer than 10 coaches. This census represents the entire motorcoach population and is based on statistical sampling and surveys. SOURCES AND METHODS American Bus Association, 2000 Motorcoach Census. This census was the first major attempt to develop comprehensive benchmarking information on the motorcoach industry in the United States and Canada, separate from historical research that includes transit buses and school buses along with motor- coaches. Findings were compiled from survey responses from over 1,000 bus companies and from recent profiles available from another 1,030 “known” active companies. Mailings were sent to approximately 2,900 companies based on lists from industry associations and the last list prepared by the Inter- state Commerce Commission in June 1987. Information on the known companies was obtained from the Bus Industry Directory and the American Bus Association. Industry bench- marks were then prepared by adding the known companies to an estimate based on the mail survey data and response rate. The 2000 Motorcoach Census is available online at: www.buses.org/industry/ABA-RLBanksReport.pdf. American Bus Association, Destinations magazine, “2001 Industry Survey,” August 2001. This survey, compiled from responses from 161 bus companies, was designed to help motorcoach companies compare their operations with those of other companies. It is available online at: www.buses.org/ industry/IndustrySurvey.pdf. Year Vehicles Sold 1994 1,800 1995 2,200 1996 2,700 1997 3,100 1998 3,700 1999 4,100 2000 3,100 2001 2,700 2002 2,400 Source: METRO magazine, 2004 Fact Book. TABLE 8 Motorcoach sales, 1991 to 2002 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Year Motorcoaches (thousands) Source: METRO magazine, 2004 Fact Book. Figure 12. Motorcoach sales, 1991 to 2002. Millions of Passenger-Miles Year Bus Tours, Charter Line-Haul Total Tours, Charter, and Line-Haul 2000 19,840 6,230 26,070 2001 20,832 6,542 27,374 2002 21,874 6,869 28,743 Source: METRO magazine, “Passenger Miles in 2000, 2001, 2002.” TABLE 9 Motorcoach passenger-miles, 2000 to 2002

VERIS Consulting, United Motorcoach Association, 2000 UMA Benchmarking and Operating Ratios Study, Febru- ary 2001. Data from this study were compiled from survey responses from 175 motorcoach companies. The study reports operating and balance sheet information by revenue, fleet size, service type, and the top one-third of companies. It can be obtained from the United Motorcoach Association. U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transporta- tion Statistics, Motor Carrier Financial and Operating Statis- tics Products and Reports. These annual and quarterly reports present ridership, revenues, and expenses for Class I motor carriers of passengers (intercity, tour, and public transit bus companies). The U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts series is an annual publication of comprehensive national safety statis- tics. The reports draw from NHTSA’s two primary data sys- tems: the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), which began operation in 1975, and the National Automotive Sam- pling System’s (NASS’s) General Estimates System (GES), which began operation in 1988. FARS is a census of all fatal traffic crashes involving motor vehicles on public roadways in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. GES contains a nationally representative probability sam- ple of all police-reported crashes. This sample is used to estimate national statistics for nonfatal crashes. The Traffic Safety Facts series is available online at: www- nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/AvailInf.html#. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Hand- book, 2004–2005 Edition. The Occupational Outlook Hand- book describes the nature of the work, working conditions, 12 training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects for a wide range of occupations. Detailed estimates for each of the states and metropolitan areas are available by specific industry through the occupational employment statis- tics. BLS statistics by occupation are available at: www.bls. gov/bls/occupation.htm. University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Bus Accidents in the United States, 1995 to 1999, July 2001. This study presents aggregate statistics on buses involved in traffic accidents, derived from NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the NASS General Estimates System. For nonfatal injury statistics by year, the study makes no dis- tinction among motorcoaches, transit buses, and school buses. However, these figures can be estimated by subtracting the school bus statistics obtained from NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Facts from the total bus figure in the University of Michigan study. The report can be ordered from the American Bus Association. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Motor Car- rier Management Information System, 2000. FMCSA oper- ates and maintains the Motor Carrier Management Informa- tion System (MCMIS). The MCMIS Census File contains information on interstate commercial motor carriers and intra- state hazardous material carriers that are subject to the Fed- eral Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and the Hazardous Materials Regulations. Intrastate nonhazardous material car- riers are not captured for all states, but American Trucking Associations, Inc., estimates that the number of intrastate motor carriers is roughly equal to the number of interstate motor carriers. The database is available online at: http://transtats. bts.gov/DatabaseInfo.asp?DB_ID=190&DB_URL=Agency _ID=11&Agency_Desc=FMCSA&Subject_ID2=0. METRO magazine, various issues. METRO magazine cov- ers surface public transportation, including motorcoach equip- ment and operations. METRO’s 2004 Fact Book includes statistics on motorcoach fleet size, fleet mix, sales, and regis- trations. Other statistics, including passenger-miles and sources of revenues, can be viewed online at: www.metro-maga- zine.com/t_stats2.cfm?words=. Eno Transportation Foundation, Transportation in Amer- ica 2000. This publication provides statistical data on a wide range of national transportation measures, including eco- nomic impacts, volumes, employment, revenue, and govern- ment expenditures. The historical compendium includes data since 1939. Year Intercity Bus Travel (Millions of Passenger Miles) 1991 23,100 1992 22,600 1993 24,700 1994 28,100 1995 28,100 1996 28,800 1997 30,600 1998 31,700 1999 34,700 Source: Eno Transportation Foundation, Transportation in America 2000. TABLE 10 Intercity bus passenger-miles, 1991 to 1999 Per Motorcoach Fleet Size Annual Passengers Annual Mileage 100+ 26,392 95,914 50-99 18,014 54,676 25-49 9,138 63,302 10-24 9,305 55,868 <10 8,678 47,050 Source: American Bus Association, 2000 Motorcoach Census. TABLE 11 Annual passengers and mileage per motorcoach, by fleet size owned/operated, 2000

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TRB’s Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP) Synthesis 6: Operational Differences and Similarities Among the Motorcoach, School Bus, and Trucking Industries is designed as a single resource for information on profiles, safety statistics, and general business operations for these three commercial vehicle industries.

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