Buses are among the most practical and popular modes of ground-based transportation around the world today, and this certainly includes the United States. While the U.S. is known for being generally a car-oriented society, buses still have their place, especially since some Americans don’t have the finances or the skills to own and drive their own car. Better yet, buses can do a lot of good for traffic, removing many cars and their emissions from the roads. Buses offer many comforts that a car cannot for a passenger, and buses may take someone to and from the airport, hotel shuttle vans, buses for commuting or tourism, and even small buses or large vans owned by a house of worship. Buses come in a variety of shapes and sizes today based on their intended use; a small bus going to the airport will be different than a large bus carrying a crowd of tourists, for example. Meanwhile, on the business side of things, many entrepreneurs may choose to launch a bus company, and many thousands of small but successful bus companies can be found across the U.S. today. This involves financing buses to add to the fleet, and buying bus parts to repair and update them. Finding bus parts and getting repair jobs is just as important as having customers to put in those buses.
Bus Financing and Bus Parts
This is a business like any other, and owning a bus company might not differ a whole lot from owning and running a semi truck company. In both cases, the company offers a vehicle-cased service for clients, and the profit comes from delivering cargo (trucks) or passengers (buses) with those vehicles. This means owning and maintaining a fleet of buses for the job, and a company owner may shape their bus fleet’s size and composition based on their budget, local customers, and where those buses might go. The business owner may procure new vehicles for their fleet from bus and van dealers, and find new or used models that fit their budget and their needs. A bus dealer may have a variety of vehicles available, and the buyer may look them over before making a purchase, especially used ones. The buyer may finance their new purchase to make it more affordable, and pay off that loan with the profits from selling their services. Buses are expensive, as are trucks, so financing may be the best route.
A bus company owner may also bear in mind that their vehicles need repair, and that may range from a new transmission to replacing wheels or tires and more. A bus company owner may set up a working relationship with a local repair shop, and take in their vehicles for repair and refitting as needed. A broken-down bus won’t deliver passengers anywhere fast, at least. So, quality bus parts should be bought and installed by skilled auto mechanics to keep buses in good shape and ready to roll.
Varieties of Buses
Any bus or shuttle van is a large vehicle on four wheels and will have seats inside for passengers. But the vehicle’s size, seating capacity, and on-board features may vary based on the vehicle’s intended use.
School buses are long, yellow vehicles that most Americans have seen or ridden on before. Such buses won’t have on-board WiFi or electronic display screens or a bathroom like a tourism bus will, but school buses have leather-bound seats for passengers (typically students). These buses also have stop signs on them that fold out, instructing motorists to stop and wait while the bus allows children to get on board or disembark. Any school district will own a bus fleet or work with a bus company that offers such a fleet. The school’s size may dictate how many buses are used, as many students may need a bus ride to school in the morning.
Smaller buses or large vans, meanwhile, may be used by airports, since airplane passengers don’t typically drive themselves to or from the airport. Someone who buys their plane ticket may then use their expected arrival and departure times as reference when requesting a shuttle bus or van service to and from the airport. Houses of worship may offer a few shuttle vans for elderly attendees, too.