Ten Questions To Ask Bus Charter Companies:
1. When I charter, rent or hire a tour bus how many miles and hours are included in a full days price? And, what is the difference between an out-of-town trip, over-the-road trip, local day and half-day trip with regards to miles, hours and cost?
2. Does your tour or charter bus quote include bus parking fees, tolls, entrance fees, fuel surcharge, driver gratuity, driver room and food (if out of town) etc.? If not, how and when are these additional fees and costs to be paid?
3. What is your company's cancellation policy, and is it in writing on your invoice, confirmation documentation or website? If not, can I receive your full cancellation policy in writing before I issue a deposit?
4. Who is responsible for weather, traffic and Acts of God? How do you classify delays for traffic, weather and Acts of God? What type of delays would cost me additional money? What are additional hourly charges for my charter bus?
5. What is a reasonable gratuity for a tour or charter bus driver depending of course, on mileage, number of passengers, length of travel day(s) and most importantly, on their safe driving ability?
6. Are you able you provide me with documentation or proof of your tour or charter bus insurance that shows the mandatory Federal, State or Provincial minimum requirements of $5,000,000.00 or more?
7. Does your charter bus company use their own buses or will my trip be sub-contracted through another bus rental company? Can it be in writing that you will not subcontract my charter bus rental if I request?
8. Are your buses available for inspection and are you willing to specify the type and age of the tour or charter bus rental I will be getting?
9. Does your tour and charter bus company have its own maintenance facility, and can you supply a copy of the most recent inspection certificate(s) by the appropriate Federal, State or Provincial authorities?
10. Do you have verifiable membership with any busing organizations such as ABA (American Bus Association), UMA (United Bus Association), Ontario Motor Coach Association (OMCA), Charter Dispatch (CDIN) or a State bus association such as California Bus Association (CBA)?
We hope you will use these questions as a reference during your selection process of a tour and charter bus company. Bus Charter Dispatch makes no warranties regarding these questions and urges you to recognize vague and ambiguous answers that leave room for additional or follow up questions. Always be specific and accept nothing less than very precise and detailed answers.
Ten Things To Know About Tour Bus Companies:
1. You should always check to see if a tour or charter bus company has had any complaints or grievances filed with the Better Business Bureau, Charter Dispatch or State and Federal authorities within the recent past.
2. Federal ratings at http://www.safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx are easily viewed via the BCD Dynamic Search pages located within each of our member listings. Additional State and Province authorities are available and should be researched thoroughly.
3. The best way to receive the lowest tour and charter bus price is to have bus companies compete for your business through our blind quote system. If you don't have the benefit of time please contact each bus company and use our BCD tools located in our search directory.
4. Most "so-called" bus company websites that show up on the first page of a Google, Yahoo or Bing search are charter and tour bus brokers. These brokers can charge as much as 20%-100% (and more) of the actual cost they pay the bus carrier. Be vigilant and carefully read through these websites.
5. The bus charter industry is made up of approximately 10,000 regional bus and school bus companies across the U.S. and Canada. There are less than 10 major bus brokers that masquerade under different names and websites, to see a list of major brokers please . To inform BCD of a known bus broker listing please email your URL findings via our contact page.
6. Contrary to what some companies may tell you, prices do not rise as your travel date draws closer, or during times of low availability. Prices are usually higher on holidays so book early to guarantee availability and receive the best possible price. Reputable companies do not raise prices accept when posted.
7. The average deposit for a tour or charter bus rental is 20% for trips over the road, and you may be required to pay in full at or prior to departure. Deposits for local bus rentals and especially holidays may be as high as 50% and once again, payment in full may be required prior to departure.
8. Commercial bus drivers are Federally, State and Provincially prohibited from driving more than 10 hours in a given 24-hour period, nor be on-duty more than 15 hours in a single day. See Regulations below.
9. Bus charters are typically priced by the hour for local destinations and by the mile for over-the-road trips or a combination thereof. However, exceptions do exist. Please discuss with your tour or charter bus company before booking.
10. Check to see how many buses (power units) a company operates by searching: http://www.safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx. Always make sure your bus company is portraying their operations accurately to the appropriate authorities. The number of buses or motor coaches a carrier operates does not have any bearing on whether it is a good or bad operator.
Driver Regulations: Federal, State and Provincial driving regulations are complicated, but they are established for your safety and protection. Accept for very few instances, bus drivers may only drive 10-hours daily and must have 8 continuous hours off for sleep. Drivers may only be on-duty to a maximum of 15-hours daily. And, drivers calculate their logs based on the 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days rule. Please discuss these regulations in detail with your charter bus carrier, as there can rare exceptions. For your safety, never use a carrier that blatantly breaks driver regulations.
Ten Reasons To Use Tour and Charter Buses:
1. Tour and charter buses are more than twice as safe as flying a private or commercial jetliner and 46 times safer than traveling via private automobile.
2. Charter buses can reach more destinations and take you right to the doorstep. Planes and trains can only take you to an intermediate stop that may be hours and many miles from your ultimate destination.
3. Tour buses allow more mobility for you and your entire family, company, church or tour group, and for the entire length of the trip, tour or vacation.
4. According to the United States of America and Canadian Departments of Transportation, charter and tour buses are the most fuel-efficient vehicle only using 797 BTU's per passenger mile as compared to planes that use 4847, trains that use 2450 and automobiles that use 3639.
5. Buses are greener than most other forms of transportation because of their relatively low energy output. With today's cleaner CNG, propane and bio-fuel buses they are becoming even more environmentally friendly.
6. Chartering or renting a charter bus or motor coach is typically half the cost of flying, not including the added bonus of the bus providing local travel for you and your party once you have arrived at your destination.
7. Buses allow a greater range for you, your group or your customer. Buses also allow for more control over your trip in addition to being more environmentally friendly.
8. Charter buses and motor coaches allow for the opportunity to have a tour guide present so that you, your party or business group can experience a local or long distance road trip to its fullest extent.
9. Tour buses and motor coaches provide an excellent alternative to flying for those people who experience flight phobia. Buses normally have similar amenities (i.e., bathrooms, movies, reclining seats, overhead luggage, etc.) as commercial aviation.
10. Charter and tour buses provide a rare opportunity to enjoy beautiful scenery that you would normally never be seen if you are driving or flying on a commercial or private jet.s
Of course there are many more reasons for using charter, tour and luxury seated motor coaches. The above are but a few. We expect that your chosen tour bus company can responsibly add to this list of benefits by your questioning them.
Ten Reasons That Benefit The Environment:
1. Newer charter buses and motor coaches now used by bus operators throughout the world can employ more efficient bio-fuels rather than regular diesel. The advent of CNG and propane generated buses also benefit the environment. Please discuss fuel options with your charter bus company.
2. Every full motor coach or tour bus has the potential of removing more than 55 gas guzzling automobiles from United States and Canadian highways, thereby reducing emissions as well as freeway and highway congestion.
3. Charter bus transportation provides 184 passenger miles per gallon of fuel, while single occupant automobiles achieve no more than an average of 28 passenger miles per gallon.
4. Tour bus and motor coach transportation emit the least carbon dioxide per passenger mile when compared to all other modes of conventional transportation throughout the entire world.
5. Switching to bus travel for the 12,500 miles traveled annually by the average U.S. and Canadian automobile would reduce carbon dioxide by as much as 4.3 tons per automobile.
6. The Union of Concerned Scientists released a study entitled, Getting There Greener: The Guide to Your Lower Carbon Vacation, saying 'A couple traveling on a motor coach will generate nearly 50 percent less global warming pollution than they would by driving a hybrid car.'
7. The backing by many third parties in the academic world and government will help bus transportation become an even more booming industry for many years and decades to come. Buses and motor coaches are environmentally friendly and functionally green by nature.
8. As of 2007, the United States Federal government has mandated that all buses must become more environmentally friendly with their emission standards. As a result, bio-diesel is becoming easier and cheaper to obtain as more bus engine manufacturers have taken part in developing greener engines.
9. Funding from third parties has enabled buses to become more efficient, and is becoming more important to more and more people exponentially throughout the world.
10. This fact bares repeating: According to the U.S. and Canada Departments of Transportation, buses are the most fuel-efficient vehicles by virtue of only using 797 BTU's per passenger mile as compared to planes that use 4847 BTU's, trains that use 2450 BTU's and automobiles that use 3639 BTU's.
Ten Reasons To Use Bus Charter Dispatch:
1. Bus Charter Dispatch does not have a financial stake in what company you choose as your charter bus carrier. However, we recommend the use of Bus Charter Dispatch members over non-members because of our verification processes and customer research tools.
2. Your quotes are always being competitively bid on without any form of collaboration from members or third parties. Once you've decided on a particular charter or tour bus company you deal with and pay them directly.
3. Our website allows you to easily disseminate information concerning your trip so you may find (or they find you) a bus company that best suits all your bus transportation needs.
4. We disperse accurate, unbiased and full disclosure (as issued to us) on all members of Bus Charter Dispatch. Bus Charter Dispatch makes every effort to verify all information issued through our CDIN website.
5. We offer multiple ways of procuring a bus charter carrier either last minute or planned well in advance. We do recommend the use of our email posting quote system for your most competitive quotes or bids.
6. Bus Charter Dispatch offers you the ability to select any bus company based on price, ratings and information posted on our website. We also avail you of the most recent information about all of our bus rental company members.
7. By registering on BCD you will receive periodic discount offers (should you select the option) concerning not only bus transportation, but also restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions for small to large groups of travelers.
8. All of your email bids are anonymously displayed as "Send Email". Based on your preferences, you may elect to have company's telephone or facsimile your quotes. Your personal information is never sold or used outside of the Charter Dispatch family of websites, guaranteed.
9. Unlike bus brokers, Bus Charter Dispatch does not receive a commission regarding your transportation. Our membership pays a modest monthly fee to receive our marketing services. In most cases the fee is less than the cost of a 12-volt automobile battery or what a broker may add on to a simple airport tour bus transfer.
10. Our singular purpose is to facilitate business to our members and as a result generate a higher standard of safety, service, and reliability to the bus traveling worldwide population.
Bus Charter Dispatch is but one website within the Charter Dispatch International Network (CDIN). All CDIN websites are free to the consumer. When looking for a party bus please go to www.partybuscharterdispatch.com. When looking for a limousine please go to www.limocharterdispatch.com. When looking for a tour please go to www.tourcharterdispatch.com. Please frequently check with any of the aforementioned sites to see our newest websites.
Bus Charter Dispatch hope you will use these questions as a reference during your selection process of a tour and charter bus company. Bus Charter Dispatch makes no warranties regarding these questions and urges you to recognize vague and ambiguous answers that leave room for additional or follow up questions. Always be specific and accept nothing less than very precise and detailed answers.
