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LEARN WAYS TO STOP DISCOUNTING AND SELL MORE
3 REASONS TO START YOUR AOBRD TO ELD TRANSITION NOW
WAS 2017 CRASH CAUSED BY THERMOS UNDER PEDAL?
FLOODING CHALLENGES OPERATORS IN MIDWEST STATES
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Move away from discounting your service and sell more
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If you sell motorcoach travel, then you are familiar with being asked to consider cutting your rates in response to consumer pressure. While that might help you close a sale now and then, it's not good for business. Chris Riddell, former President of the Motorcoach Marketing Council, will explain why your sales team should avoid discounting services and instead learn to create a value proposition that positions your company to sell more effectively in a competitive marketplace. Be there for this important training opportunity! Riddell will be the closing general session speaker at the Sales Summit, May 29-30 at Mall of America.
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Sign up by April 1 to SAVE $100!
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Three reasons to start your AOBRD to ELD transition now
Freight Waves | by Brian Straight | March 26, 2019
Flip a switch. Seems easy enough, but for those truck drivers and fleets that think that’s all they have to do with their electronic logging device (ELD) come December 16, 2019, they may quickly find their truck driver sitting idle with a non-compliant ELD. Why? It turns out that switching from AOBRD to ELD is not the difficult part, it is the learning curve that trips up so many, and a mistake there can result in a driver being put out of service by enforcement personnel for not meeting the ELD regulation.
A
CarrierLists
survey earlier this year conducted on behalf of FreightWaves found that
40 percent of respondents
are still running AOBRDs, and 52 percent of those responding plan to complete their conversion to ELDs in the fourth quarter of this year. A surge of conversions at the last minute could complicate the process and leave well-meaning fleets non-compliant, which is why many providers are urging AOBRD customers to make the switch now.
J.J. Keller
has published a guide to help fleets with the planning process. The “2019 Hours of Service Blueprint: Your Strategy for Meeting the Final ELog Deadline” addresses questions on topics such as what is involved in switching, how to know if you are using an AOBRD or ELD today and future system requirements.
The company is also scheduling sessions with its AOBRD users to assist with the transition and driver training. Many AOBRD users, such as those with
J.J. Keller devices
, can make the switch to ELD compliance with a simple over-the-air update, while other providers may need fleets to acquire new hardware. Even those switching over-the-air, though, still need training on how to properly use an ELD.
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Motorcoach operators heading to DC for Industry Fly-In, April 2-3
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Motorcoach operators from all over the U.S. representing UMA and 20 other state, national, and regional motorcoach associations, are headed to Capitol Hill next week to educate members of Congress and their staffs about the importance of motorcoach travel. They'll advocate to protect the partial fuel tax exemption for motorcoaches, underscoring the myriad of ways motorcoaches provide Americans with jobs, green transportation alternatives, travel and tourism revenue, and much more!
If you will not be there, this is still an opportunity for you to participate by following our activities on
Facebook and
Twitter and sharing our messages with your elected officials.
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MEMBER NEWS
Star Shuttle wins traffic safety award
The National Safety Council, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation, has announced that Star Shuttle & Charter was selected to receive the 2019 “Our Driving Concern Texas Employer Traffic Safety Award.”
The award recognizes Star Shuttle and Charter for their “outstanding commitment to keeping their employees safe on the road,” the notice announced. “Star Shuttle and Charter represents a leader in the area of traffic safety and are an example for Texas employers statewide.”
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TECH
Volvo's autonomous electric buses
will hit the road in Singapore
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As part of Singapore’s efforts to deploy Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) to enhance its public transport system, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) partnered up with the Volvo Group. This is Volvo’s first opportunity to develop and test autonomous and electric city buses.
Singapore may be the second smallest country in Asia, but it is a leading nation in the region when it comes to technological development. It is investing heavily in automation and electro mobility to increase the use of public transport and to make the systems safer and more efficient.
Currently, 67% of journeys during peak hours are made on public transport, and the goal is to increase this to 75% by 2030. Given the constraints which Singapore faces in land and labor, the country is focusing on automation to achieve its objective.
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Bus & Motorcoach News
is mailed twice monthly to all UMA members. In addition, it's available online 24/7 at
www.busandmotorcoachnews.com
and by email, on a schedule you choose! Invite everyone on your staff to stay informed about the industry by signing up for email updates from
Bus & Motorcoach News
.
Sign up here.
You can choose daily or weekly updates! Below is a sampling of what's in our latest digital and print editions.
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Midwestern floods challenge operators
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A perfect storm of weather disasters—a “bomb cyclone” of rain falling as quickly melting snow was overtopping rivers and breaking levees—has meant disruption and in some cases devastation for Midwestern farmers, ranchers and even some motorcoach operators.
United Motorcoach Association CEO Stacy Tetschner reached out to members, offering the organization’s support in seeking needed aid, supplies or connections to partner companies that might help in fulfilling contracts.
Among the hardest affected was Don Oberle, CEO of Navigator Bus, and his company. The company that runs charters and trolleys has its base in Norfolk, Nebraska. There, the Elkhorn River flooded, one man went missing in floodwaters, airboats were used in rescue efforts and some 1,000 people were forced to take shelter in town.
“As of today, we are moving to a new office and working with the bus manufacturers to replace five motorcoaches lost to the flooding,” he wrote to Bus and Motorcoach News. “Our entire office and shop were in chest high water, so not much to save. Very difficult time for us.”
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Dropped thermos may be crash culprit
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Federal investigators ruled out all possible driver and vehicle factors in the 2017 fatal collision of a motorcoach and transit bus in Flushing, New York. Another factor could not be excluded: the possibility that a driver’s stainless steel Thermos bottle fell between the brake and accelerator pedals.
The jammed bottle may have caused unintended acceleration as the driver frantically applied the brakes while the motorcoach approached traffic, the National Transportation Safety Board reported on Feb. 21.
Three people were killed on Sept. 18, 2017, when a 2015 MCI motorcoach, operated by Dahlia Group Inc. of Flushing, collided with a 2015 New Flyer XD40 operated by New York City Transit Authority at an intersection along New York State Route 25A. The motorcoach, occupied only by the driver, ran a red light and was accelerating as it approached the intersection, striking the transit bus while traveling at about 60 mph.
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Connect with UMA on social media and online
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Have you connected with UMA on social media?
On our Facebook page you'll find videos and photos from all the fun at EXPO and updates on what's coming up for members. And if you follow us on Twitter, you'll stay on top of what other operators and industry partners are doing and what UMA is up to as well. Join the conversation. Let's stay connected!
Click on the links below and stay in touch.
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Motorcoach Industry Calendar
MARCH 2019
- 27 PBA Marketplace Group Leader Show, Wyndham York, York, PA
- 27-28 Maryland Motorcoach Association Marketplace/Travel Showcase Dover Downs Casino, Dover, DE
APRIL 2019
- 2 – 3 Bus & Motorcoach Industry Legislative Fly-In powered by UMA www.uma.org/capitol-hill
- 7 – 9 Northwest Motorcoach Association Annual Mechanics & Tech & Tour Conference, Comfort Inn & Suites Boise Airport Boise, ID
- 29 GNJMA Webinar: How the bus industry can combat human trafficking LEARN MORE
MAY 2019
JUNE 2019
- 18-21 PBA Annual Meeting, Resorts Casino, Atlantic City, NJ (Hosted by Atlantic City/MeetAC)
- 20-23 New England Bus Association Annual Conference, Nonantum Resort Kennebunkport, ME
- 21 PBA Board Meeting, Atlantic City http://pabus.org/
JULY 2019
- 28- August 1 , Regional Meeting of AMA, GMOA, and SCMA, Renaissance Hotel/Convention Center, Montgomery, AL Learn More
AUGUST 2019
- 6-9 IMG Strategic Alliance Meeting, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- 12-14 Midwest Bus & Motorcoach Association (MBMCA) Annual Convention and Trade Show (and Roadeo Competition), Isle Casino Hotel, Bettendorf, IA www.mbmca.org
- 14 PBA Safety & Preparedness Workshop, York Springs, PA http://pabus.org/
- 15-18 NAMO Annual Conference & Marketplace – Springfield, MO Oasis Hotel and Convention Center http://www.namo-coaches.org/
SEPTEMBER 2019
- 11, Maryland Motorcoach Association Annual Crab Feast, Kentmorr Restaurant and Crab House. Stevensville, MD
- 18-22 Regional Meeting of NCMA, VMA, and MCASC, Embassy/Marriott/Benton Convention Center, Winston-Salem,NC Learn More
OCTOBER 2019
- 9-10 GNJMA Fall Annual Meeting & Related Events including Group Leader Marketplace, Resorts Atlantic City http://www.gnjma.com/
- 13 -15 California Bus Association’s 46th Annual Convention and Trade Show, Sheraton Carlsbad Resort and Spa www.cbabus.com
- 20-22 Bus Association of New York (BANY) Annual Meeting and Marketplace, Sands Bethlehem, Bethlehem, PA – bany@banybus.org
- October 21-23, 201920th Annual North West Motorcoach Association ROADEO Location TBD
JANUARY 2020
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OCTOBER 2020
- 25- 27 California Bus Association’s 47th Annual Convention and Trade Show, Omni Rancho Las Palmas in Rancho Mirage, CA (Palm Springs) www.cbabus.com
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YOU ARE UMA
Remember, as a UMA member you have the power of discounts on the best products and services, access to relevant education, targeted professional resources, and colleagues all over the map. Remember to consult your member directory when you need help on the road, access to more vehicles to meet demand, or services out of your area. We are UMA! Want to find other members to do business with? Use the
online directory.
Reach the UMA staff by calling (703) 838-2929 or by email at
info@uma.org
. We love to hear from our members!
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