June 25, 2019
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UMA on the road:
Getting a sense of the industry
UMA President and CEO Stacy Tetschner enjoyed lunch in Phoenix with a group of  United Motorcoach Association  industry pros talking disruption, technology and navigating a challenging industry environment.
Sunshine and summer bring safety challenges to roads

Fleet Owner | by Steve Vaughn | June 13, 2019

With apologies to George Gershwin and his musical  “Porgy and Bess,”  summertime driving may bring relief from a long, cold winter and a rainy, blustery spring, but it offers challenges of its own to fleets and professional drivers.

So, while snow, sleet and sludge may be in the past, at least for a few months, be prepared for these “dogs” in the dog days of summer.

Road construction: Summer brings out the orange barrels, flashing advisory signs and lane closures. PrePass has shared  tips on safe trucking through work zones . Read the signs; keep your distance; obey the reduced speed limit sign; merge safely and early; signal others what’s ahead; watch out for workers; and be patient.

Read the signs; keep your distance; obey the reduced speed limit sign; merge safely and early; signal others what’s ahead; watch out for workers; and be patient.
UMA Safety Management Seminar update:
Mark your calendars for December 4-5
UMA's Risk Management Committee has been working to craft the priorities for the upcoming UMA Safety Management Seminar which takes place December 4-5, 2019. The annual Seminar sells out each year, with space available only for the first 150 registrants eager to learn what's on the minds of federal regulators and which compliance and safety issues will affect their businesses.

​ The Safety Management Seminar features "how-to" applications of risk management to show you how to eliminate as much risk as possible. This must-attend event is for anyone who manages safety and compliance for motorcoach fleet operations. Sessions will focus on the industry's most pressing needs and provide take-away information that attendees can put into practice ASAP. The seminar also includes updates and forecasts from:
  • The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
  • Transportation Safety Administration (TSA)
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • National Transportation Safety Board
UMA plans Sightseeing tours and Town Halls at EXPO
Stay Tuned   – UMA is working with a local UMA member for some UMA exclusive sightseeing tours so you can play a little while you are in Music City. Also, back by popular demand is the Bus Operation Site Visit that will take place on Wednesday, January 22 after the show floor closes. We are still firming up details so be sure to check  www.motorcoachexpo.com  for new details.
 
Town Halls – UMA will be holding face to face Town Hall meetings at the 2020 EXPO on Sunday, Jan. 19. Come early so you can connect with peers from your region to discuss issues and topics pertinent to your part of the country.
Sweet, Sweet Nashville Trivia!

According to the iconic candy company's website, in 1912, Goo Goo Cluster "altered what was possible in the world of candy by combining more than one element. As Goo Goo Cluster marches into its second century, it is still made with real milk chocolate, caramel, peanuts and marshmallow nougat."

If you want to get a taste of the Music City now instead of waiting until January when we head into Nashville for EXPO, go to their online store where you can buy the original cluster as well as cluster-themed merchandise: https://googoo.com/products
FMCSA administator acknowledges various
challenges to under-21 driver pilot program
Freightwaves.com | by John Gallagher | June 19, 2019

The federal government’s primary trucking regulator conceded to lawmakers that it may be difficult to get enough qualified participants in its pilot project for drivers under 21 to make the project viable.

Testifying before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on June 19, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) chief Ray Martinez confirmed that the under-21 military pilot project for interstate commercial truck drivers, for which the agency  began taking applications in early June , will need at least 200 participants.
But Martinez agreed with Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana) that young drivers with experience in the military “aren’t 18 anymore,” and because of the amount of time required for military service, “they’re probably already eligible to drive across state lines,” Tester said. “If you’re looking to get accurate information, that pilot program isn’t going to tell you what you need to know.”

“I understand that, and it’s one of the challenges of the pilot program,” Martinez responded.

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Lakefront Lines employees honored with Tubman Award by Truckers Against Trafficking
Larren Tarver, Lakefront Lines bus driver, and Lauren Gnall, district safety director for Lakefront Lines and Coach USA, have received the 2019 Truckers Against Trafficking Harriet Tubman Award presented by Protective Insurance.

The award, which carries with it a $2500 check, is named in honor of famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman, whose courageous personal actions resulted in the transportation of 300 slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad and whose overall role in the freedom movement was instrumental in the freeing of thousands more.

When the Lakefront Lines Bus Team in Ohio, which had recently completed the Busing on the Lookout (BOTL) training, was notified that a female passenger on one of their buses was allegedly being held against her will and forced into prostitution by a male passenger on the same bus, they immediately sprang into action. As Tarver calmly stopped the bus, he reassured the other passengers, while being as inconspicuous as possible about the reasons for the delay. He notified dispatch and triggered an internal response system within the Lakefront Lines Safety Team that swiftly communicated with law enforcement and ensured police were on the scene as quickly as possible. Gnall and a colleague met the bus on the side of the highway almost immediately. Before the bus got back on the road – and safely transported the other passengers to their destination – the suspect was arrested; the alleged victim was recovered; and the case was referred for further investigation.
Lauren Gnall, district safety director for Lakefront Lines and Coach USA (left), and Larren Tarver, Lakefront Lines bus driver.
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.
UMA's Industry Sales Summit inspires and equips sales pros with new ideas, technology
Bus & Motorcoach News | by Shandra Martinez | June 20, 2019

BLOOMINGTON, MINN.—After a day and a half packed with seminars about boosting sales and marketing, heads were spinning—much like the roller coasters a few steps away at the Mall of America’s Nickelodeon Universe. The challenge for owners and operators was to pick one or two revenue-boosting ideas and put them into action when they returned to work.

“There was a lot of reinforcement of what we are doing, but also new twists on how to keep it fresh,” said Scott Riccio, NorthEast Charter & Tour Co., Lewiston, Maine. “It gave me ideas to bring back and to say there is more we can do and there is more we can keep track of.”

After experiencing the inaugural United Motorcoach Association’s Sales Summit, Riccio has made plans to bring two employees back with him next year.

Industry experts covered a range of topics that touched on all aspects of the business, such as staying on track with inquiries, quotes and bookings as well as better ways to follow through with customers from first contact to reaching out after the charter is complete to get reviews.

Cocktails on a cruise ship in the summer
RIP all-inclusive pricing

Bus & Motorcoach News | by Chris Riddell | June 20, 2019

Seventeen years ago, my wife, young daughter and I went on a cruise to Mexico. The allure of the cruise was that it was “all-inclusive” and it lived up to the hype. Want lobster tails in your room at 2:00 a.m.? “No problem, sir, be right there.” About the only things you had to pay for were the spa, the slot machines and the shore excursions.

Fast forward to today. We just returned from a cruise all these years later and the changes were noticeable… and expensive. One of the main things that struck me as we looked at the prices for this cruise was that the ticket prices hadn’t really gone up much between our first cruise and this one. Honestly, it was less than 20 percent different, which doesn’t even cover cost increases over that same period of time. But I soon found out how they were able to do what they were doing. Although the cost to get on the ship was nearly the same, the price changes once onboard were significant.

Motorcoach Industry Calendar

JULY 2019
  • 14-20 Operation Safe Driver Week Learn More
  • 28- August 1 , Regional Meeting of AMA, GMOA, and SCMA, Renaissance Hotel/Convention Center, Montgomery, AL Learn More

AUGUST 2019
  • 1 Deadline to nominate candidates for UMA Board of Directors
  • 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

NOVEMBER 2019

DECEMBER

JANUARY 2020

MARCH 2020
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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