Celebrating their 150 years in business this year, DeCamp Bus Lines continues to serve the public with their transportation needs in the Metropolitan region. Based in Montclair New Jersey, DeCamp is a family-owned transportation company.  They started started their operations in 1870 with a stagecoach and evolved with the industry, always remaining on the forefront as innovative leaders. Today, Jonathan DeCamp, a 6th generation family member, leads the operations of the company, is a director on the GNJMA Board and chair of the Legislative Committee.

In 1870, Major Jonathan W. DeCamp had the idea to operate a stage service between Roseland and Newark from the Newark-Mount Pleasant Turnpike, known as Mt. Pleasant Avenue.

He constructed a covered wagon with a team of horses and opened his stagecoach line. The round trip would take the entire day.

 
In 1878, his son Benjamin "Cap" DeCamp joined the business, creating another route, from the General Store and the Post Office in Livingston to the Orange Post Office. Rides were 25 cents.

 
In 1905, after Benjamin DeCamp's death, his son Robert took over and added another route, to Caldwell. In 1909, he snagged the first motor bus, which changed the transportation industry. However, the motor bus was difficult to handle. There were difficulties going uphill and buses sometimes had to be pushed by the passengers. Horse-drawn carriages were still used.

In 1917, after Robert died, Ralph D. DeCamp, a dentist, gave up his dental practice and took over the family business. Ralph gained two new "up-to-the-minute" motor buses, ending the era of horse-drawn carriages.

The company's first garage was built next to the Central School on South Livingston Avenue in Livingston. In 1926, the business was expanded to fit 40 buses at 49 West Mt. Pleasant Ave. in Livingston. The business expanded yet again, adding more routes from Journal Square in Jersey City and areas of North Jersey into New York. DeCamp added a bus garage in Clifton.
Robert and Stuart DeCamp expanded the business and in the 1970s the company relocated to New York City.  

 
When Stuart DeCamp died in 1978, the family almost sold the business. In 1979, DeCamp relocated to the former Public Service bus company in Montclair.  Robert DeCamp Jr. came on board in 1968 and his sister Suzanne joined in 1979. In 1982, the family was again pressured to sell, but the siblings kept the business running.

Robert DeCamp Sr. retired in 1991 and in November of 1997 Suzanne left the business to explore other opportunities. Robert Jr. bought his sister out. The company is the oldest privately-owned and operated bus company, according to DeCamp's website.

If you have a special anniversary or news to share, please email us!

In response to calls from legislators and our constituents, Governor Murphy has signed an executive order permitting the resumption of non-essential construction, curbside pickup at non-essential retail businesses, and car gatherings for the purpose of drive-through and drive-in events. 

The construction and non-essential retail provisions will take effect at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, May 18, while the car gatherings provision will take effect immediately. Retail businesses operating in shopping malls are permitted to operate by curbside pickup, in accordance with the other requirements of this paragraph, but staff must bring the goods to customers at the exterior of the mall. 

A bipartisan group of House members introduced a bill to expand the employee retention tax credit created by the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief law. 

The sponsors of the bill say that their legislation would help to keep workers employed during the pandemic. "Congress can once again act in this 'country-first' spirit by expanding this bipartisan initiative to reduce layoffs, protect workers' health insurance benefits, and help ensure a quick and robust economic recovery," Murphy said in a news release. Read more...

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued deadline relief and other guidance under Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to help employee benefit plans, plan participants and beneficiaries, employers and other plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, and other service providers impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.  Read more...

U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) has led a group of 88 House Democrats calling on the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to require the use of masks, gloves, eyewear, and any PPE that may be appropriate for transportation workers, frontline Federal employees, and the passengers they interact with.  Read more...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration just posted a new Q&A to their website on the topic of Voluntary Revocation of Operating Authority Registration.   Read more...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to tighten current regulations intended to keep commercial vehicle drivers with substance abuse violations from being licensed by closing an information gap with real-time information from the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.  Read more...

FMCSA Extends HOS Emergency Declaration for Second Time

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has again extended its emergency declaration relaxing hours-of-service rules for motor carriers that are providing direct assistance in support of coronavirus-related relief efforts.  Read more...

U.S. Department of Transportation Modernizes Hours of Service Rules to Improve Safety and Increase Flexibility

Businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans can exclude laid-off employees from loan forgiveness reduction calculations if the employees turn down a written offer to be rehired, according to new guidance from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which warned that employees who reject offers of reemployment may find themselves ineligible to continue receiving unemployment benefits. The guidance was included among three new questions the SBA added over the weekend to a PPP frequently asked questions (FAQ) file it maintains in consultation with Treasury. The new guidance is included in FAQs 40-42. The first of the new questions asks if a borrower's PPP forgiveness amount would be reduced if the borrower lays off an employee and then offers to rehire the employee, but the employee declines the offer.  Read more...

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some commercial motor vehicle regulations in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. were temporarily relaxed to reduce restrictions that may limit motor carriers from promptly providing much-needed products and services to assist with emergency relief efforts. Subsequently, many states, provinces and territories issued a variety of emergency measures specific to their jurisdictions. With numerous temporary actions in place, there was a need for a central repository containing active emergency declaration information.  Read more...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has information to answer these questions;  As a bus transit operator, how can I protect myself?  What steps should my employer take?  Where can I get more information?  Read more...