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- Category: Industry News
The American Bus Association (ABA) held the summer meeting for their Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) and Bus Maintenance and Repair Council (BusMARC) June 29-30 at the BWI Airport Marriott in Baltimore, Md. These meetings, which were held concurrently, are the major events for safety, maintenance, personnel, as well as government regulators. They attract motorcoach company owners, safety directors, fleet managers, government regulators, manufacturers, and associated vendors and consultants, as well as luxury ground transportation operators who have buses in their fleets.
L to R: Brent Maitland of MCI, James Blain of PAX Training, Pam Martinez of DATTCO, Erin Ducharme of Bloom’s Bus, Adam Hall of Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, and Mike McDonal of Saucon Technologies
“These meetings give operators the chance to focus on safety and maintenance. However, the primary focus on the BISC meeting was drivers—not just driver safety, but driver training, recruitment, retention, and taking care of the details of driver files to help folks prepare for their next audit,” says ABA Director of Regulatory Affairs Brandon Buchanan.
With driver recruitment a challenge for all vertical industries, a highlight of the BISC meeting was a panel discussion entitled Checking In with Driving Force, Recruiting New Motorcoach Drivers, and Addressing Driver Shortage. Driving Force is a program designed by members involved with another ABA council, Women in Buses, to tackle the nationwide motorcoach driver shortage by providing industry operators tools and tips to recruit and retain their most valuable assets: drivers. Among the panelists during this session was CD contributor James Blain of PAX Training.
The American Bus Association (ABA) summer meeting
“I think the Driving Force roundtable at BISC turned out great,” says Blain. “It was an opportunity for the Driving Force to share the resources that the team put together and find out from operators what is working for them. It really seemed like everyone involved was able to find something to take back with them.”
“We were excited at the chance to partner with BISC and host a session at the summer meeting,” adds Driving Force Chair Erin Ducharme of Bloom’s Bus. “We had the opportunity to speak to many operators on the challenges they are facing and what positive changes they are making to retain their drivers. The group was eager to learn about the tools we have put together and share their own experiences with us.”
Other highlights of the BISC meeting included a National Transportation Safety Board update, which explored accidents and what operators should be doing as part of their training and maintenance programs, and a FMCSA update, which gave operators a sense of what new regulations the agency has put in place in 2022.
The BISC programming also included two keynote speakers who each talked about aspects of driver training: Sylvester Giustino of the Commercial Vehicle Training Alliance and Mark Syzperski of On Your Mark Transportation.
“The meeting was very well attended, and the participants heard from a slew of industry leaders and partners,” says BISC Chairman Jeff Shanker. “Sessions were extremely well received and the interaction between the participants and industry experts was boundless! The closing session, Mentor Office Hours, was one of the highlights with a tremendous exchange of information from everyone.”
On the BusMARC side, Buchanan says highlights included a review of a new draft inspection bulletins, as well as site visits to operator Gunther Charters and parts manufacturer Johnson & Towers.
For a full itinerary of BISC and BusMARC events, including power point presentations, click here and here.
The ABA will hold its 2023 Marketplace in Detroit this February 4-7 at the Detroit Convention Center. Marketplace is an appointment-based show for motorcoach and tour operators and travel industry suppliers who want to expand their group tour and travel business.
Visit buses.org for more information.
Photos courtesy of James Blain of PAX Training and Mike McDonal of Saucon Technologies
[07.12.22]
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- Category: Industry News
Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a coach manufacturer and a leader in electric mass mobility solutions, has announced the promotion of Josephine “Josie” Arrington to service center general manager GM in MCI's Blackwood, N.J., facility. The promotion makes Arrington the first woman Service Center GM across NFI’s extensive service center network. Arrington succeeds Tom Cole, who recently accepted a regional parts manager position.
MCI newly promoted General Manager Josephine “Josie” Arrington
Arrington began her 15-year career with MCI in 2007 as a mechanic at the Blackwood facility. She quickly excelled though service advisory roles before being promoted to senior service provider. In her new position, Arrington will provide leadership to 20+ technicians, service advisors, and the parts team serving customers in the Northeast region.
“We are pleased to congratulate Josie on this deserved promotion. Through extensive service experience and superb customer-focused skills, Josie has been instrumental in serving MCI customers,” said MCI Vice President of Private Sector Sales Patricia Ziska. “Leveraging this experience, she will lead the operations of MCI's Blackwood Service Center and continue to provide our customers with exceptional service in the Northeast region.”
“Josie has exceptional qualifications, from people skills to highly specialized hands-on coach knowledge,” said MCI Director, Service Centers Steve Batho. “Time and again she has proven her dedication to our customers, always going the extra mile. Our service center managers are a critical level of management in MCI’s business, and Josie has built important relationships in one of our busiest service centers.”
Arrington says customer service remains her highest priority. “Tom made sure I learned every part of the business and prepared me for this position. One of the great things about MCI and New Flyer is our ability to network to get things done. Even when positions change, people stay, and the channels of communication are always there,” said Arrington. “We always try to get everyone in the shop to help our customers, no matter the status of our workload. Turnaround time on a coach isn’t like that on cars. Coaches are our customers’ livelihood, and our repairs have to be accurate and expeditious.”
Working within customers’ budgets, transparency in estimates and quotes are key to repeat business, Arrington said. “It’s more than maintenance. We have known our customers for years and understand their businesses.”
Visit mcicoach.com for more information.
[07.12.22]
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- Category: Industry News
The New England Livery Association (NELA) is holding their 2022 Golf Tournament on August 9 at the private Marlborough Country Club in Marlborough, Mass., one of New England’s top-rated courses. Open to a mix of novice and experienced golfers, the event offers attendees a great day on the links, lunch at the turn, followed by a delicious dinner. Special thanks to Platinum Sponsors Lancer Insurance and Research Underwriters, Gold Sponsor Cross Insurance, and Dinner Sponsor Chauffeur Driven. Other sponsorship opportunities are available; a full list can be seen here.
Discounted registration for the tournament is available through July 15. Golfer registration includes greens fee, cart, continental breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert:
- Individual golfer registration fees: Discounted rate - $175 until July 15, standard rate - $185 effective July 16
- Team (group of 4) golfer registration fees: Discounted rate - $700 until July 15, standard rate - $740 effective July 16
Attendees interested in dinner only are welcome to attend. A discounted rate of $75 is in effect until July 15, after which the price rises to $85.
Golfer and dinner registration closes Sunday, July 31 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Register with a credit card online or call the NELA office at 866.736.6352.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
[07.12.22]