| Author |
Message |
John the newguy (199.232.240.14)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 7:20 am: | |
I am faced with a choice of buying a '79 MC9 to convert (as planned)
or to operate it for charter. The owner/operator claims two one-day
charters per week would pay for insurance, etc. and when he cannot
provide referrals to me, one of the many others would likely do so.
I would be perfectly happy with one or two jobs per week, but what
other expenses aside from the obvious, are involved? Do new regulations
make a one bus company impractical?
I'll have to register this unit initially as either a bus or a motor home. Once
registered here in Florida, it may be too difficult to re-register for other than
the use it was purchased for.
Input appreciated! |
bowlingshoegiverouter (63.185.64.146)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 9:13 am: | |
sounds like a line of B.S. to me...AND...ya' can't do both..either you want a bus converted OR ,ya' want to get into a bunch of trouble.. |
Marc Bourget (209.142.38.81)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 9:55 am: | |
If it was that easy, you could do both! Buy a coach to convert and one to charter. (Not really!)
The maintenence requirements, special common carrier inspections and high insurance rates and stiff competition will always result in the less than "full time" operator being pushed to the end of the line.
If you're going to jump into a professional activity, don't do it half-way. It's an invitation to disaster.
Onward and Upward
Marc Bourget |
BrianMCI96A3 (65.160.215.59)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 10:01 am: | |
Sounds like pie in the sky to me too. The liability alone would scare the heck out of me. If it's such a sweet arrangement why is the owner/operator giving it up?
Brian |
Jimmci9 (209.240.205.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 10:47 am: | |
think commercial registration, annual DOT inspections... commercial insurance, commercial drivers license....stoping at all the scales and check staions....not for me.... |
bowlingshoegiverouter (65.179.192.170)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 11:20 am: | |
and the guys in the back cutting up the seats.... |
Mark R. Obtinario (Cowlitzcoach) (206.163.13.24)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 12:39 pm: | |
You would also have to deal with insurance companies that have determined that any bus over a certain age, by definition, is not a safe bus. Consequently, older buses are almost uninsurable. Particularly if you are a new carrier with no experience.
In regards to insurance, think in terms of $1K per month. Add that to the cost of fuel, maintenance, repairs, etc. and you will soon realize 100 charters per year is not going to make you much money.
Convert the bus and have fun.
Mark O. |
Deacon (204.184.224.30)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 1:43 pm: | |
If you operate only intra-state you need to contact a transportaion expert in your state. If you plan on leaving the state at any time, now or in the future, you are going to have inter-state operating authority.
The record keeping itself is a nightmare if you have no knowledge of it. There is FHUT, state HUT, fuel records for apportiment, tax on passage. Its not as simple as apply for a license plate & insurance. First you need operating authority, this can take months or more to obtain. To get the authority you generally need to show (document) a need for the service (competitors can object to you), an expected customer base and fitness. Now that you have passed those hurdles in several months or a year your ready for the next step. Come back then and we can comment on the next 6 months to a year.
Been there done that,
John 4104 & 4106 |
FAST FRED (4.245.191.33)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 2:17 pm: | |
Have a friend who made a delightful income doing charters with an MC 8!!!
The coach was immaculate and smaller groups care more about CLEANER than CLEAN than they care about kneeling or watching TV enroute.
Instead of a $1K a week to the banksters , plus insurance , maint and everything else, he did quite well, and worked as much as desired , on his Sked,
Yes, a fine older coach can be a very profitable business.
FAST FRED |
John the newguy (199.232.240.206)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 11:14 pm: | |
Well.... Checked with the Insurance Co, Charter bus work will cost me
about $800 per month for about 5mil. It'd cover kids and/or adults,
in or out of state. I'd need a CDL and although there's a two year
bus driving experience requirement, there's also a waver for those
(like me) that have driven for a number of years (even though not recently).
The age of the bus is not a consideration as far as the Insurance Company
is concerned, any more than it's accrued mileage.
Looking at the guy's books indicates that near all of his charters were
grossing between $500 and $800. For the past year, he's been doing
a few per week, average.
There's a few single-bus guys operating in this area of Florida, but
I don't know them personally. The operator I'm likely going to be buying
from had 16 buses some time ago. He's got a condition that's going to
leave him totally incapacitated eventually and it's taking it's toll on the guy
now. He's down to two buses and may not be able to drive at all, soon.
I didn't have any desire to run a charter business initially, I just wanted a
decent bus to convert. This MC9 is decent enough and has been in use
doing charters, so we know it runs and passes DOT. The seats have been
recovered and look new. I've been offered $500 for the seats, but the
owner says I could likely get more from the guy if I push it. It's a shame to
tear it all apart if there's still money to be made with it.
It's all the paperwork that bothers me and all the unknown (to me) regulations
and filings that I'd need. I'll have to mull this thread over and try to decide.
I want to thank you all for the input! It's a tough decision. I'd hate to come out
of retirement for a bag of ulcers instead of a bag of cash. |
niles (4.4.112.82)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 12:59 am: | |
john
call central bus in lakeland and get their charter rates to see if you competitive - if you can beat them with ood service you have a chance - if not quit while your ahead
niles |
BrianMCI96A3 (65.160.215.59)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 9:11 am: | |
Good luck in your decision John, but remember someone has to clean the puke off the seat in the last row, the bottle labels peeled off and stuck to one of the windows, and the floors, walls and door of the bathroom, when someone misses. (grin)
Brian |
John the newguy (199.232.240.203)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 11:10 am: | |
That's why the guy upstairs made dogs, Brian.
(cats are more picky with what they eat) |
DAyresMC9 (65.54.97.189)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 9:38 am: | |
I've just begun a one bus charter operation in the Tampa Bay area. Email me at fourayres@msn.com. |