Bus company: where to get the buses

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Buses are a big part of what makes or breaks the company. Thus, it is necessary to be very careful when buying one. One must consider the ease of repair, availability of parts, availability of mechanics, cost of parts and repairs, and so on in the choice of buses.

Usually, if yo are in the US, you will want to at least consider MCI, as they are built here in North America (mainly in Canada nowadays), and use primarily American components, such as Cummins or Detroit Diesel engines, and Allison Transmissions. (CAT used to make bus engines for a few years, until they got tired of warranty work, and for a while you can buy a Mercedes engine... at a premium)

However, most motorcoaches in the US use American components any way, even though the shells may be made elsewhere. Setra coaches were imported by Daimler Benz, Van Hool by ABC, and Prevost by Prevost Cars. The main difference are in all the other parts, and limited availability of those parts may cause a lot of problems, unless you can secure some local substitutes. For example, Van Hool parts are only available through ABC Companies, based in Minnesota. Fortunately, they have four other branches around the USA. Some parts are easy enough, but some parts must be ordered from all the way back to Sweden, which can cause some white hairs.

Another problem is that some truck mechanics, despite their knowledge, refuse to work on buses. Apparently the are worried about liability issues. Thus, when your bus breaks down on the road, you cannot always call road service or mobile service.

Buses are available used or new. In deed, most buses sold are used, as a bus can last millions of miles with proper maintenance. A brand new bus will cost 300,000+ dollars, while a used one can be as low as a few thousand (depending on age, equipment, and general condition).