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John Farr
Top Member
USA
642 Posts |
 Posted - 02/14/2006 : 02:52:07 AM
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Who is driving your new buses from the factory & with your name on them?
By Donna Swicegood Record & Landmark Friday, February 10, 2006
Two drivers airlifted after I-40 wreck
An empty school bus and a truck collided on I-40 Thursday afternoon.
Donna Swicegood/dswicegood@statesville.com
Record & Landmark
A new school bus being transported to Indiana collided with a truck Thursday afternoon on Interstate 40 near Statesville, separating the chassis of the bus from its frame.
Motorists stopped and ran to the aid of the bus driver, who was pinned beneath the mangled front end of the frame.
Brian Hall, a firefighter with the Ebenezer Volunteer Fire Department, witnessed the wreck, which happened just west of the Taylorsville Highway exit.
Hall said the bus drifted from one lane into another and hit the truck.
The chassis portion of the bus flew off, landing on its side, while the frame landed upside down on the emergency strip of the interstate.
Hall said several motorists stopped to lend a hand, lifting the bent frame off of the bus driver.
Both drivers were airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte - one from the scene and the second from Iredell Memorial Hospital.
The wreck blocked the westbound lanes of I-40 for more than an hour.
Trooper Steve Parker of the N.C. Highway Patrol is investigating the wreck.
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John Farr
Top Member
USA
642 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2006 : 03:07:04 AM
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At one time I let our drivers pick up buses at the factory. It gave them a chance to see how buses were manufactured, and there was a good opportunity to build comraderie among those who went.
All that ended when we realized that we accepted full liability for the vehicle once it left the factory. The drivers were still employees of the school district and it was unclear as to which, if any, work rules would apply. Were there an accident, the district's insurance would provide coverage. This caused concern from our insurance company. In addition, the district's workers compensation insurance had to provide coverage for each employee. Then there was the problem with pay and what amounts were to be withheld from the check.
So we decided to let the bus supplier deliver the bus to our door. As you can see from the above article, bad things can happen while buses are in transit, but the liability should be fully covered by the distributor.
I remember an incident where a new bus was just picked up at the factory by a drive-away company when it was involved in a major collision. The bus was returned to the factory and repaired before finally being delivered to the customer as a "new" bus. The customer refused the bus, arguing that it was no longer "new."
Consider adding language in your bid specs to cover delivery mishaps. |
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PCW
Senior Member
USA
171 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2006 : 08:27:43 AM
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I work part time for an International School Bus Distributor out of southern california. As a delivery driver it's my responsibility to take new school buses to clients as well as new bus pickup from either our Tulsa, OK or Conway, AK factory. It's more cost effective for my dealer to send it's employees to retreive the buses rather than having a third party bring them to california. I do understand the dangers of driving cross country however it's the same as driving a school bus on a route. The overall idea is always being alert and following your driver training.
It's unfortunate that those two drivers were in a wreck and I sincerely hope that they fully recover. |
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mrbluebird
Advanced Member
USA
381 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2006 : 08:39:28 AM
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| that must be fun being a delivery driver you get to see a lot of places .!!! |
YOUR CHILDREN'S SAFETY IS OUR BUSINESS |
Edited by - mrbluebird on 02/17/2006 09:09:58 AM |
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IC RE 1629
Top Member
United States
5097 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2006 : 08:46:16 AM
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We used to send our own drivers to pick up our buses. We haven't done this in probably 10 years or more. Currently, our IC buses are delievered by IC's drivers.
I am sure it would be a neat job driving new buses to their customers. You'd be away from home alot though. |
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rswboe
Top Member
USA
675 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2006 : 10:27:07 AM
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| I don't take responsibility for the vehicle untill it shows up at my location, inspected and ready for service. Whoe gets it here is not my concern. |
Live each like it's going to be your last, one day you'll be right! |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2006 : 4:31:27 PM
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Why don't they just put them on frieght trains?
I wonder how the Amtran RE buses traveled from Alaska to Massachusetts (Laidlaw owned) a few years back. |
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John Farr
Top Member
USA
642 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2006 : 03:25:29 AM
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Empty school bus flips over. Mike Terry Of the Suburban Journals Collinsville Herald 03/05/2006 E-mail: mterry@yourjournal.com
An elderly woman suffered minor injuries after the empty school bus she was driving flipped over and crashed into several trees on Wednesday morning.
Fortunately, the bus was not carrying any children, and the driver was the only person on the bus. No other vehicles were involved in the wreck.
The accident happened at approximately 6:35 a.m. on the eastbound exit for Interstate 55-70 near Troy.
According to the Illinois State Police, Clarice H. Doback, 73, of Tulsa, Okla., was transporting the new bus from Tulsa to Indiana when she hit the exit ramp at too high a speed.
"Basically she was just driving too fast for the turn," said one of the ISP troopers.
The bus, which is owned by Express Bus Inc. of Tulsa, was damaged beyond repair, while Doback was taken to Anderson Hospital in Maryville. She has since been released.
Emergency vehicles helped clear the road and tow the vehicle, causing minor traffic congestion for a few hours. |
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bosslady
Advanced Member
USA
336 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2006 : 04:48:58 AM
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| We usually have them delivered, however, 2 years ago I did go to Illinois to pick one up. I thought I could save a little money but by the time the school paid for gas, an overnight motel stay and food for 2 it really didn't save a lot of money. I never thought about the liability. I will certainly take that in consideration before I make a decision to do it again. |
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mrbluebird
Advanced Member
USA
381 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2006 : 04:50:39 AM
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got any photos of the bus ???
it sounds like that bus is bad shape to bad |
YOUR CHILDREN'S SAFETY IS OUR BUSINESS |
Edited by - mrbluebird on 03/07/2006 04:51:47 AM |
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IC_CEmm397
Active Member
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 8:18:40 PM
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| We have a group that transport buses from the plant here in conway arkansas....and also transported from the tulsa plant...for the express bus company... |
IC_CEmm397 |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2006 : 10:12:45 AM
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To this day I will always wonder how the aprox 10 Amtran RE 1998 model school buses traveled from Alaska to Massachusetts a few years ago to a Laidlaw branch. They have a 150 gas tank I think. From Alaska to Massachusetts the distance and time traveled according to mapquest is
Total Est. Time: 77 hours, 48 minutes Total Est. Distance: 4557.20 miles
I think they put those buses on trains from Alaska to Massachusetts. I will never find out but I will always wonder  . Maybe I would travel to Alaska to pick up an Amtran RE if I knew it was going to be my bus but then I would hurry up back to Massachusetts. |
Edited by - 80-RE4 on 03/20/2006 10:14:44 AM |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4547 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2006 : 2:44:11 PM
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| I've asked myself "who ARE these people?" at times. I see a lot of IC's passing through Ohio on I-70 and was am shocked at what I sometimes see. The worst had to be the brand new IC-RE 84 passenger I saw last month. This was a very nicely equipped bus, somebody somewhere spent some serious money on it. What do I see? The guy driving up I-71 SMOKING in the new bus. If I took delivery of this vehicle I'd be HIGHLY irritated. |
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IC_CEmm397
Active Member
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2006 : 01:48:30 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by #80AmtranRE4
To this day I will always wonder how the aprox 10 Amtran RE 1998 model school buses traveled from Alaska to Massachusetts a few years ago to a Laidlaw branch. They have a 150 gas tank I think. From Alaska to Massachusetts the distance and time traveled according to mapquest is
Total Est. Time: 77 hours, 48 minutes Total Est. Distance: 4557.20 miles
I think they put those buses on trains from Alaska to Massachusetts. I will never find out but I will always wonder. Maybe I would travel to Alaska to pick up an Amtran RE if I knew it was going to be my bus but then I would hurry up back to Massachusetts.
Those buses came in on a train, and the drivers from the little rock, arkansas laidlaw picked those buses up from the train and drove them to allied, where they were checked out and different options were added to them...and they were delivered like they were new from conway, arkansas by the company that delivers and some laidlaw drivers.. They went all over.. |
IC_CEmm397 |
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Who is driving your new buses from the factory?
