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DJBUSMARK
Senior Member

USA
184 Posts

Posted - 02/08/2004 :  08:38:37 AM  Show Profile  Send DJBUSMARK an AOL message  Reply with Quote
I recently read that Atlantic Express Transportation has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. But here are some observations I've been noticing recently here in my home state (MA) where Atlantic Express has some operations:

Atlantic Express gained a presence in New England in 1998, when they bought Fiore Bus Co and Groom Transportation Inc. (both owned by the Fiore family). For a while after the sale most of the buses and SPED vans continued to display the Fiore or Groom name, then most had Atlantic Express painted on. Some buses never had the Fiore name removed.

Next AE bought Transcomm, a SPED transportation provider in MA. They have never removed the Transcomm name off any of those vehicles.

Then AE purchased McCarty Limo and Bus and Robert L.McCarthy & Son Bus Co. I've seen some buses from both of those companies retain the purchased companies' names.(in fact, I saw a Robert L.McCarthy bus last night parked at Shepherd Hill H.S. in Dudley MA where I took a show choir for a competition, never saw the driver of that bus before I left, so I couldn't ask him/her what they could say abouth this topic).

This past week I saw a couple of AE Billerica buses parked in Lowell (interesting Blue Bird TC 2000's, they have a left side emergency door in addition to the rear door), AE bought those new about 4 years or so ago, they have had the AE name on them since day 1. One of them still had AE on it, but underneath was lettered Groom Transportation, Inc. The 2nd bus had the AE lettering removed, and had Groom Transportation only. Also saw a couple of the SPED vans have both AE & Groom lettering.

Just curious if anyone here (who work/knows someone at AE perhaps)has any idea what's up regarding this.I asked my manager at my bus yard if he heard anything about this, he hasn't and he's kind of curious too.

Thanks,
Mark

BPS_Driver
Advanced Member

USA
259 Posts

Posted - 02/08/2004 :  09:28:50 AM  Show Profile  Send BPS_Driver an AOL message  Reply with Quote
DJ- I don't have the answer however a similar situation happened where I started out. I joined Vancom in 96 when the aquisition form Laidlaw was taking place. The contract Laidlaw had for purchasing allowed the buses to have Vancom on the sides for a maximum of 5 years and within the five years they could remove the letters whenever they wanted. Some of our buses were done immediately, and some were done after a few years. We also had buses from National School Bus Service and Mayflower.

For about two years the buses all different names on the side. Looked weird but it was part of the agreement.

23 Million safe deliveries a day by all of us
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DJBUSMARK
Senior Member

USA
184 Posts

Posted - 02/08/2004 :  12:26:51 PM  Show Profile  Send DJBUSMARK an AOL message  Reply with Quote
BPS Driver: The scenerio you described regarding Vancom & Laidlaw makes sense. I trained for my CDL, was licensed, and drove my first school bus for National School Bus Service. Not long after that Laidlaw purchased National, but for the next year (till the yard I worked at closed because they lost the school contract they held) the buses retained the National names, but our charter paperwork, paychecks, etc. were all Laidlaw. All the drivers & staff each got a free Laidlaw Team hat (which I still have on the closet shelf next to a Michaud Bus Lines hat, haven't worn it in years).

But what makes the Atlantic Express scenerio I posted is that the AE name was put on these buses and now the name of the company that they had bought a few years ago is back on some of the buses. I find that a bit odd.

Mark
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80-RE4
Top Member

USA
5700 Posts

Posted - 02/08/2004 :  5:37:37 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by DJBUSMARK


.

Shepherd Hill H.S. in Dudley MA where I took a show choir for a competition, never saw the driver of that bus before I left,



Hey Mark you're in my neck of the woods, providing i'm about a half hour away from dudley! There is a subdivision of the company i work for in dudley. Speaking of AE i saw one of those buses the other days pass by me. It was a conventional.

Edited by - 80-RE4 on 02/08/2004 5:38:15 PM
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Peter
Top Member

USA
1057 Posts

Posted - 02/09/2004 :  2:00:09 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Laidlaw around here operates under many different bus company names. In fact, all of the companies that Laidlaw has purchased here still operate under the old name. I speculate that they do this to protect the reputation those companies built prior to the buyout and to give the impression to the school districts and to the public that nothing has changed. I don't know how things work around the country, but here a Laidlaw buyout will never be considered positive change.

Perhaps Atlantic Express is doing the same thing.

Edited by - Peter on 02/09/2004 2:00:51 PM
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buster133
Top Member

USA
512 Posts

Posted - 02/09/2004 :  4:17:17 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I have noticed this as well. In my area of MA we have Atlantic Express operate for a regional vocational school. I think they started a few years back, but I noticed that for the first year the whole fleet consisted of almost brand new Thomas and Blue Bird conventionals.But in the years following I have seen them change from those buses to probably 95-98 Thomas and Blue Bird buses, which were once used as spare buses when my home town had a contract with McCarty back in 99 with a fleet of new AmTran Genesis models long before they were bought by AE. Also in a nearby town I still see these AmTran buses being used, some with the Atlantic Express logo and others still with McCarty on the sides. Very interesting

[URL=http://s7.photobucket.com/user/buster133/media/6f2e0703-1970-4ac9-bb1f-b6b9d7c12297_zps1741e113.jpg.html][/URL]
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DJBUSMARK
Senior Member

USA
184 Posts

Posted - 02/09/2004 :  5:24:32 PM  Show Profile  Send DJBUSMARK an AOL message  Reply with Quote
Buster 133: I think the vocational school you're referring to is Blackstone Valley Regional. I've seen some of those Atlantic Express buses around as well over the last couple of years. I also remember seeing the McCarty AmTran's when they were new. I think they were used for Millbury Schools, I recall some of them having Millbury Public Schools lettered on the sides. As of May 2002 Atlantic Express still had the Millbury contract.

Mark
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80-RE4
Top Member

USA
5700 Posts

Posted - 02/09/2004 :  6:32:15 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
It's pretty wierd, because before i read this particular post, i hardly saw any atlantic express buses. In the past week ive seen about 4 of them

mark if you know where millbury is you must have been through the town i drive for. im really close to millbury!!

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buster133
Top Member

USA
512 Posts

Posted - 02/13/2004 :  1:42:41 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
That is exactly the school I was refering to. I graduated from that school back in 01, before Atlantic Express was there.The AE AmTran buses that are used in Millbury now were used for 4 years before in Uxbridge when they were brand new. I have some pictures of them somewhere.

[URL=http://s7.photobucket.com/user/buster133/media/6f2e0703-1970-4ac9-bb1f-b6b9d7c12297_zps1741e113.jpg.html][/URL]
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YardBird
Advanced Member

USA
427 Posts

Posted - 02/13/2004 :  2:08:17 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I drove for Atlantic Conn Transit (a subsidiary of Atlantic Express) for 14 years-they've got all kinds of different names and subsidiary names on their euipment. One name I saw show up in our yard a lot was Amboy Bus Co.

That might explain a lot of the different names on their stuff.
My former district supervisor told me just before they lost the contract in Rdgefield that they were emerging from Chapter 11 very quickly and making quite a considerable turnaround.

Laidlaw owns the buses in New Milford, CT, but as I understand it the original owner, Dufour, has a 5-year buy-back option so half the buses say Laidlaw Transit and the other half say Dufour.

Sure! I'll pick your kid up closer to the house... Widen your front door!

"I LOOOOOVE MY UNION!"
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Rich
Top Member

United States
5768 Posts

Posted - 02/13/2004 :  4:24:30 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
...speaking of Amboy Bus Company.

There are a number of Girardin special needs buses running around here in Westchester County, New York. The 7" lettering says "<<<Atlantic Express<<<", while the Operated By lettering says "Amboy Bus Company".

I have seen buses from Somers, New York as well, that have the Amboy. These include Blue Bird CV200s and brand new IC CEs, as well as various Type As.



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YardBird
Advanced Member

USA
427 Posts

Posted - 02/14/2004 :  3:57:44 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Yup. Amboy's a subsidiary too.

My old boss went to Somers when AE pulled out of Ridgefield.

Sure! I'll pick your kid up closer to the house... Widen your front door!

"I LOOOOOVE MY UNION!"
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Rich
Top Member

United States
5768 Posts

Posted - 02/14/2004 :  5:50:39 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
And to continue on the Atlantic Express bandwagon... there is an ad in the SBF Fact Book that has "Operated By Staten Island Bus Company".

I guess Atlantic Express supplies new buses but makes the other folks run the whole thing. Then A.E. probably gets a piece of the pie.
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YardBird
Advanced Member

USA
427 Posts

Posted - 02/14/2004 :  7:00:48 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Yeah, that sounds about right.

Sure! I'll pick your kid up closer to the house... Widen your front door!

"I LOOOOOVE MY UNION!"
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BBInt.10
Top Member

USA
1042 Posts

Posted - 02/14/2004 :  9:12:36 PM  Show Profile  Visit BBInt.10's Homepage  Send BBInt.10 an AOL message  Reply with Quote
[quoteLaidlaw owns the buses in New Milford, CT, but as I understand it the original owner, Dufour, has a 5-year buy-back option so half the buses say Laidlaw Transit and the other half say Dufour.][/quote]

Actually, last year, I believe it was, all the Dufour decals came off of all the old Dufour buses and the Laidlaw name went on. But yes, for quite a while after the buyout the Dufour name stayed on.

-Dave

If all your problems are behind you... you must be a school bus driver.
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