A little OT - Have bus charter rates gone way up?

belfert · June 20, 2013, 04:27:46 AM

Our Boy Scout troop has been chartering a school bus to get to summer camp the past few years. We paid $1100 last year. This year the rate we got is $1900 for the same trip. We have gotten multiple quotes this year and they are all just about identical. I think we're also going to look at a coach bus too to see if the rates have gone up as much there. Perhaps the price gap between a school bus and a charter bus has narrowed.

Have rates for chartering a school bus gone way up for some reason? Diesel prices locally are down a little bit from the same time last year.

muldoonman · June 20, 2013, 05:06:41 AM

Probably because of insurance rates. With all the charters having wreaks and some fatal see where it could get expensive to insure.

Dave5Cs · June 20, 2013, 05:54:51 AM

Where are they going too Hawaii. I remember we went to a hockey game and the parents took us

Dave5Cs from Galaxy S III

belfert · June 20, 2013, 06:34:12 AM

Quote from: Dave5Cs on June 20, 2013, 05:54:51 AM
Where are they going too Hawaii. I remember we went to a hockey game and the parents took us

The trip is 460 miles round trip. We would pay for the gas for parents to drive. When the bus was only $1100 it was the same cost for the bus as paying for all the gas for 6 to 8 vehicles. We have 50+ scouts and adult leaders going to camp. Even if every adult leader staying for the week drives we would still need additional parents to make the 10 hour round trip which means on the return trip that parents were leaving home at 5 am.

In the old days parents donated the fuel for these trips. Now days with gas consistently over $3 a gallon that isn't fair to have parents spending $80 to $100 on gas to help drive. It is always the same adult leaders going on trips so it isn't fair that they pay for gas and the rest of the parents get a free ride.

The biggest positive about taking the bus is no drowsy drivers trying not to fall asleep on the way home. Being at camp for a week is physically draining on the adults. Every person I know who has done it has reported issues with staying awake on the drive home.

bkelly1011 · June 20, 2013, 08:46:28 AM

Brian - I've noticed about a 15-25% increase in the last six months in the trips my company quotes. Right now, mimimum charter cost is just south of $900. Costs of compliance, fuel, tires lead the way. Brad

grantgoold · June 20, 2013, 04:14:31 PM

Took six charter buses of graduating seniors to Disneyland last year and the total cost for about a 900 mile round trip and an "evening" stay at a hotel for the drivers was $22,000. This year we had the same trip with the same number of buses and the trip was just north of $29,000.? Fuel costs actually were down!

Go figure!

Grant

belfert · June 20, 2013, 08:23:38 PM

Maybe BK can give us some insight on what is happening. It seems like everyone has raised rates, noy just the school bus companies locally.

Len Silva · June 21, 2013, 05:53:32 AM

$1900 for 50 people works out to a little over $.08 per mile per person. Seems pretty reasonable to me.

belfert · June 21, 2013, 06:13:03 AM

Quote from: Len Silva on June 21, 2013, 05:53:32 AM
$1900 for 50 people works out to a little over $.08 per mile per person. Seems pretty reasonable to me.

If it is reasonable or not is a separate issue. The price has gone up over 50% in one year. When we created a budget for summer camp we only included about $1200 for the bus. Yes, someone should have contacted the bus companies for a price before creating a budget, but they didn't.

We have to get 46 boys and 6 adults to camp. It would probably take 10 vehicles each way to have parents drive. It would be 14 round trips to camp at an average gas cost of $100 per vehicle. Gas would cost $1400 versus $1900 for the bus. We started using the bus because it was the same cost or less than having parents drive. It also avoids wear and tear on vehicles.

Len Silva · June 21, 2013, 06:20:03 AM

Many organizations these days won't even permit parents to drive groups of kids because of liability issues.

PCC · June 21, 2013, 06:21:20 AM

I donate my vehicle to be used to transport disabled veterans. It is set up for persons in wheelchairs; I do this because of a personal friend who has passed, who told me there was a need, and there is.

The cost, per mile, for the operation of my vehicle, including amortising all repair and maintenance costs at their scheduled times/miles, is $3.81.

Fuel pricing used was $4.00 per gallon.

B_K · June 24, 2013, 02:04:32 PM

Insurance rates skyrocketed this year for me and every other operator I personally know. With this said I saw 4 companies I personally know the owners of close the doors and let the phones get disconnected.

Me and a few others I know are toughing it out.
But the "chartering parties" don't want to hear about, nor do they care about our insurance costs.

Deciding a budget amount to do a trip without first getting quotes is just plain stupid. (not calling you stupid Brian, but someone has pulled a stupid stunt!)

Now that the damage is done I'd say gather up the boys and get to doing some fund raisers like car/pet washes, mowing/lawn care, repairs/maintenance of some houses or properties that need it but the owners might not be able to afford a professional to do it. (and probably many other ways)

BK

belfert · June 24, 2013, 03:06:16 PM

Quote from: B_K on June 24, 2013, 02:04:32 PM
Deciding a budget amount to do a trip without first getting quotes is just plain stupid. (not calling you stupid Brian, but someone has pulled a stupid stunt!)

Now that the damage is done I'd say gather up the boys and get to doing some fund raisers like car/pet washes, mowing/lawn care, repairs/maintenance of some houses or properties that need it but the owners might not be able to afford a professional to do it. (and probably many other ways)

I didn't have anything to do with the whole budgeting process for the trip. The troop has enough money in the bank that they can cover the extra costs to still get a school bus, at least for this year.