James, what an outstanding series of videos that you are producing. It makes me proud to have worked With you in and Peoria Charter for the last 8 years.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Wow thanks for the kind words Ed! It was an honor to have worked with you! Please dont be a stranger. Stop in from time to time! Lets go out to lunch! be well my friend!

I WISH YOU GUYS OPEN DOWN IN FLORIDA WE DONT HAVE ANY TOUR BUS CO PALM BAY FLORIDA I WOULD DRIVE FOR YOU THERE ALL IN ORLANDO FL THANKS PAUL YOU HAVE GREAT LOOKING BUSES UP THERE

At my former job, I was the Shipping Managaer and was also in charge of the company's fleet of forklifts and other company vehicles including our shag trucks on up to the executive vehicles. Also included the weekly trips to the car wash / detail shop for certain vehicles. Needless to say, it was a PITA. I met with one of our IT guys more than a few times and we made up a similar version of yours maintenance software with circa 2004 technology. It still relied on operator input but that's always part of a maintenance program. We used outside vendors like mobile forklift and tire companies and auto repair shops for our service needs. We had developed great working relationships with some local places and the company just didn't have the space for a fully functional repair shop. It was a complete game changer for me and even though I haven't been there in several years, I think they're still using that program that my pal Jed and I worked up. Such a great luxury when you can develop a proprietary system that's tailored to your needs.

Peoria Charter really does take pride in preparing their buses fir daily trips to ensure the safety of themselves and others. James, I was wondering could you do a video on how you guys properly clean,sanitize, and prepare buses from coming in and out.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hey Spiritual Kai 2x. Yes I will will definitely cover the sanitizing and cleaning of a coach! Stay tuned! Thanks for your comment my friend!

@motiv8_kaii

3 жыл бұрын

@@MotorcoachWorld Anytime!

Wow! That was fascinating! That program you guys made is amazing!

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Tracie! Appreciate it ☺️

Hi. I just found your channel. I drive for Arrow Coach Lines in Little Rock Arkansas. This is a mom and pop business which began in 1944. We have a great detailed maintenance schedule thanks to the owners who are the grown children of the founder. One of our prevosts have well over a million miles and are like new. As drivers write up items even the smallest rattles are repaired before the coach goes out. The Lienhart family are the finest people I have ever worked for. They treat us like their family and we are a family. I can tell from your backstory coming from nothing to where you are that you are a great boss and if my circumstances were different I would not hesitate to work for you. Let’s get these coaches rolling again in 2021!!!!

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Tim Lawrence! Thank you for your comment! Loved reading about Arrow Coach line. I have a lot of respect for Arrow. You guys look like a good clean well run company. I did work my way up from nothing. I think that is the best way do it. A leader should know what his or her team goes through. I have a lot of respect for drivers and diesel mechanics that keep these companies running. Anyway thank you for the comment! safe travels and stay tuned for more episodes.

Greetings from a new subscriber in Australia. These videos are not only interesting for bus owners, but also for people like me who own motorhomes converted from long distance coaches. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Coover! Thank you for your kind comment! Comments like these really make me want to keep doing this! Im working on getting you a model bus. Ill keep in touch!

That’s really amazing you made your own company software, definitely a labor of love, but at least you get to make all the decisions.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hey Andrew Leatherman! Thanks for the comment and your support on Patreon! I really appreciate it. Yeah I wanted to be in control of the company. Many companies loose their control and become at the mercy of software companies when they sign their life away.

Great maintenance video James!

DUDE YOU ARE DOING WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE YEARS AGO. GREAT JOB

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Stephen Mom's! Appreciate the kind words and your comment.

Hey James I wanted to suggest a driver PTI video. Great stuff! It’s like a MasterClass on the industry.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hey Peter! Yes That is on my list to do! Thanks man! Hope you are well

2:05 I like the cameo with Scotty Kilmer. lol

I've driven Coaches that have had over a Million Kilometres on the clock and drive like new. Good maintenance is critical.

preventative and scheduled maintenance is key, it actually saves money in the long run, gets you better resale value and keeps your techs happier

Hi i´m new subscriber . and a bus mechanic in norway i work for a large bus company . The fleet varies from diesel , hydrogen to electric buses . I found this video very interesting and informative . Your maintenance programme is more in-depth than what we use

This is a fantastic overview of bus maintenance. When you market your software (hint hint) perhaps you can offer a customizable version that manages a limited number of coaches for smaller companies or even motorhome bus conversions.

@MotorcoachWorld

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Dell! Thanks man. Yes I will definitely make sure it is diversified to fit any kind of fleet.

Cracking vid James, love seeing stuff like this. It gives a background to remind people you don't just hop on a bus - we all do it though, get on and don't even give a thought because you assume everything is ok and you'll get to your destination. The fact you created your own software means you care and want / need to know when something has to be checked, ordered and replaced etc! Also the fact you co own the company and are doing these videos to show people is really awesome too!

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hey Marc! Thanks for the kind words man. Its always nice to meet others who have passion for what they do! Much appreciated. Thanks for writing!

How interesting James! Thank you for sharing your talents!

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hi R Belle Boutique! Thank you for your comment! Really appreciate it!

Very entertaining and fun to watch. Thanks for posting this.

Great video! I have first hand experience of the consequences of lack of maintenance. I was travelling from Wellington to Auckland in New Zealand and the coach broke down in the middle of nowhere on the Desert Road with the nearest cities Taupo and Hamilton hours away. To make matters worse, it was a freezing cold day in June (the seasons in NZ are opposite to those in the States) We started a small bonfire on the side the road to keep warm (not sure that was entirely legal!) The poor driver did his best to try and placate the passengers and he complained bitterly about the state of his coach and its lack of maintenance. It was hours later before a relief coach was sent to rescue us. The delay also caused some passengers to miss their overseas flights. (I wonder how the Coach Company which shall remain nameless dealt with demands for compensation) We were pleasantly surprised by the number of trucks that to stopped to offer assistance.(NZ truck drivers are NZ's unofficial guardians of NZ's roads and it is an unwritten rule that they will stop and offer assistance to any motorists in distress) All in all it was an "unforgettable" journey!

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate you taking the time to write this. I enjoyed reading this. sound like a horrible experience. but a memory that will stay with you1

I might say things that other people have said, but this is a an amazing, perfectly worded, video. This could be used as a training video for other carriers. I live in Milwaukee and have been familiar with PCC for my whole life. Of course, we have Badger and Lamers, as our "local, reliable" carriers. They both have many of the same maintenance practices.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hey thanks Mark Manz. Appreciate the comment and your kind words.

Nice!

2:15 probably one of the only thumbnails from that dinosaur i agree with 🤣🤣 i assure you, you wont be seeing me driving a KIA that i OWN.

@MotorcoachWorld

2 жыл бұрын

LOL!

Can you make a full tour of your newest VanHool Cx45 in you guys fleet showing the different type of switches and explain what each individual switch means look forward in seeing the video.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hey Marquise Fitzpatrick! I will add that to the list of topics! Thanks for comment!

@marquisefitzpatrick7627

3 жыл бұрын

@@MotorcoachWorld Look forward in seeing and learning about all the switches.

Nice to see you again James. Hope life’s treating you and the family well. A lot of companies could learn from this. Not saying that in a bad way but the way you guys do things makes it a lot better and makes customers like us feel even more safe and comfortable. For you and the rest of the crew. Keep up the good work

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hey Swagg So Smooth! Thank you for your kind words. Havent heard from you in a while! Appreciate the comment. Where are you out of? Shoot me a email. Jwang@peoriacharter.com

Great job buddy

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Adam! Thank you for taking the time to comment!

Great presentation skills.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you AL Bing! Appreciate it!

Reminds me of the "there goes a bus" kids video from decades ago.

Happiest day of my life was getting rid of our MCI VII motor coach our church was given by a well meaning donor! Electric system and a/c were nightmares! Bob

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

hahaha Thank you for sharing this! Appreciate the comment!

Impressive with the steer tires. Mine get changed when no longer legal lol. I can get about 150,000 out of them

Hey James Great Video Much Appreciate It Keeps Me Going To Get My Company Back Off The Ground!!! I Think You Forgot To Add If Peoria Charter Does Maintenance For Other Motorcoach Companies and If Not Would You'll Be Interested In Doing So? It Would Be Extra Income For The Company Also,. As A Great Investment Too. I Think Another Great Video For You To Do Is How You'll Say What Bus Manufacturer Peoria Goes WIth and How Do You'll Choose MCI, PREVOST, SETRA, Van Hool Ok Thanks Keep Safe and God Bless!!!!!

I had the pleasure of doing inventory in our parts room twice at MTR Western...you really need to concentrate and double check your work. Diesel mechanics are vitally important. I don't think they get paid enough, considering how technical and important their jobs are.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Totally agree with you. I have a lot of respect for them.

@johnwright3710

3 жыл бұрын

I have a former MTR western bus in my fleet.

@stevedavenport1202

3 жыл бұрын

@@johnwright3710 small world

New here. enjoying the videos. One small suggestion, limit the back ground music. It's hard to hear you sometimes and distracting, I know, my problem but I've never felt that the music behind talking adds much to the video anyways. Just a personal whine lol. One main thing that makes good videos is the person, you seem to have a natural way about explaining things and I'm enjoying learning about something I never really thought about before.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hey Appreciate the tip! I love good feedback! Thank you for Writing! Love reading your comment!

It’s always “sexy”! I agree.

Good one James,we used to be proactive than reactive to maintenance,however transit is a different beast,we do major engine overhaul around 500,000km major body refurbished around 10 to 12 years,what kind of warranty does your coaches get? Our new Nova buses have a computer system if the oil change goes over mileage bus shuts down,resulting in a tow call,keep up the great work,too bad Toyota doesn’t make buses😀

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

LOL I know! I would totally buy Toyota buses! Great mines think alike!

Great video! As a new owner of a e4500 '99 from the original owner (TOK), I need to figure out a decent maintenance plan. It came with 2yrs of history, which includes an recent engine rebuild. That said this it is going to be used as a motorhome with MUCH less kms annually. So I wonder what maintenance points I should bring it up to then maintain, and is KM based maintenance still applicable or should I go off time based?

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hey Nathan Barnard! I am going to be doing a video soon on what to look for when purchasing a used coach! It may help with some of your questions! So there are definitely things that should be time sensitive and things that rely on mileage. Since you will not be using your coach for passenger use I would say do research on things that will go bad on a vehicle over time.

James, I’m certainly impressed that you guys developed proprietary comprehensive operating software. I run a coach maintenance shop for a 100 coach fleet of D, J and CX coaches. We use canned software for maintenance which doesn’t talk to dispatch. Your shop is nice also. Only problem I see is the lack of space between bays. That makes using column lifts in adjacent bays more difficult. We have 16 Koni columns in closely spaced bays and it requires close attention to axle placement to make it work. Do you have any service pits in your shop? I’m surprised you schedule alcohol use in the winter. Very hard on brake valve seals, and proper dryer cartridge change intervals should eliminate the need for regular alcohol use. Did you go with X12 or DD13 for your new J’s?

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

We do not have service pits. Yes our space is small. I was not in charge of designing this building. I would have done many things differently. Im sure cost was also a factor as well.

@iangriggs489

3 жыл бұрын

@@MotorcoachWorld Yes money always seems to get in the way, lol.

Love you videos! Does your company use retread tires?

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Thomas. Yes we do. Not on the front though. But on the rears

Hi James ! Been following you for a while now and love your videos. We own a small charter bus company and we frequently find ourselves doing expensive repairs or breakdowns due to not having a good preventative maintenance program like you mentioned. Is there any way we can get ahold of or purchase those different schedules services you talked about ? Thanks a bunch ! God bless ! We run 07-09 mci j4500s !

@MotorcoachWorld

Жыл бұрын

Shoot me a email jwang@peoriacharter.com

Does Peoria Charter have a classic bus fleet? I think I saw in one of your videos a quick glimpse at an old GM 4151? Is that just an old photo or is it still around? I love seeing the old buses still kept with the company. Red and Tan still has a fishbowl, although I wish they would have kept an MC9 since it is iconic. NJ Transit still keeps a whole bunch of them, and so does MTA in NY...

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hey Heavy Metal Mechanic. We have 1 old GM 4151 bus. Its a stick shift and it still runs. I drive it in many parades!

@RipRoaringGarage

3 жыл бұрын

@@MotorcoachWorld Nice! Do you guys ever take it to Evanswood (or something) Indiana? I do plan on making it one day with my old girl, but shes geared for city driving...top speed 45mph. I do have a new transmission coming, with more gears! But yeah, I thought it was a 4151. Beautiful bus.

Thanks for your videos in Motorcoach World Family. Recently I buy 07 MCI D4500 but is dificult find description about that line of production. Can you help my whit that. Thanks.

Can you talk about the charter types please

I've built coaches, Driven Coaches and now I repair coaches, Just can't seem to get away from them.

DO THE NISSAN QUEST MERCURY VILLAGER AND THE VG30E

can you please do a vid on double decker buses.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

I will add that one to the list. Thank you The Ocean Channel 2!

Can you do a video on your other channel doing a drive on a mci j4500

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hey School bus guru. As soon as I get on the road again I will definite vlog a trip on a J model!

Greeting from Ireland. Do you mind me asking why you left computer programming and are you pleased with your move? I mix both IT work and part time driving, works for me.

at 2:42 i would agree UNLESS it is a Toyota

@MotorcoachWorld

Жыл бұрын

Great minds think alike 😉

Do you have a time frame for when you may have software available to offer to other companies? I’m new and really need help in this area and some of the stuff out there’s far more than I need or could afford.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

we are actually working on that. Feel free to reach out to us. Look us up at Peoriacharter.com

As for coaches that have to be retired, what do you guys do for its final trip?

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

That's a great question. I wish I had a more ceruminous response to give you. They go on their last trip without any special plans. When they get back, we take off all of our additional equipment and then our body shop removes our name and dot number from the coach. We then send it to the dealership to get traded in.

Not a video idea but out of curiosity what's the starting wage for a coach bus driver?

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for commenting. I just did a video no that actually LOL. kzread.info/dash/bejne/nniiqaykic-6j8o.html

Where i can get parts for MCI 102DL3?

@MotorcoachWorld

2 жыл бұрын

MCI and NFI dealers should have them.

@motorcoachworld. Do you as the owner drive tours.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

I try to get out of the office and drive as much as I can. But I don't get to because I want to make sure I'm not taking work away from my drivers. I also don't want stuff piling up on my desk because no one does my job when I'm out on the road

Are Van Hool great coaches?

Protect your investment

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Yes that is important!

People who lease don't maintenance

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Some still do. Depends on what needs maintenance .

Why doesn’t Peoria take the philosophy like South West Airlines and operate one type of equipment and only one type of engine? Wouldn’t that save on maintenance costs?

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Yes but then you wouldn't get good deals from the other competitor of Motorcoach models.

Who gets your worn out equipment... South America?

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

I don't know where they end up going to. We usually trade them in with the dealers. Sometimes we sell them our selves to other smaller operators in the US. While my wife and I were on vacation in Belize once I saw one of our old coaches driving by. It still had our colors on it. So it seems that some of the end up in South America.

Hi James my name is Raheem or do you have any female drivers and where do they drive to and where do they go

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Raheem Richards. Yes we have many female drivers. They drive to, and go to the same places that male drivers go.

I always think I'm being run over by a bus.

@lenhart8487

Жыл бұрын

I'm not a mechanic, but I'm not completely in the dark with mechanic work, this man knows his stuff...

its pronounced petoria

@MotorcoachWorld

2 жыл бұрын

LOL i love that episode

Overregulating in the repair shop business is govt theft... hate the g men all revenue agents... don't care about safety... want envelope with cash stuffed in it.

@MotorcoachWorld

3 жыл бұрын

thanks for your comment!

Ha...any toyota or honda will out last majority cars

@MotorcoachWorld

Жыл бұрын

I agree 👍.