Finding a good bus for sale is the first step in bringing a cost effective, comfortable, and efficient transportation system to your church group. However, while searching for church buses for sale, you will come to realize that obtaining and operating a bus is not nearly as simple as telling your church group where and when to meet, and leaving the transportation up to them. Buses come with their own set of safety concerns, and adding a church bus to your congregation will require more than assigning a driver and hitting the road. Use this checklist to keep your church bus, and more importantly its passengers, safe.
Start by picking a safe church bus.
Most church buses for sale feature a number of standard safety features, but did you know that on most buses, seat belts are optional? More than 60% of bus sales in the U.S. consist of 15 and 26 passenger models, but remember, the larger the bus, the more skilled the driver will have to be. You might find party bus prices to be attractive, but even the safest party bus for sale might not be suited to accommodate the range of people in your church, from the young to the old, and individuals that might need wheelchairs. Keep all these factors in mind when selecting a bus.
Keep your bus in good condition, inside and out.
To keep your bus in the best condition, you should certainly keep it in a garage to protect it from the weather, but you should also consider the safety conditions inside of your bus. Make sure that these items are available at all times.
- First aid kits.
- Fire extinguishers.
- Flares and/or disabled vehicle triangles.
Set a policy for who can and who can’t drive the bus.
Every church with a bus should also have a transportation policy. For example, your group might decide that only an individual with the correct licensing, training, and pre-determined authority should be allowed to drive the bus. There might be three people on this list. If none of them are available, then trips will have to be rescheduled. Making an exception would mean creating a potentially unsafe situation where an untrained or unlicensed adult takes the wheel. Having the rules written down, and agreed to, will give everyone a concrete reference for when an unusual situation might tempt someone to make an exception.
Keep records of ongoing maintenance.
On average, a church group might put 7,000-10,000 miles on their bus each year. When considering church buses for sale, not only is it important to look for a bus for sale that has enough “life” left to accommodate your travel plans, but it’s important to schedule out maintenance to keep that bus in a safe operating condition. Keeping close records will ensure that the bus never misses a scheduled tune-up, oil change, brake check, tire rotation, or alignment.
Having a church bus can be a great blessing for a congregation that travels a lot, but the maintenance and operation of that bus can’t be taken lightly. You can ask the bus company about anything else that can be done to create safety for the passengers, and allow smooth operation of the vehicle. Lastly, make sure to keep this safety checklist in mind when purchasing and using a bus. Helpful links: www.carpenterbus.com