Bus For Sale | Call 516-333-7483 | How to inspect, buy, and dispose of a used bus?
Bus for sale are expensive and their price depends on several factors, one of them is its seating capacity and total size. Obviously, the larger buses are more expensive than smaller buses and are likely to be more durable. This cost differential should be obvious because the more equipment and parts there are, the more expensive the vehicle will be. Buses have a multi-wall cage construction and this alone with the frame will be reinforced in the larger ones because they carry more passengers. The additional seats along with the weight of the individual passengers and their luggage will add several tons of weight which have to be protected and kept under control during transit. When purchasing a bus for sale check out its weight both in gross vehicle weight and net weight. A midibus will always be more expensive than a minibus for sale and even more durable. Buses with a higher passenger capacity are more profitable as well because success in the commercial transportation industry depends on the number of people being carried in a single trip. The more people being moved equals more profits. The bigger motor coaches have powerful diesel engines as well, which permits the additional weight of the passengers during transit. Frankly speaking, there is no alternative to a powerful engine in commercial transportation. If you are purchasing a bus with the sole intention of moving people around, then you should consider a more powerful engine because the more power you have is directly proportional to the number of people that can be transported onboard as well as being able to safely handle mountainous terrain. If you have to choose between a small V-8 or a V-10 gasoline engine bus, then try your best to go for the V-10 even if it means extending the budget on fuel. In larger buses, diesel power is typically the only choice. If your budget is limited then check with the dealer to see if they can get you financing and make a customized payment plan that suits your cash flow plan. However, if purchasing the larger engine is still not possible then try to go for the next best that will often be a V-8. The idea here is to own a bus that has a powerful engine to transport the maximum number of people on a single trip and will outlast other smaller engines that have to work harder to cover the same mileage. Overloading is a big issue with transit buses and the more passengers they carry puts more stress on their body, frame, and their engines. Research has shown that a fully loaded bus will burn more fuel and emit more nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxides compared to a bus that is empty or partially loaded. The emissions can increase by up to 9% as a result and the engine is subjected to more wear and tear, the additional stress thus affects its performance and longevity. However, on the flip side, a startup transportation company should consider starting its operations with a short bus for sale that seats a maximum of 15 passengers. Though it is lighter in weight, has a smaller engine, and is less durable than its bigger counterparts, it is good to get started and off the ground in the first place. Most first-time buyers have no idea what it’s like to own a bus and a small bus for sale will go a long way in giving them hands-on experience of owning, managing, and maintaining a bus fleet rather than directly jumping into a large shuttle or coach bus. Moreover, one of the greatest advantages of smaller buses is that they do not always require a commercial license to be operated due to their lower passenger count. This is one of the primary reasons why people opt to purchase small shuttle buses. Other reasons include, they are more affordable, easy to manage and maintain, easy to park, maneuvering them through busy streets is easier because they have a shorter turning radius. If the number of people you transport is going to be limited to less than 15 at any given point of time in the year, then small shuttle buses are the way to go and there are obvious financial benefits to it. However, if you anticipate a growth in the size of your group in the next 3 or 6 months then you need a bigger bus, then perhaps a midsized shuttle bus that can seat anywhere from 16 to 29 passengers in a single trip is the best choice. Purchasing a bus requires a comprehensive plan that would provide solutions and solve problems during every step of the ownership process. This plan should include the growth factor, what would you do if the size of your group increases beyond 15? If it’s a one-time increase, then that can be adjusted or supplemented with a rental van, however, if the increase is permanent then your business or organization needs a better and more permanent solution.
All the facts that we have discussed till now, primarily refer to used shuttle buses because they are the only vehicles that fall within the most affordable price range of $10,000 to $50,000. When we talk about mini and midi buses, we are referring to used pre-owned vehicles because a basic 15 seat new bus for sale will start at $50,000 to $75,000 before tax which is not affordable to a majority of new businesses and organizations. A new bus will depreciate up to 40% in just the first year of being on the road even if it was not used frequently. Hence, it’s better and wiser to let the better-financed companies with deeper pockets endure the depreciation hit. After a bus has gone through the initial stage of “early depreciation”, its depreciation slows down in the following years and when the vehicle is put up for resale, the second owner will get a chance to own a bus that will not only be much less expensive but will also depreciate less when compared to its newer counterparts. The average life of a shuttle bus is 15 years and websites in the USA are full of used shuttle buses for sale that vary greatly in age and mileage. There are vehicles that may be just 2 years old from the date of manufacture while others may be 7 or even 10 years older. Depending upon their age and the extent to which the previous owner had maintained them, every bus will have varying degrees of rust or scale underneath it. While some scale is expected, rust spreads on a bus from the ground up and from the inside out. The undercarriage or the chassis is affected due to the high quantity of salt present on the roads during snow seasons and its interiors can be affected due to several reasons like condensation, rain water, leaking roofs, or just by the passengers walking in with wet feet. In any case, the buyer has to be very careful about rust because it only grows with time. Just because a vehicle is a late model and is being sold at a comparatively cheaper price does not mean it’s a good deal especially if the owner did not maintain it properly and allowed rust to eat up its chassis. Most rust issues are hidden from immediate sight. Buyers should ask owners if the bus for sale had undergone any rust work in the past and request the necessary paperwork. The braking system of a bus is made of several steel components, once rust has deeply penetrated the vehicle chances are high that both the brake lines and metal discs inside the brakes have been affected too. There is no way this will easily be visible to the eye so buyers should take a trusted and experienced technician along with them to thoroughly inspect the vehicle or hire third-party inspection companies to get a detailed report on the condition of the bus. Buyers should always make their purchasing decision based on the report provided by the inspectors and not let their immediate requirement or a “deal” cloud their decisions.
Make inspections an integral part of the buying process. The inspection company should be able to give you a detailed report on each and every major component of the vehicle. For example, transmission, chassis, radiators, engine, body, tires, brakes, dashboard, air conditioning, heating system, transmission oil, engine oil, lubricating oil, fuel analysis, fuel performance, and much more. Though it will be an additional cost to hire 3rd party professional companies to do the inspections that may not necessarily lead to a definite purchase but will go a long way in choosing the right vehicle that will not break down frequently or result in unexpected catastrophic repairs that will be financially difficult to fix, potentially making the vehicle unworthy. The primary objective is to buy a bus for sale that is good to transport groups of people safely. If the report shows that the vehicle has damaged parts but it can still be certified ready to hit the road and transport people efficiently then the buyer can ask for a dealer to make repairs or request a discount from the seller to fix the damaged parts. This is a legitimate negotiating factor and demands a substantial allowance. However, it will be best to cut the long journey short and buy the bus for sale from a licensed and bonded bus dealership because they tend to fully recondition their buses thoroughly before delivering them to the next buyer. Moreover, dealerships are in for the long run and want to maintain a long and healthy relationship with their customers rather than complete the transaction and disappear into thin air. They are interested in the bus till the last day it’s in your possession because they may want to buy or accept a trade-in vehicle when you don’t need it anymore. Of course they will purchase only if it was well maintained and at a reasonable price that is profitable to them. However, it should be kept in mind that this is the fastest way to get rid of a vehicle that is no longer needed. Owners can waste several months finding the perfect buyer and until then the bus will be gathering dust in their yard or by the side of the road, plus there will be additional marketing cost and effort that owners might be spending listing their bus for sale at various online market places across the internet. The distraction, time, and attention they will be spending with unqualified buyers just isn’t worth it in most cases. Avoid all the hassle, just pickup the phone and ask your dealership to pick up the vehicle. That’s how simple the bus disposal process is when you have a licensed dealership to work with.
For more information on buses for sale, call Major Vehicle Exchange at 516-333-7483 today! Follow Us On Our Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
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