Express Bus Coach Fleet's Newest D4505's

Express Bus puts two new D4505s to work

SCHAUMBURG, IL — June 27, 2013 — Celebrating nearly 30 years in business, Express Bus owner Tom Curtis knows what works for his Hattiesburg, Mississippi, business: good service, solid relationships and a regularly updated fleet of MCI® D4505s. Its newest two arrived in late April.

"It's been my workhorse coach for 29 years," says Curtis. "As long as we've been buying new coaches, we've been with MCI. The D coach is by far the best on the road."

Express Coach's newest D4505s include lavatories, PA systems, DVD players and VHS capabilities, along with WiFi and DirectTV that's installed post-purchase. The new vehicles are part of a 13-coach, all-D fleet — and all have been purchased with the help of the same MCI sales representative, Rob Lessor.

Curtis didn't start out looking to make such long-term associations. He started his business in 1984, when he bought two pre-owned coaches to provide shuttle service to the World's Fair in New Orleans. His goal was to make a quick profit, sell the coaches after six months and return to his full-time insurance business. It didn’t work out that way.

"We didn't make that much profit from the fair, but before I knew it, we had all sorts of people calling us for charters," said Curtis, who quickly saw that the Hattiesburg area was underserved. His company, incorporated as Shuttle Services but doing business as Express Bus, won work from area universities and colleges as well as from local churches and other groups. Soon Curtis found himself adding to his fleet, and he left the insurance business behind.

Today, Express Bus has a solid client mix that includes college athletic teams; military contract work from Camp Shelby, the country's largest National Guard training center; and general charter clients. Many of his customers have been with the company for more than 20 years.

"We have a good, solid clientele, but we have to maintain top-quality equipment," says Curtis. "Being military-approved is a very stringent process. We go through that audit every two years, and our safety record is excellent. When other companies need extra vehicles for convention work, they call us, because they know they can get quality equipment."

Express Bus has its own maintenance shop with two full-time technicians, part of the company's 20-plus employees. Many of his drivers have been with the company for 20 or more years as well. And the future looks good.

"We realize the importance of charter now and in the future," says Curtis. "With people going short to medium distances, there will always be a need for it, and for people who provide quality vehicles and services at a fair price. We think there will always be demand."

To learn more about Express Bus, visit www.theexpressbuscompany.com.