Why PCW?
So, you want the bottom line of why you should go with Pacific Coachways? Quality service! Pacific Coachways spends a lot of time and effort ensuring our operation is safe, efficient, and friendly so you have the best travel experience possible. The next few sections highlight some of these efforts. So, take a few minutes to look them over. We're sure that it will make you confident that Pacific Coachways is your best choice for your next trip!
Licensing, Insurance & Safety Records
Pacific Coachways has been granted authority to operate in interstate commerce throughout the 48 contiguous states by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT 469591). Our company also holds a class “A” unrestricted permit granted by the California Public Utilities Commission (TCP 6267A). This permits us to carry out intrastate operations throughout the entire state of California. We also hold permits to operate in national parks, as well as the airports throughout California. Pacific Coachways is insured by Lancer Insurance Company. Lancer is well known in the industry as a leading insurance provider who is only willing to take on clients who have an excellent safety record. They work with their clients, providing valuable safety information and help with loss prevention. Pacific Coachways carries the state mandated $5,000,000 for automobile liability and we exceed the state mandate for general liability at $5,000,000. Pacific Coachways also covers all employees with Worker’s Compensation Insurance.
Did you know?
On average, transit buses achieve 32 passenger MPG, airlines achieve 42 passenger MPG, and commuter rail achieves 86 passenger MPG. Motorcoaches provide 184 passenger miles per gallon of fuel.
Our company goes through a number of inspections each year. 100 percent of our fleet is certified annually by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to meet either School Pupil Activity Bus (SPAB) or School Bus requirements. Being SPAB certified is required to carry California school children and is a voluntary process which requires an extra inspection by the CHP. We have always received a satisfactory rating from the CHP in all of our annual inspections. In addition, we are inspected by the Department of Defense every 18 months and have always received a rating of “1”, the highest rating possible out of “5”. We were also recently inspected by the US Department of Transportation which resulted in a satisfactory rating.
Pacific Coachways is also pleased to announce that we were the recipient of the 1st Annual California Highway Patrol STAR Award in 2010. STAR stands for Safe Transportation Achievement Recognition and was awarded to a few select companies for excellence in highway safety. We are proud to be among the first recipients!
Driver Selection Criteria and Training Program
All applicants go through a thorough screening process. This includes, but is not limited to, background checks with previous employers and driving record, pre-employment drug screening, personality profiling, interview with management and appropriate supervisor, and behind the wheel testing (for drivers with existing commercial licenses). Pacific Coachways requires all potential drivers to be, or willing to become, a California school bus driver. In order to qualify to become a school bus driver in California you must not have any misdemeanors or felonies at any time during your life. The application process requires a rigorous background check, completed by the US Department of Justice, to make certain that the applicant’s record is indeed clean. This ensures that our drivers have a clean background and their character is held to the highest moral standard.
Pacific Coachways meets Federal regulations with regards to pre-employment, random, post accident, and on-suspicion drug and alcohol screening. Our drivers are trained by a trainer who is certified by the California Department of Education as a state school bus instructor. The curriculum that is taught was also developed by the CADOE and testing is administered by the CHP. It requires applicants to go through 20 hours of classroom training and 20 hours of practical/behind-the-wheel training. Our trainer is responsible for training and preparing the applicants for the tests. After training is completed, a written and practical test is administered by the CHP. 10 hours of recurrent training is also required each year to maintain the driver’s school bus certificate and the driver must retest every five years to renew the certificate.
Maintenance Program
Pacific Coachways also has its own maintenance department that is responsible for all repairs and preventative maintenance. As safety is a priority in our company, proper maintenance is vital to keep our vehicles running down the road in a safe manner. Drivers are required to perform daily pre and post trip inspections of their vehicles to ensure that everything is in working order. These inspections are then reported to dispatch by a daily inspection report and, if anything is found to be defective, it is reported to maintenance for repair. Preventative maintenance is an ongoing process at our company to ensure that breakdowns are minimal and serious safety issues are non-existent. All buses undergo a 45 day/3,000 mile (whichever comes first) safety inspection. At this interval, critical safety components are inspected to ensure everything is in top condition. We also perform periodic maintenance on all vehicles at 6,000/12,000/24,000/48,000 mile intervals. Each interval has specific items that are checked and changed (i.e. fluids and filters); this would also include the wheelchair and air conditioning equipment. All these procedures are in place to ensure quality service and to help prevent service related problems.
Our mechanics are well trained and possess a wealth of mechanical and bus industry experience. In addition to that experience, they attend training classes and seminars several times throughout the year. These classes and seminars are given by some of the associations that we belong to, as well as from the suppliers or manufacturers of our equipment.
Pacific Coachways also holds bi-monthly safety meetings in which all driving staff is required to attend. Each meeting covers different safety related material relevant to the safe operation of our vehicles.
In addition to traditional training, Pacific Coachways also utilizes DriveCam Video Event Recorder technology to help further refine driver skill and curb potentially dangerous driving behavior. The event recorder is constantly running, but it only saves an event when a “risky driving behavior” is detected by g-forces exceeding a predetermined limit. The event recorder then stores that event and it is downloaded to a server when the vehicle returns to the yard. After the event is downloaded to the server, our trainer reviews it and determines the corrective action necessary. The driver is then called in to review the event and be coached. The coaching process is aimed at eliminating risky behaviors to increase safety and passenger comfort.
We believe that our driver selection process and training program ensures the safety and comfort of our clients, and makes for an enjoyable experience for all passengers. Pacific Coachways attention to safety and training is highlighted by our impeccable safety record and on-road performance.
Go with Confidence!
Go Pacific Coachways!
Pacific Coachways has the best drivers, the best equipment, the best staff, and the best service! When you go with Pacific Coachways you can be guaranteed to have a great trip!! Call to book today!
