|
Excerpt from June/July 1999 Issue |
|
SBF's Annual Top 50 Largest Contractor Fleets
By Steve Hirano, Editor
The effects of consolidation continue to be strongly evident in our annual listing of the Top 50 largest contractor fleets.
This trend is not new. The decade has seen a frenzy of mergers and acquisitions, reducing some of the industry's fragmentation while raising fears of domination by a small core of national companies.
However, that's not to say that all growth among the largest contractors is through consolidation. Although not tracked, there also has been growth through conversions as well as bidding established contracts.
As we have observed in past years, the big continue to get bigger in the contractor segment. From Chart 1, it's clear that the growth of the top 10 largest fleets has been steady for the past five years. This year's aggregate top 10 fleets comprise 66,556 school buses. That's an increase of 3,195 buses (or 5 percent) over the top 10 fleets listed in 1998. Since 1995, the top 10 largest fleets have seen an increase of 11,698 buses.
The Biggest Gainers
|
Top 5 Gainers |
Chart 2 |
|
Atlantic Express |
857 |
|
Laidlaw Transit |
700 |
|
Ryder Student Transportation Service |
500 |
|
Student Transportation of America |
318 |
|
A&E Transport Services |
240 |
|
Atlantic Express in Staten Island, N.Y., is showing the fastest growth among North American school bus contractors. |
|
Chart 2 lists the contractors that have added the greatest number of buses to their fleet since last year's survey. While industry leader Laidlaw Transit in Burlington, Ontario, continues to bolster its marketshare, Atlantic Express actually was the biggest gainer in the crowd. The Staten Island, N.Y.-based contractor added 857 buses to its fleet, pushing it up over the 5,000 mark for the first time.
One of Atlantic Express' acquisitions was Mountain Transit Inc., a 100-bus contractor in Milton, VT. It was founded and operated by Kevin Endres, SCHOOL BUS FLEET's Contractor of the Year for 1998.
Top 50 Contractors
|
Rank |
Contractor |
Fleet ‘99 |
Fleet ‘98 |
Fleet Loss/ Gain |
Small Buses |
Small Buses w/Lifts |
Large Buses |
Large Buses w/Lifts |
Spares |
Contracts |
Drivers |
Pupils Transported |
|
1 |
Laidlaw Transit Inc. Burlington, Ontario |
39,000 |
38,300 |
+700 |
6,800 |
1,500 |
32,200 |
1,600 |
3,900 |
1,120 |
36,000 |
2,200,000 |
|
2 |
Ryder Student Transportation Svcs. St. Louis |
10,000 |
9,500 |
+500 |
800 |
70 |
9,200 |
400 |
1,000 |
440 |
9,900 |
590,000 |
|
3 |
Atlantic Express Stated Island, N.Y. |
5,230 |
4,373 |
+857 |
1,751 |
576 |
3,479 |
318 |
530 |
140 |
5,600 |
225,000 |
|
4 |
Durham Transportation Auston, Texas |
3,447 |
3,247 |
+200 |
1,549 |
405 |
1,898 |
245 |
467 |
112 |
3,516 |
218,000 |
|
5 |
School Services & Leasing Shawnee, Kan. |
2,160 |
2,090 |
+70 |
821 |
70 |
1,339 |
89 |
185 |
25 |
2,261 |
78,472 |
|
6 |
National Express Corp. (Crabtree-Harmon Corp., Belton, Mo. & Robinson Bus Service, Chicago) |
1,758 |
n/a |
n/a |
288 |
87 |
1,470 |
131 |
208 |
102 |
2,021 |
91,000 |
|
7 |
Stock Transportation Ltd. Aurora, Ontario |
1,650 |
1,550 |
+100 |
802 |
220 |
848 |
10 |
115 |
21 |
1,925 |
85,000 |
|
8 |
Cook-Illinois Corp. Oak Forest, Ill. |
1,200 |
1,200 |
0 |
450 |
n/a |
750 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
9 |
Student Transportation of America Howell, N.J. |
1,176 |
858 |
+318 |
388 |
n/a |
788 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
80,000 |
|
10 |
WE Transport Inc. Plainview, N.Y. |
935 |
951 |
-16 |
703 |
99 |
232 |
6 |
112 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
11 |
Bruce Transportation Group Hudson, N.H. |
905 |
926 |
-21 |
114 |
31 |
791 |
22 |
135 |
76 |
930 |
64,100 |
|
12 |
Septran Inc. Bloomington, Minn. |
760 |
790 |
-30 |
628 |
69 |
132 |
8 |
202 |
55 |
523 |
24,300 |
|
13 |
DATTCO Inc. New Britain, Conn. |
725 |
600 |
+125 |
150 |
65 |
575 |
10 |
30 |
12 |
750 |
55,000 |
|
14 |
Krapf Bus Co. Glen Moore, Pa. |
707 |
678 |
+29 |
273 |
74 |
434 |
6 |
51 |
8 |
790 |
44,200 |
|
15 |
Suffolk Transportation Co. Bay Shore, N.Y. |
700 |
700 |
0 |
450 |
55 |
250 |
15 |
n/a |
12 |
n/a |
35,000 |
|
16 |
A&E Transport Services Oswego, N.Y. |
690 |
450 |
+240 |
530 |
75 |
160 |
40 |
70 |
35 |
n/a |
30,000 |
|
17 |
The Trans Group Chestnut Ridge, N.Y. |
595 |
n/a |
n/a |
289 |
35 |
306 |
0 |
59 |
56 |
845 |
40,000 |
|
18 |
Mid Columbia Bus Co. Pendleton, Ore. |
477 |
421 |
+56 |
119 |
25 |
358 |
5 |
91 |
24 |
437 |
n/a |
|
19 |
Birnie Bus Service Inc. Rome, N.Y. |
475 |
405 |
+70 |
160 |
28 |
315 |
42 |
40 |
12 |
656 |
15,000 |
|
20 |
Briggs Bus Lines Edmonton, Alberta |
445 |
445 |
0 |
115 |
40 |
330 |
6 |
50 |
9 |
400 |
15,000 |
|
21 |
Helweg & Farmer Transportation Shawnee, Kan. |
434 |
438 |
-4 |
58 |
3 |
376 |
40 |
73 |
4 |
407 |
30,859 |
|
|
Johnson School Bus Service West Bend, Wis. |
434 |
407 |
+27 |
154 |
30 |
280 |
2 |
65 |
13 |
390 |
21,000 |
|
23 |
Village Bus Co. Lafayette, N.J. |
325 |
199 |
+126 |
125 |
25 |
200 |
0 |
10 |
20 |
300 |
6,000 |
|
24 |
Beck Bus Transportation Mt. Vernon, Ill. |
308 |
297 |
+11 |
33 |
8 |
275 |
17 |
30 |
20 |
350 |
20,000 |
|
25 |
Dean Transportation Inc. Lansing, Mich. |
300 |
350 |
-50 |
200 |
175 |
100 |
50 |
25 |
40 |
300 |
3,500 |
|
26 |
Independent Coach Corp. Inwood, Long Island, N.Y. |
290 |
266 |
+24 |
115 |
11 |
175 |
0 |
17 |
10 |
305 |
15,000 |
|
27 |
Southwest Student Transportation McKinney, Texas |
280 |
n/a |
n/a |
40 |
32 |
240 |
5 |
60 |
4 |
318 |
17,900 |
|
28 |
Lakeside Buses Milwaukee |
271 |
n/a |
n/a |
118 |
0 |
153 |
0 |
29 |
n/a |
277 |
15,000 |
|
29 |
Romano’s School Bus Service Norristown, Pa. |
267 |
n/a |
n/a |
27 |
6 |
240 |
1 |
12 |
4 |
326 |
13,200 |
|
30 |
Ridge Road Express Lockport, N.Y. |
258 |
255 |
+3 |
98 |
11 |
160 |
1 |
25 |
11 |
275 |
14,000 |
|
31 |
T-N.T. Bus Service Inc. North Tonawanda, N.Y. |
216 |
198 |
+18 |
62 |
14 |
154 |
1 |
18 |
15 |
235 |
15,750 |
|
32 |
Palmer Bus Service, Inc. St. Clair, MN |
210 |
210 |
0 |
20 |
2 |
190 |
4 |
34 |
12 |
320 |
12,500 |
|
33 |
Krise Bus Service Punksutwaney, Pa. |
209 |
142 |
+67 |
16 |
1 |
193 |
2 |
23 |
10 |
238 |
9,600 |
|
34 |
Van Lear Equipment Inc. Reading, Pa. |
172 |
172 |
0 |
33 |
5 |
139 |
0 |
30 |
6 |
215 |
13,000 |
|
|
Verona Bus Service Verone, Wis. |
172 |
126 |
+46 |
34 |
9 |
138 |
3 |
31 |
8 |
175 |
9,466 |
|
36 |
Royal Coach Lines Inc. Thornwood, N.Y. |
170 |
115 |
+55 |
80 |
10 |
90 |
0 |
15 |
12 |
158 |
5,750 |
|
37 |
Robert McCarthy & Son Inc. Brookfield, Mass. |
160 |
n/a |
n/a |
60 |
10 |
100 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
160 |
10,000 |
|
38 |
Kobussen Buses Ltd. Kaukauna, Wis. |
154 |
120 |
+34 |
25 |
10 |
129 |
0 |
25 |
3 |
130 |
n/a |
|
39 |
Action Transit Enterprises Pittsburgh |
150 |
115 |
+35 |
25 |
8 |
125 |
0 |
25 |
2 |
175 |
3,000 |
|
|
Monroe School Transportation Rochester, N.Y. |
150 |
n/a |
n/a |
128 |
4 |
22 |
0 |
25 |
4 |
90 |
n/a |
|
|
W.T. Holmes Transportation Co. Norfolk, Mass. |
150 |
125 |
+25 |
1 |
0 |
149 |
0 |
20 |
10 |
160 |
15,000 |
|
42 |
Sheppard Bus Service Bridgeton, N.J. |
142 |
n/a |
n/a |
36 |
11 |
106 |
2 |
20 |
7 |
160 |
7,940 |
|
43 |
Safety Bus Service Pennsauken, N.J. |
140 |
144 |
-4 |
20 |
7 |
120 |
0 |
5 |
30 |
200 |
7,500 |
|
44 |
Safe-Way Bus Co. Inver Grove Heights, Minn. |
135 |
170 |
-35 |
15 |
11 |
120 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
165 |
9,200 |
|
45 |
Brown Bus Co. Nampa, Idaho |
130 |
n/a |
n/a |
12 |
3 |
118 |
4 |
30 |
3 |
160 |
6,000 |
|
|
Davidsmeyer Bus Service Elk Grove Village, Ill. |
130 |
130 |
0 |
90 |
20 |
40 |
1 |
15 |
5 |
182 |
n/a |
|
47 |
Lenon Bus Service Inc. Lake Geneve, Wis. |
125 |
132 |
-7 |
11 |
5 |
114 |
n/a |
28 |
20 |
155 |
n/a |
|
48 |
George M. Carroll Inc. Newburgh, N.Y. |
120 |
111 |
+9 |
69 |
15 |
51 |
0 |
13 |
7 |
98 |
2,980 |
|
|
John T. Cyr & Sons Inc. Old Town, Maine |
120 |
150 |
-30 |
15 |
8 |
105 |
4 |
12 |
4 |
95 |
3,500 |
|
|
Rachel’s Bus Co. Inc. Chicago |
120 |
130 |
-10 |
18 |
0 |
102 |
2 |
20 |
2 |
104 |
2,500 |