As the Southeast grapples with the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, motorcoach companies are stepping up to deliver critical supplies to the hardest-hit areas. Several companies, including Champion Coach, Bailey Coach, Georgia Coach Lines, Trans-Bridge Lines, Gray Line Tennessee, Unique Limo and Quick’s Bus all are providing much-needed aid.
Champion Coach, based in Greenville, South Carolina, has partnered with local churches to collect and transport bottled water to communities in need.
“We’ve partnered with a local church in Upstate South Carolina to pick up bottled water from four different church locations and transport it to a distribution center in Flat Rock, North Carolina,” said Matt Dance, Director of Safety & Risk Management for Champion Coach.
Champion donated four buses to the effort, moving 2,000 cases of water from churches in Spartanburg, Greenville, Powdersville, and Anderson.
Coordinate with local groups
He adds that local churches and nonprofits are collecting supplies, but they have no way to transport large quantities to the Asheville area.
“I recommend contacting local church or nonprofit organizations to see how motorcoaches can help transport supplies,” advised Dance, who serves on the United Motorcoach Association Board of Directors.
He encourages other operators to donate supplies to the temporary National Guard distribution center, located in a big, new warehouse with loading docks. From there, the National Guard loads and transports the loads to Asheville and surrounding areas.
Dance warns that the region has no cell phone service, so people passing through must be prepared to navigate without a phone GPS or the ability to make calls or send texts. The warehouse has an online Starlink terminal in case of an emergency. It’s located at 118 McAbee Court in Flat Rock, North Carolina, right off exit 53 on I-26.
Meanwhile, Bailey Coach, based in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, launched a drive to send supplies to North Carolina. The much-needed items arrived in Arden, North Carolina on Oct. 2.
“Our bus returned home at midnight last night,” John Bailey, chairman of Bailey Coach They were delayed dropping the supplies due to road conditions and finding people to unload,” said John Bailey, chairman of Bailey Coach. “They were very thankful for what they received from us.”
Stuffing the buses
In Georgia, Clarence Cox of Georgia Coach Lines is spearheading a massive relief effort, sending seven tractor-trailers and two smaller box trucks filled with supplies, including tents, sleeping bags, tools, cleaning supplies, nonperishable food items and water, to Valdosta, Georgia for distribution. (Donations can be made here.)
Cox, a UMA Director, who has been leading disaster relief efforts for nearly a decade under the “Convoy of Care” initiative, highlighted the importance of partnerships with law enforcement and nonprofits to ensure that aid reaches the most devastated areas.
Trans-Bridge Lines, based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has organized a “Stuff the Bus” campaign, gathering donations at its Lehigh Valley Industrial Park facility through Oct. 4. The collected supplies will be transported to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where a donation center will distribute them to communities in need, according to the company’s Facebook page.
“We’re asking our employees, customers, and local businesses to come together to help those who have lost everything,” said Trans-Bridge Lines President Tom JeBran.
Quick’s Bus Company, based in Staunton, Virginia, has joined the relief efforts by organizing a drive to fill a bus with essential supplies.
The company is accepting donations at its office through Oct. 7, with requested items including bottled water, diapers, baby formula, pet food, toilet paper, and hygiene products. On its Facebook page, the company has also encouraged those unable to shop in person to place online orders for delivery during collection hours.
“The response has been so amazing,” said Jason Quick, President of the company, noting the company is gathering donations to fill two motorcoaches at its locations in Fredericksburg and Staunton to take supplies to the devastated western North Carolina area.
“We are currently working with Christian Brothers to help facilitate the volunteer effort in the Fredericksburg area. Christian Brothers also has an additional donation site in Holly Hill, South Carolina. The buses will head down to North Carolina on Tuesday morning with supplies collected this week and weekend. We have received an outpouring of support from individuals, community organizations and local businesses.”
A Gray Line Tennessee team is heading to Asheville on Oct. 7 to support the relief efforts. The company is asking the community to donate essential items through its Amazon Flood Relief Wishlist link.
Additionally, Unique Limousine, according to its Facebook page, is accepting donations at its Harrisburg and Reading, Pennsylvania, locations to send a “filled to the brim” motorcoach with supplies to Asheville.
The efforts are an example of how motorcoach companies can play a role in transporting critical supplies.
“One of the biggest challenges in disasters is that nobody knows where to drop donations. Everyone wants to help, but they don’t know where to take it,” Dance said. “Local churches, nonprofits – everyone has donations, but moving the logistics is the difficult part. Motorcoaches may not hold as much as an 18-wheeler, but when time is of the essence, they are a great solution to help get supplies where they’re needed.”
