ORLANDO, Fla. — What began with two buses and a father’s entrepreneurial vision has grown into a diverse transportation company preparing to expand beyond Florida.
Phoenix Bus Orlando now operates about 40 vehicles, including full-size motorcoaches, minicoaches, school buses, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans and propane-powered buses.
CEO Wagner Triska Jr. credits the company’s growth to two things: “flexibility and safety.”
“We are very flexible and hands-on,” Triska said. “We have managers available 24 hours a day who can resolve problems on demand.”
The company serves a wide range of customers, providing line-run service, construction and workforce shuttles, airport and cruise transfers, government and military transportation, school district contracts, hurricane evacuations and transportation for large events.
Phoenix Bus provides rides for workers building major Meta and Google data centers. The company also helped with transportation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Florida and other parts of the country.
As Orlando prepares for more visitors, conventions and new projects, Phoenix Bus is growing. The company has added new 2025 vehicles and plans to add more motorcoaches in 2026.
Triska said the company primarily operates Van Hool and Temsa motorcoaches because of the manufacturers’ support networks in Florida. Its fleet also includes a Volvo motorcoach.
Phoenix Bus is also looking for strategic partners as it looks to expand its current operations in Virginia, South Carolina and Alabama.
Family business
The Triska family moved to the United States from Brazil in 1994. Wagner’s father drove for several transportation companies in Florida before starting Phoenix Bus with a partner in 2008.
Triska first chose a different career. He studied aviation, became a pilot and later worked as a manager at Booking.com. But he soon realized the transportation business was where he belonged.
“I saw that the transportation industry was in me,” he said.
Phoenix Bus Orlando founder Wagner Triska Sr., left, sits with his son, CEO Wagner Triska Jr., inside a bus. The younger Triska joined the company in 2014 and later bought out his father’s original business partner. (Courtesy of Phoenix Bus Orlando)
Triska joined Phoenix Bus in 2014 and purchased the original partner’s share. His father is now mostly retired, and Triska leads the company.
“I fell in love with the dynamics of the business — the busy and slow periods and the energy of dealing with drivers, customers, destinations, new locations, contracts and diesel,” he said. “I like engines. I like buses, and I like the dynamics of the business.”
Triska also brought his computer skills to the operation.
“I started managing the company from the inside out, and the passion grew with me,” he said.
Focus on safety
As Phoenix Bus has grown, the company has invested in doing more of its own work. Its in-house capabilities include mechanical service, body work, bus alignment, tire programs and the installation of the Starlink system, which it uses to provide Wi-Fi on its vehicles, as well as GPS and camera systems. The company also produces and installs its own bus graphics and signage.
Phoenix Bus works with 18 Wheels, a CDL training school, to find and train qualified drivers. The company also works with bus companies and insurance experts to improve safety and find ways to lower insurance costs.
Regular safety meetings, mentoring, driver rewards and a safety director help keep safety at the center of the company.
“We value our drivers a lot,” Triska said. “We give them incentives for performing a good job.”
Working with other bus companies has also helped Phoenix Bus grow.
“We have a good relationship with our partner companies in town,” Triska said. “They help us during slow times, and we help them during slow times.”
As self-driving technology improves, Triska doesn’t expect it to replace professional motorcoach drivers. Instead, he believes it can make driving safer and help drivers focus more on their passengers.
“Technology offers incredible opportunities to enhance road safety across our industry,” Triska said. “However, navigating the complex logistics of 50 passengers goes far beyond steering a wheel. Technology will undoubtedly improve the journey, but empathetic, humanized care and hospitality remain the true drivers of the passenger experience.”
That ability to help people and adjust to changing conditions is especially important during hurricane evacuations, military trips, airport transfers and worker shuttles.
A driver may need to adjust a route because of severe weather, coordinate an emergency stop or respond to a passenger’s last-minute needs. Those situations require judgment and communication, Triska said.
The company’s government and Department of Defense work also requires screened and credentialed drivers who can follow security, access, escort and chain-of-custody procedures.
Phoenix Bus operates in compliance with federal transportation and General Services Administration requirements. A significant portion of its fleet is wheelchair accessible, helping the company respond to contracts requiring ADA-compliant transportation.
For Triska, the goal is to build a company that is more than a carrier. He wants Phoenix Bus to be a dependable partner that can adapt to different customers and situations without losing the human side of transportation.
“We never leave our clients stranded,” he said. “We always find a way for them to get home safely.”
