WASHINGTON – Sales of new motorcoaches to the private sector declined by 6.3 percent in the third quarter of 2017, but overall sales rose because of a spike in public-sector coach buying.
The American Bus Association Foundation’s Coach Manufacturer Survey reported that 418 new motorcoaches were sold to private companies during July through September of this year, down from 446 during the same three-month period in 2016.
During the same period, sales of motorcoaches in the public sector increased to 96 from 13 last year.
That pushed total new-coach sales to 514 in the third quarter, up from 459 in last year’s third quarter, a 12 percent increase.
Sales of new motorcoaches to private companies for the first nine months of 2017 were about on the same pace as in 2016. This year, 1,387 were sold, compared with 1,396 last year.
The highest number of private-sector coach sales in the third quarter was for 45-foot vehicles, with 352 sales. That was down 10.2 percent from last year’s 392 sales.
Sales of 40- to 45-foot coaches to private companies doubled from six to 12, while sales of 30- to 40-foot coaches rose 12.5 percent, to 54 from 48
Other third-quarter 2017 survey results included:
- Sales of pre-owned motorcoaches totaled 253, up from 239 last year.
- Shell sales totaled 13, down from 18.
- Cummins had the highest number of engines in the new coaches, with 261, followed by Volvo with 145, Detroit with 112 and Mercedes with nine.
- Most of the new coaches – 525 — had Allison transmissions, followed by Volvo with two.
The ABA Foundation quarterly reports, conducted by John Dunham & Associates, are based on surveys of the major motorcoach manufacturers that sell vehicles in the United States and Canada.
