4 Safety Matters To Know When Renting A Charter Bus
When you rent a charter bus from a company such as Cardinal Transportation Ltd for a special event, you are going to want to make sure that the charter company that you work with follows all the right guidelines and regulations. You want to work with a charter company that prizes safety above all else.
#1 Insurance Certification
First, you need to ask to see the insurance certifications for the bus company. If the bus company is authorized, they should be able to show you a liability insurance policy. This liability insurance policy would protect everyone on the bus if they were injured in an accident.
They should also be able to show you their worker's compensation insurance for their drivers as well as their insurance for the bus itself. Don't work with a bus company that cannot provide you with valid insurance certifications. If they don't have valid insurance certifications, it could mean that they are not really authorized to operate, or they are not willing to invest in protecting their customers and equipment. Either way, you don't want to work with them. This is a request that charter bus companies regularly get and should be able to easily provide you with.
#2 Mechanic Inspections
Next, ask to see the latest mechanical inspection. Make sure that the specific charter bus that you are renting has been inspected within the past year. Be sure to check the number on the mechanical inspection and make sure that it corresponds with the VIN number or identification number on the bus. You don't want your trip sidelined by a bus that breaks down.
#3 CDL License
Next, in order to operate a charter bus, the driver has to have a commercial driver's licenses, also known as a CDL. You cannot operate a bus with a regular driver's license. It takes special training in order to learn how to operate a charter bus safely.
Check the license of the bus drivers who will be coming on your trip. Make sure that they have their CDL license and that the license is still valid. Don't ride with a driver who has an out-of-date license. Once again, this is commonly asked for information that the charter bus company should be happy to provide you with.
#4 More Than One Driver
If you are renting the bus to drive a great distance, make sure that the company is sending more than one driver on the bus with you.
Bus drivers with a CDL license are only allowed to drive for 10 hours after having at least 8 hours of off time. If you are going on a long trip, that means you'll need more than one driver sent on the trip.
When you work with a charter bus company, make sure first that they can provide and show you an insurance certification, mechanic inspection report, and CDL License and have multiple drivers available for longer trips. These are minimum requirements that any charter bus company should have an easy time meeting who is running a legal and safe operation.
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