Charter Bus Policy

Background:

Transporting people is a liability exposure that impacts the safety of students, faculty and staff, as well as the institution’s reputation. Whether chartering buses for athletic, academic or leisure purposes, Trinity is committed to safety.

Purpose:

When planning a trip, you may be focusing on convenience and cost, but safety should always be the highest priority. While the majority of bus operators are responsible and operate safely, there are some that fail to meet safety requirements - putting passengers at risk due to:

• Poorly maintained buses or lack of required safety equipment, increasing the likelihood of breakdowns and crashes. 
• Failure to comply with federal safety regulations, such as not using licensed and qualified commercial drivers, or not following the Hours of Service rules that keep fatigue-impaired drivers off the road.
• Failure to hold proper registration, authorizing interstate commercial operations.

Policy:

Trinity University departments and recognized organizations may have a need to utilize charter bus services for university-sponsored local trips, out of town trips, or extended multi-day trips. To meet this need, agreements with Trinity Approved Carriers have been developed.

Trinity's Approved Charter Bus Companies include:

Corporate Services International
Alex Nassar
Houston Office:
713-647-6906
5701 Southwest Freeway
Houston, TX 77057
Austin Office:
512-736-9600
4402 Nixon Lane
Austin, TX 78725
info [at] csidmc.com

Kerrville Bus Company 
Gloria Butler 
800-256-2757
1430 E. Houston St. 
San Antonio, TX 78202
http://www.iridekbc.com/

OK Tours Bus Company
Marcos Sarmiento
210-222-8880 (Office) 210-222-8280 (Fax)
www.oktours.com 
737 Austin Street
San Antonio, TX 78215

Regent CoachLine
Nicole Wison 
210-212-0510/ After Hours: 210-212-4308
515 Sherman 
San Antonio, TX 78202
charter [at] regentcoachline.com
www.regentcoachline.com

Roadrunner Charter
Diana Hernandez
210-226-4855
1272 FM 1516
San Antonio, TX 78263
www.roadrunnercompanies.com

Advantages of Using Trinity Approved Carriers:

• Risk Management has verified insurance and has current Certificates of Insurance on file.
• Blanket Agreements are on file with these Approved Charter Bus Companies, saving you time by eliminating the contract review/signature process.
• Trinity Approved Charter Bus companies have satisfactory Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Safety Ratings.

Use of Other Non-Approved Charter Bus Companies:

If you are unable to utilize a Trinity Approved Charter Bus Company, please follow the instructions below.

• Look Before You Book.  Check the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Safety Rating of the Charter Bus Company.  If the Charter Bus Company has a FMCSA Safety Rating of Satisfactory;
• Request a Certificate of Insurance with evidence of $5 million Auto Liability and $1 million Commercial General Liability with Trinity University endorsed as an Additional Insured; and Workers' Compensation Statutory Benefits/$1 million Employer's Liability;
• Submit the Contract and Certificate of Insurance to Risk Management for review at least 5 business days prior to a trip.

Know Your Facts: Before You Hire a Motorcoach Company What You Need to Know