Group Transport

Church group transportation for retreats, mission trips and outings

A youth retreat, a choir tour or a senior outing is about the time together, not the logistics. Booking a chartered vehicle with a driver lets the whole group travel as one while someone else handles the road.

Owning a church bus versus booking a charter

FMCSA notes that organizations owning their own bus may be regulated as passenger carriers, and that applies to faith-based, educational and non-profit groups alike. If its vehicle seats 16 or more by design, driver counted, a CDL carrying a passenger endorsement is required to drive it, and the organization must put its CDL drivers through drug and alcohol testing. Non-business private carriers get some rules relaxed, but not all.

For many congregations, booking a chartered vehicle with a licensed operator's driver is simpler than taking on those responsibilities for occasional trips.

White minibus parked at the curb
White minibus parked at the curb

What the rules require

  • Applies to faith-based, educational and non-profit organizations alike.
  • Non-business private carriers are exempt from some driver-file rules.

Choosing a vehicle for the youth group, choir or congregation

A minibus rental seating roughly 16 to 19 suits a youth group or a small choir. A midsize coach carries around 35 with under-floor luggage space, which works well for a weekend retreat. A restroom comes on some midsize models, the Temsa TS 35 and the Van Hool CX35 among them, which matters on a long drive to a retreat center. For a whole-congregation outing or a large mission trip, a full-size motorcoach with a restroom makes a long drive easier on everyone.

Retreats, mission trips and multi-stop days

Church trips often have several stops: a morning service, lunch, a visit and a return. In Atlanta that might include Ebenezer Baptist Church and Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park; in Nashville, the Ryman Auditorium. Send the full itinerary so the operator can plan the stops and the hours together.

Questions

Is it better to hire a bus or use our own church bus?

Owning a bus can make your organization a regulated passenger carrier, with driver licensing and testing duties. Hiring a charter with a driver avoids taking those on for occasional trips.

What vehicle suits a weekend retreat for 35?

A midsize coach carries around 35 with under-floor luggage space, which suits a weekend away.

Can we stop for lunch and a service on the way?

Yes. Send the full itinerary and we will quote the day with every stop included.

Cities

Vehicles

Planning a church trip?

Send the dates, headcount and itinerary, and we will quote one vehicle and driver for the whole trip. Nothing is charged until you accept.

Request a quote or call 15722344442