Church & ministry buses

What to settle first

1. Count honestly. Count the trip you actually run most weeks, not the one you run twice a year. Buying for the Christmas trip means driving an empty bus for eleven months.
2. Settle the driver question before the size question. Fifteen passengers plus the driver is the line where licensing changes. A bus one seat over can sit idle for want of a qualified volunteer.
3. Decide about the 15-passenger van. There is a reason schools cannot use them for students. Read the comparison before anyone signs.
4. Plan for the bus to sit. Vehicles that sit corrode from the inside. Body construction and coatings matter more in low-mileage church duty than in daily service, not less.
5. Budget for the decade, not the invoice. A committee approving the cheapest quote is approving the highest cost. Bring the second table.

Read The Church Bus Buying Guide

Worth reading before you spec

• Bus, Van, or Minivan: Which Do You Actually Need?
• Why the Cheapest Bus Costs the Most
• How to Read Bus Capacity Ratings