Generally, compromise is a dirty word. It suggests settling for less than the best. However, in the case of a year-long experiment that's taken place at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), National Car Rental System has found that a vehicle that is a compromise between a station wagon and a bus is the ideal answer to its unique and demanding needs.
Last year National, which has been using station wagons at LAX since the inception of its operation, decided to convert to another form of airport shuttle transportation. The reasons were basic. Through experience it had found that the station wagons were too limited in capacity and passenger comfort. They were also too inconspicuous to promote the image of National Car Rental. One alternative was the conventional, large bus. National's prime competitors were both operating buses. Certainly, a bus solved the exposure consideration providing maximum display space to advertise the company's name. But, according to Mike Hankey, general manager of National's LAX operation, the bus posed as many new problems as it solved old ones.
"Economics," Hankey reports, "was a major consideration. A customized bus had virtually no resale value. That certainly had not been the case with the station wagons. The capital expenditure for the bus was also substantial, running in the neighborhood of $30,000, so that there was a definite limitation as to how many you could afford to have in your fleet. The potentially high maintenance cost was another negative factor. Granted, the bus had great passenger load capacity, but a direct trade-off was the fact that with only a small fleet of buses running through the airport, your frequency of pick-ups would be minimized. Customer convenience is a major priority and our philosophy is not to keep anyone waiting a long time between pick-ups. With a small fleet of large, expensive buses, the customer must wait. But with faster, larger fleets of people-movers, frequency can be upgraded to assure maximum convenience."
Some other factors that weighed in National's decision to bypass the bus included its high gas consumption, lack of maneuverability within the congested airport area and the problem of downtime.
The vehicle that proved the perfect compromise for National turned out to be a multi-purpose passenger coach. Developed by National Coach Corporation, no corporate relative of National Car, the Escort Coach provided the auto rental company with a number of important pluses.
"The coach was the ideal size for our needs. It provided passenger comfort and the economics - about one-third those of the bus - allowed us to have a large enough fleet to insure the kind of pick-up frequency we wanted to provide our airport customers," Hankey stated. "Insofar as resale potential, the bottom line is also positive. There is a ready market for this type of vehicle from churches, convalescent homes, camps and a wide range of institutions and organizations. Initially, we were geared to turn over the coaches every 20,000 to 30,000 miles because that has been the lifespan of our station wagons. But we've had to alter our thinking because the coaches have proven far more durable."
The type of mileage National puts on its coaches with its short runs through the airport is tremendously taxing on the vehicles. For example, the 3,000 short-run miles per month that the car rental agency vehicles register take far more of a toll on the coach than do the 5,000 miles per month another airport operation, the Airport Park Hotel, amasses with its long runs back and forth from LAX. The Airport Hotel also uses National Coach vehicles but its passenger load and frequency of airport runs are far less than those of the car rental agency. National Car has its shuttle fleet in almost constant operation, hauling approximately 32,000 people per month.
National Coach Corporation's Escort coach is a versatile vehicle that has been designed for the specialized shuttle usages that car rental agencies, hotels, motels and other short- and long-haul people-moving operations require. The chassis is specially reinforced with steel roll-cage-type construction which makes the vehicle a great deal stronger than a typical van. The full-size bus doors are steel-framed and completely automatic. The driver can operate the doors from the seat and passengers can easily enter and leave even with suitcases in hand. The aisle space is ample so that passengers can make their way to their seats without bumping into one another. There is also a large storage compartment on some Escort models providing space for up to three bags per person.
The high visibility that National Car was looking for is provided by large, illuminated front roof space where the company has emblazoned its name, as well as the side panels of the coach where the name is also prominently displayed.
Passenger comfort is catered to with air conditioning, first-class seats, full carpeting, underseat storage, bright, metal standee rails, hand rails and baggage stanchions, passenger-area lighting and a low, deep step for easy boarding and exit. The coach's maneuverability is increased by its turning radius, which is shorter than that of a Cadillac "stretch" limousine.
After a year's experience at LAX, National Car Rental has not been disappointed with the performance of the coaches. After 12 months of continuous use, with the vehicles racking up about 36,000 miles annually, not a single unit in the entire fleet of seven coaches originally purchased has had to be replaced. For that matter, no major repairs have been required. National Car is so pleased with the pilot project that they have ordered additional units - four more for LAX and two for San Diego. The new San Diego airport location requires that customers be shuttled from the airport proper to the agency office. National has also initiated coach service at the Orange County and Ontario Airports.
According to William Feldhorn, president of National Coach Corp., his company is geared to provide specialized modifications to meet the needs of the fleet user. For example, the units National Car bought were equipped with additional ventilation, the flooring was upgraded and a great deal of attention was paid to creating the particular external aesthetics the company desired. Feldhorn's firm, located in Carson, California also provides National Car Rental with an annual spruce-up for its coaches. The beauty treatment includes installing new carpeting, new toe plates, new seats if needed and a host of other fresh-up touches designed to keep the coach looking as good as it runs.
The National Coach Escort line consists of six different models built on Dodge and Ford chassis. All interiors are fashioned with commercial-grade, long-lasting materials including full carpeting, plush seats and fiberglass trim. Designed to meet Title 49 CFR Chapter III, Federal Highway Administration and California Class II commercial bus specifications, the Escort coach has incorporated a number of safety features into its design. These include full integral design with tubular steel roll-cage and structural steel door beams, seat frames of integrally welded cold-roll steel tubing and passenger door emergency release.
The six models in the Escort line range from an eight passenger club car design to a 15-passenger transporter. The specific models include the 12-passenger Shuttler with perimeter seating, the 15-passenger Courier, the 13-passenger Commuter with stadium seating, the 15-passenger Transporter, the 11-passenger Hoteler and the 11-passenger Airporter. The dimensions of the Escort coaches feature: curb weight, 5,200 pounds; interior height, 74.5 inches; width, 79.8 inches; overall height, 101.0 inches and passenger door opening, 73.25 by 26.5 inches. The wheelbase on the Dodge chassis is 127 inches, while that on the Ford chassis is 138 inches.
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