- Charter bus business owners spend their days differently, depending on how many buses are in the fleet. Owners of large fleets spend more time managing staff, taking care of the books and selling the business services. Single charter bus business owners spend the workdays performing a variety of tasks and are primarily the lead for most of the company's activities.
- Taking care of the bus is the most important duty of charter bus owners. Many bus owners are mechanics that spend a couple days out of every week inspecting and tuning the company's main assets. Bus owners who are not mechanics must take their vehicles to an outside shop or monitor the work done by hired mechanics. The safety of the passengers is a top priority for charter bus firms. An accident or breakdown can create a number of problems, including loss of business license, lawsuits and a slowdown in business activity due to a poor reputation. In addition to the mechanical imperative a bus owner feels each day, the bus must be cleaned after each trip. During busy weeks, an owner may remove trash, vacuum the seats and carpet and wash the outside between trips. When the bus is in-house for a day or two, more detailed cleaning, carpet shampooing and minor cosmetic repairs must be made on a regular basis.
- Many tour bus operators also do the driving for charters. Federal highway regulations require bus drivers to take an eight-hour rest break after driving for 10 hours. Drivers sometimes interact with their passengers by eating with them and pointing out sites of interest. They provide customer service duties, such as hauling luggage and keeping irate passengers calm. A workday of driving can be exhausting for a driver with a rowdy group of guests on board, leaving the driver little time to do anything but drive and pay attention to the needs of the customers.
- Small business owners often take care of their own books. Banking duties include making deposits and arranging loans for repairs or new equipment. Bills need to be paid and calendars coordinated. Charter bus owners/operators must keep detailed logs of their trips and maintain complete records of expenditures.
- Without new customers, there is no business to run. Charter bus business owners must constantly be looking for new work by developing and maintaining relationships with others in the industry that could send leads, such as travel agents, sports teams, events planners and senior centers. Print ads in phone books, newspapers and local community bulletins must be checked and updated. Flyers need to be maintained. Often at night, charter bus owners answer email requests and update the company website.
