Trailways Transportation System
Encyclopedia
The Trailways Transportation System is an American group of 80 independent bus companies that have entered into a franchising
agreement. The company is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia
.
The system originated with coast-to-coast service as the National Trailways Bus System (NTBS). Greyhound Lines
had grown so quickly in the 1920s and 1930s that the Interstate Commerce Commission
encouraged smaller independent operators to form the NTBS to provide competition. Unlike Greyhound, which centralized ownership, Trailways member companies became a formidable competitor while staying an association of almost 100 separate companies. In the 1950s, Morgan W. Walker, Sr.
, of Alexandria, Louisiana
became head of the southern division of the company. He had entered the business on a small scale during World War I
as the Interurban Transportation Company of Alexandria.
Regular route bus ridership in the United States declined steadily after World War II, despite minor gains during the 1973 and 1979 energy crises. By 1986, the Greyhound Bus Line had been spun off from the parent company to new owners, which resulted in Greyhound Lines becoming solely a bus transportation company. It was sold off to new owners headed by Fred Currey, a former executive with the largest member of the National Trailways Bus System. (The old Greyhound parent changed its name to Dial Corporation)
Under the new ownership in 1987, led by Currey, Greyhound Lines shortly thereafter acquired the former Continental Trailways company, the largest member of the rival National Trailways Bus System, effectively eliminating a large portion of the bus competition. Although Greyhound negotiated cooperative schedules with Carolina Coach Company and Southeastern Trailways, two of the larger members of the Trailways system, many smaller carriers were effectively forced out of business. Most of the survivors diversified into charters and tours.
. They provide charter bus rental service, bus tours and scheduled route services, with some members providing regular route service to areas not served by any other bus company on an interlining basis with Greyhound Lines, each other, and independent companies. Members generally also offer motorcoach charters and tours in competitive markets.
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
agreement. The company is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
.
History
The company was founded February 5, 1936, by Burlington Transportation Company, Santa Fe Trails Transportation Company, Missouri-Pacific Stages, Safeway Lines, Inc., and Frank Martz Coach Company.The system originated with coast-to-coast service as the National Trailways Bus System (NTBS). Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
had grown so quickly in the 1920s and 1930s that the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
encouraged smaller independent operators to form the NTBS to provide competition. Unlike Greyhound, which centralized ownership, Trailways member companies became a formidable competitor while staying an association of almost 100 separate companies. In the 1950s, Morgan W. Walker, Sr.
Morgan W. Walker, Sr.
Morgan Wailes Walker, Sr. was a businessman from Alexandria, Louisiana, who was involved in dairying, farming, bus transportation, hotels, banking, and education. He was a director of the Trans-Continental Bus system, which operated in time in more than forty states. Walker introduced Guernsey...
, of Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
became head of the southern division of the company. He had entered the business on a small scale during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as the Interurban Transportation Company of Alexandria.
Regular route bus ridership in the United States declined steadily after World War II, despite minor gains during the 1973 and 1979 energy crises. By 1986, the Greyhound Bus Line had been spun off from the parent company to new owners, which resulted in Greyhound Lines becoming solely a bus transportation company. It was sold off to new owners headed by Fred Currey, a former executive with the largest member of the National Trailways Bus System. (The old Greyhound parent changed its name to Dial Corporation)
Under the new ownership in 1987, led by Currey, Greyhound Lines shortly thereafter acquired the former Continental Trailways company, the largest member of the rival National Trailways Bus System, effectively eliminating a large portion of the bus competition. Although Greyhound negotiated cooperative schedules with Carolina Coach Company and Southeastern Trailways, two of the larger members of the Trailways system, many smaller carriers were effectively forced out of business. Most of the survivors diversified into charters and tours.
Current Trailways members
Today the various Trailways members are spread across North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. They provide charter bus rental service, bus tours and scheduled route services, with some members providing regular route service to areas not served by any other bus company on an interlining basis with Greyhound Lines, each other, and independent companies. Members generally also offer motorcoach charters and tours in competitive markets.
List of members (current and former)
For a complete list of members, please see the Trailways Companies page.- Abbott Trailways, Roanoke, VA
- Adirondack Trailways, Hurley, NY
- Alpha Trailways, Cincinnati, OH
- Amador Trailways, Sacramento, CA
- AmericanStar Trailways, Pismo Beach, CA
- Anchor Trailways, Nashville, TN
- Arrow Trailways of Texas, Killeen, TX
- AS Midway Trailways, Baltimore, MD
- Atlantic Coast Trailways, Hagerstown, MD
- Bieber Trailways of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
- Birnie Trailways, Rome, NY
- Bristol Trailways, Bristol, VT
- Bristol Trailways of Florida, Orlando, FL
- Burlington TrailwaysBurlington TrailwaysBurlington Trailways is an inter-city bus company based in West Burlington, Iowa.Burlington Trailways was founded in 1929 as the Burlington Transportation Company, a subsidiary of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad...
, West Burlington, IA - C&J Trailways, Portsmouth, NH
- Cantrail Coachlines Inc., Western Trailways, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Capital City Trailways of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
- Capital Trailways of Alabama, Montgomery, AL
- Capital Trailways of Huntsville, Madison, AL
- Capital Trailways of Mississippi, Richland, MS
- Capitol Trailways of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
- Carolina Coach Company (Carolina Trailways), Raleigh, NC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Greyhound LinesGreyhound LinesGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
, Inc. - Cavalier Coach Trailways, Boston, MA
- Central States Trailways, St. Louis, MO
- Colonial Trailways, Mobile, AL
- Concord TrailwaysConcord Coach LinesConcord Coach Lines, Inc., formerly known as Concord Trailways, is an inter-city bus company based in Concord, New Hampshire.The company was founded in 1967, and expanded in 1988 with the purchase of the Trailways franchise. Service to Maine commenced in 1992...
, Concord, NH - Continental Trailways, Dallas, TX
- Cross Country Tours Trailways, Spartanburg, SC
- Dakota Trailways, Spearfish, SD
- Dean Trailways of Michigan, Lansing, MI
- Dixon Meyers Trailways, Mt. Morris, IL
- Eagle Trailways, Irving, TX
- El Camino Trailways, South San Francisco, CA
- Elbo Trailways, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
- Empire Trailways, Rochester, NY
- Endeavor Trailways, Miami, FL
- Excursions Trailways, Ft. Wayne, IN; Ottawa, OH
- Express Trailways, Orlando, FL
- First Class Trailways, St. Petersburg, FL
- First Priority Trailways, District Heights, MD
- Flagship Trailways, Cranston, RI
- Fullington Trailways, Clearfield, PA
- Gentry Trailways, Knoxville, TN
- Georgia Trailways, Macon, GA
- Gold Line Trailways, Tuxedo, MD
- Golden Express Trailways, New York, NY
- Gotta Go Trailways, Ft. Worth, TX
- Great Canadian Trailways, Ontario, Canada
- Heartland Trailways, St. Joseph, MO
- Huskey Trailways, Festus, MO; Columbia, MO; Ozark, MO
- King Ward Trailways, Chicopee, MA
- Kobussen Trailways, Kaukauma, WI
- La Chaudiere Trailways, St. Georges, Quebec, Canada
- Lakefront Trailways, Cleveland, OH
- Lancaster Trailways, The Carolinas, Lancaster, SC
- Lion Trailways, Rio Grande, NJ
- Little Rock Trailways, Little Rock, AR
- Lone Star Trailways, Tyler, TX
- Louisiana Trailways, Marrero, LA
- Martz Trailways, Wilkes-Barre, PA
- Memphis Trailways, Memphis, TN
- Miller Trailways, Louisville, KY; Indianopolis, IN
- Myers Trailways, Export, PA
- National Coach Trailways, Fredricksburg, VA
- New York Trailways, Hurley, NY (formerly Empire Trailways of Rochester, New York)
- NorthEast Trailways of ME, Lewiston, ME
- Northwestern TrailwaysNorthwestern TrailwaysNorthwestern Trailways based in Spokane, Washington, USA, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving Washington and Idaho.-Routes:* Spokane to Seattle/Everett/Tacoma via I-90 and Highway 2 over scenic Stevens Pass....
, Spokane, WA - Orange Belt StagesOrange Belt StagesOrange Belt Stages is a bus company based in Visalia, California. OBS was incorporated on November 30, 1935, and offers charters anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, as well as scheduled runs in California and to Las Vegas, Nevada.-History:...
, Visalia, CA - Pacific Coachways Trailways, Garden Grove, CA
- Paradise Trailways, W. Hempstead, NY
- Pine Hill Trailways, Hurley, NY
- Prairie Coach Trailways, Dell Rapids, SD
- Prairie Trailways, Chicago, IL
- Rimrock Trailways Billings, MT
- Rocky Mountain Trailways, Rexburg, ID
- Royal Tours Trailways, Randleman, NC
- Salter Trailways, Jonesboro, LA
- Samson Trailways, Atlanta, GA
- Seitz Reisen Trailways of Germany, Ruhmansfelden, Bayern-Regen, Germany
- Sierra Trailways of California, Sacramento, CA
- Sierra Trailways of Texas, South Houston, TX
- Silver State Trailways of CA, Placentia, CA
- Silver State Trailways of NV, Las Vegas, NV
- South Texas Trailways, San Antonio, TX
- Southeastern Trailways, Indianapolis, IN
- Starkville Trailways, Ridgeland, MS
- St. Cloud Trailways, St. Cloud, MN
- Sun Travel Trailways, Beaumont, TX
- Susquehanna Trailways, Avis, PA
- Swept Away Trailways, Savannah, GA
- Tennessee Coach CompanyTennessee Coach CompanyThe Tennessee Coach Company was a regional highway-coach carrier, founded in 1928 and based in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It was in operation until 1976, when it became merged into the Continental Tennessee Lines, a subsidiary of the Transcontinental Bus System, called also the Continental Trailways...
, Knoxville, Tennessee - Thrasher Brothers Trailways, Birmingham, AL
- Transportes InterCalifornias Trailways, Los Angeles, CA
- Travel Mates Trailways, Harrisonburg, VA
- Utah Trailways, Salt Lake City, UT
- Viking Trailways, Joplin, MO
- VIA Trailways, Tempe, AZ; Merced, CA
- West Point Trailways, Vails Gate, NY
See also
- Greyhound LinesGreyhound LinesGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
- Southeastern Greyhound LinesSoutheastern Greyhound LinesThe Southeastern Greyhound Lines , a highway-coach carrier, was a Greyhound regional operating company, based in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, from 1931 until 1960, when it became merged with the Atlantic Greyhound Lines, a neighboring operating company, thereby forming the Southern Division of The...
- Dixie Greyhound LinesDixie Greyhound LinesThe Dixie Greyhound Lines , a highway-coach carrier, was a Greyhound regional operating company, based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, from 1930 until 1954, when it became merged into the Southeastern Greyhound Lines, a neighboring operating company.- Origin :The Dixie Greyhound Lines began in 1925...
- Teche Greyhound LinesTeche Greyhound LinesThe Teche Greyhound Lines , a highway-coach carrier, was a Greyhound regional operating company, based in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, from 1934 until 1954, when it was merged into the Southeastern Greyhound Lines, a neighboring operating company.[Teche, pronounced as "tesh", is a word of French...
- Florida Greyhound LinesFlorida Greyhound LinesThe Florida Greyhound Lines , a highway-coach carrier, was a Greyhound regional operating company, based in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, from 1946 until 1957, when it was merged into the Southeastern Greyhound Lines, a neighboring operating company.-Origin:The immediate predecessor of the Florida...
- Atlantic Greyhound LinesAtlantic Greyhound LinesThe Atlantic Greyhound Lines , a highway-coach carrier, was a Greyhound regional operating company, based in Charleston, West Virginia, USA, from 1931 until 1960, when it became merged with the Southeastern Greyhound Lines , a neighboring operating company, thus forming the Southern Division of The...
- Tennessee Coach CompanyTennessee Coach CompanyThe Tennessee Coach Company was a regional highway-coach carrier, founded in 1928 and based in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It was in operation until 1976, when it became merged into the Continental Tennessee Lines, a subsidiary of the Transcontinental Bus System, called also the Continental Trailways...
- Jefferson LinesJefferson LinesJefferson Lines is a regional intercity bus company operating in United States. The company's name originates in the Jefferson Highway, a north-south route in the early National Auto Trail system which once ran from Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, south to New Orleans, Louisiana. The service to...
- LaidlawLaidlawLaidlaw, organized as Laidlaw International, Inc. , was a predecessor corporation of First Student , a US subsidiary of the Scottish transport firm FirstGroup plc...
- Peter Pan Bus LinesPeter Pan Bus LinesPeter Pan Bus Lines is a long-distance bus carrier headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. It operates in the northeastern United States. Over four million passengers per year travel on Peter Pan's bus routes....