Archive for February, 2012

Find the right bus for sale can be a difficult process especially when there isn’t a bus dealership close to your location. Sometimes it is necessary for bus customers to check out a new bus for sale before making a commitment to purchase it. Therefore, Carpenter Bus Sales has developed a program that will allow you to test drive a bus  for a thirty day period for a nominal fee. Here is how it works: If you decide to purchase the vehicle, 100% of the inspection fee will be credited toward the purchase price. If you decide not to purchase the vehicle, return it to our dealership after 30 days, and the inspection fee will be forfeited. If you decide upon another bus for sale, 50% of the inspection fee will be credited toward that purchase. We refer to this program as our Test Before You Buy program. Hundreds of churches and various other organizations across the country have used the very helpful program in finding the right bus for sale. Some of the details that are important regarding the Test Before You Buy a bus program is that it only applies to buses we have in stock. The bus must be picked up in Franklin, TN and returned here if not purchased. The inspection fee, which varies depending on the size of the bus, is due in advance. All necessary driver’s licenses are required on buses over 15 passengers. All of the routine maintenance is to be done and the responsibility of the customer. The program offers 3,000 miles for the thirty day period and there is a fee of $.60/mile for every mile over the allotted free mileage. The insurance on the bus is shall also be provided by the customer and must meet the requirements set forth by Carpenter Bus Sales. Therefore, if you are looking for  brand new buses for sale but want to try it out, then the Test Before You Buy program from Carpenter Bus Sales is the right program for you. If you are in the market for a new or used bus, please let Carpenter Bus Sales help you find the right bus for sale today. Feel free to call us at 1-(866) 234-2153 today!!

If your organization finds that its time to buy a bus, it is important to understand which bus works best for each particular application. For example, if your church or organization has a day care center that picks up kids from a public school, then the chances are very high that a commercial bus will not legally work for your application. The bus that you might be legally required to purchase (under that particular application) is a Multi Function School Activity Bus. Multi Function School Activity Buses are also referred to as Type A School Buses or M.F.S.A.B. for short. Starcraft Bus and Mobility makes a great M.F.S.A.B. called the Prodigy. The Prodigy bus is a great vehicle for applications like day care centers and private schools. One main distinction to an M.F.S.A.B. is that it is more geared towards transporting small children. Another distinction is that an M.F.S.A.B. comes standard with bench seating as opposed to individual seating. An M.F.S.A.B. can be configured with individual seating, but would have to be ordered from scratch and built at the factory. This process normally will take anywhere from six to eight weeks to complete and deliver. The M.F.S.A.B. is also normally built on a different chassis than a commercial bus with a shorter wheel base. It is also not uncommon to see M.F.S.A.B. models come with a wheel chair lift also known as a “Para-Transit.” When you are shopping for Multi Function School Activity Buses for sale, but sure to contact your insurance carrier as well as your state department of transportation to ensure that you are purchasing the right vehicle for your application. If you are in the market for a new or used bus, please let Carpenter Bus Sales help you find the right bus for sale today. Feel free to call us at 1-(866) 234-2153 today!!

 

In today’s tight economy, churches and organizations are doing all they can to better manage spending and be better stewards of their finances. However, some times an organization has to make capital purchases to help facilitate the mission. Buying buses for sale for a church or organization can be a major expenditure for some organizations but it doesn’t have to be. There are several finance options for organizations who need buses but may not be able to come out of pocket with the full amount needed for a bus. Carpenter Bus Sales has several lease and finance options that can help organizations choose from any number of buses for sale and choose the best option for them. One great finance option is a lease. In the leasing option, an organization doesn’t own the bus but can have full use of it within the guidelines of the lease agreement. At the end of the lease term, the organization can bring the bus back to Carpenter Bus Sales and be free and clear of any monthly payments and not owe a penny more. However, if the organization wants to keep the bus at the end of the lease term, they can buy the bus for fair market value. One major benefit of doing a lease option is the minimum initial investment required. For example, if there is a bus that costs $52,500, an organization could get in to that bus for roughly $650 per month (depending on the length of the lease.) Most least terms require the first and last month’s lease payment as a downpayment, so in the case of this example, the initial cost would be roughly $1,300. As you can tell, in some cases, leasing a bus might be the very best solution for your church or organization.  If you are in the market for a new or used bus, please let Carpenter Bus Sales help you find the right bus for sale today. Feel free to call us at 1-(866) 234-2153 today!!