When to Buy a Wheelchair Bus: A Para-Transit Bus Buying Guide

Carpenter Bus Sales can get your wheelchair riders where they need to go, and a wheelchair bus is the right fit when your group rides on a regular schedule and some riders use wheelchairs. For one or two wheelchair riders on short or occasional trips, a wheelchair van or minivan may be a better option.

Source: Rick Cassels, Regional Sales Manager at Carpenter Bus Sales.

What is a para-transit (wheelchair accessible) bus?

A para-transit bus is a bus built so riders can roll on and ride while staying in their wheelchairs. Carpenter Bus Sales offers wheelchair accessible rides in three sizes: wheelchair minivans, wheelchair vans, and wheelchair buses. The bus is the biggest of the three. It has a wheelchair lift normally on the side of the bus, straps that hold each wheelchair safely in place, and on many layouts, seats that fold down when no wheelchair rider is along.

The spot where a wheelchair rides is called a wheelchair station. Every wheelchair station on a Carpenter Bus wheelchair bus comes with tie-downs, the straps that hold the chair to the floor, so every rider is secure from day one.

Carpenter Bus Sales has wheelchair buses with lifts ready to go, and we can order one built just the way you want. Have a specific bus in mind? Most of our buses can be built with a wheelchair lift, and your Carpenter Bus Sales representative will tell you which models can. The Braun and Ricon lifts we use handle up to 800 pounds. Senior care communities, adult day cares, churches, and other groups use these buses for doctor and dialysis visits, worship, shopping, and fun outings. You can see what's ready now on our wheelchair buses for sale page, or start with our senior care buses page.

Do you need a wheelchair bus, van, or minivan?

Choosing a wheelchair bus, van, or minivan comes down to how often you go and how many people ride, and Carpenter Bus Sales carries all three. Rick Cassels, Regional Sales Manager at Carpenter Bus Sales, puts it this way: for one or two riders on a short or infrequent trip, a van is probably fine. "But if you have scheduled group transportation, a bus is likely going to be the better option."

Rick has been helping buyers find the right bus or van at Carpenter Bus since 2015. Here's how the three compare:

Question	Wheelchair minivan	Wheelchair van	Wheelchair bus
How riders get on	A ramp at the back hatch or the side door	A ramp	A wheelchair lift at the side or back
How many wheelchairs	1 or 2	2 to 8, depending on the model	2 on the layouts in the table below, with seats for 8 to 25 passengers
Driving and parking	Drives like a car	Drives a lot like a car and fits a regular parking spot	Bigger, so plan a spot to park it
Driver's license	A regular license works	Built so your staff can drive it without a commercial license	Depends on the size (see below)
A great fit for	One or two wheelchair riders on everyday trips	Small groups and daily routes	Scheduled group trips

Between a van and a bus, Rick says the van costs less. The bus gives you more comfortable seats, real storage space, and a lift, and it's built for heavy daily use and a longer life. His overall take: "I think in most cases, the bus is a superior solution."

Here's the good news: you don't have to pick just one. In Carpenter Bus Sales' experience, many groups use a van for daily trips and a bus for group outings, and we'll gladly set you up with both. For a closer look at all three, see our guide to choosing a senior living bus or wheelchair van.

How many wheelchair stations do you actually need?

You likely need fewer wheelchair stations than you think, and that's good news for your budget. Rick Cassels, Regional Sales Manager at Carpenter Bus Sales, says that in his experience, most groups ask for more wheelchair stations than they really need. His advice is to "plan for what your normal ridership would be as it relates to wheelchair riders, not the worst possible scenario that you can think of."

Each wheelchair station takes up room that could hold seats, so planning for a normal week keeps more seats for everyone else. These five questions will help you find your number:

1. How many of your regular riders use a wheelchair today?
2. In a normal week, how many of them ride at the same time?
3. Do those riders have another way to get where they're going?
4. How many other riders need to fit on the same trip?
5. Do you need wheelchair access every day, or just now and then?

Rick walks buyers through five common bus layouts. The passenger count always includes the driver. On a sales listing, you may see these written as shorthand, like "13+2," which simply means 13 passengers plus 2 wheelchair stations.

Bus layout	Driver	Other riders in seats	Wheelchair stations	Total people, driver included	Commercial license?*
8 passengers plus 2 wheelchair stations	1	7	2	10	Usually not needed
13 passengers plus 2 wheelchair stations	1	12	2	15	Usually not needed
17 passengers plus 2 wheelchair stations	1	16	2	19	Usually needed
21 passengers plus 2 wheelchair stations	1	20	2	23	Usually needed
25 passengers plus 2 wheelchair stations	1	24	2	27	Usually needed

*Whether you need a commercial driver's license (CDL) depends on how many people a bus is built to carry, driver included, plus its weight and your state. Some states are stricter than federal rules, so a quick check with your state DMV means your drivers are all set from day one.

Need a different mix of seats and wheelchair stations? Tell your Carpenter Bus Sales representative about your riders, and we'll help you find the layout that fits.

Why does Rick call 13 passengers plus 2 wheelchair stations the sweet spot?

This layout gives you room for a good-sized group and full wheelchair access, in a bus your staff can drive with a regular license in most states. It seats the driver, 12 riders, and 2 wheelchair riders, for 15 people in all. It's the biggest of the five layouts that stays under the federal 16-person line for a commercial license. In Rick's words: "This is the sweet spot for many churches and for senior living."

Rick also likes the fold-down seats you can add as an option. When no wheelchair riders are along, those seats fold down and give you two more seats for riders who can walk on.

Ramp or lift: which is right for your riders?

A ramp and a wheelchair lift both get riders on board, and Rick Cassels, Regional Sales Manager at Carpenter Bus Sales, explains the difference simply: "Ramps are simpler and less expensive, while a lift can handle more weight and more different types of chairs." In his experience, ramps usually come on vans, and lifts usually come on buses.

Here's a quick side-by-side:

Question	Ramp	Lift
Where you'll usually find it	Wheelchair vans	Wheelchair buses
How it works	Someone usually pulls it out, unfolds it, and sets it up by hand	A powered platform lifts the rider up into the bus
Room needed at the stop	A little more, because a ramp needs some space to roll up	Less, because it works right next to a curb
Weight and chairs	Simpler and less expensive	Handles heavier chairs and more types of chairs. Braun and Ricon lifts handle up to 800 pounds.
Upkeep	Less to look after	A little more care, since it has more moving parts

Rick believes a lift is the better choice for wheelchair riders in most of the situations buyers bring to him. If your riders use heavy power chairs, or you drop off right at the curb, a lift makes every trip easier.

What if you only need wheelchair access now and then?

If you only need wheelchair access now and then, you have easy options. Fold-down seats let a wheelchair bus carry everyone when no wheelchair is along. Carpenter Bus Rentals has some small buses available with a wheelchair lift for the occasional trip.** And for one or two riders, a wheelchair van or minivan may be the simpler fit.

Here's how each one helps:

• Fold-down seats. Add them on your bus near your wheelchair stations, and your bus works for every kind of trip.
• A rental bus with a lift. Carpenter Bus Rentals has some small buses available with a wheelchair lift. Rentals are self-drive (meaning no driver provided) buses for organizations in Tennessee and Texas. Your group provides the driver and insurance, so just tell the rental team about your riders when you ask for a quote.**
• A regular bus plus a wheelchair van. A bus without wheelchair stations carries more seated riders, and a wheelchair van or minivan takes care of the riders who need it.

One tip: if wheelchair access might be in your future, we recommend planning ahead and choosing your lift and the number of wheelchair stations when you order your new bus. That way, your bus is ready for your riders from the first trip. Your Carpenter Bus Sales representative will show you how a lift changes the build and the price, so you can plan with no surprises.

Does a wheelchair bus need a driver with a commercial license?

Whether your wheelchair bus needs a driver with a commercial license depends on the size of the bus, its weight, and your state. Here's the good news: a bus with 13 passengers plus 2 wheelchair stations is big enough to bring a good-sized group, wheelchair riders included, while staying under the federal line for a commercial license. Under federal rules (49 CFR 383.5), a driver generally needs a CDL (commercial driver's license) when a vehicle has any one of these:

• It's built to carry 16 or more people, counting the driver.
• It's rated to weigh 26,001 pounds or more when fully loaded.
• It carries hazardous materials that need warning signs.

The count includes everyone the bus is built to carry, driver included. So a bus with 13 passengers plus 2 wheelchair stations carries 15 people, and in most states your staff can drive it with a regular license, as long as the weight and your state's rules also check out. A bus with 17 passengers plus 2 wheelchair stations carries 19 people, so it generally needs a driver with a CDL plus a passenger add-on to the license, called a passenger endorsement.

Rules vary by state, and some states, including California and Connecticut, are stricter for churches and nonprofits. A quick check with your state DMV before you buy means your drivers are set from the first trip. Our guide to CDL requirements by state walks you through it, and your Carpenter Bus Sales representative is always glad to help.

What support comes with a new wheelchair bus?

Every new wheelchair bus from Carpenter Bus Sales comes with a Carpenter Bus warranty that covers the whole bus, wheelchair lift included, and churches, ministries, and senior care communities get our PlatinumCare warranty for free. After you buy, our service shops in Franklin, Tennessee, and Elm Mott, Texas, can help you take care of wheelchair lift service and repairs, so you're never on your own.

Which warranty do you get?

Carpenter Bus Sales offers the only 8-year unlimited mile warranty in the industry for churches, ministries, and senior care communities. Adult day cares and every other new bus buyer get our SilverCare warranty free and can upgrade to our GoldCare warranty. All three plans cover the entire vehicle, bumper to bumper, and that includes the wheelchair lift. The only differences are who qualifies, the cost, and how long each plan lasts.

Plan	Who gets it	Cost	How long it lasts	What it covers
PlatinumCare	Churches, ministries, and senior care communities	Free	8 years, unlimited miles	Entire vehicle, bumper to bumper
GoldCare	Any new bus buyer, including adult day cares	$800 one time	7 years or 70,000 miles	Entire vehicle, bumper to bumper
SilverCare	Every new bus and van buyer, including adult day cares	Free	5 years or 60,000 miles	Entire vehicle, bumper to bumper

Each plan ends at whichever limit you reach first. Coverage starts the day you buy or the day the bus goes into service, and it runs alongside the factory warranty. Routine upkeep and wear items like filters, fluids, and wiper blades aren't covered. If something needs fixing, just call the Carpenter Bus Sales Warranty Department first. Once your claim is approved, you can use a qualified shop near you, pay a $100 deductible, and Carpenter Bus pays the shop directly. Your warranty stays with your organization and doesn't transfer to a later owner. For more, see how the warranty plans work.

Who takes care of the lift after you buy?

Carpenter Bus Sales does. The Carpenter Bus Sales service department handles wheelchair lift service at both of our locations: Franklin, Tennessee, and Elm Mott, Texas, just north of Waco. Our Elm Mott technicians are factory-trained on Braun and Ricon wheelchair lifts. And we're happy to work on your bus no matter where you bought it.

What should you check on a used wheelchair bus?

Start with the lift, because a lift in good shape makes a used wheelchair bus a great buy. Rick Cassels, Regional Sales Manager at Carpenter Bus Sales, keeps it simple: "Make sure it works. Cycle it several times with weight on it." Running the lift up and down a few times tells you a lot in just a few minutes.

Here's Rick's easy checklist:

1. Run the lift up and down several times with weight on it.
2. Listen to the motor. Whirring, grinding, or straining is a sign to look closer.
3. Make sure the platform goes all the way down and the front plate flips out.
4. Look for any fluid leaking around the lift.
5. Check that the tie-downs and straps are in good shape.
6. Ask for the lift's maintenance records.

Those few minutes are well spent. In Rick's words: "if you buy a bus with a faulty lift, that can be as much as a $13,000 component that you'll have to deal with."

For extra peace of mind, Carpenter Bus Sales offers an optional service contract on qualifying used buses. It runs 12 months or 12,000 miles and covers the powertrain, meaning the inside parts of the engine, transmission, and drive axle, with a $100 deductible per visit. It covers the powertrain only, not the wheelchair lift, which is why the lift check above matters. Your Carpenter Bus Sales representative will tell you whether a bus qualifies and exactly what's covered, since terms can change. Our guide on what to look for in a used bus covers the rest of the checkup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all buses wheelchair accessible?

No, but Carpenter Bus Sales has wheelchair buses ready to go, and most of our buses can be built with a lift. A wheelchair accessible bus has a wheelchair lift or ramp, tie-downs at each wheelchair station, and room inside for the chair. Want a lift on a specific bus? Tell your Carpenter Bus representative what your riders need.

Which bus works best for older riders who have trouble getting around?

A bus built for passengers has a lower first step, a center aisle, and a higher roof than a standard 15-passenger van, which makes it easier for riders who use canes or walkers. For riders who stay in a wheelchair, a bus with a lift lets them roll right on. Carpenter Bus Sales will match the bus to your riders.

What wheelchair accessible vehicles does Carpenter Bus Sales sell?

Carpenter Bus Sales sells wheelchair buses from Starcraft, Glaval, and Collins, full-size wheelchair vans from Forest River, FR Conversions, and ADA Boy, and wheelchair minivans from FR Conversions. You can buy them new or used. That range means Carpenter Bus has a great fit for one wheelchair rider or a whole group outing.

Do you sell used wheelchair buses?

Yes. Carpenter Bus Sales sells new and used wheelchair buses and generally has 200 or more new and used buses in stock. What's on the lot changes, so browse the current wheelchair buses for sale or ask your Carpenter Bus Sales representative to find one that fits your riders.

What's the next step for your organization?

Give us a call, and we'll take it from there. Tell a Carpenter Bus Sales specialist how many people ride in a normal week, how many use wheelchairs, and who will drive. We'll show you the buses, vans, and minivans that fit, and help you every step of the way. Senior care communities can ask for Bryan George, our National Senior Care Manager.

Find your bus specialist or call (800) 370-6180.

**Bus rental services are provided solely by CB Bus Rental LLC (FEIN 41-4374821), a separate legal entity from Carpenter Bus, LLC (FEIN 26-0903235). Carpenter Bus, LLC sells new and used buses, parts, and service. It does not own, operate, or provide rental vehicles or rental services and is not a party to any rental agreement. All rental vehicles, rental agreements, and rental obligations are the sole responsibility of CB Bus Rental LLC.