A modern fleet and loyal drivers is as close to a recipe for success as you’re likely to find in the coach industry, as per Travel Master, which marked the employees’ long service as a new addition arrived
It was a double celebration for Carrington-based Travel Master last Thursday (15 February).
At a small ceremony, the operator recognised the long service of some of its staff, and at the same time, it also looked to the future as it became the first UK buyer to take delivery of a 13.1m, two-axle Mercedes-Benz Tourismo M/2.
The new coach already has its first six months’ work accounted for. But vehicles are nothing without drivers, and Travel Master is in the fortunate position of having a number that have shown great loyalty since the business was founded by Director Zak Master in 1993.
At the sharp end
Leading the line is Geoff Fogg, now retired, who spent over 20 years with the operator in a variety of roles.
Also recognised were drivers Steve Boswelle, Bernadette Horlock and David Spencer, all of whom have been with Travel Master for 10 years. They each received a cheque and a small trophy to mark their achievements.
“These employees have shown dedication and loyalty to us for a long time and I am pleased to acknowledge that,” says Mr Master. Although the operator has a number of long-serving staff, recruiting new employees is – as so much of the coach industry has confirmed – not always easy, particularly at busy times of the year.
The perennial problem is that it is particularly difficult to bring younger staff through. Travel Master exhibited at a jobs fair at Event City in Manchester, but it saw little response from the target demographic; nonetheless, the operator will return in the future.
A new coach arrives
One way to attract existing drivers is to offer them an attractive workplace. Travel Master does that with a modern fleet of coaches that extends from Mercedes-Benz Sprinters to tri-axle Neoplan Tourliners, and the Tourismo continues a pattern of fleet investment.
The new coach will not enter service until March, and it will go away for painting into Travel Master’s trademark graphite grey livery in the meantime.
It has 57 seats and has been purchased on the back of good results from an older-model Euro 6 Tourismo, says Mr Master.
“The new coach is not to full executive standard; instead, it will be a workhorse,” he says, adding that the operator is moving towards Euro 6 with an eye on coming Clean Air Zones around the UK. A Yutong TC9 – Travel Master’s third – will also be delivered later this year.
The Travel Star Eco seats are to a particularly ‘thin’ design, which means that legroom is good. They also come with slide-apart functionality, and USB charging points are to be added prior to the Tourismo entering service.
“I didn’t expect huge legroom but we have been pleasantly surprised. We also asked our engineers’ opinion of the Tourismo and they like it; there is plenty of space within the engine bay for them to work with,” adds Mr Master.
Success story
The M/2 was one of two new variants to join the right-hand drive Tourismo line-up when the new model was launched last year. In the meantime, dealership EvoBus (UK) has made a concerted effort to equal or exceed the outgoing model’s big numbers with the new Tourismo, and so far it has already sold 150 of the latter.
At the time of last year’s reveal it was expected that the M/2 would be a popular addition to the Tourismo range, which for UK and Irish buyers has also gained the 13.9m tri-axle L.
Travel Master is not alone among operators that have moved to the Tourismo, and its new coach has been financed by Mistral. Its arrival in Carrington on a day that Travel Master paid tribute to the service that some of its staff have given proved that it is possible for a coach operator to look forwards and back at the same time.
routeone comment
Many, if not all, businesses have been built on the hard work and loyal service of their staff, and it is fitting that Travel Master chose to acknowledge those employees that had done the same for it on a day when a new coach arrived.
You can spend all the money in the world on vehicles and systems, but if the person behind the wheel isn’t up to scratch then hardware is an afterthought.
Recognising your staff’s loyalty is an important part of getting the best out of them, and Travel Master’s four lucky long-serving employees each received a cheque for £500 as a token of the operator’s appreciation.
It goes to show once again: The coach industry is built on its people.
