A couple of years back, starting a party bus service was one of the easiest and most profitable businesses but now with the introduction of strict laws, rules and regulations, now you have to be extremely cautious before stepping into this industry. You are going to be liable if any unfortunate event happens on your bus with passengers on board. First, do a thorough research on the state laws where you’ll be operating.
Map out a clear plan:
Know your target audience, which are mostly going to be young adults and teens. Be prepared to deal with consequences and plan ahead. If you rent out a party bus to minors, you must provide a chaperone to keep an eye on underage drinking and property damage.
Make a clear budget:
Major expenses that you will be dealing with are:
- Buses
- Maintenance
- Gas
- Driver salaries
- Administrative supplies
- Liability insurance
- Office space
Out of all these, major portion of the budget will be spent on maintenance of the vehicles. A party bus faces some of the roughest treatment from its passengers and needs to be maintained regularly. The famous case of Jimmy Larsen (27) who died after falling from door of a poorly maintained party bus, on the highway. Well technically a hit from SUV killed him but his mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company who operated that party bus rental in Miami. To avoid such incidents, you vehicle must be in good condition.
Permits and license:
You must have a class C driver’s license, (CDL for CMV). You must have a good record and go through a drug and alcohol test to get the license. If you won’t be driving yourself and plan on hiring chauffeurs/drivers, you need to check their driving history (up to 10 years). You can’t deliberately hire a person whose license has been cancelled or who has been convicted before.
Intrastate vs interstate:
Interstate operations come under FMCSA and you might have to complete several authorities before starting the service. For intrastate operation, states usually have their own policies.
Penalties:
If you are found to be in violation of any law, you might have to pay a penalty of $2200 to $25000. Failure to comply with rules and guidelines is considered a misdemeanor.
Insurance:
You must get at least minimum liability insurance for your business. Try to get a full coverage policy but you are required by law to have minimum liability insurance, without it you can’t operate and if found operating you will be charged with misdemeanor.
Well it’s not limited to just the above mentioned things, there are numerous other significant factors that must be considered before starting a party bus rental in Miami. you can seek guidance from already established businesses like Elite Ultra Bus. It is one of the most experienced companies and have been in the industry for quite a while.
