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| "How long does a bus last?" ...Michael Strom
The Bus itself - Body, Seats, Wiring Etc. are built to last.
Consider that Greyhound expects roughly 20 years of service from a
bus. A LOW Average for a greyhound is probably 500 miles in a 24
hour period. and that's probably 350 days a year accounting for a few
days for maintenance here and there. So average Greyhound bus gets
175000 miles or more of driving per year. They keep them busses
running 24 by 7 quite often - I know because I have ridden from
Memphis to Dallas on one bus a couple of times. All we did was
change drivers every 6 to 8 hours.
Now in ten years the bus will go 1750000 miles and in 20 years it
will go 3500000 miles. This is a rough estimate...some busses more,
some busses less. The Diesel Engine runs at a over temperature then a
car so it lasts allot longer then your average car engine. But
rubber, gaskets, piston rings, and bearings do wear out with time and
prolonged use. A good rule of thumb in a diesel is all these parts
have to be replaced every 500,000 miles or so. The newer Diesels are
getting a little bit more mileage...perhaps 750,000.
Consider that the average $20,000 car in most peoples driveways is
warranted to go 5 years or 50,000 miles...you can expect that car to
need major work on the engine some where between 150,000 and 200,000
miles if you have been keeping your maintenance schedule which
includes oil changes, tranny filter and fluid changes, radiator
flushes and fluid changes...etc. It is a rare car that makes it to
200,000 without an engine rebuild. Actually the average American
does not maintain their car any where close to the schedule in the
owners manual so the average car is actually fortunate to make it to
150,000. I am also almost positive that you don't drive your car
100,000 plus miles every year.
I submit that greyhound is probably the best in the business at
maintaining their busses, but they are also the most harsh on their
busses as far as how much they drive them. Many of the busses you
see on the market from school systems and transit authorities are
nearly as well maintained but often have only a few hundred thousand
when they are sold. If you see a bus with less then 100,000 since
it's last rebuild you are getting one that the engine is barely broke
in. The body of the bus and many of the components will last far
longer then you or I will be alive if they are kept maintained
well...including paint jobs, regular oil changes, and such.
Hope This Helps.
Michael Strom
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