Express Way: Understanding ABA’s Technology Solutions Partners
ABA member motorcoach and tour operators are committed to safety, sustainability, and customer service. To help them meet these goals, ABA has partnered with technology companies whose innovative products and services are helping to transform group travel. Destinations recently interviewed The Bus Network, Busbud, Saucon Technologies, and TourTools to find out how their technology is changing the game.
What is your technology and how was the idea born?
The Bus Network, Christian Riddell, CEO: TBN has developed a comprehensive end-to-end booking and operations management software suite, providing everything companies need to successfully sell and manage charter services. Beyond charters, we’ve added powerful tools that enable operators to build and sell tours, manage school bus services, and schedule operations more efficiently. We’ve also introduced innovative, simplified solutions to help operators better manage profitability—leveraging strategies that have long been used in other industries but were previously out of reach for the group transportation market.
Busbud Inc., Mike Gradek, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer: Busbud’s technology is a comprehensive platform that simplifies the process of finding, comparing, and purchasing bus tickets from companies in North America and worldwide. When my friend and co-founder backpacked through South America more than a decade ago, he discovered there was a great opportunity to improve the ground transportation planning and booking experience. Between the language barrier, the variety of bus companies available, and the difficulty of finding reliable schedules, planning transportation was a challenge. We created Busbud to address those difficulties. Initially, the platform provided information, but later it integrated with operators’ reservation systems to enable direct booking. This benefits both customers and operators by providing a unified interface and access to new markets. Our platform is also highly impactful for U.S. motorcoach operators looking to expand their reach. For example, we’ve enabled operators in the Northeast and Midwest to attract Canadian and Latin American tourists who rely on our global interface to book their trips seamlessly.
Our success comes from directly integrating with operators’ reservation systems, connecting them with new customer segments while enhancing their visibility both domestically and internationally.
Saucon Technologies, Mike McDonal, Director, Regulatory Compliance and Industry Relations: Saucon Technologies is one of the oldest technology companies in the industry. Formed in the late 1990s, Saucon began its journey by outfitting the buses and ferries of NY Waterway serving New York City. Saucon then focused on the ground passenger transportation industry. Today, more than 25 years later, our customer base is more than 98 percent motorcoach companies. Our technology covers all aspects of passenger transportation, from scheduling and dispatch, bumper-to-bumper data collection and transmission of vehicle, driver and passenger information.
TourTools, Arin Preston, President: TourTools software was “born” in the late ’90s and developed on the FileMaker platform by a tour operator named John Kamm of Kamm Tours. He envisioned a more effective and efficient way of managing the hundreds of data points and critical workflows for his preformed group tours. The powerful solution that emerged was eventually sold to hundreds of other group tour operators in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
“From instant pricing on quotes to automated follow-up campaigns for quotes, bookings, payments, and itineraries, we simplify the process at every step,” says Christian Riddell, CEO, The Bus Network.
“The idea for this new version of Busbud was born from the need to eliminate the complexity of connecting to thousands of disparate bus company APIs globally. And now we have even more that we can offer travelers and operators thanks to the great talent that has joined our team from Recorrido, Buson, Betterez, and Ratality,” says Mike Gradek, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Busbud Inc.
“Saucon’s products highlight every aspect to run a passenger-carrying operation with information related to preventive and predictive maintenance, driver hours of service requirements and behavior analysis, on board communication with the driver, video surveillance for safety and security of all on board,” says Mike McDonal, Director, Regulatory Compliance and Industry Relations, Saucon Technologies.
“We look forward to connecting with everyone at Marketplace in Philadelphia in February and continuing to build relationships within our amazing community,” says Arin Preston, President, TourTools.
How is your platform revolutionizing the way customers interact with/ride motorcoaches now and in the near future?
TBN: Over the past decade, customer expectations have been shaped by innovations from companies like Uber, Amazon, and VRBO, which have made it easier than ever to shop for and purchase services. Unfortunately, the motorcoach industry lagged behind, largely due to outdated technology that couldn’t keep pace with these trends. TBN enables companies to quickly adopt modern tools that provide customers with a better, more seamless experience for shopping, booking, paying, and managing trips. Another crucial, though less talked about, innovation is the improvement in usability for employees. TBN’s user-friendly platform ensures that even those with little to no prior experience can quickly get up to speed, easing the burden on both new employees and trainers.
Busbud: Busbud is transforming motorcoach travel by delivering a seamless booking experience for travelers and operators alike. Real-time pricing and availability ensure smooth ticket searches and purchases for customers, even during high-traffic periods, thanks to adaptive caching. Advanced digital tools help operators manage demand, maximize occupancy rates, and access a large distribution network that gets a company discovered and seats sold.
Saucon: Customers can dial directly into their personal devices and not only see where their bus is but also the ETA of its scheduled stops. The new on-board passenger counting features also allow group leaders to be assured that all of their passengers in the group are safely on board and ready to head to the next destination. All this information is available through multiple outlets of the company’s choosing and is formulated in an ADA-accessible platform.
TourTools: TourTools is revolutionizing the way our customers (tour operators) interact with motorcoach tours by providing a robust system to manage seating charts with multiple bus movements, manifests that include driver’s notes, powerful route mapping functionality built on a Google Maps integration, and itinerary management.
What’s the one tech challenge for group travel that you see on the horizon?
TBN: The world is moving toward consolidated booking models, and AI will accelerate this trend. Large travel platforms like Expedia and Travelocity are already planning AI-powered trip-planning tools. However, because many operators rely on systems that don’t support syndication of vehicle and driver availability or provide instant pricing, the group travel segment will increasingly be directed toward brokers. To counter this trend, we must transition to a model where our availability, pricing, and other key data are consolidated, updated in real-time, and syndicated to AI-driven booking platforms. This will enable a direct, seamless booking experience—similar to the efficiency airlines and hotels currently enjoy.
Busbud: A significant challenge on the horizon for group travel is the integration of multi-modal transportation options. As travel increasingly includes a combination of buses, trains, and other forms of transit, providing a seamless booking and scheduling experience across multiple modes will require further technological innovation. We’re looking at ways with our partners to make interconnections more convenient, affordable, and reliable for travelers.
Saucon: One challenge is the amount of information that will be available and how to prioritize that data—information such as digital itineraries, travel and tour packages to review while en route on a current journey. Imagine booking another adventure from the seat of the coach after learning about it from a fellow traveler.
TourTools: The one tech challenge that is on the horizon for group travel is the downgrading of accounts by the major payment gateways; after COVID and
the impact it had on many tour operators, the gateway providers see our industry as risky. Processing rates have gone up dramatically and tour companies are not seen as the prized accounts they once were. We’ve developed our own gateway and support team to be sure TourTools clients have a stronger option.
What are you most excited about regarding the future of motorcoach and group travel?
TBN: As a technology company, we are excited by the growing potential of AI-driven innovations. From rapid development tools that accelerate progress, to AI-powered reporting that unlocks actionable insights from complex data, and even AI solutions that automate repetitive tasks and enhance your sales and dispatch processes—the future is evolving at an incredible pace.
Busbud: We are most excited about how advancements in AI and machine learning will continue to enhance customer experience in motorcoach travel. From predictive pricing models to AI-driven customer service, these technologies will make group travel more personalized and efficient.
Saucon: I am most excited about what we can learn from the traveling public. Where are they traveling to? How many times have they been there? What keeps them coming back not only to the destinations but on coaches themselves? We can take this information and offer new and exciting adventures in the safest, most efficient means possible.
TourTools: We are most excited about the way travel has really roared back to life in the past few years since COVID-19. For TourTools, specifically, we are excited about roadmapping version 6 of our software to harness new technology and create an even stronger platform for group tour management.
These interviews have been edited and condensed. For more information about ABA’s member technology programs visit:
The Bus Network, tbndrives.com
Busbud Inc., busbud.com
Saucon Technologies, saucontech.com
TourTools, tourtools.com
Photo Credits: TBN; Saucon Technologies; TourTools.
