Driving the Mercedes Tourrider again: A Journey to O'Hare Airport with Our Youngest Driver!
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- Опубликовано: 27 фев 2024
- Finally, after almost 8 months, I got to take one of our Mercedes Tourrider's on a trip. It was a 2 bus move. I was accompanied by one of our youngest drivers in our company. He followed me in a MCI J4500.
We ended the trip enjoying some good eating at a very homie restaurant out in the middle of nowhere!
Music used by @Vexento
Checkout his RUclips Channel
/ @vexento
Songs Used:
1) Sunrise
2) Never Letting Go
3) Norway 
Развлечения
![TRASH or PASS! Eminem ( Houdini ) [REACTION!!!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cB1WrZcMwMc/mqdefault.jpg)
I love how your company gives everyone opportunities and not just picks favorites
I drove PT for Victory Bus lines out of Tuscaloosa Alabama. I was 28 , Drove a 1982 MCI , with a 4 speed, enjoyed every minute.
I love the way you craft the story to bring us along with you on your day. As a fellow creator, I appreciate how many takes you make with different cameras to bring that together. You have a very creative style. You feel like you are alongside you for the day. I did a simple shot last week of the two of us walking out the patio door and sitting down. 4 takes with different camera positions, edited together, only a fellow creator would get it 😂. The more effortless it looks is proportional to the more effort it takes !
I really do enjoy your videos. Yes you're definitely right about the effort thing lol. You have a very soothing voice. I would love to have a pool like yours one day. Enjoy the weather it is so cold up here today
@@JWangvlogs I am back in Boston next week for a dose of weather reality
@JWangvlogs Keep an eye on the opening 10 seconds on the March 8th vlog. That's the patio door 4 take shot
I love the way the drivers window on the Tour Rider goes up and down. Not like the mci where you just have a tiny window to get an arm through
When I was new I drove a Van Hool into New York City at age 22 with another driver close to my age in a 2-bus move. Probably shouldn't have, but there I was. Before that I had about a year and a half of transit experience, including the 60 footer.
There he is, the Man, the Myth, the Oh hey James. Glad to see your back. Can't wait to watch this later and see the entertainment and delicious food. Stay safe brother. We miss seeing you. Glad your back posting.
Hey Thank you little Tucker. Hope you are doing well.
@@JWangvlogs I'm doing great brother. Hopefully things are healing, getting better and stronger for you, your family and the business.
The world's most unique vlog 😀👍
Where is my hare @@JWangvlogs
24 years old working whit the boss ! safe trippe drvers !
Thanks for the ride James!
The three of us need to do a trip sometime together!
Just think if you two would have driven the buses into the restaurant parking lot. I'm sure that would have caused panic from within Apple Dumpling. Would they be glad or mad once they found out the buses were empty. Just funny thinking about it. 😂
Lol I thought about the same thing 😂
I was 25 when I started. Always part time. When I had to give it up at age 61, I was second in seniority of all the drivers at that time.
Pullling in empty in a restaurant lot, reminds me of the time I was heading to the garage empty after dropping off. I pulled into the lot of a Burger King about 30 minutes till they closed. I walked in, the manager is all smiles, two people in the back throwing bags of fries into the deep fryer. Manager asks how many I have on board. I said none, I just wanted to get a coffee…
I was probably mother f’d when I got the coffee and left. Lol
@@jollygreen4639 LOL ! I've had that happen to me!! Thanks for sharing your memories! I love reading stories from drivers
Great to see you back, James! Looking forward to more videos. Drove a transit bus in Cincinnati for ten years. Miss it. Amtrak's northbound "Saluki" train from Carbondale to Chicago was stopped at the beautiful Illinois Traction Terminal train station at the 11:35 mark. Been by here many times.
Like the electric sun blinds😊 Great to have you back.
Hi 👋 James WoW a great chance to try the new Mercedes Bends in service. Kieran is running with you Two of make a good teem 👍 James your a good Menter..Your lunch was a nice end to the trip With a Debriefing & Followship..Blessing to you both .. 🇺🇦 🙏
A very good quality video. As always and welcome to your new driver even though he's been with you a year. Keep up the great work.
That Tourrider is a beautiful Coach, I would love to drive one someday. Enjoyed the video as always James, stay safe.
The Apple Dumpling is fire!
Agreed!!!
🚌🚐great video, thanks for taking us along, see you on your future journeys
Looks like a fun job. I wanted to be a trucker when I was younger but with a family, it would be difficult. Bus driver for a charter would be a great retirement job, I think.
That new bus already has a boo boo right rear above tail light assembly.
😂😂
Love your videos
Yeah one of our drivers tail swung into our garage door while pulling the bus out..😢
@@JWangvlogshola amigo saludos desde Mexicali Baja California espero se encuentren bien pregunta le cobraste algo del golpe al conductor porque acá donde yo trabajo mi patrón todo les cobra
Congratulations
Your videos are always some of the smoothest and that there's just a nice flow to them one doesn't miss anything yet you don't get bored. Kind of a quick flashback for me as I was 26 when I hired out and I remember making full time seniority number 403 out of 404. Full of energy and thick brown hair by the time you retire both of those have changed. The feel of that empty garage where our first signup was 3:11 a.m. but there was something special about a sunrise especially if you were running near Lake Michigan. Thanks for the food recommendation I'll have to keep that one in mind. Take care
Hey Paulbergen. Always glad to hear that my videos are enjoyed. Thank you for the kind words. Im glad it brought up good memories. Memories are the most important thing in life to have. Without memories, nothing else matters.
New to your channel and being a retired truck driver those busses are amazing best looking but now I want to drive one 😂 great video
Good video James and Good Job Ciaran!!!!!
Once again, thank you James for your inspiration!! I’m scheduled for one more check ride and a couple of multi bus excursions and hopefully I will be a MOTOR-COACH Operator!!!
Another great video, James
Thank you skulitor! Appreciate it
5:36 James was letting Jesus take the wheel. While he caught a few 💤. 😂😂
Another great video by James Wang. You do a brilliant job putting them together. Thanks for taking me along. God Bless You and your family...................Jeff Thompson, Rockford Illinois
Loved the video I just found your channel it's so good keep up the hard work
Hi James, 😉 Wow, I love when you tell everything you see & how smooth the ride & Congrats to the Younger Driver!!
Now when You Drove into the O`Hare Airport Parking, I was Scared how Low the ceilings were!!
When coming back towards Urbana, we had gone to Apple Dumpling Restaurant..before their Fire 2003 & 1 Time After!!
Thanks for the Info., on Sunday Buffet..Good to Know!! So if the Video is from 2 days ago, how did you do a Sunday Buffet??
Take care & have a Wonderful Day & Evening James & Family!! ❤ Barb from Rantoul, Illinois❣
Hi Barb. Thank you. It always takes me a few days to edit my videos so by the time you see these videos the trip was usually a few days to a week ago.
I miss driving motor coaches driving transit is all work no fun but it’s too expensive here in Honolulu for a charter driver to survive. One day hopefully I get to move up to the mainland and experience driving motor coaches on the open road. 🤙🏽
I'm watching this now, I'm enjoying this almost ASMR like content of following you along for a day at work!
Love the content I wish y’all had a location in Texas. I would love to come work for you all. I love driving buses.
Nice quick and easy trip. Also the food looked delish. Thanks for sharing..
Enjoyed this very much ! Great job on the video!
Lmao I was all wow, he has his camera on a remote controlled tri pod or mount to adjust the angles. Then. I realized it was his window going down at ORD Gate lmao, ya almost had me fooled.
What a great video! Also that is the most Midwest looking restaurant, and I love it. I have been to places like that in ILL, Iowa, Kansas and they are always amazing.
I was very excited to see a new upload from you!
Good seeing you again James. I take it that Mercedes ditched the Setra name? The frame of it looked pretty much like the Prevost and Van Hool.
Stay safe out there.
nice video and a tasty ending i always like a good ma and pa home cooked meal. I mostly drive the d4500 for the santa clarita transit its a mid to small size city just north of los angeles. I mostly do express runs on the freeway and sometimes the airport depending on the days and other times they will toss me on local runs with our gillig's or new flyer busses. Your partner reminds me of myself 20+ years ago just starting out and the senior guys and gals would always invite me out for dinner after work. Its good to see fellow drivers like yourself doing what they do best and making the bus world a great place to work.
James I hope you make a video when you drive the new 2024 H3-45.
I love this video! I got so excited when I saw the title. I enjoy talking to both of you when I see you around campus. Was this a schedule extra? Or just a charter? Are there ever loaders for charter trips?
Hi James, great to see you back on top of my subscription page! 😊 The Tourrider interior looks almost exactly the same as the Mercedes Tourismo we have in the UK. They’re fabulous coaches to drive. Comfortable, smooth and quiet. I loved seeing the big screen with all your coach allocations on it… what is that? What software do you use, because I would love something like that rather than using old fashioned pen and paper.
Thank you 😁. It's good to be back on the road.
The software we use is something we designed and developed in house. It's called unifleet. We will be selling it to bus companies soon.
Looks a fantastic restaurant.
I got some good stories when I was a truck driver
Nice video my friend.
I called you last week. Guess you were busy. 👍🏿👍🏿
Oh man, Sorry I missed your call. I usually dont answer numbers I dont recognize. Text me first next time before you call. Would love to catch up
@@JWangvlogs Will do.
That is the ONLY WAY to EAT CHICKEN. Done like a real PRO.
Always nice to meet a true foodie. You understand! Than you! I agree with you 100%!
Love your videos. Do you drive for many of the college sports teams in the area. Would like to see some more videos of you and the team with the sports team whether it’s local or road trips.
Yes, Peoria charter carries many different sports teams with many different universities.
I always try not to capture any shots with passengers in them unless they consent to it. But I never ask.
Nice video james, sea u on the next one
Nice video.加油❤
That meal looks good. I haven't had apple butter in years and now I am craving some. To my knowledge, it is not an item that can be found in Europe.
Amazon
Redhawk Farms Apple Butter Fruit Spread - All Natural, Non-GMO, Gluten Free Amish Apple Butter Spread - Homemade Jams, Jellies, & Preserves - (16 oz, Pack of 2) a.co/d/dgR1cD6
Connor: yes you can find it in Europe. Holland has it under the name: Appel stroop.
Interesting that you tape yourself leaving your house and boarding the bus. Glad you like those TOURRIDER’s Oh, when you went into the restroom, a commercial for PUFFS came on. I have not even been on a coach bus now since early 2020. I was scheduled back on 2-10-24 for the CHICAGO AUTO SHOW. But it was cancelled likely due to lack of interest. Oh well.
Lol puffs hahaha 🤣
Tourrider looks small next to the MCIs.
Great video, but now I'm hungry.
Lol sorry about that 😬. Thank you for your comment
James
I was 23 when I got my first charter bus driving job. The Yellowstone Park Co, operating tours and giving running commentary in the national park.
Quick question, how long does it take to go back and get the camera after filming an establishing shot? (Backing out of your garage, pulling the busses out of the shop and driving away etc
I love all your videos.
Hey thank you for the kind words. It depends on how many times I need to redo the take. But I always leave an extra hour for myself for whatever I need to do. Doesn't take long to go back and get the camera though. Probably an extra 5 minutes? The key here is not to interfere with safety and the passengers needs when I'm making these videos.
As a dispatcher, i wasn't a fan of having a two or three bus move with two different makes of buses. Unless it was an extreme circumstance, i tried to make sure all 2 or 3 buses were of the same make and model. Obviously that may or may not be possible in a twn bus move, but passengers can tell if they are in a newer bus or not. Passengers aren't particularly crazy about being on an older bus when they are on aa move involving a new bus
GO ILLINI!
Thinking about purchasing my first coach for a small tour company company I operate. Going to get something brand new. I've looked at the J4500 and H3-45. Tourrider is interesting too. Not sure what to do,
What software is that for displaying vehicle assignments/information?
Its a software I built in house with a team of programmers. Its called Unifleet. We have been building, improving and using it for the past 8 years. We will soon be selling it. It allows a bus company to do everything under one roof. From Driver physicals, to inventory, to dispatch, to maintenance and charter sales/bookings. We developed it to our needs.
Hey James, quick question. Having driven both American and European designed buses now, which do you prefer?
Hmmm. I would say the American coaches feel like home to me. There is a certain comfort when I'm in the cockpit of a MCI. But the European coaches feel exciting to me. I get bored driving the MCI sometimes. So its a special day for me when I'm in something like a Tourrieder. If I know that im in for a tough day and a day full of challenges, I would choose to be in a MCI. In those circumstances the less I have to think about the better. So its nice to be in a coach that I know like the back of my hand.
Nice Benz bus
James and Dennis is my 偶像
James, I'm curious as to how the Tourrider is performing after a year compared to the rest of the fleet. I noticed a crack in the body above the right taillight. Is that the result of fatigue or driver error?
No one of our drivers tail swung the rear end into our garage door while pulling it out of the garage.
When is the rest of the electric bus vlogs coming?
I'm. It sure. I'm going to try to make the entire trip into one long video. But haven't had time to edit all the footage yet
Have a question for you. I was looking at chartering a bus for my group and I reached out to one bus company and when I received contract it showed another bus company below their name on contract. Does that mean the two companies merged together? Or they will use company below name to fulfill the trip?
Sounds like they contracted your trip out to another bus company. That happens when companies run out of drivers or buses... But they should let you know before they do that. Hope it works out. Safe travels
Hey James can you pick me up in Louisiana on your next trip Branson Mo.
10:12 - matching Air Max 90's
lol A shoe enthusiast! Nice
I was wondering if new buses had TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems) in them. I also know truckers who say “Pump, don’t thump,” but you are “thumping.” Why do you thump the tires, and not check the air pressure?
We do both. Tpms and tire thump. It's part of our pre trip.
I have an observation/question about the TOURRIDER as well as VAN-HOOL and TEMSA. When or will they ever adopt the same wheel type as MCI and PREVOST? That way operators could interchange wheels throughout the fleet regardless of builder. I guess tend to be a curmudgeon who thinks that standardization is a good thing so don’t mind me. 🤓
Thats the type of wheels that are common in Europe. So unless their factories over there can stock up on them or they become standard over there, they will probably never adopt the same kind of wheels we use here. But Great observation and question.
@@JWangvlogs I realize that it will never happen now. However, I love to imagine what an MCI or PREVOST of today would look like with those old cast spoke wheels. School buses had those type well into the 1990’s but never saw them on a modern transit over over the road bus. Obviously the disc wheels are better on all fronts. I always thought they were neat.
@@crabbymilton390 oh man I totally know what you're talking about! I remember seeing school buses with those type of wheels when I was a kid. I love the way they looked. I had never seen anything like that coming here from China.
Out of a nostalgia it would be great if one of these bus manufacturers would make a bus that could mount those wheels to celebrate an anniversary of something . Haha thanks for bringing back those memories for me
@@JWangvlogs You learn something new all the time James. I thought you were born here. Now I wish I had photo doctoring software to create a picture of a J4500 with cast spoke wheels.
Feels weird that your youngest driver is 24 😅 I know it’s not the same thing but I started out at my School Bus Company driving at 19 years old and there were quite a few drivers that did the same before me
Most motorcoach companies cannot employe drivers younger than 25 years old.
Mainly due to insurance company policies.
We managed to convince our insurance to allow us to lower the age to 23.
@@JWangvlogs Strange. A 22 year old can fly a twin Sikorsky S-76, or an Airbus A-320, but not a coach bus?
Motorcoach companies in North America are typically limited to hiring operators over 25. This rule is set by insurance companies. Most reputable insurance providers that offer 10 million dollar insurance policies will ser that limit. And most motorcoach companies that does business with any large organization such as universities are required to have 10 mil insurance policies. School buses are much cheaper to insure and according to insurance companies have lower liabilities. Plus .. universities and military contrasts will rarely hire school buses to transport them on long haul and mostly even short haul trips.
@@JWangvlogs I think it might depend on the state and insurance. My company also has a coach and transit division and they hire at 21
Hello James 🤙
Hey how are you! 👋
@@JWangvlogs I’m great having a great time driving the motorcoach 😄
@@DsVlogs360 I'm sooo happy to hear!!!! That's awesome. Maybe we will meet over the road one day! Stay safe!
@@JWangvlogs hopefully and you as well !!
I used to drive a setra bus they look similar to Mercedes
what was that black thing that is connected to the seat
Drivers mic.
So i have a question..
Now i know youve covered the types of coach needed to accommodate someone with a walker or wheelchair...but what about at airports like o hare. Say you have the correct coach... O hare like so many other airports has their pick up area for large vehicles like 6 lanes away from the door...
How could someone wheelchair bound even get there?
Then are the curbs designed to allow for wheelchair lifts etc etc...
I watched this going...how the heck would that work
Hey James, what bus is 218? Be safe in Chicago today and that is where Route 66 begins and ends if you start at Santa Monica, California
Is possible the accidently leave a bus in the knelling position and gome home.🤔
Good question. In the past it probably was. The old D models you could kneel and it would stay that way. You could feel it riding on the frame it would be a really bumpy ride. But today's motor coaches once you put it in drive will automatically raise the bus before it lets you hit the accelerator.
@@JWangvlogs Thank you for answering my question. 👍
I have a tractor trailer license if I want to be a bus driver would I need to take a test for passenger endorsement
Yes
Would your company take on an Irish driver
Well you saw Ciaran driving with me. He's Irish! lol. Yes absolutely. I would take drivers from any part of the world as long as he or she is a good driver and a good person. You have to love people and buses to enjoy this job. That is what we are looking for.
TMI about the guy doing his thing with his nose.
What town (or corn field lol) is the Apple Dumpling?
Please don't tap on the board you will scare the trips
lol
I don't think I would get on a bus with a 23 or 24 year old driver. I think regular car insurance still considers 25 and younger a high risk!
My pilot instructor was only 22 years old when he was accepted at the airlines, and flies Boeing 777’s.
3:50 who cracked the bus
Yeah I know right! Someone forgot about the tail swing on these things.
Did you report it to the macanic yet
@@Chinemeremdozie I didn't.. the driver that did the damage reported it. It happened awhile ago. We are still waiting for parts.
There is a kid who works for your bus company he’s Asian do you know who he is? He does the same company you do.
Yes his name is Albert. He is a great guy.
Keep up the good work
Do you guys have foot blinkers or still on the column?
geteilte windschutzscheibe 🤢 split windshield also the mirrows ...why so many displays to bright
James . I’m a bus driver . Love the ride . Subscribed and will follow
Bryan_SFO