Frequently Asked Questions

Our dedicated team will work with you on a custom payment plan. Our average hourly rate is between $85 – $125 and is based on vehicle type, event size, location and timing. The average school bus rental is up to 50% cheaper than renting a coach bus.​

Yes! Regardless of your event size and whether it’s a multi-day or multi-venue event, First Charter is here to help you with your event transportation needs, including transportation for parking lot and employee shuttles, large event and festival shuttles, marathons, golf tournaments, corporate events, social outings, weddings, summer camps, after-school programs and more. With a fleet of over 45,000 buses, First Charter is North America’s largest and most trusted yellow school bus rental provider.

Your safety is our foremost priority. First Charter bus drivers must pass a comprehensive pre-employment screening and motor vehicle background check, including DOT drug testing, ensuring that they are compliant with federal, state and local laws. Once the drivers join our team, they receive continued DOT random drug testing and, and undergo up to 47 hours of training on safe driving habits and behavior, such as the  Smith System of Advanced Driving Techniques. 

Leasing a bus with First Charter is renting only the bus for your groups needs. With leased vehicles, your group provides the licensed CDL drivers and insurance to transport your group. First Charter will not provide our own drivers for your leased vehicles. Leasing a bus is only available in U.S. markets.

At First Charter, we offer flexible vehicle types, including accessibility options. Our full-size, standard (Type C school bus) yellow school buses can accommodate up to approximately 48 adults per bus or approximately 72 children per bus. We also offer charter bus rentals with minibuses (Type A mini and Type B small school buses), transit bus (Type D school bus), and passenger and sprinter vans. Bus sizes vary by location. Visit our school bus vehicle types page to explore available options.

Yes! Regardless of your group size, multi-day or multi-venue event, First Charter is here to help you with your school bus rental needs. We have over 45,000 flexible vehicle types in 400 locations across 41 U.S. states and 8 Canadian Provinces. So, whether your with a group of friends for a night out or you need to shuttle over a thousand riders to a large event, we’ll safely shuttle your party between locations, keeping your event on schedule and affordable. Visit our school bus vehicle types page to explore available options.

Getting a quote is easy! Simply fill out our Bus Charter Quote form or give us a call. Our expert team will help assess your needs and provide a personalized, no obligation estimate. Once you’re booked with us, enjoy a stress-free and safe transportation experience!

Yes, in select markets. Our First View bus tracking mobile app can be utilized by your campers’ parents to track the status of the bus. The mobile app is free for parents to download and is available in the App Store and Google Play. As a camp organizer, you will also have full visibility into all camp bus routes in our dashboard desktop version. If this is something your camp would be interested in learning more about, be sure to discuss this add-on benefit with our dedicated charter team at the time of booking.

On average, we provide over 1,000 large event shuttles for marathons/races, tournaments, college game days, pro sporting events, celebrations, music festivals, conventions and conferences. Don’t see your type of large event listed? No worries, still reach out to our team! We pride ourselves on being a custom charter bus rental that aligns with your event needs and will partner with you to safely move hundreds or 1,000+ attendee events. ​ ​

Because of our size and resources, we can normally accommodate all event sizes. With over 35,000 flexible vehicle types spanning 400 locations in 41 states, First Student is the largest and most trusted yellow school bus company in the U.S. Our standard yellow school buses can accommodate up to 72 children or 48 adults per bus.​ Bus sizes vary by location.

Our charter customer support team will work with you on a custom leased solution that works for you and your group. Our standard bus leasing terms usually are a minimum of a month-long leasing agreement. The price will be based on vehicle type, estimated mileage, location and timing. ​

Booking a bus lease for your group is quick and simple at First Charter. Get started today by submitting a free, no-obligation quote and our dedicated charter team will immediately get to work to help create a custom solution for you. Once you’re booked with us, enjoy a stress-free and safe transportation experience.

Air conditioning on the buses is not available in all markets. A/C buses can be requested and will be confirmed at the time of reservation confirmation.

We want your transportation to be seamless. Leading up to the event day, we provide detailed arrival and departure timelines. If something unexpected happens the day of your event, we provide all customers with a point of contact number that is available to support you. If you’re planning a large event, we’ll provide on-site coordinators to ensure your event goes smoothly.

Yes, in most cases. Talk with our charter customer support team about this in advance to ensure that we allow food and beverages on your bus while we’re transporting your group.

Yes! We take pride in offering the highest per-trip insurance coverage in the industry. First Student maintains at least $10,000,000 for all services, which is double the required minimum by the USDOT of $5,000,000 that most companies offer.​