New Motorcoach Sales Fall 5.6% Amid Trade Policy Uncertainty
American Bus Association (ABA) President/CEO Fred Ferguson said the motorcoach industry’s recovery in 2024 is now slowing due to higher supply chain costs, policy uncertainty, and declining buyer confidence linked to significant trade policy changes.
Participating manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada sold 453 new and 57 pre-owned coaches, for a total of 510 motorcoaches in Q2, compared with 480 during the second quarter of 2024, according to the American Bus Association Foundation’s latest Motorcoach Builders Survey.
Overall, sales of new motorcoaches have decreased by 5.6% compared to the same quarter in 2024, with the sale of pre-owned motorcoaches 26.9% lower, according to the report.
Ad Loading...
American Bus Association (ABA) President/CEO Fred Ferguson said the motorcoach industry’s recovery in 2024 is now slowing due to higher supply chain costs, policy uncertainty, and declining buyer confidence linked to significant trade policy changes.
“Deferred equipment purchases mean that vital safety and efficiency innovations — from lower-emission engines to collision mitigation technologies — are being kept off American roads. This doesn’t just impact passengers — it compromises the readiness of a strategic transportation reserve that supports troop movements, disaster recovery, and affordable intercity mobility,” said Ferguson. “If demand continues to weaken, the ripple effects will be felt by the more than 500,000 Americans who power the group travel economy and by U.S.-based manufacturers that produce the engines, transmissions, and parts essential to our fleet.”
Total Sales Percentage Change from 2022-2025.
Photo: American Bus Association Foundation
Q2 Motorcoach Sales Data
Q2 2025 data shows a 19.3% decrease compared to the same quarter in 2019. While Q4 2024 had shown a somewhat stronger recovery, with a more minor percentage decrease from the 2019 baseline, Q1 and Q2 2025 demonstrate a step back, according to the data.
Sales to both private and public entities decreased in Q2 compared to the same quarter in 2024, increasing by 5.2% and 16.7%, respectively.
Fred Ferguson, president and CEO of the American Bus Association (ABA), discussed how the industry prepares for emergencies, the growing recognition of motorcoaches as critical infrastructure, and steps operators can take to strengthen disaster readiness.
From advanced driver-assist systems to upgraded passenger amenities, leading manufacturers are refining proven coach platforms to meet evolving operator and rider expectations.
The Tidewater Current is the first east-to-west Virginia Breeze route, expanding access to key destinations including Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Williamsburg, Richmond, Charlottesville, Staunton, and Harrisonburg.
As the American Bus Association marks its 100th year, a new ABA Foundation report highlights the Marketplace’s role as a key revenue engine for the bus and group travel industry.
As motorcoaches navigate increasingly congested urban corridors filled with pedestrians, cyclists, scooters, and distracted drivers, safety leaders across the industry are confronting a growing challenge: visibility.