N.C.’s Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) recently placed an order with Creative Bus Sales (CBS) for 19 Ford Spirit of Independence buses manufactured by ARBOC Specialty Vehicles LLC of Middlebury, Ind. The nearly 20-bus contract is the largest order ARBOC has received for the new product.

CATS operates bus and rail service around the Charlotte metropolitan area with their Sprinter line, LYNX Blue Line, and CityLYNX Gold Line. Due to the safety and dependability expected from ARBOC and the low cost of ownership, the new Spirit of Independence on the Ford Transit chassis will be a welcome addition to the CATS fleet, according to Kim Yoder, national sales manager for ARBOC.

“We could not be more excited to form a partnership with Charlotte Area Transit System with this initial bus order,” she says. “With a strong partner like Creative Bus Sales, we are confident the client and their customers will be thrilled with the new vehicles and the support that they receive after delivery.”

CBS works directly with Charlotte to provide sales, service, and parts support. The company was formed in 1980 and has expanded greatly in the years since, now having over 20 locations nationwide.