As hurricane season ramps up in the Gulf Coast of the United States (June 1 – November 30), Hotard Coaches, a subsidiary of Australian-owned Kelsian Group, is showcasing the vital role bus operators play in disaster response.
Celebrating its 90th year of operation, Hotard is no stranger to crisis. With decades of experience transporting vulnerable people to safety and supporting post-disaster recovery efforts, the company is at the frontlines of evacuation, emergency response and infrastructure support during hurricanes and major incidents.
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Hotard Coaches general manager Julie Chalmers says the company’s hurricane response doesn’t begin in June, but is instead a year-round commitment.
“All of our team training includes disaster relief work, because when the disaster is here – it’s too late for training or planning – it’s go time,” Chalmers says.
With no two disasters ever the same, planning is structured around two key phases: pre-landfall evacuations and post-landfall recovery.
In the lead-up, Hotard is moving nursing home residents, university students and other vulnerable groups to safety. After the storm, they are supporting energy providers and infrastructure crews who need to get back in fast.
“Knowing what we can and cannot do safely is critical. We work with our customers to understand their needs and deliver the safest option for the conditions we’re facing at the time.”
When a hurricane is imminent, Chalmers says scheduled charter work is quickly paused and the fleet pivots to emergency response mode, working closely with other companies under the All Aboard America Holdings umbrella, such as First Class Transportation in Houston.
“The entire team unites to work in shifts to reschedule trips for current clients, but also to start deploying additional drivers and vehicles into services where they are needed most,” Chalmers says.
Hotard provides essential supplies like fuel, water, power and food at depots to ensure staff can work without worrying about how to look after their families.
“After one hurricane that hit the New Orleans area, gasoline was at a shortage. Many people had to wait in line for hours to fill up their cars and we didn’t want our employees to have the added stress of filling up their cars before or after work or lack of fuel to prevent them from coming to work at all,” she says.
“We worked with our local supplier, who was able to provide us with gas at our depot, so that our employees were able to fill up their cars.”
Now part of the Kelsian Group, the Australian-based public transport giant with operations across Australia, Singapore and the U.S., Hotard’s disaster preparedness has been supercharged with access to global resources and intelligence.
“We now have access to a global network of disaster relief transport talent, all the way from New Orleans to Australia,” Chalmers says.
Kelsian Group CEO Graeme Legh praised Hotard’s leadership in the emergency transport space.
“We’re incredibly proud of Hotard’s flexibility and unwavering commitment as a company that proactively safeguards communities and operations, ensuring resilience and recovery in the face of challenges,” Legh says.
He also noted the growing global relevance of buses.
“Motorcoaches are an incredibly versatile and cost-effective transport method – not just activated in times of crisis, but used daily to connect communities,” he says.
“They provide scalable services to support trunk routes or areas where permanent infrastructure isn’t viable or established, offering immediate, flexible, and reliable access for new suburbs, workforce camps, and industrial sites.”
While the U.S. hurricane season may seem far removed from Australia, many of the lessons from Hotard’s model are directly relevant to disaster-prone regions back home, from flood evacuations to bushfire recovery and rail replacement operations.
“Bus operators are critical partners in infrastructure planning, particularly in rail replacement projects,” Legh says.
“When rail lines are upgraded, maintained, or built, buses step in to keep cities moving.
“These services rely on a skilled bus sector to deliver safe, organised, high-volume transport solutions that ensure continuity for communities during major works.”
Legh says there is also growing demand for coach transport in workforce logistics and large-scale event planning.
“From moving mining and construction crews between sites and accommodation, to deploying bus fleets for concerts, conferences, and sporting events, buses offer a sustainable, scalable, and economical solution that protects people, boosts performance, and keeps cities and industries operating smoothly.”