Peoria Charter Coach
Peoria Charter Coach is a third-generation, family-owned motorcoach company founded in 1941 that runs scheduled daily shuttles between Central Illinois (Peoria, Urbana-Champaign, Bloomington-Normal, Purdue) and Chicago airports/downtown, plus charter, private minivan, and travel-agency services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1941
- HeadquartersPeoria, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Peoria Charter Coach does
Peoria Charter Coach (legal name: Peoria Charter) is a third-generation, family-owned ground transportation company headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, founded in December 1941 and now led by CEO/owner James Wang following a transition from the founding Winkler family. The company operates a fleet of 64 motorcoaches (mix of 56-passenger and 38-passenger vehicles from MCI, VanHool, and Prevost) equipped with clean diesel technology, 110V outlets at every seat, Wi-Fi, reclining seats, restrooms, and wheelchair-lift capability available on 48-hour notice, supported by more than 100 professional drivers.
The business operates four product lines from terminals in Peoria, Urbana-Champaign, and Chicago: (1) scheduled daily shuttle service on fixed routes connecting Peoria, Urbana-Champaign, Bloomington-Normal, and Purdue to Chicago O'Hare, Midway, downtown Chicago, and suburban stops — tickets sold online, by phone (24/7 call center), and at terminals; (2) charter bus rentals for school trips, athletic events, weddings, corporate and convention groups, priced via quote; (3) Private Rides minivan service (up to 3 passengers) at flat or hourly rates; and (4) Peoria Charter Travel, a wholly-owned full-service travel agency offering vacation packages, tours, and hotel bookings with exclusive O'Hare-area partner rates.
Revenue is generated through per-ticket shuttle fares (with holiday surcharges on Christmas Eve/Day and Thanksgiving), quote-based charter bookings requiring a deposit of $200 or 15% of the trip total plus sliding-scale diesel fuel surcharges, flat-rate and hourly private ride fees, and ancillary travel-agency commissions. Customer segments center on university students and staff (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Bradley University, Illinois State, Purdue) for shuttles, K-12 and athletic programs for charters, event-driven group organizers, and individual travelers seeking private transport — yielding a distributed, mostly long-tail demand base across the Midwest, with no institutional investor or parent company disclosed.
Peoria Charter Coach firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Peoria Charter Coach
- Legal name
- Peoria Charter
- Website
- https://peoriacharter.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1941
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Peoria Charter Coach is a third-generation, family-owned motorcoach company founded in 1941 that runs scheduled daily shuttles between Central Illinois (Peoria, Urbana-Champaign, Bloomington-Normal, Purdue) and Chicago airports/downtown, plus charter, private minivan, and travel-agency services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Peoria Charter Coach industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Intercity motorcoach transportation services
- NAICS
- Charter Bus Industry (485510), Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (485210), Charter Bus Industry (4855)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Charter & Tour Coach Operators (TLAFAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scheduled Intercity Coach Operators (TLAFAFAA), Motorcoach Charter (Private Group Hire) (THAIAIAA), Economy/Conventional Scheduled Intercity Bus Services (THAIADAE)
Keywords
Where Peoria Charter Coach is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Peoria
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Peoria Charter Coach business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Daily Shuttle Service: Scheduled daily bus service between Central Illinois cities (Peoria, Urbana-Champaign, Bloomington-Normal) and Chicagoland (Chicago O'Hare, Midway, Downtown Chicago, and suburbs). Revenue generated from ticket sales per passenger.
- Charter Bus Service: Motorcoach charter services for groups including school trips, sporting events, conventions, weddings, and other group travel. Priced via quote request, includes professional driver, amenities, and optional Wi-Fi and alcohol service.
- Private Rides: Minivan transportation service for up to 3 passengers with 24-hour advance booking. Offers flat rates for airport/suburb transfers and hourly rates for custom destinations with minimum 3-hour requirement.
- Peoria Charter Travel (Full-Service Travel Agency): Full-service travel agency offering vacation packages, tours, and travel planning. Serves as an additional revenue stream through tour bookings and associated services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mini Van Private Ride - Standard Trip |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Mini Van Private Ride - Custom/Hourly |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Daily Shuttle Tickets |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Charter Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Peoria Charter Coach product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Peoria Charter Coach operates scheduled daily motorcoach shuttles connecting Central Illinois (Peoria, Urbana-Champaign, Bloomington-Normal, Purdue) to Chicagoland (O'Hare Multi-Modal Facility, Midway, Downtown Chicago and suburbs). In addition to scheduled routes, the company rents 56-passenger and 38-passenger motorcoaches with professional drivers for charter groups (schools, athletic events, weddings, conventions, corporate travel), offers private minivan rides for individuals and small groups, and runs a wholly-owned full-service travel agency, Peoria Charter Travel, selling vacation packages and tours.
Product overview
Peoria Charter Coach is a third-generation, family-owned transportation company founded in 1941, offering a portfolio of ground transportation services: Scheduled Daily Shuttle Service (fixed-route buses between Central Illinois and Chicago), Charter Bus Services (rentals of 56-passenger and 38-passenger motorcoaches with professional drivers), Private Rides (minivan service for smaller groups), and Peoria Charter Travel (full-service travel agency). The company operates 64 vehicles from terminals in Peoria, IL, Urbana-Champaign, IL, and Chicago, IL, serving approximately 400,000 passengers annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Peoria Charter Travel: Full-service travel agency offering vacation packages, tours, and travel planning services for groups.
Products and services
- Scheduled Daily Shuttle Service Fixed-route daily motorcoach transportation with multiple daily departures between Central Illinois cities and Chicago airports/downtown, sold as individual tickets through peoriacharter.com or by phone via the 24/7 call center; intended for students, faculty, families and individual travelers needing intercity airport/suburb transfers.
- Charter Bus Services Quote-based motorcoach rental of 56-passenger and 38-passenger motorcoaches with a professional driver for groups; amenities include 110V outlets at every seat, reclining seats, overhead carry-on storage, DVD players, PA system, Wi-Fi, restroom, and optional alcohol service; wheelchair-lift-equipped vehicles available with 48-hour advance notice; for school trips, athletic events, weddings, conventions, corporate events, church outings and civic events.
- Private Rides Minivan transportation for individuals and small groups (up to 3 passengers), booked at least 24 hours in advance; flat-rate pricing for airport and suburb transfers between scheduled stops, and hourly pricing for custom destinations; intended for travelers seeking more privacy than bus travel.
- Peoria Charter Travel Full-service travel agency offering vacation packages, group tours and travel planning for individuals and groups; wholly-owned operating subsidiary of Peoria Charter Coach.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving approximately 400,000 passengers with clean, comfortable coaches and professional drivers
Companies that use Peoria Charter Coach
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Peoria Charter Coach technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Peoria Charter Coach partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- IMG (Interstate Motorcoach Association)minorIndustry association membership demonstrating industry standing and compliance with motorcoach industry standards and best practices.
- ABA (American Bus Association)minorIndustry association membership representing the bus and motorcoach industry for advocacy and standards.
- UMA (United Motorcoach Association)minorIndustry trade association providing networking, advocacy, and industry recognition including the Environmental Leadership Award won in 2023.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Peoria Charter Coach competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Windstar Lines: Windstar Lines is a regional charter and shuttle motorcoach operator serving the Midwest with university, corporate and event charter demand comparable to Peoria Charter.
- Megabus: Megabus operates low-cost scheduled intercity bus service across the Midwest, including Midwest-to-Chicago corridors. It competes directly with Peoria Charter's scheduled shuttle products for price-sensitive travelers.
- Becker Bus Lines: Becker Bus Lines runs a Midwest motorcoach charter and scheduled service operation with similar mix of school, corporate and group travel customers as Peoria Charter.
- Burlington Trailways: Burlington Trailways operates scheduled and charter motorcoach services in the Midwest, including routes into Chicago, with a comparable mix of university, group and charter demand—the closest peer to Peoria Charter's hybrid scheduled/charter model.
- Vandalia Motorcoach (Vandalia Bus Lines): Vandalia operates charter and scheduled motorcoach services based in the Midwest, with strong group travel and university segment presence—a direct functional analogue to Peoria Charter.
Broad incumbents
- Coach USA: Coach USA operates a portfolio of scheduled, charter and airport transportation brands across multiple U.S. regions. It overlaps Peoria Charter's airport shuttle and charter offerings as part of a wider multi-region portfolio.
- Greyhound: Greyhound is the largest scheduled intercity bus network in North America, including service into Chicago and Central Illinois cities. It is a broader incumbent rather than a niche Midwest charter specialist.
Emerging players
- FlixBus: FlixBus operates scheduled intercity coach service across the U.S., including expanding Midwest coverage. It competes with Peoria Charter's scheduled shuttles for student and leisure travelers.
Regional players
- Indian Trails / Miller Transportation: Indian Trails (Miller Transportation) operates scheduled and charter intercity bus service in Michigan and the Midwest, comparable in route structure and university ridership mix to Peoria Charter.
Others
- Motor Coach Industries (MCI): MCI is the manufacturer of the motorcoaches in Peoria Charter's fleet. It is an equipment supplier and ecosystem partner (and also the publisher announcing Peoria Charter's UMA Environmental Leadership Award) rather than a competitive peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Peoria Charter Coach social profiles
Digital presencePeoria Charter Coach financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Peoria Charter Coach leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Peoria Charter Coach subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Peoria Charter Coach funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Peoria Charter Coach M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Peoria Charter Coach
What does Peoria Charter Coach do?
Peoria Charter Coach operates scheduled daily motorcoach shuttles connecting Central Illinois (Peoria, Urbana-Champaign, Bloomington-Normal, Purdue) to Chicagoland (O'Hare Multi-Modal Facility, Midway, Downtown Chicago and suburbs). In addition to scheduled routes, the company rents 56-passenger and 38-passenger motorcoaches with professional drivers for charter groups (schools, athletic events, weddings, conventions, corporate travel), offers private minivan rides for individuals and small groups, and runs a wholly-owned full-service travel agency, Peoria Charter Travel, selling vacation packages and tours.
Is Peoria Charter Coach a public or private company?
Peoria Charter Coach is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Peoria Charter Coach founded?
Peoria Charter Coach was founded in 1941. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Peoria Charter Coach based?
Peoria Charter Coach is headquartered in Peoria, United States, in the North America region.
How does Peoria Charter Coach make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Daily Shuttle Service is the primary driver. The others are charter Bus Service, private Rides and peoria Charter Travel (Full-Service Travel Agency).
Who are Peoria Charter Coach's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Windstar Lines, Megabus, Becker Bus Lines, Burlington Trailways and Vandalia Motorcoach (Vandalia Bus Lines). Broad incumbents are Coach USA and Greyhound. FlixBus is listed as an emerging player. Indian Trails / Miller Transportation is listed as a regional player. Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is listed as an others.
Does Peoria Charter Coach have an API?
No public API is recorded for Peoria Charter Coach.
What industry is Peoria Charter Coach in?
Peoria Charter Coach's product category is Intercity motorcoach transportation services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFAFAB, Charter & Tour Coach Operators, with a secondary code of TLAFAFAA, Scheduled Intercity Coach Operators. Its NAICS code is 485510 and its SIC code is 4100.