Ground Transport Inc.
Ground Transport Inc. is a Hawaii-based, founder-owned school bus company providing daily student transportation under contract with the Hawaii Department of Education across Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island, plus charter bus services for community organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersHonolulu, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ground Transport Inc. does
Ground Transport Inc. is a Hawaii-based, founder-owned school bus transportation company founded in 1990 and led by President Louis Gomes. The company provides daily student transportation primarily under contract with the Hawaii Department of Education across three Hawaiian islands (Oahu since 1991, Maui since 2017, and Hawaii Island since Fall 2024), serving public schools with regular-education buses plus specialized ambulatory and wheelchair vehicles staffed with trained aides for special-needs students. Ground Transport complements its contracted DOE work with private charter bus services for nonprofits, churches, private schools, senior centers, and community organizations.
The operating fleet consists of 140+ school buses equipped with GPS tracking, video surveillance cameras, and two-way communications systems for driver-dispatch coordination, supported by more than 200 employees including CDL-certified drivers, van aides, mechanics, and an in-house training program. Technology is operational and safety-focused rather than data- or AI-driven; there is no proprietary software platform, mobile app, or public API.
The business model is sales-led with two principal revenue streams: (1) recurring, contract-based public school transportation revenue from the Hawaii DOE, structured around school-year routes with charter add-ons for field trips; and (2) transactional charter bus rental revenue priced on a quote basis for community and nonprofit groups. Go-to-market relies on direct relationships with government procurement, school administrators, and community organizations, supported by radio, newspaper, and social media outreach primarily for recruitment rather than demand generation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per contract or per charter engagement.
Ground Transport Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ground Transport Inc.
- Legal name
- Ground Transport Inc.
- Website
- https://groundtransportinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Ground Transport Inc. is a Hawaii-based, founder-owned school bus company providing daily student transportation under contract with the Hawaii Department of Education across Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island, plus charter bus services for community organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ground Transport Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- School Bus Transportation Services
- NAICS
- School and Employee Bus Transportation (485410), Special Needs Transportation (485991), Charter Bus Industry (48551)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- School Bus Transportation Operations (Home-to-School, Field Trips, Athletics) (EDAEADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- School & Student Demand-Responsive Transport (THAIAHAF), School & Youth Group Charters (Non-Route) (THAIAIAD), Wheelchair-Accessible & Lift-Equipped School Transportation (EDAKAOAB), Transportation Operations (Routing, Eligibility, Bus Compliance) (EDAJAHAI)
Keywords
Where Ground Transport Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Honolulu
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Ground Transport Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Public School Transportation Contracts: Contract-based transportation services for Hawaii Department of Education public schools on Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island, providing daily bus services as well as charter services for field trips
- Charter Bus Rental Services: Private charter services for non-profit organizations, churches, senior centers, youth clubs, and other groups for special events, field trips, and excursions
- Special Education Transportation: Specialized transportation services for students with disabilities, including ambulatory and wheelchair vehicles with trained aides
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Charter bus rental - quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ground Transport Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ground Transport Inc. provides daily school bus transportation for Hawaii public school students, including regular education and special education routes, under contract with the Hawaii Department of Education. The company also offers private charter bus rentals to non-profits, churches, senior centers, youth clubs, and other community groups for field trips and special events, and operates special-needs van services with trained aides and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Product overview
Ground Transport Inc. operates as a single, unified school bus transportation service with complementary charter offerings. The company's core product is Public School Transportation Service, providing daily bus routes for regular and special needs students across Oahu, Maui, and soon Hawaii Island. Supporting this core service is the Charter School Bus Rental product, offering private charter services for nonprofits, churches, and community organizations. The company also provides Special Education Van Services with specialized vehicles and trained personnel. Together, these services serve public and private schools, nonprofits, church organizations, senior citizens, and private individuals. The company operates over 140 school buses and employs more than 200 staff members, differentiating through safety standards, technology investments (GPS and cameras), comprehensive driver training programs, and competitive employee benefits.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Public School Transportation Service Contract-based daily bus transportation service for Hawaii Department of Education public schools on Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island. Provides regular AM/PM routes for regular education students and is expanding to Hawaii Island for Fall 2024. Service is contracted through the DOE rather than sold to individual consumers.
- Charter School Bus Rental Quote-based private charter bus rental service for non-profit organizations, churches, senior centers, youth clubs, preschools, and community groups across Hawaii. Used for field trips, extracurricular activities, corporate retreats, and special events at affordable rates with professionally trained drivers.
- Special Education Van Services Specialized transportation for preschool through 12th grade students with mobility and developmental disabilities, using ambulatory and wheelchair-accessible vehicles with trained aides on curb-to-curb routes. Service is provided under the public school transportation contract and to private school special education programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 81 new school buses delivered to Maui in 2017 to launch operations
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Ground Transport Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ground Transport Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Ground Transport Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Make-A-Wish FoundationminorGround Transport supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation through charitable contributions and community involvement. Louis and Cheryl Gomes actively support the organization's mission to grant wishes for children.
- Pearlridge CenterminorGround Transport partnered with Pearlridge Center for the 'Stuff the Bus' campaign to collect school supplies for Hawaii's approximately 3,000 homeless students. Donations were distributed directly to HIDOE for homeless families.
- Hawaii Department of EducationcoreGround Transport secured a contract with Hawaii DOE to provide school bus services to public schools. The company was awarded routes for three Maui school complexes (high schools and their feeder schools) and currently services hundreds of schools across Oahu, Maui, and is expanding to Hawaii Island.
- A-Z Bus Sales / Blue BirdminorBus manufacturer partnership for procurement of 81 new school buses with safety features including video surveillance cameras, GPS, and two-way communications systems. Blue Bird manufactured buses that were shipped to Hawaii.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ground Transport Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Durham School Services: Durham School Services is one of the largest U.S. student transportation contractors, operating thousands of school buses nationwide under contract with public school districts. It is a direct competitor for Hawaii DOE-style multi-school district contracts, with comparable fleet-based operating model.
- National Express / Student Transportation of America: National Express is a U.K.-headquartered public transit and school bus conglomerate whose North American subsidiary (formerly Student Transportation of America) is among the largest U.S. school bus operators. Direct competitor for contracted student transportation services at similar scale to Ground Transport's HIDOE work.
- Roberts Hawaii: Roberts Hawaii is Hawaii's largest locally owned ground transportation company, offering charter buses, tours, and group transportation across the Hawaiian islands. Direct competitor for Ground Transport's charter bus segment, with shared island geography and customer overlap (nonprofits, schools, senior groups).
- First Student: First Student is the largest school bus transportation services provider in North America, operating a fleet of ~40,000 buses serving school districts across the U.S. and Canada. It directly competes for large public school district contracts like Ground Transport's Hawaii DOE relationship, though at significantly greater scale.
- MTR Western: MTR Western is a school and student transportation contractor operating bus fleets across the Western U.S. (Pacific Northwest, California). Direct competitor in contracted school bus operations with similar mid-sized regional fleet model.
- Alpha School Bus Company: Alpha School Bus Company is a family-owned student transportation provider serving school districts on the West Coast. Mid-sized direct peer with comparable business model — contract-based school bus service with safety-focused operations.
- E Noa Corporation: E Noa Corporation is a Hawaii-based tour and ground transportation operator offering charter services, airport transfers, and group excursions across Oahu and other islands. Direct competitor for Ground Transport's charter bus segment in the Hawaii market.
Broad incumbents
- Coach USA: Coach USA is a large national charter, tour, and scheduled bus operator with multiple regional brands. Competes with Ground Transport's charter bus business as a broad incumbent in the group transportation space, though not specialized in school transportation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ground Transport Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceGround Transport Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ground Transport Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Ground Transport Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ground Transport Inc. 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 Ground Transport Inc.
What does Ground Transport Inc. do?
Ground Transport Inc. provides daily school bus transportation for Hawaii public school students, including regular education and special education routes, under contract with the Hawaii Department of Education. The company also offers private charter bus rentals to non-profits, churches, senior centers, youth clubs, and other community groups for field trips and special events, and operates special-needs van services with trained aides and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Is Ground Transport Inc. a public or private company?
Ground Transport Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ground Transport Inc. founded?
Ground Transport Inc. was founded in 1990. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Ground Transport Inc. based?
Ground Transport Inc. is headquartered in Honolulu, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ground Transport Inc. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Public School Transportation Contracts are the primary driver. The others are charter Bus Rental Services and special Education Transportation.
Who are Ground Transport Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Durham School Services, National Express / Student Transportation of America, Roberts Hawaii, First Student, MTR Western, Alpha School Bus Company and E Noa Corporation. Coach USA is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Ground Transport Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ground Transport Inc..
What industry is Ground Transport Inc. in?
Ground Transport Inc.'s product category is School Bus Transportation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEADAA, School Bus Transportation Operations (Home-to-School, Field Trips, Athletics), with a secondary code of THAIAHAF, School & Student Demand-Responsive Transport. Its NAICS code is 485410 and its SIC code is 4100.