America’s Bus Dealer®
As the Nation’s longest-established, family-owned bus dealer, Schetky Bus and Van Sales has served our customers’ transportation needs for more than 75 years. We attribute our longevity in transportation to providing the best customer experience, and to selling vehicles that are known for their quality and reliability. At Schetky Bus and Van Sales, we will work with you over the lifetime of your vehicle to make sure you get the most out of your investment.
Schetky Bus and Van Sales is a dealer for both Commercial Buses, School Buses, Mobility Vans, and Passenger Vans. Our customers range from Assisted Living Communities, Public Transit Agencies, School Districts, Casinos, Churches, Child Care Facilities, Medical Transportation, and Limousine Companies. The vehicles we sell are the industry leaders in sales volume and rank the highest in safety by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). They are also available in ADA configurations, along with alternative fuels and electric options.
History Timeline
For decades, Schetky has been a prominent name in the transportation industry. Our tradition of providing the best customer service and the highest quality products define our past and lead us into the future. Take a look below for a summary of our accomplishments as the Northwest’s leader of transportation.
Jack Schetky assembled the first school bus west of the Mississippi River.
Jack built 65 buses with trailers to transport shipyard workers.
The company opened for business under the name of Roots and Schetky. Their first non-governmental sale was a flatbed truck to Mr. Fred Meyer, founder of the popular store chain at Meyer's original location.
Jack helped write the original Washington State school bus code.
Jack Schetky and son John purchased the Roots portion of the company and changed the name to Schetky Equipment.
John Schetky helped write the original Oregon State school bus code and what may have been one of the shortest bills passed in Oregon. It read: "School districts shall have the authority to lease school buses."
Schetky was the original approved bus sales company for the new State of Alaska. Jack Schetky helped write the official Alaska State school bus codes.
John Schetky and son Randy changed the name to Schetky Northwest Sales.
Schetky chooses to begin selling Champion Buses, and then ElDorado National shortly thereafter, in what amounted to their standing as one of the nation’s top-selling commercial bus dealers.
John Schetky retires, and son Randy Schetky becomes the company’s new President.
Schetky purchases local School Bus Dealer, Larsen Bus Sales, and subsequently begins selling Thomas Built Buses. To accommodate the increase in sales and quantity of School Buses, Schetky moves into a new, larger facility located near the Portland Airport.
Schetky introduces the industry's first national delivery service to include titling and licensing in all 50 States. This "Turnkey" program allows fleets to purchase vehicles for any destination, and that vehicle to be delivered with the proper licensing already done, plate included. Prior to this, customers were required to license their own buses and vans if they purchased from an out-of-state dealer. This program made Schetky the preferred dealer of national fleets. Schetky's superior after-the-sale support solidified that preference.
Schetky opens its Lakewood Service Facility, to service customers in the Puget Sound region.
Schetky opens its Pasco Service Facility, to service customers in the Eastern Washington region.
Schetky opens its Mt. Vernon Service Facility, to service customers North of Seattle. Combined with the Lakewood Service Facility, Schetky offers the premier service experience for Western Washington customers.
Schetky expands its Commercial Bus operations into the State of Arizona, by opening their Tolleson Sales Office and Service Facility. This expansion was determined to better support the customers of Arizona and to provide an increased level of service.
Schetky expands its Pasco Service Facility and builds a new state-of-the-art Paint Booth, which can fit buses and vans of all sizes.
To best prepare National Account buses prior to delivery, Schetky opened its Salina, Kansas service facility. Not only is this located near one of Schetky’s major suppliers, but it is also centrally located in the US and serves as a hub for vehicles being delivered both east and west.
Schetky earns the highest honor in customer experience, by being named a Thomas Platinum Support Dealer.
AMERICA'S BUS DEALER®
Schetky offers the most innovative and highly awarded vehicles in the commercial and school bus industries. And our commitment to quality after-sales support is as strong today as it was nearly 80 years ago.
Thomas Built Buses Platinum Support
Schetky Bus and Van Sales is built around providing customer support, and with our award-winning service facilities, we are best suited to take care of your fleet needs. Schetky has earned the highest honor in customer experience, by being named a Thomas Platinum Support Dealer. The Platinum Support program was instituted by Thomas Built Buses and focuses on implementing lean concepts to continuously improve the customer experience. The program ignites a culture change within the dealership to maximize customer satisfaction while encouraging efficient operations. To become certified as a Platinum Support provider, the dealer must meet 123 individual criteria in 24 areas. These standards are scored by an independent third party and sustained by weekly internal audits. Each year, dealers must conduct and pass an external recertification audit to maintain their certification.
Our customers experience many benefits from our Platinum Support certification, including:
- Reduced costs: Lean processes lead to our customers paying less for labor and rework service.
- Fast and efficient repairs: Organized workspaces and processes ensure there is no lag time in getting your vehicle back on the road.
- Timely communication: Our Premier Assessment service provides customers with a repair assessment, plan of repair, and estimate within 24 hours.
- Unparalleled customer service: A customer-focused culture ensures that you’ll receive top-notch, courteous service every call, every visit, every time
Facilities
As a service-focused dealer, Schetky has put their money where their mouth is and opened multiple service facilities, strategically located to best serve their loyal customers. Whether a customer needs wheelchair maintenance, air-conditioning service, or even a new paint scheme for their bus, Schetky has the best service facilities to coordinate a customer’s repairs. The service locations are:
Staff
Our Service, Parts and Sales staff will be happy to assist you in selecting the right products to better serve your customers. We understand that there are many options available and that a professional opinion can greatly help in the decision-making process. Our Sales team has over 250 years of combined bus sales experience, and our parts department has over 250 years of combined bus parts experience. We are proud of our employees’ expertise and will gladly help when it comes time for discussions regarding your business’ transportation.