Checker Transport won the contract for Northern Michigan University’s charter busing needs, including the transportation of athletic teams, which came into effect Thursday, Jan. 2.
Previously, Checker Transport operated the Wildcat Shuttle, which provides transportation between Jacobetti, PEIF and LRC, and NMU had its own buses.

According to purchasing manager Steve Brown, NMU will be leasing its two buses to Checker Transport for 18 months, which is a trial period that will end June 2015.
“Depending on how that goes, we can keep the buses or sell them to Checker,” Brown said. The contract is a five-year agreement, set to end in January 2019.

In a Friday, Jan. 24 press release, Brown estimated that the agreement would save the university $13,000 a year.
“There will be no positions lost,” Brown said. “We don’t have the expense of maintenance. That falls on Checker and administration and scheduling also falls on Checker.”
Brown said leasing the buses to Checker also creates revenue for NMU.

According to Checker Transport owner Jesse Schramm, the contract will be beneficial to students.
“It will increase the types of services offered,” Schramm said. “We will be able to provide more amenities and newer equipment.”

According to Schramm, the agreement will also be beneficial to the Marquette community.
“We will hire more local people to work for us,” Schramm said.