When a transit agency invests in a new bus, the decision extends well beyond its purchase price. Vehicle availability, maintenance requirements, parts support and long-term operating costs all influence how reliably an agency can serve its community.
Yet agencies are making these decisions in a market facing limited choice, rising costs and complex procurement requirements. These challenges affect not only how vehicles are purchased, but also how agencies plan for fleet replacements and maintain service over time.
These issues provide important context for ABC Companies’ presence at APTA TRANSform & EXPO 2026 in Chicago, where the company showcased seven vehicles from six OEM partners and introduced COR Transit.
As ABC’s new heavy-duty transit bus manufacturer, COR Transit builds on more than 50 years of transportation experience to bring greater choice to the North American transit market.
Together, these developments highlighted the importance of giving agencies more options while addressing the operational needs that extend throughout a vehicle's service life.
Why Greater Competition Matters for Transit Agencies
The challenges facing the U.S. transit bus market are well documented.
A September 2025 joint AEI–Brookings study found that two manufacturers accounted for more than half of public transit bus contracts between 2019 and 2023.
For agencies planning fleet replacements, a concentrated manufacturing market can limit the number of suppliers available for consideration. Greater competition creates opportunities for agencies to evaluate different approaches to vehicle design, pricing, availability and support.
Procurement complexity adds another consideration.
The same research found that 68% of bus orders in its dataset differed from every other contract by at least one specification, with an average of just five buses per unique specification. This level of customization can limit production efficiency and complicate the purchasing process.
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has identified similar challenges. Its Bus Manufacturing Task Force 2.0 recommendations focus on greater standardization in bus configurations and procurement practices to help stabilize costs and strengthen the competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing supply chain.
For agencies, the opportunity lies in balancing operational requirements with more efficient procurement. Accessibility, passenger capacity, safety and route conditions remain essential, but greater consistency where practical can help manufacturers and agencies plan more effectively.
These considerations influence more than the initial purchase. They affect fleet replacement schedules, maintenance planning, training requirements and long-term operational costs.
Why ABC is Entering Heavy-Duty Transit Manufacturing
ABC's decision to enter heavy-duty transit manufacturing reflects more than 50 years of experience supporting transportation operators and responding to their changing needs.
Through vehicle distribution, maintenance, refurbishment, parts and technical support, ABC has developed a firsthand understanding of the challenges agencies face throughout a vehicle's operating life.
That experience, combined with the need for greater choice, helped shape the decision to introduce COR Transit.
As Roman Cornell, CEO of ABC Companies, shared in the official COR Transit announcement:
"For ABC, this did not start with a desire to become a manufacturer. It started with our customers."
COR Transit's first vehicle will be a 40-foot heavy-duty diesel transit bus designed for the North American market. The goal is to complete Altoona testing in 2027 and meet applicable Buy America requirements, with initial deliveries targeted for 2028.
As of October 2026, plans for U.S. manufacturing are underway, with the final location yet to be selected.
Applying Real-World Service Experience to Vehicle Development
Building a transit bus is one thing. Understanding what it takes to keep one operating year after year is another.
Across 10 service locations in North America, ABC works on transit vehicles from a wide range of manufacturers. From routine maintenance and diagnostics to major repairs and refurbishment, this daily work provides firsthand insight into how different vehicles perform, where maintenance challenges arise and how design decisions affect serviceability.
That knowledge has informed COR Transit's development from the beginning. Component accessibility, ease of maintenance, reliability and practical repair considerations are being incorporated into the design process, drawing directly from the experience of maintaining vehicles in daily operation.
The same foundation extends to parts and supplier relationships.
Through ABC Parts Source, ABC supplies parts to more than 700 transit agencies and has built longstanding relationships with established component manufacturers. Many of these suppliers are helping shape COR Transit's development, with plans to incorporate components from companies ABC has worked with and trusted for decades.
This approach brings together firsthand maintenance knowledge and established industry relationships, rather than building these capabilities from the ground up.
While COR Transit is still in development, the foundation is rooted in decades of real-world transit vehicle experience. The next steps will be to translate that knowledge into a reliable, serviceable product that earns the confidence of transit agencies through testing, performance and long-term support.
More Vehicle Options for Different Transportation Needs
While COR Transit marked a new chapter for ABC at APTA EXPO, the broader vehicle display reflected another important commitment: helping agencies identify transportation solutions that fit their current operations.
Not every service has the same requirements.
An agency managing paratransit operations may prioritize wheelchair accessibility and flexible passenger configurations. A community transportation provider may be evaluating passenger capacity, vehicle size and route suitability.
At Booth #631, ABC showcased seven vehicles from six OEM partners, giving attendees the opportunity to explore different vehicle configurations for accessible transportation, paratransit, community mobility and shuttle operations.
This range of options reflects its approach to helping agencies evaluate vehicles based on their operational requirements rather than approaching every transportation need with a single platform.
And its involvement extends beyond vehicle selection.
Through public transportation solutions, ABC supports agencies with procurement options, parts, service, refurbishment, training, financing and technical assistance throughout the vehicle lifecycle.
What's Next for COR Transit and ABC
APTA EXPO 2026 marked an important milestone for ABC, but the work ahead will be measured by what it delivers.
For COR Transit, the next steps include continued vehicle development, planned testing and engagement with agencies to better understand the requirements of daily transit operations.
For ABC, the focus remains on helping agencies evaluate their vehicle options and access the parts, service and support needed throughout their fleets' operating lives.
Greater competition is one part of strengthening the transit industry. Applying practical maintenance knowledge, established supplier relationships, and long-term support to vehicle development is another.
As COR Transit moves toward its next milestones, the focus remains on turning decades of operational experience into a product that addresses the real-world needs of North American transit agencies.
Learn more about COR Transit and follow its development at CORTransit.com.
