Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. has received a contract from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to build 100 MB-65 commercial bus chassis for Veterans Administration hospitals.
The chassis will be customized by Farber Specialty Vehicles in Columbus, OH. Farber will be using Glaval Bus bodies on the MB-65 chassis.
“We needed a rail-style chassis in order to outfit the buses with coach-style bodies, and we needed diesel engines and air suspensions,” said Ken Farber, president of Farber Specialty Vehicles. “We’ve done business with FCCC for a long time, and we knew the FCCC MB-65 would provide an ideal solution for the GSA.”
The chassis will be powered by an EPA 2010 Cummins ISB 6.7L engine with up to 300 hp. mated to an Allison automatic 6-spd. transmissions.
The FCCC MB-65 is designed with a lowered engine for a flat-floor cockpit that offers convenience and flexibility to bus body builders, FCCC said. The vehicle includes front and rear Hendrickson Softek taper leaf suspensions with a 55-deg. wheel cut.
The contract calls for 72 MB-65 chassis with 190-in. wheelbase and a 26,000 Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) for a 26-ft. body, which will not require a CDL to operate. The remaining 28 FCCC MB-65 chassis will have a 276-in. wheelbase and a 32,000 GVWR for a 32-ft. body.
We are pleased to partner with Farber to accommodate the commercial bus order by the GSA,” said Jonathan Randall, director of sales and marketing for FCCC. “We continue to grow our presence in the commercial bus market primarily because of our focus on meeting customers’ specialized needs, and Farber recognized this. We are confident that passengers being transported to and from VA hospitals will notice the comfortable and smooth ride, while the GSA will be pleased with the MB-65’s durability and reliability.”
