The storm hit State College, Pennsylvania on a quiet Sunday afternoon. By the time the winds died down, 13 utility poles lay splintered across Alexander Drive and S Filmore Road tangled with live wires, cutting power, phone, and internet to Fullington Trailways’ main office and garage and blocking its only entrance.
Inside the facility, drivers and members of the operations team were stranded. Outside, nearly 70 motorcoaches were on the road, heading home with no way in. The facility, the company’s nerve center and primary garage, had suddenly gone dark and offline just as its buses were returning from a busy weekend of spring break charters.
“It was almost a blessing in disguise that the parking lot was empty when the storm hit,” said Mike Dull, Vice President of Operations. “No one could get in or out once the poles came down.”
The March 16 storm with straight-line winds reaching 60 to 80 miles per hour shut down business at Fullington. But instead of grinding to a halt, the team sprang into action. Within hours, they had relocated their fleet, set up a remote command center, and kept all operations moving without canceling a single run.
“We had to ask: what do we need to do now to prevent inconvenience to our customers?” Dull said. “We didn’t cancel one charter, line run, or tour. We made some schedule modifications, but we kept everything running — and even took on additional business during that time.”
Accommodations for drivers
As utility crews assessed the damage, Fullington’s operations team contacted Penn State University to secure emergency parking for the returning buses. A few of the bus drivers using their buses and Uber drivers were enlisted to shuttle stranded Fullington drivers to local hotels. Others were stuck on site, unable to move because of live wires on the ground.
“Many of them weren’t expecting to be out overnight, but they understood the situation,” Dull said of the drivers who were sent to a hotel. “At least they had a hot shower, a bed, and maybe a hot breakfast in the morning.”
The Fullington team’s quick thinking turned a disaster into an exercise in resilience. By Monday morning, a new temporary base was operating at a nearby hotel conference center. With the assistance of the company’s IT department, dispatchers worked from folding tables and borrowed monitors, the sales team operated remotely, and mechanics and cleaners brought tools and supplies straight to the buses.
Some challenges went beyond logistics.
“Some drivers had medications and weren’t prepared to be out overnight,” Dull said. “We had to make sure their health and well-being were taken care of.”
The new setup didn’t last long. On Tuesday, Fullington was forced to relocate again because of a baseball tournament at the initial parking site near Beaver Stadium.
“Moving 70 buses once is tough,” said Dull. “Doing it twice in two days? Even more so.”
Still rolling
Despite the setbacks, the company’s operations continued without interruption.
“Buses don’t move by themselves,” Dull said. “It takes manpower. Everyone we asked for help responded favorably, including employees, local officials, and our community. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
More than a week later, Fullington regained full power and returned to its home office. The main entrance remained blocked for the rest of March, forcing the company to operate on a backup internet connection while service was gradually restored.
Dull, who joined Fullington in 2008, is part of a four-generation legacy at the company. His father and grandfather both worked as part-time drivers, and his children have worked cleaning buses.
“We’ve been through preparedness scenarios before, but now we have a real-life story,” Dull said. “Before, everything was just Scenario One, Two, or Three. Now we know what to do if this happens again.”
Founded in 1908, Fullington Trailways has survived more than a century of change. For Dull, it all comes down to the people.
“You can’t take for granted the people around you,” he said. “Review your preparedness plans often. There’s no perfect playbook, but make sure you have the right people in place. That’s what makes the difference when something unprecedented hits.”
