Donate a shuttle bus that has finished its route

Where donated shuttles come from

Hotels, airports and parking operators cycling out a fleet. Those run high mileage at low speed on short routes and are serviced on a schedule.

Care facilities, senior communities and medical transport services replacing a lift-equipped bus. Those are the most valuable in this group because the accessibility equipment is in demand.

Universities, churches and camps. A campus shuttle or a church bus gets replaced and the old one has real life left in it.

Driven when it runs

A running registered shuttle gets driven by a driver qualified for it, which is covered and much cheaper than hauling.

If it will not start, a cutaway shuttle needs a heavy rollback. Tell us whether it starts, rolls, steers and stops, and whether the air brakes build if it has them.

Clear the interior completely. Leave the seating, the lift, the roof air conditioning and anything mounted. Tell us whether the lift operates, because that is the first thing the best buyers ask.

What decides what a shuttle brings

• Wheelchair lift. A working lift with intact tie-downs widens the buyer pool substantially and adds real value. A broken lift is a known repair and still better than no lift.
• Seating count and configuration. How many seats, how many wheelchair positions, and whether there is a rear luggage area.
• Chassis, mileage and engine. Ford E-450, Chevrolet 4500 and Sprinter chassis are serviceable anywhere, which is most of why these sell.
• Body condition and roof. Cutaway body-to-chassis seam leaks, roof air unit seals and rear door seals are where water gets in.
• Rust on the body structure. On a northern shuttle this is the deciding factor, particularly the entry stepwell and the wheel arches.

Makes and bodies we accept

Body builder and chassis are two separate names.

• Body builders: Starcraft, Glaval, Champion, Collins, Turtle Top, Elkhart Coach, Goshen, Federal Coach, Diamond, Krystal, ElDorado.
• Chassis: Ford E-350 and E-450 cutaway and Transit, Chevrolet Express 3500 and 4500, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ram ProMaster, Freightliner S2C, International for larger units.
• Accessibility equipment: Braun, Ricon, Maxon, Stertil and Q'Straint tie-down systems.

Manufacturer names appear here so you can find your own vehicle. No manufacturer sponsors, endorses or is affiliated with this program.

The paperwork, and what you can deduct

It is a titled vehicle, so the title has to transfer. If it is lost, most states have a duplicate process and the state title rules page walks through yours. If it was financed we need the lien release. Fleet vehicles are usually owned by a company, a municipality or a nonprofit rather than a person. Whoever signs needs authority to sign for the entity, and if you are a public body your own surplus-property rules may require a resolution on file.

Giving Center sells the shuttle and your deduction is the gross sale proceeds on Form 1098-C. A running lift-equipped shuttle in sound condition often clears $5,000, which means the IRS requires a qualified appraisal and Form 8283 Section B at your expense. A high-mileage shuttle without a lift usually lands between $500 and $5,000, where Section A applies.

An older rusty shuttle that does not run can sell under $500, where the deduction is the lesser of fair market value or $500 with a written acknowledgment. If you are donating several units, put the count on the form. One mobilization for four vehicles costs far less than four separate pickups, and the difference stays with the cause.