Pictured above the Checker Transit bus was operated by the Checker Bus of Long Island New York, this was the only Checker bus operated by the small operator. Chassis number 2003 purchased in June 1953.
By 1953 the post war transit bus business was dead. Checker surely was aware that the small bus market was shrinking. So what could Checker do? Either seriously get into the big bus business or shut down bus operations altogether. Getting into the big bus business would be a challenge. Over a seven year period, Transit Bus Inc. never filled a significant number bus orders other than the Detroit orders. Since 1950, Detroit represented 90% of all Checker bus sales.
Beyond Detroit’s 90% buyer share, 10% of bus sales came from 22 different fragmented agencies in seven states. Where could CCM focus their energies to rebuild the bus business? Outside of Detroit, Checker’s were sold in small lots to small bus operators in the New York tri-state area, essentially Checker only had one really big customer Detroit, who quite frankly was no longer buying small buses. The national distribution network was really just serving three markets: Detroit, the New York tri-state area and Florida.
The end was near, Checker would be out of the bus business by 1954.
