National Vanpool Provider Offers Alternative to High Gas Prices

TROY, Mich., Sept. 1 -- Gas prices throughout the country have passed the $3.00 per gallon mark, and they show no signs of dropping any time soon. As fuel costs continue to rise, many employees are concerned about their daily commutes to and from work. Workers who travel more than 30 minutes or over 15 miles each way have an alternative to high gas prices: vanpooling with VPSI.

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A vanpool is a group of 7 to 15 people who commute on a regular basis in a roomy, comfortable vehicle. One person volunteers to be the driver/coordinator of the vanpool and normally rides free. The other riders share the cost of operating the vanpool. The group determines its daily schedule and route and riders can meet at designated pick-up locations, such as a Park 'n Ride lot or a shopping center.

Stafford County, Virginia resident Tracey Cross starts a new VPSI vanpool on Tuesday, September 6. She commutes 45 miles each way to her job in Washington, D.C. and cannot afford to drive her personal vehicle into the city. "Astronomical increases in gas prices are out of control," Cross explains. "Taking the train or the bus is too expensive. And driving alone is simply not a consideration. Vanpooling is the cheapest way to get to work."

Because riders share the cost of vanpooling, they each save at least $1,000 a year, compared to the cost of putting gas in their own cars. When you figure in the extra 'hidden costs' of driving alone: like parking, repairs, maintenance, vehicle depreciation, etc., the savings are even greater.

Jeff Henning, President and CEO of VPSI, Inc., the nation's largest vanpool provider, explains, "This morning, I noticed local gas prices as high as $3.20 a gallon! By riding together and sharing resources, the average commuter who rides in a VPSI vanpool is saving well over $1,000 per year. And the best part: Our vanpoolers tell us everyday how much they love the service. They say they'll never go back to 'going it' alone."

VPSI, Inc., headquartered in Troy, Michigan, operates a fleet of over 4,000 vehicles throughout the United States and Europe. With offices in over 25 major U.S. cities, VPSI has the resources to organize cost saving vanpools most anywhere in the country. For more information on VPSI's vanpooling services, visit http://www.vanride.com/ or call 1-800-VAN-RIDE.

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