Coach Manager is a booking system for private hire and contract work specially designed for coach, minibus, chauffeur and community transport operators. Developed using Microsoft Visual Studio and based on the Microsoft SQL Server database engine, Coach Manager is a client/server system powerful enough for even the largest operators. Despite the power of the system, our flexible pricing structure ensures that the system is still a very affordable proposition for the smaller operator.

Whilst the private hire side of the system deals with individual bookings, the contract side deals with bookings that repeat on either a regular or irregular basis. The system produces client confirmation letters, driver work tickets and invoices for either individual or multiple bookings. There is a highly developed system for scheduling vehicles and drivers to bookings and a wide range of operational reports. The system includes its own sales ledger and can also link to Sage Line 50 if required.

The Quotation and Pricing System, included as standard with Coach Manager, combines a sophisticated but easy to use price calculator with a quotation management system designed for the rapid input, storage and retrieval of private hire quotations.

The Community Transport System, also included as standard with Coach Manager, adds a collection of additional features developed to meet the specialised needs of community transport operators.

Coach Manager Online in a powerful new suite of components that extends the reach of Coach Manager out of the office and onto the Internet. It is being launched at Euro Bus Expo 2008 on 4th - 6th November at the NEC.

Coach Manager is fully integated with our SQL Server based Tour Booking System. As tours and excursions are created in TBS the system automatically creates private hire bookings in Coach Manager. On complicated tours templates can be used to automatically create comprehensive multi movement bookings.

Coach Manager can also be integrated with our VOSA approved SQL Server based Vehicle Maintenance System. As vehicles are allocated to bookings the system automatically checks with VMS to ensure that there are no conflicting workshop commitments or outstanding defects.

SQL Server is part of the Microsoft .NET Platform and is an industrial strength database engine designed to handle hundreds of simultaneous users. It delivers stunning performance with unparalleled reliability and security. It is designed for systems that are in constant use under the most demanding circumstances.

Coach Manager can be used with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or 2000 (Workgroup, Standard or Enterprise Editions) or with Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 or 2000. Alternatively all but the largest operators can use it with the royalty free Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition or the earlier Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000).

Coach Manager runs on Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP and Windows 2000.

Coach Manager was launched in October 2001 and is already in use with over 350 operators. It replaced our best selling Microsoft Access based Coach Manager for Windows which was adopted by over 400 operators during its six year life. In addition to the enormous benefits that the change to the SQL Server database engine offers, the system has been completely rewritten to take advantage of the very latest technologies and development tools and achieves major improvements in every area of operation.

Coach Manager Express, as the name implies, is the junior version of Coach Manager and is designed for operators with smaller fleet sizes. By avoiding many of the features that smaller operators don't need we have kept it uncomplicated and easy to use. At the same time it is extremely flexible and can deliver everything that the smaller operator could possibly want in a booking system.

For further details, or to arrange a no obligation demonstration at your own offices, please phone us on 01904 692269 or email sales@distinctive-systems.com.

A PDF of our latest brochure is available here.

Features & Screenshots · Pricing · Software Update


  • Highly visual scheduling system with drag and drop allocation of vehicles and drivers ensures optimal use of resources

  • Private hire bookings with unlimited movements, vehicles, drivers, facilities, included/excluded items, extra invoice details, pick-ups, set-downs, tasks and costs

  • Comprehensive private hire details with extensive areas for route, further requirements and notes with user definable booking types and coding system

  • Contract bookings with unlimited movements, vehicles, drivers, facilities, pick-ups, set-downs and costs

  • Comprehensive contract details with extensive areas for route and notes with user definable booking types and coding system

  • Year view calendar for each contract movement allows complete user control over operational dates

  • Automatic printing of confirmation letters with built-in word processor enabling complete user control over individual letter content

  • Automatic printing of driver work tickets with comprehensive easy to follow booking instructions

  • Automatic printing of invoices with choice of single or multiple bookings per invoice for each client

  • Built-in sales ledger with sales daybook, cash book, aged debt analysis, statements and nominal analysis

  • Comprehensive client details with individual invoicing instructions, driver preference system and user definable coding system

  • Comprehensive vehicle details with user definable vehicle types and facilities

  • Comprehensive driver details with user definable driver/escort types and licence categories

  • Comprehensive standard and user definable reporting facilities throughout the entire system with onscreen previews, printed reports and data export

  • Single or multi-user Microsoft SQL Server client/server system available with multiple operating companies

  • Microsoft SQL Server backup and restore facilities with scheduled backups


    Please note that some facilities are not included in Coach Manager Express.
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