Pullman Coach finds the sweet spot on the road

Built on the Mack MD7 chassis, Pullman Coach gives emerging artists, production crews and touring professionals a purpose-built alternative between a passenger van and a luxury entertainer coach.

For years, Jeremy Maul has operated at the premium end of touring transportation. Today, the founder and CEO of Nashville-based Autobus USA and Pullman Coach builds luxury entertainer coaches for major recording artists and national tours. His latest venture, Pullman Coach, was created through Autobus USA and partners with Prevost to create custom X3-45 entertainer coaches used by some of the biggest names in music.

Serving that top tier also gave Maul a clear view of the customers being left behind: emerging artists, support crews and touring professionals priced out of the luxury-coach market. Tour managers and business managers kept raising the same concern about the rising cost of getting people down the road.

Maul recognized the gap and decided to build for it.

"We saw a need for something more upscale and functional than a passenger van and more affordable than a high-end entertainer coach," Maul said. "There wasn't much available in that space."

That observation led to the creation of Pullman Coach, a purpose-built touring vehicle from Autobus USA powered by the Mack MD7 chassis.

Pullman was never designed to replace a Prevost coach. Instead, Maul sees it as the next step for artists moving up from a Sprinter van but not yet ready for a full entertainer coach. The goal was a comfortable, economical option that bridges that gap.

A coach built for the market

To bring the concept to life, Maul worked closely with teams at Mack and Prevost, drawing on both heavy-duty truck engineering and touring-coach expertise. The result is a coach that combines the durability of a commercial truck platform with the amenities touring professionals expect on the road.

The Pullman Coach is designed specifically for life on tour. Measuring 39 feet in length, it sleeps up to nine passengers and includes amenities typically found in much larger touring vehicles. The interior is built around nine tour-bus-size memory-foam bunks and includes a full bathroom and shower, full-size refrigerator, convection microwave, dual 51-inch televisions and a Bose sound system.

A 90-gallon fresh-water system supports the galley and bath, while onboard 5G Wi-Fi operates on both AT&T and T-Mobile networks, helping crews stay connected even when one carrier drops out between venues.

The exterior is built for the same demands. The coach offers three full storage bays, a 10,000-pound tow hitch and a Mack MD7 chassis riding on Mack's Air Ride suspension. Additional insulation in the walls and floor helps reduce road noise, while three rooftop air-conditioning units and a DuraWatt generator allow the vehicle to operate comfortably in a wide range of conditions.

Every inch of the vehicle serves a purpose, and the layout reflects Maul's years in the touring industry. The nine bunks accommodate an entire touring party. Storage bays hold instruments, merchandise and production equipment. The tow hitch allows users to pull additional gear trailers when a tour requires them.

The result is a vehicle that functions as transportation, sleeping quarters, office space, and crew lounge all at once.

That versatility is already attracting customers beyond the music industry. Production crews and sports-media organizations have put Pullman coaches to work, and during recent FIFA coverage, a CBS production crew used a Pullman Coach as its mobile base of operations while traveling between venues. The setup gave the crew a place to work, store equipment and rest without relying on fixed locations.

Why Pullman relies on Mack

For Maul, selecting the Mack MD7 came down to both practical and personal considerations. The chassis offered the right combination of capability, affordability and service support for the market Pullman set out to reach. Just as important, the Mack name carried a reputation he had known his entire life.

"Mack Trucks is in my DNA," Maul said.

He grew up in a family construction business where Mack trucks were a constant presence. His father owned an excavating company that worked in gravel, granite and construction, and the operation ran Gold Bulldog Mack trucks, built entirely with Mack components from engine to axles.

That early exposure left a lasting impression.

Years later, when Maul began developing Pullman Coach, building on a Mack chassis felt like a natural fit.

Today, Pullman has committed to 40 Mack chassis as the company expands production and introduces the concept to new customers. For Mack, the application demonstrates the versatility of the MD7 platform in a growing niche. For Pullman, it represents an opportunity to serve a segment of the touring market that has long lacked a purpose-built solution.

The company is not chasing stadium tours or superstar acts. Instead, it is focused on the working musicians, opening acts, production crews and road professionals who spend hundreds of days each year traveling from venue to venue.

In the space between a passenger van and a luxury entertainer coach, Pullman Coach is purpose-built for the people who keep the show on the road.