Getting a team to an away game means moving players, coaches, and a mountain of gear across Los Angeles traffic, and arriving with enough time to warm up. All Star Shuttles provides school sports team bus rental across Los Angeles County, built around game schedules rather than generic pickup windows.
Need a quote for your team? Call +1 (858) 400-0476 or send us your passenger count, dates, and pickup location. Tell us whether you need one-way or round-trip and we’ll quote both.
Safety Credentials That Matter for Student Athletes
Transporting K-12 students in California requires SPAB certification (School Pupil Activity Bus), regulated by the California Highway Patrol. All Star Shuttles holds it. Every driver is commercially licensed, background-checked, and trained for student transport, and our fleet operates in line with the safety standards set by the American Bus Association, the motorcoach industry’s trade and safety organization.
For athletic directors and booster club coordinators, this is the part that clears district approval. We can provide certificates of insurance and driver credentials on request. Our charter bus safety standards guide covers what to verify before contracting any operator, and our school activities transportation service page has more on how we work with schools.
Why Teams Book With Us
Arrival timing built around game time, not ours. We work backward from your warm-up window, not forward from a standard pickup slot.
Equipment travels with the team. Full-size coaches have under-bus storage bays that hold uniforms, kit bags, coolers, and equipment without eating into passenger seating.
Multi-stop pickups. Teams rarely all live near the school. We can build additional pickup points into the route.
Season-long availability. Most teams don’t need one bus. They need a bus every other Friday from September through November.
Fleet Options for Team Travel
| Vehicle | Capacity | Best For | Gear Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger Van | 14 to 18 | JV squads, small rosters, coaching staff | Interior storage, limited |
| Minibus | 24 to 36 | Single-team away games, local tournaments | Rear luggage area plus interior |
| Full-Size Motorcoach | Up to 56 | Varsity plus JV together, multi-team trips, long distance | Full under-bus bays, restroom, reclining seats, power outlets, PA system |
A 25-player roster with coaches and gear fits a minibus comfortably. Booking a 56-passenger coach for that group means paying for space nobody uses. We’ll size the vehicle to the roster. If you’re weighing the options, our guide on charter bus versus minibus breaks down the trade-offs.
For teams traveling with both varsity and JV, or a team plus a parent contingent, a full-size coach with a PA system lets coaches address everyone on the way.
Booking an Entire Season, Not Just One Game
This is where most team transportation goes sideways. A booster club coordinator requests a quote for one away game, books it, then repeats the entire process eleven more times across the season, often at short notice, often at higher rates because nothing was reserved in advance.
We handle recurring team travel differently:
- Game-by-game with a standing account, so each booking is a confirmation rather than a fresh quote
- Tournament blocks, covering multiple games across a weekend as one booking
- Full-season contracts for teams with a published schedule, locking vehicles and rates before peak dates fill
If you already have your league schedule from the CIF Southern Section, send it over. We can hold capacity across the season rather than competing for the same buses every week. Our guide on when to book a charter bus covers how Southern California demand peaks affect availability.
Game Day Routes and Logistics
Most Southern California high school venues have specific bus staging rules, and larger venues restrict where a motorcoach can wait during an event. We plan around that before the trip rather than sorting it out in a loading zone.
Standard practice for away games:
- Arrival timed to your warm-up requirement, typically 45 to 90 minutes before first serve or first pitch
- Gear loading plan agreed before departure, so equipment goes in the right bay and comes out fast
- Driver stays reachable throughout, with post-game pickup staged where the venue allows
For one-way drop-offs, we confirm whether the return is a separate booking or a scheduled pickup, since that changes both the quote and the driver’s hours.
Where We Take Teams
Away games across Los Angeles County and beyond. School-to-school routes are the bulk of team travel. We regularly run between districts across LA County, the San Gabriel Valley, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.
Major venues. For teams competing at or attending events in larger venues, we handle staging at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Dodger Stadium, Crypto.com Arena on Chick Hearn Court, Exposition Park along Figueroa Street, and the UCLA and USC athletic facilities.
Tournament and invitational travel. Multi-day tournaments often mean hotel-to-venue shuttling across a weekend, which we quote as a block rather than as separate trips.
How Booking Works
| Step | What We Need | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Request a quote | Passenger count, date, pickup and destination addresses, gear volume, one-way or round-trip | Itemized quote, both trip options priced |
| 2. Confirm | Deposit, final headcount, signed agreement | Vehicle and driver locked to your date |
| 3. Game day | On-site point of contact | Driver briefed on route, staging, and return timing |
Deposit, cancellation terms, and final headcount deadlines are set out upfront. For season contracts, we align billing to your booking cadence rather than invoicing every trip separately.
Pricing
| Factor | Effect on Price |
|---|---|
| Trip length | Five-hour minimum applies to most bookings |
| Vehicle size | Motorcoach costs more than minibus, which costs more than van |
| One-way vs round-trip | Round-trip is usually better value than two one-way bookings |
| Distance | Mileage outside the core service area affects the rate |
| Lead time | Peak season dates cost more when booked late |
A charter bus is typically cheaper than coordinating a dozen rideshares or relying on parent drivers, and it keeps the team together. For a full breakdown, see our California Charter Bus Cost Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a driver included?
Yes. Every rental includes a commercially licensed professional driver.
Are you certified to transport K-12 students in California?
Yes. We hold SPAB certification through the California Highway Patrol, which is required for school-affiliated student transport in California.
How far in advance should we book?
Three to six weeks is typical. For fall sports and playoff dates, book earlier. Teams with a published schedule can reserve the full season.
Can you quote one-way and round-trip separately?
Yes. Send both and we’ll price them side by side so you can compare.
Is there enough room for equipment?
Full-size coaches have under-bus storage bays sized for team gear. Minibuses have rear luggage areas. Tell us your gear volume and we’ll factor it into the vehicle recommendation.
Do you serve schools outside Los Angeles proper?
Yes. We cover Los Angeles County broadly, and we regularly run routes into Orange County, the Inland Empire, and San Diego County.
Can parents and fans book a separate shuttle?
Yes. Fan and family transport to the same game can be quoted alongside the team booking.
Areas We Serve
Los Angeles County including Downtown LA, Inglewood, Pasadena, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Burbank, and the San Gabriel Valley, plus routes into Orange County, the Inland Empire, and San Diego County. See our school bus rental in Los Angeles and Los Angeles charter bus pages for full service details.
Planning a non-athletic school trip instead? See our guide to school field trip bus rental in Los Angeles.
Reserve Your Team’s Transportation
Send us your schedule and roster size and we’ll come back with pricing for a single game or the full season. Learn more about our sports team and athletic event transportation, or request a quote below.