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including finding new ways to do more with less,” added Johnson. Sometimes all the costs you see on pa-


per are not all the costs that actually exist. Jack Lee, chairman of 4Refuel Canada LP, a Canadian-owned distributor and man- ager of fuel supply, explained some of the hidden costs in a recent STN blog at www.stnonline.com/go/811. Some of the hidden costs include theft by employ-


ees topping off their own tanks, thieves siphoning fuel after hours, the cost to transport the fuel to your bus yard, and fuel waste due to idling, speeding and poor driver habits. Lee suggests first put- ting all the hidden costs together and using Web-based fuel reporting systems to control fuel costs, manage budgets and keep track of fuel efficiency. Location also plays a role in rising


fuel costs. In rural parts of the country, the need for transportation can subject districts to unavoidable costs. Amparo At- tebery, transportation program manager for Kings River-Hardwick School District in Hanford, Calif., said he was “way over budget” on his fuel costs since many of his rural students live too far away to walk to school. But, if necessary, he might have to resort to school policy and make some students walk farther to bus stops. “I am trying to double up on routes where


I can. I will be cutting one route into town in the morning and keeping my bus load up to capacity (84 students). Tat will help me [with about] 8 miles a day,” said Attebery, who would also stay away from locking in a price for fuel with the hope that it will begin to drop in the near future. In Humble, Texas, one transportation


professional is also not ready to take the bet when it comes to fuel costs. “Some people consider not locking in or


hedging your fuel cost a terrible gamble. I find that paying an investor so he can make money, no matter the cost of fuel, is not necessarily in the best interest of my district,” said Allan Griffin, Jr., assistant director of transportation at Humble ISD. “Te premium you are required to pay to lock in prices might be a great thing, or you might get to the end of the budget year and realize you have paid more for every gallon of fuel you consumed that year.” Te district was in the process of adding


30 alternative-fuel buses, and it planned to reduce its reliance on diesel by running the new buses as much as possible and on the longest runs due to the lower cost per mile to operate. A final decision on which type of buses will be purchased was pending. In the meantime, Griffin said he was keeping a close eye on operations to keep costs down. “I am trying to manage my fuel costs by


choosing the most cost effective fuel and encouraging more fuel efficient operation of the vehicles. Fuel is a commodity and we have seen over the last several years that prices increase and decrease due to many variables,” added Griffin. ■


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20 School Transportation News Magazine July 2011


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