34 School Transportation News Magazine September 2011


new propane system, and all warranty work will be performed by dealerships across the country. Te new bus also comes with a standard five-year warranty on the engine and fuel system, an in- crease from the current two-year warranty. “Adding propane to this engine and being able


to calibrate it not only is a great domestic source of fuel but it’s also the cleanest technology we have available now,” said Weber. “We like to con- sider ourselves industry leaders in powertrain. Tis really helps take us to the next level.” Horlock added that A-Z-Bus Sales in Colton,


Calif., received the first Next-Generation Vision and would be conducting ride and drives as well as training sessions with customers this fall. Other Blue Bird dealerships nationwide will have similar opportunities as the bus heads into production by next spring. Several orders were already taken from customers on the STN EXPO Trade Show floor, and the buses are expected to roll off the production line by late spring or early summer 2012. Mouw also pointed out that the new Vision


makes sense when it comes to domestic alterna- tive-fuel production. He said the United States is currently importing 11 million gallons of oil a day, and domestic propane production is one way to lessen that foreign dependence, whether in school buses or in other vehicles. Lifecycle costs are perhaps the most important


factor for school bus operators to consider when weighing the decision about going the route of pro- pane. Horlock said the most obvious advantage of propane is a lower cost per gallon when compared to diesel fuel. Propane is about $2 a gallon less. “What we hear from our customers time and


time again, once they get these buses, they’re seeing real, live savings every year in fuel ef- ficiency. It’s very clear to them, so we get a lot of repeat interest, a lot of repeat buyers. Within four or five years you can very quickly recoup the cost of the initial, incremental investment, which in itself is really quite small.”


TECHNICIAN TRAINING BY THOMAS BUILT BUSES COMPLEMENTS STN EXPO Te 18th Annual STN EXPO also was the site


of the Tomas Built Institute, an annual pro- gram offered by Tomas Built Buses to vehicle customers that offers hands-on training to tech- nicians and first-hand experience in small classes. Participating technicians receive 28 credit


hours of continuing education in less than a week. Technicians attending the Tomas Built Institute West in Reno received training on the 2010 diesel emissions system utlizing SCR and on advanced


electrical. Other topic areas included coolant, maintenance and cost savings and a choice of Type C conventional multiplexing, service link and troubleshooting or Type D transit-style elec- trical and fan drive. Customers from 14 states and Canadian provinces attended the training. “We want to make sure the technicians in the


field have the educational tools to help them work effectively and efficiently,” said Ken Hedgecock, VP of sales, marketing and service. “Tomas Built and its dealers offer over 300 factory-certified classes per year, and the Institute is an important and signature component of that training pro- gram. We received a great response with our first off-site Institute, and we’re already talking about what we are going to do next time.” A spokesperson added that Tomas is planning


to continue to offer one session of the Institute outside of company headquarters in High Point, N.C., to make the training more accessible for cus- tomers on the West Coast. Te strong turnout in Reno coupled with positive responses from par- ticipants reinforced those plans. “Well, obviously it’s different from doing the


training in High Point [N.C.]. But, in keeping with our commitment to customer service, training and support, offering a remote training makes it more convenient for our West Coast customers to at- tend,” said Mike Stotler, service education manager for Tomas. “Tey miss the factory tour, and there’s no substitute for actually seeing the buses being made, but the Reno event was hugely successful, and a lot of customers are planning to come back or to send new technicians from their staff.”


‘RENAISSANCE’ WOMAN WINS GRANDOLFO AWARD FOR DEDICATION TO SPECIAL NEEDS TRANSPORTATION Cheryl Wolf, an expert at transporting students


with special needs, received the 5th Peter J. Gran- dolfo Memorial Award of Excellence during the 18th Annual STN EXPO in Reno this summer. Te award is presented by School Transportation News and is sponsored by Q’Straint/Sure-Lok. “Cheryl was selected for this award for her


outstanding contributions to the student trans- portation industry and especially special needs transportation,” said John Goss, sales support training and technical advisor for the two com- panies during the July 26 ceremony at the Grand Sierra Resort. “Cheryl has been a member of many state and national committees and is a regular presenter at pupil transportation confer- ences throughout the country.” Wolf retired earlier this year from Lafayette


School Corporation outside of Indianapolis. She is now a consultant to school districts and other organizations affiliated with student transpor- tation services. She was nominated by Charlie Hood, state director from Florida and last year’s recipient of the Grandolfo Award. Wolf’s selection was a perfect fit for an award


named in honor of the industry’s “Renaissance Man.” Grandolfo, a retired transportation direc- tor for Chicago Public Schools and a former NAPT board member, passed away five years ago this coming January due to complications from hip replacement surgery. Tat summer, STN Founder


Cheryl Wolf, the 2011 Peter Grandolfo award winner


and Editor Emeritus created the Peter J. Grandolfo Memorial Award of Excellence to honor a student transporter who embodies similar passion to help- ing children, especially those with special needs. Te first recipient was Randy McLerran, who has since retired as state director of student transporta- tion for the Oklahoma Department of Education. It was also apropos for Wolf to take home the


honor as she often worked with Grandolfo over the years as co-presenters at state or national conferences, especially on the eight-hour semi- nar “Child Passenger Safety Restraint Systems on School Buses” that is approved by NHTSA. Wolf continues to teach the class at the STN EXPO and other industry shows. “Every time we presented together, I learned


something new from him. Also, our many phone conversations were an opportunity for me to learn from him,” said Wolf. “Peter was a colleague, men- tor and a very special friend and to receive the award that bears his name touched me deeply.” When they first met, Wolf was developing


policies and procedures for transporting service animals on school buses, and she received Gran- dolfo’s contact information from an associate, who told Wolf that Grandolfo was an excel- lent resource, especially when it came to special needs transportation. “I called Peter and he graciously shared infor-


mation with me that he had gleaned from his years of working with students with disabilities,” Wolf added. “He became a mentor to me and helped me navigate the complex paths that spe- cial needs transportation travels.” Linda Grandolfo, Peter’s widow, began the award


presentation during a breakfast sponsored by Tomas Built Buses prior to the STN Trade Show. “Peter’s lifelong passion for learning and for


creating safe travel for children on the school bus,” she said. “Peter’s professional circle of col- leagues included those who shared that passion, and our winner this year was part of that circle. [Wolf] also has exhibited a life-long passion for the safe transportation of our children.” “Cheryl Wolf has always embodied those quali-


ties we all aspire to as transportation leaders,” added Pete Meslin, transportation director at Newport-Mesa Unified School District in South- ern California. “It was particularly rewarding to watch her face as she realized that she was being announced as the Peter Grandolfo award winner. I cannot think of a more fitting recipient.” ■


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