Vendor Offerings Poised to Help School Transporters’ Budget Concerns
By Sylvia Arroyo With the NAPT Annual Summit trade show
ready to begin, vendors are preparing to offer tools and solutions to meet the growing needs and challenges of school transportation deci- sion makers during a time of tight — and in many cases dwindling — budgets. Advances in technology have paved a new
path for many product offerings, from cleaner- burning engines in school buses to software and hardware solutions for fleet management and video surveillance. Something new or techno- logically savvy may seem intimidating and cost- ly first, but in the long run it can help a school district’s bottom line in fuel costs, maintenance and manpower. School bus manufacturers are at the fore-
front offering alternative-fuel vehicles. School districts across the country have been able to move to greener fleets through the help of fed- eral and state grants. Alternative-fuel vehicles such as propane or biodiesel help school dis- tricts save money on fuel and maintenance costs, improve their fleet’s fuel economy and reduce greenhouse emissions. Some of today’s latest propane-powered of-
ferings come from Blue Bird — its Next Gen- eration Propane-Powered Micro Bird G5 and its Next Generation Propane-Powered Type C Vi- sion — and Collins Bus Corporation. Blue Bird’s Micro Bird and Vision, as well as Collins’ first factory-direct propane Type A small school bus will be on display at the show. “Propane is becoming more and more popu-
lar. It’s a growing market,” said John Doswell, vice president of sales and marketing for Collins. Tomas Built Buses is expected to launch pro-
pane offerings of its own in 2013. In the mean- time, its offers a hybrid option, its Saf-T-Liner
C2e, and joins Blue Bird in offering CNG models. In addition to improv- ing fuel economy and reduce emis- sions, hybrids help reduce brake wear, require less component maintenance and offer clean, quiet operation. IC Bus produced the first plug-in hybrid school bus in the country, and the company and customers alike stand behind the CE Series Hybrid school bus, which also comes in a charge sus- taining model. Electric school buses are available
from Trans Tech, which this fall came out with the nation’s first full-produc- tion, factory-made, all-electric Type A school bus, the “eTrans.” Also on dis- play at the NAPT Trade Show, it is ex- pected to run about 100 to 130 miles per charge and could help school districts meet first-ever federal CAFE fuel standards for commercial ve- hicles. Tere remains plenty of diesel options, how-
A preview of the new eTrans all-electric Type A from Trans Tech Bus.
ever, as Tomas unveils its new Type D, forward- control EFX. Ten there’s Lion Bus, a new com- pany formed by Marc Bedard, a former advisor to Corbeil, and Camile Chartrand, former presi- dent of Corbeil. Lion’s mission is to produce a new Type C that would not rust and would last longer, as well as address the growing need for lap/shoulder belts and come with a lower overall price. While engine technology in new school buses
is evolving, so is the inside of school buses, as seen with school bus seats and seat belts. Manu- facturers of occupant securement systems are doing their part to help school districts ensure the safety of students while offering cost-effec- tive solutions. IMMI’s new SafeGuard XChange is a good example. Te seat enables school bus op- erators to update standard bus seats to include lap/shoulder restraint systems. Tis means that school districts or private bus opera- tors can retain current fleets while adding three-point seat belts at a later date per changing school district requirements or new state
regulations. Companies like IMMI, Syntec and C.E. White, the latter of which is showing its new driver seat, the
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MDP-2012, are in a situation where their prod- uct innovation is based on creative designs, but also federal and state regulations. Teir missions are to offer high-quality, cost-effective products that also help ensure the lives of children and youngsters. “We’re known as a seating company, but we
want to be known as a safety company,” said Steve Frazee, C.E. White director of product and OEM development. “We have to be conscious of a client’s budget, but we don’t want to budget or control safety, so we strive to find that mix of a product that’s safe, but something that the school districts can afford.” Tied to all trade shows are rumors of this com-
pany coming into the market and that company expanding its product line, both of which are certainly the case this year. NAPT attendees will also be able to continue familiarizing themselves with separately operating but allied companies, such as securement and tie-down manufactur- ers Q’Straint and Sure-Lok, which merged nearly one year ago. And there are additional opportu- nities to see E-Z-On of Florida’s new securement straps for students with special needs who can prove to be the most challenging to transport, those of whom company owner Connie Murray refers to as “Houdini kids.” Meanwhile, monitoring the status of one’s
fleet or targeting illegal motorist passings around school buses has become standard fare for many school districts and school bus opera- tors. 247 Security continues to target its Touch-
THE SHOW REPORTER
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