MAILBAG
THEY SAY THE ECONOMY IS GETTING BETTER, BUT… Excellent commentary in the 2011
STN Buyer’s Guide [“Jobs, Jobs, Jobs … Where Will Tey Come from in 2011 and Beyond?” on page 142]. Te real bottom line is I’m still unemployed. I’ve gone through this six times in my career due mostly to the economy and marketing always taking one of the first hits. Going into this search I felt I had the strongest network going for me of any of my job searches but it has been totally disappointing as the school bus industry OEMs and suppli- ers remain so cautious in hiring.
Ron Smith Macon, Ga.
5334 Torrance Blvd., 3rd Floor, Torrance, CA 90503 Tel: 310/792-2226 Fax: 310-792-2231
www.stnonline.com
Publisher: Tony Corpin Editor: Ryan Gray
Senior Editor: Stephane Babcock Marketing Director: Chris Berry Senior Designer: Kimber Horne Copy Editor: Janna Smeltzer
Contributing Editors:
Linda Bluth, Peggy Burns, Michelle Fisher, Dick Fischer, Denny Coughlin, Ned Einstein, Art Gissendaner, Anson Stewart, John Whelan, Robert Pudlewski
FOR THE RECORD Coverage of the new AE Series from
IC Bus in the January 2011 article “Nothing Small About Today’s Type A Market” may have inferred that the new school bus lasts twice as long as other Type As available to the indus- try. Te article attempted to qualify a company statement made during the unveiling of the bus at the NAPT Sum- mit last fall that the “rugged, durable and dependable” AE Series could have a longer lifecycle. We admit that point may have been lost. Our conversations with other small bus manufacturers as
well as school bus customers both at NAPT and afterward indicated that many customers choose to keep Type As in service for five to seven years on average before upgrading to a newer model, much in the same fashion as purchases of passenger vehicles. But, in reality, the other Type A school buses could last many more years. STN regrets any confusion this may have caused.
Vice President: Colette Paul General Manager: Branden Smeltzer Ad Sales: Tony Corpin Circulation: Andrea Hernandez
Chairman of the Board: Bill Paul, STN Media Group
Editorial Advisory Board: Denny Coughlin, Consultant; Judith Dupille, Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles; Dick Fischer, Trans-Consult; Ron Love, Delaware DOE; Randy McLerran, Oklahoma DOE; Pete Meslin, Newport-Mesa Unified; Nancy Netherland, Migrant- Seasonal Head Start; Robert Pudlewski, First Student; Alexandra Robinson, NAPT; Launi Schmutz, Washington County Schools
How to Write or E-mail STN
School Transportation News welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and are subject to editing for grammar, style and space. Submissions must be legible, include a signature, job title/employer name, valid mailing and/or e-mail address, and telephone number. Unsigned letters or letters signed only with a pseudonym or initials will not be used. Email letters to:
stephane@stnonline.com or
ryan@stnonline.com or send via U.S. Post to: School Transportation News P.O. Box 789, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
School Transportation News Magazine is published by:
The views and opinions in SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION NEWS are those of the editorial staff. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the members of the Editorial Advisory Board or their organizations. Individuals serving on the board are advisors only and are not responsible for the editorial content.
For permission to reuse materials in this publication contact STN editor Ryan Gray, at
ryan@stnonline.com, or by phone at 310/792-2226 or by fax at 310- 792-2231. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
Printed in the U.S.A Publication Mail Agreement No. 40065374
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Station A, PO Box 54 Winsor, ON N9A 6J5
10 School Transportation News Magazine March 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76