Creepers Beware:
Mobile Lifts Make Servicing Quicker, Safer
In small and large school bus maintenance shops, mechanics are using mobile lift systems for basic to advanced service jobs and seeing their productivity —
and back aches — improve By Sylvia Arroyo
chanic for the Delphi (Ind.) Community School Corporation is his only resource in the shop. His 10- to 12-hour days consist of servicing the district’s 37-bus fleet as well as other vehicles and about 50 pieces of non-vehicle equipment. Steve Wolk also knows well this type of
F
schedule. Te director of transportation for Whitmore Lake (Mich.) Public Schools is also his own mechanic, working 12-hour days servicing 16 buses while also maintain-
or some, running a one-man shop would be difficult, but Keith Kochert has got it down to a science. Te corporation me-
ing other department vehicles and anything else that needs fixing. From big to small jobs, both Kochert and
Wolk get it all done thanks to their mobile column lifts. “Tey have allowed me to maintain the transmissions and air brakes a lot easier,” said Kochert about has one set of mobile lifts. Wolk, meanwhile, noted his two sets of mobile lifts have helped him conduct more thorough bus inspections because he can better access hard-to-reach areas. Te lifts also eliminate the need for Ko-
chert and Wolk to bend down as much or use a creeper, making certain jobs easier
52 School Transportation News Magazine May 2012
on them physically. “It makes you feel bet- ter,” said Wolk. “You also go through a lot less (work) boots since you don’t wear out the toe area.” In large school bus maintenance shops,
mechanics are using mobile column lifts to
increase their productivity curve.
Whether cable-connected or wireless mo- bile column lifts are used, their flexibility, ease of use and operational and safety features make them versatile and valuable servicing equipment. Wolk’s two sets of lifts are cable-con- nected, which initially was a concern for
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