“If you don’t see market volatility you don’t want to do (fuel hedge). And if things don’t pan out like you expect, you can really lose.”
Dan Schultz, Southeast Polk (Iowa) Community School District When it comes to making sure the wheels on the bus go ’round
and ’round as efficiently as possible, Pudlewski and Ralph Knight, transportation director at Napa Valley (Calif.) Unified School Dis- trict, cited the basics. “Te three most important things that contribute to anticipated
tire life are the right-sized tire for the job, alignment, and maintain- ing proper air pressure,” Pudlewski advised. Knight added: “Proper tire pressure is the main issue for good
mileage on any car, truck or bus, but it really is major for buses and trucks. Another big thing is the tire itself. Low-rolling resistance tires are big on mpg. Te trucking industry is using them big-time for trailers and has seen big savings. We used them on our first electric buses and the result was more miles on a charge.” Knight, who oversees one of the nation’s leading hybrid/elec-
tric school bus fleets, encourages colleagues to take the alternative vehicle plunge. “Don’t be afraid of hybrids; they work,” he confirmed. From the day Napa Valley started with two electric buses in
1995, Knight has been willing, even eager, to experiment with new technology to the point where manufacturers use the district to try out new equipment. For his part, he received the Magic School
Bus Award in 2010 from the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute for replacing diesel buses with electric. “(Manufacturers) have to take my brutal advice along with the
good. Tat’s the only way to improve,” he said. Ultimately, the introductions of CNG buses, 100-percent electric models and hybrids have been a boon to the district’s budget. “We were paying $2.50 for CNG when diesel was $5 a gallon a
few years ago. We have 37 natural gas buses, and when diesel was tough to get our hands on, CNG never was,” Knight said. He added that it’s important for transportation directors to
aggressively seek grants and other funding for alternative-fuels vehicles instead of leaving the work to others. Part of that effort should involve actively seeking financial support from companies that might be supportive of new-technology buses. “If I want that bus, it’s my job to go find the money. We’ve
replaced probably $10 million in buses and haven’t spent more than $50,000 in district money,” Knight concluded. “I have five brand- new electric buses I didn’t pay a dime for. Tat’s a 100-percent fuel savings for me. Tere are a lot of different ways to pick up money. And, to be able to pick up a bus for nothing gives you a lot of work- ing room on maintenance and still make the economics work.”
STOP
76 School Transportation News March 2013
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