that bus dealers and aftermarket distributors sell the same parts in many cases. “It’s our job to inform the parts buyers of the fact that just because the part is on, for instance, a Blue Bird bus, you do not have to buy the replacement from a Blue Bird dealer. Tat’s simply not true. Tey have other options, which may save them some money.” Brandon Billingsly, CEO of Heavy Duty Bus Parts of
Willis, Texas, said despite the growing price competition for parts, his company has a stable clientele with specific needs. “We see customers with buses outside of warranty, as well
as customers who are not experiencing a problem with their vehicle and require a proprietary product, coming to us for the products we manufacturer for the value,” he said. “As well as fleet managers looking for different types of school bus body components, such as mirrors and stop arms.”
Other Service Needs on the Rise When it comes to major component parts, transportation
directors must still look to their dealer. To protect those ma- jor components, and because many districts are lengthening the lifecycle of their yellow fleet beyond 15 years, many dealerships are seeing a rise in extended warranty purchases. Extended warranties are being customized, and can extend the manufacturer’s warranty out to five years. Tis is happen- ing even with new bus sales because it’s a way for transporta-
tion directors to better control their costs for a fixed amount of time. Total cost of ownership is their main focus. As transportation directors closely watch their fuel budget,
many are looking at alternative fuels as a long-term cost controlling option. Manufacturers train school bus techni- cians with their new engine technology, but district customers are still going to their dealer for additional hands-on training. “Te need for additional personnel may be stronger than five or six years ago, and the complexity of the school bus continues to escalate every year,” said Central States Bus Sales’ Reitz. Other dealership services on the rise include emissions
services, as federal requirements change frequently and transportation directors have come to view their dealers as a valuable resource on the latest emissions regulations. Times have changed for many transportation directors,
as they look more outside of their own operations for parts, services and assistance on training, maintenance and repairs. For Lake Travis ISD’s Davis, she wouldn’t be able to do
certain things without her dealer. “I just entrust the dealership explicitly because they know
what’s going on and are up to date with any recalls, and any other type of problems that people or districts may be having with their vehicles,” she said. “Whereas other shops wouldn’t be in the know as much as the dealership.”
The Right Seat for Your Child
SynTec is proud to introduce our new “S3C” Family of Seats, featuring the “S3C” convertible school bus seating system. The “S3C” seat is available in Restraint (lap belt ready), Lap / Shoulder, Integrated Child Seat and Flip seat configurations, all from a single base frame. The “S3C” can easily be converted to any configuration without removing the seat from the bus AND with no loss in capacity!
Contact SynTec Seating Solutions for additional information about the company, and how we can partner with you.
S3C
Lap/Shoulder Seat
S3C
Intergrated Child Seat
S3C
Restraint Seat
200 Swathmore Ave. High Point, NC 27263
68 School Transportation News August 2013
Toll Free: 1-866-931-7328 Office: (336) 861-9023 Ext.245
SynTecSeating.com
© 2013 SynTech Sealting Solutions
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