SPECIAL REPORT
isn’t quite enough for Karam’s fleet. “In the northeast, it needs to be more
than. We really need, at a minimum, a 70/30 mix,” he said. Karam used to have fuel gelling issues,
“but since we instituted some of these steps, I can’t remember the last time we had to chase a bus because its fuel gelled.” Ron Ernenwein, president of AA
Transportation in Shrewsbury, Mass., whose services include student transportation, said he purchases premium fuel, and the company’s sister trucking company hauls the fuel to his bus yard. Wholesale premium comes pretreat- ed, and it makes a big difference for him when it comes to preventing fuel from gelling. “It’s a couple of pennies more per gallon,
but we think it’s worth it,” he said. When it comes to other maintenance prac-
tices during winter prep time, Ernenwein will first increase his maintenance staff to handle any cold-starting issues. Ten, one of the main things his crew does with the school bus fleet in November is turning on the heaters and ensuring they function properly. “In the winter there are more frequent
concerns with heaters, but for the most part we check them on regular intervals throughout the year,” said Ernenwein, who has a full-service maintenance facility and a mechanic crew that does everything from preventive maintenance to major engine overhauls.
DEFENSIVE DRIVING FOR SAFETY, FUEL ECONOMY
In mixing fuel, fuel economy is reduced,
which is a concern when fuel budgets are very constricted. What helps aid fuel economy during winter — and anytime of the year — is when drivers are more aware of their driving habits, watching their speed and giving themselves more distance to stop. Tat’s why Tede, Karam and Ernenwein
all stressed the importance of consistent reinforcement of safe driving techniques to bus drivers throughout the year, along with other tips relative to their particular environment or area of service. “We always make them aware of normal winter driving is always going to be dif- ferent, it will be more defensively,” Tede
said. He added that the school district has a policy that doesn’t allow anyone to sit in the back seat on either row side of school buses during winter once the buses leave the city limits. “Te back of the bus is the most vulner-
able during start and stop situations,” he explained. Karam noted that the safe driving tech- niques provided is not driven by weather. He uses a web-based program media signage service that enables him to display various important tips and messages, including defensive driving techniques, year round on a television screen located in the driver’s room. “We display different items relative to the time of year, so that’s a constant thing.” He added that, interestingly, his concern about his drivers’ defensive driving isn’t during wintertime. “When the weather turns bad, the drivers
actually become better drivers…more con- scious and more defensive,” he said. “Most of our issues are on a nice, sunny day, when their guard is down.”
46 School Transportation News October 2013
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