SPECIAL REPORT


Real-World Experience By Stephane Babcock and Ryan Gray


Two school bus dealers that double as contractors give


insight into their experiences with SCR and EGR


costs have yet to be made public, the experiences of these two deal- er/contractors give insight into this still fairly new technology.


SCR’s First Stop: Te Badger State When the first 2010 Tomas Built


Waters Truck & Tractor/Waters Transportation Services


employees


welcome the first batch of IC Bus 2010 EGR models.


W


ith school bus OEMs spending the last year dueling in a battle of


words and advertisements over which 2010 emission compliant solution is the best, many poten- tial customers are still seeking hands-on experience with the new technology before they make a decision. Recently, reports have been made public on the rolling out of 2010 buses and orders, with Tomas Built Buses announc- ing the sale of 1,500 units, more than 100 SCR-equipped Blue Bird buses making their way to show- rooms around the country and 28 of the 2010 IC Bus with Navi- star’s MaxxForce Advanced EGR diesel engines already in use. STN was able to locate two companies that both sell school buses and contract their services and have experience with the options for 2010 compliance. Although actual data on fuel economy and related


42 School Transportation News Magazine July 2010


C2 Saf-T-Liner equipped with SCR to meet the new EPA emissions re- quirements was made available this past January, Nelson’s Bus Service in southern Wisconsin proved to be a perfect test site. Celebrating its 70th year in business this year and a Tomas dealer since 1974, Nelson’s knows a thing or two about school buses, especially about operating them in cold climates. Chris Arnett, co-owner of


Nelson’s Bus, said the transition to SCR has been seamless, and the cold has not been an issue. Te Diesel Exhaust Fluid, a non- toxic mixture of


approximately


one-third urea and two-thirds de- ionized water, that breaks down NOx into water at the tailpipe and is stored and handled much like windshield wiper solution. And besides adding two steps to the pre-trip inspection procedures, namely checking DEF levels, he said one would hardly know the difference between operating a 2010 Tomas bus with SCR and a previous model without it. Te in- cab gauge allows the driver to keep


an eye on the DEF level, so, Arnett said, there should never be an in- stance when the fluid runs out, as that would be akin to allowing the bus to run out of fuel, especially as one 13-gallon tank of DEF is good for more than 3,600 miles. Plus, DEF levels should be checked along with all other fluids during a normal preventative maintenance schedule of every 3,000 miles. But, he said that operators could make additional plans in case of longer trips, such as topping off before leaving or locking a small amount of DEF in the bus storage compart- ment along with other supplies. “With the exception of


those


couple of things, they really wouldn’t know that this is a quote- unquote 2010 emissions SCR bus,” he added. “[Te drivers] have been very pleased with the perfor- mance. Tere’s no difference in the feel behind the wheel.” As


for fuel economy, Arnett


said Nelson’s Bus had yet to cap- ture any concrete data. But he did refer to previous claims by Cum- mins, the engine’s manufacturer, and Tomas that SCR would pro- vide a 5- to 9 percent increase in mileage over EGR technology. Little difference has been seen by


Nelson’s technicians, as well, during the first two PM schedules per- formed in May.


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  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92