RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS
Operating Officer John Benish said the company has moved to synthetic engine oil and transmission fluid to lower repair costs. Buses are also re-painted at least once during the vehicle’s lifetime in service. “We also wash our buses at least once a week,” added Benish. “Te rest are secrets.” To increase the set of eyes included in his 88-point bus inspection program, SCPPS’
Martin trained six of his drivers as preventative maintenance inspectors. “Anything that can be repaired in 10 minutes or less they take care of,” said Martin.
“Any longer repairs, fluid or mechanical replacements, are referred to the mechanic as- signed to the bus.”
BENEFITS/DRAWBACKS OF GOING GREENER Even with the obligatory price in-
creases, school districts are still looking to the 2010 models, if only to decide which option to choose when bus pur- chasing funds become available. And 2010 and 2011 body styles are available with 2007 engines, which Dousman Transportation in Wisconsin recently learned after winning an EPA clean die- sel grant through NSTA. When it comes to the next-generation
clean diesel solution, Arthur Raymond, transportation director for Laredo (Tex- as) Independent School District, said he is currently leaning towards the EGR solution for the sole fact that it’s less to contend with. “I know that in Europe, the SCR system
has worked well and there might be more maintenance involved in some cases with using the EGR system, but not having to contend with another additive to the fuel system would be a convenience to con- sider,” said Raymond. Others have chosen the SCR route and
have made the changes to both their ga- rage’s infrastructure and training program quickly and flawlessly. “Our mechanics are 35-year veterans
and kind of run the training they need, and they can recycle all fluids or dispose as needed,” said Richard Beechum, trans- portation director for West Des Moines (Iowa) Community Schools. Montana’s blistery cold weather helped
Boyd Coster, the head mechanic at Bel- grade Public
Schools, decide on also
leaning towards EGR. But he added that his mind is not set. Like Raymond, Coster said he believes SCR has proven its ef- fectiveness in Europe, but worries about adding one more chore to the pre-trip in- spection — checking the urea level. “I can see myself, or one of our employ-
ees having to be dispatched when a bus derates because the driver failed to check its level,” said Coster. ■
42 School Transportation News Magazine March 2010
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