A look at the
many generations of mechanics/technicians keeping buses running down the roads
By Stephane Babcock
Passion is something that not only
drives this industry but the people within it. Skimming through the responses from a recent STN survey sent to technician and mechanic subscribers, it is evident that passion can lead to a position in the school bus garage and keep someone in it for many decades. “When I first started in 1991, I had a
choice to work on trucks or buses,” said Mario Garcia, vehicle maintenance super- visor for Orange (Calif.) Unified School District. “I always thought that school buses are very special. You have to have a passion for yellow.” Some, like Nalley Motor Trucks Bus
Fleet Specialist Danny Evans, even called it an “addiction,” something he was never able to walk away from. Evans has spent a little less than 30 years in the industry. It’s an experience that many respon-
dents seemed to share. More than a quarter of the participants have between 25 and 30 years invested in the school bus industry, with another 42 percent at 11 to 20 years. A technician from central Virgin- ia topped the list with 45 years of school bus service. Meanwhile, 13 and 7 percent of those surveyed have six to 10 years and zero to five years experience, respectively.
Watching from Under the Hood Change can be viewed from any num-
ber of angles, and for mechanics and technicians, they see everything from the inside, out. Te increasing use of electronic controls was one of the most mentioned advances
to school buses,
with many adding that the need for train- ing has also increased. “Te technology changes have come very fast in the last 10 years,” said Todd
How many years have you worked as a mechanic/technician? 0% 15% 30% 45%
0 to 5 years: 2.5% (5) 6 to 10 years: 4.5% (9) 11 to 20 years: 16.9% (34)
21 to 30 years: 54.7% (110) Over 30 years: 21.4% (43)
How many years have you worked with school buses? 0% 15% 30% 45%
0 to 5 years: 7.0% (14) 6 to 10 years: 13.0% (26)
11 to 20 years: 42.0% (84) 25 to 30 years: 26.5% (53) Over 30 years: 11.5% (23)
54 School Transportation News Magazine March 2010
60%
60%
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