“(Refurbishing) actually is exceeding
our wildest expectations,” said Reppert, who is also the NAPT Region 2 Director. “My biggest fear was the acceptance by the drivers, but their response has been overwhelmingly positive. Te buses are running just as reliably as new buses. Tey have met every engineering expectation we have and are well regarded by drivers.” He even wrote an article recently on
the joy of refurbishing for the Georgia Association
for Pupil Transportation
magazine. Officials are ecstatic, and par- ents have complimented the district for good use of tax dollars. “From a business perspective it’s a
no-brainer,” Reppert adds. “Why spend money on a new bus when for about $16,000 you can have a bus that runs like new for 10 more years with regular main- tenance. We can update a lot of the safety features to match those on new buses and add new lights and strobes. A concern was whether refurbishment really would extend the life of a bus. Tere has been no impact in the readiness rate of the fleet. I
am now confident we will get a minimum of eight years and more from these buses.” Refurbishing a bus means more than
a good paint job, says Danny Evans, bus fleet specialist for Nalley Trucks in nearby Atlanta, which began refurbishing school buses in 2008. “A lot of people can throw paint on a bus, but in some cases that’s like putting lipstick on a pig. We bring the bus to our shop and put it on a road simu- lator to make sure everything is in order. “We must diversify to stay alive in this
market and we’ve had good success so far. Anything you find on a new bus we can put on older buses.” Transportation supervisors say the
importance of making older buses look good should not be understated. School buses are rolling billboards that project a district’s image. Drivers and children feel better about themselves in a shiny bus. Everyone also agrees that refurbishing can be a tough road to hoe, and for those who choose that route, caveat emptor is the rule of the day: “Let the buyer beware.” “You’ve got to know how to put a bus
together from the frame up so you don’t get what someone says you need but what you know you need,” says Chad McCaskill, transportation director for Camden County (Ga.) Schools. “If you’re savvy in the marketplace and know what you need, you will make good choices. We found it was much better to refurbish than to buy brand new buses. We’ve re- ceived a lot of bang for our buck, but it is also ‘buyer beware’ when you look for refurbishing shops.” Te Georgia State Legislature helped by
allowing money allotted for school bus re- placement to be used for refurbishing as long as it is done by a reputable dealer. Te popularity of refurbishing varies across the country depending on funding and other factors such as weather and road conditions. “(Refurbishing) is gaining popularity,
but we’re not seeing it as much in Arizona as in other states,” says Robert Kantor, di- rector of bus sales for Auto Safety House, a Tomas dealer in Phoenix. “We don’t get the body rust. More districts are recondi- tioning buses, and dealers are installing refurbishing shops to conform to this trend. My shop has the capability to strip a bus down to the bare chassis and rebuild it probably better than when it was new.” Texas has provided refurbishing services
Because Repeatability Matters!
• Computerized cutting provides repeatability for the best fit and finish in the industry. • Large distribution network. • Passenger securement systems.
since 1972 through Texas Correctional In- dustries (TCI), within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Shawn Blair, TCI assistant director, says the company can refurbish 40 buses at the same time in the facility at Huntsville, and charge 30 percent to 50 percent less than in the private sector. Te facility handles regular and special needs buses and has provided services to 600 of the state’s 1,035 public school districts. “We can put a bus in a refurbished con-
dition that has the quality and integrity to last another eight to 10 years,” Blair says. “We do a complete structural analysis and provide an estimate so school districts can choose what they want done. We do all interior and exterior work including body paint, upholstery, electrical, mechanical and more. All our work is done to state and federal specifications.” Blair adds that bus dealers are well
800.543.8222
www.besi-inc.com 36 School Transportation News Magazine September 2010 BESI StayinSeat3rdPG
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aware of what TCI does. “We take a refurbished bus to confer- ences so people can see for themselves.
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