News Special Report
Telematics systems, like OnCommand Connection for IC Bus, provide a host of vehicle data at an end-user’s fingertips.
BRIEFS Tapped In FLEET HEALTH CHECK:
Catching Problems Before Tey Happen
WRITTEN BY RYAN GRAY |
RYAN@STNONLINE.COM D
iagnosing a health issue can be difficult minus the signs that something is wrong. Tat’s why it’s so important to pay close attention
to the sniffles and sneezes, as well as coughs, aches and pains. Our brains process this data to determine
that we might need to visit the doctor. Te same goes with vehicle health. Fault codes alert drivers behind the wheel that something is amiss mechanically. But heretofore, a challenge has always been that fault codes could only be obtained manually after either drivers or mechanics already were aware of potential problems. Not anymore.
Te ills experienced by school buses and the ability to quickly alert transportation officials of potential maintenance situations have evolved to the point of transmitting fault codes in real time via telematics. School bus onboard computers are programmed to instantaneously record an event and forward it to the garage, even when the bus is still on the road. Tis allows fleet managers to stay one step ahead of
unexpected and costly breakdowns. “It’s a great time to be a mechanic in the school bus industry,” said John Whelan, shop foreman at School District #73 in Kamloops, British Columbia, referring to the influx of new technology. So why don’t all fleets have vehicle telematics? Like in life, everyone has different priori- ties, whether those are by choice or not. Arby Creach, director of transportation at Brevard County Public Schools on the “Space Coast” near Cape Canaveral, Florida, knows full well the diagnostic power of onboard telematics. In 2004, he was director of operations at Orange County Public Schools in Orlando and over- saw the nation’s very first implementation of real-time telematics for school buses, followed closely by a similar program at Dallas ISD. “We were basically within weeks of each other with a brand new start-up company, then called Everyday Wireless,” said Creach. “But that was all radio based. Cellular fees were way too expensive at the time, so everything was based on radio telemetry to ground-based re- ceiving stations and transmitting the informa-
Shenendehowa Central Schools in Clifton Park, New York, utilizes GPS for live tracking of its 203 route buses as well as to provide routing in- formation and to communicate engine faults as they occur, Transportation Director Alfred Karam told STN. The district’s technicians use the following to stay ahead of maintenance issues:
DIAGNOSTICS EQUIPMENT:
• Midtronics Battery/Charging System Tester
• Snap-On Solus Ultra • Pocketmax
COMPUTER SOFTWARE:
• Cummins Insite • Diamond Logic • Allison Transmission • Webco • Bendix ACOM • OnCommand Onboard Diagnostics (currently being tested)
“The equipment and software allows us to troubleshoot en- gine, tranny, brakes and electri- cal issues quicker, which results in our buses being turned around very quickly back to operations,” Karam added.
www.stnonline.com 25
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