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News


SAFEL Y L IFTING Y OUR SCHOOL BUS FLEET FO R 35 Y EAR S


LIFTS THAT LAST A L IFETIM E


Gas line is Back


Conventional school bus manufacturer are embracing gasoline (again) as cost-saving option for customers


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P AR ALLELOGR AM LIFTS 10 models with capacities from 36,000 to 100,000 lbs. in surface, flush or pit mount. Shown in available fully galvanized steel construction for wash bay environments.


A Model LMF-12


TW O P OST LIFTS 7,000 through 30,000 lb. capacity models with a 25 year structural and 10 year mechanical warranty.


few decades ago, gasoline was the standard fuel for con- ventional school buses. Tis changed in the 1970s when a


number of circumstances, including two global oil crises, dramatically impacted the price of gasoline. During this period, the industry transitioned to diesel-powered buses, and to this day, diesel remains the most commonly used fuel, accounting for roughly 90 percent of the national fleet. While gasoline has a much stronger foothold in the Type-A market, Blue Bird announced at last summer’s STN EXPO the launch of a new Type-C, gasoline-pow- ered school bus, which demonstrates a resurgence of industry interest in gasoline. And another OEM was prepared to make a similar announcment at this writing. “I think holistically, that gasoline is


Model TR-25


FOUR P OST R UN W AY LIFTS 19,000 through 120,000 lb. capacity models give complete under vehicle access for trucks & buses.


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n 1-800-833-2006 16 School Transportation News • AUGUST 2016


o l m Fax


back,” commented Trey Jenkins, vice president of alternative fuels at Blue Bird Corporation. “It was out of the school bus scene for a couple of decades now but I think … that you’re going to see gasoline (buses) come back as a very nice product.” Te decision to add a gasoline Type-C bus to the Blue Bird line up, Jenkins said, came from, among other things, requests from customers. Some customers were looking for more accessible fuel sources during trips and wanted a “trip version of the propane bus.” “We have those locations like New York City, where propane is not accessible in


the city but gasoline is, and just in general a large number of customers asking for something other than diesel because of all the increasing emissions standards and the equipment that’s being added on to diesel was making it very difficult from a mainte- nance standpoint,” Jenkins said.


WHY GASOLINE? Some in the industry may question why they should consider gasoline when diesel is so prevalent, currently accounting for about 90 percent of all buses on the road.. Jenkins explained that cost and ease of maintenance of gasoline buses are two big factors to consider. For example, the acquisition cost of a gasoline bus is lower than that of a diesel bus. And while fuel economy and horse- power is lower than of a diesel bus, the cost of gas is typically lower. “Tere are times, although they’re kind


of short-lived, where gasoline may be slightly more expensive, but for the most part, at least over the last five years or so, if not 10 years, diesel has been more expen- sive than gasoline,” Jenkins said. In addition, Jenkins described how the cost of maintaining a gasoline bus will also be lower, and that the process will be simpler in the garage. For example, an oil change on a gasoline bus could take about seven quarts of oil, while on a diesel bus, it could take “anywhere from 17 to 23” quarts. Jenkins also pointed out that diesel buses


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