Trends Is Diesel Breaking the Bank?
ARE NOT considering school bus “pre-buys” to avoid higher costs associated with new diesel engine emissions regulations
70% A
80%
s with each new school year, student transporters have plenty of issues to address and ponder. With this month’s survey, readers weighed in on a host of topics, including the new federal greenhouse gas emissions and fuel econ-
omy standards and what the regulations will mean for school buses over the next decade. STN received 250 responses from a list of 2,000 readers who
received a survey in August. They commented on their knowl- edge of related synthetic oil requirements, and the requirement for a new type of oil for 2017 and later engines, but also on how rising costs of diesel school buses are affecting their purchasing decisions. Could the incremental purchase costs even be driving operators to other alternatives, such as new gasoline conven-
Say increased costs of diesel buses tied to emissions regulations are making it harder to justify purchase decisions
tional models? Even amid those concerns, the industry does not seem primed for a massive “pre-buy” ahead of the regulations being implemented, like what was seen in 2007 and 2010. Incidentally, NHTSA and FMCSA published a proposed rule
that would require speed limiters, or governors, on all commer- cial vehicles that weigh more than 26,000 pounds. This includes larger school buses and motorcoaches. Speed limiters are noth- ing new to student transporters, but there is often little need for them on routes, some readers say, as the technology is more geared to highway travel, such as what field, sports and activity trips are more prone to encounter. Still, our readers appear to be split on whether all school buses need them for the added safety benefit, as the feds would like to see. ●
14 School Transportation News • OCTOBER 2016
CELEBRATING25YEARS
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