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PUBLISHER’S CORNER Choices: Getting What You Pay For WRITTEN BY TONY CORPIN | TONY@STNONLINE.COM I


n our day-to-day lives, we use countless products or services. Te choice of selecting the value brands or services versus trusted name brands matters greatly for many consumers. Take, for instance, your person- al mobile phone, tablet or computer. Do you typically buy off-brand personal electronics? Or did you buy an Apple product because of the name? I personally went with the latter. Where did you buy it from? A reputable chain store or an unknown online retailer? I got mine from the Apple Store, but certainly there are a host of other options out there for consumers. But we must all remind ourselves that we get what we pay for. Sometimes that is a good thing, and other times it’s not. With consumer technol- ogy, especially, the adage “Buyer Beware” has never been more true. Te same goes for school bus parts. In developing this article, conversations I had with


industry experts soon evolved into a discussion about counterfeit or sub-standard parts. Have you ever visited Alibaba.com, for example to purchase products? When you see the prices, it really makes you think twice about the quality and OEM authenticity of the products represented. Have you ever scored an amazing deal for a product or part that turned out to be faulty, low quality or a counterfeit? It’s common for many distributors, dealers and OEMs to buy parts or components from overseas suppliers simply to keep costs down. Are you and your staff asking suppliers about product quality, attributes and the testing of the SKUs they sell? Do you typically use the same trusted OEM supplier, dealer or independent retailer? No matter the source you as the customer need to remain proactive. Do you buy parts for your school buses the same way you would for your own technology needs? Do you have


an affinity for certain name brands or value brands when buying parts and equipment?


As I spoke with districts and equipment manufactur-


ers from around the industry, I found that everyone has a slightly different opinion on what quality of parts they needed or recommended to maintain school buses at their optimal levels. Te choice of buying OEM-certified products that have a guarantee behind them or aftermar- ket parts that might be of a similar, lesser or even better quality came up often. In speaking with one buyer, value-based parts


purchasing with a lower price point was district policy. Other fleet managers I spoke with said they considered carefully investing in the better or best quality parts available to help save on long-term maintenance costs by reducing wear and tear. Extending vehicle life for years to come trumped saving a few bucks in the short term. Commodity-based, high-turnover products like brakes, seat covers and filters were top of the list. Maintaining school buses and reducing Total Cost of Ownership should be a major operational points of dis- cussion for your operation. In the 2016 Buyer’s Guide, we published results from a survey of 305 transportation directors and fleet managers. We identified that 75 per- cent of the school buses that they operate have a 12 to 15-plus year life cycle. Meanwhile, more than 60 percent said they are not concerned with the resale value. Your choices have the power to affect how your fleet


performs and the service that’s delivered. Be sure to challenge your suppliers, dealers, parts distributors and OEMs to share their research on why the value, better or best products are right for your school buses. l


TONY CORPIN PUBLISHER


How Do You Buy?


Vote in this month’s STN Web Poll at stnonline.com/news/stn-polls and tell us if brand names or value is the driving factor behind your operation’s purchasing decisions.


66 School Transportation News • FEBRUARY 2016


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