News


“Each state is different. School districts will want a particiular brake system, but we try to steer them in another direction if we think


it’s better for them.” —Scott Smay, IC Bus


CHOOSING A DANCE PARTNER Keith McComsey, director of marketing and customer solutions for a leading man- ufacturer of brake systems in the country called Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake, said a key consideration attracting the attention of a growing number of school districts is the choice of drum brakes or air disc brakes. “While today’s drum brakes and pads have been engineered to meet and sometimes ex- ceed reduced stopping distance and FVMSS regulations, air disc brakes offer advantages in both performance and long-term cost of ownership,” McComsey said. “Air disc brakes have more of a car-like feel, because they provide shorter stopping distances and better brake balance, which makes for straighter, more stable stops.” McComsey added that air disc brake pads also tend to last longer than drum brake pads and take only a fourth of the time to replace, which reduces vehicle downtime and overall maintenance costs. Alexandra Cuthbert, national accounts


to and from school, rarely with any serious incidents. Million Children


475,000 25


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16School Transportation News • AUGUST 2017 CELEBRATING25YEARS


Each day, approximately carry


School Buses


manager for brake manufacturer Perfor- mance Friction Corporation, said a major problem school-bus fleet managers face when selecting brake systems is they don’t know what to ask for because they think they have a limited selection offered only by the OEMs. “It’s like buying a car, you get the brake system that’s on the car,” she said. “Te fleets are not presented with better options.” “What school districts want is ultimate-


ly dictated by need,” says IC Bus Director of Product Development Scott Smay. Smay said some districts prefer hydraulic brakes because they hire less experienced drivers that lack a CDL air brake endorse- ment. A CDL, Smay says, is required for either hydraulic or air brakes on a school bus. Te only difference is the requirement of an air brake endorsement for air brakes. “Te easiest license to get is a hydraulic


brake,” Smay said. “Each state is different. School districts will want a particular brake system, but we try to steer them in another direction if we think it’s better for them.” Meanwhile, a Tomas bus representative


said the company could not comment on this article. ●


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