Continued from cover SHOW the REPORTER


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It likely will take school buses many years get that technology, such as current Daimler


truck driver assistance like tailgate warnings and active braking assist, Edgerly said. But he stressed that it is up to student transporters and all the OEMs to start discussing what solutions are available, which ones will benefit the industry the most from a safety and driver wellness perspective and how to best integrate them into school buses. Leslie Kilgore, vice president of engineering for Tomas Built Buses, echoed that point


by sharing how “technology is being integrated into everything we do.” She cited examples like the 2016 Smart City grant awarded to Columbus by the U.S. Department of Trans- portation to assist in its transformation into an integrated technology example for the rest of the country. “Te transportation industry is going to change, and we need to change with it,” Kilgore


continued. She also cautioned that care must be taken since, “if we do too much or if we go too fast, we’ll lose the comfort and security that people have in the industry. But if we go too slow we’ll be left behind.” In all the advancements, she said, “We have to be thoughtful, careful and mindful of our


industry, our passengers and our drivers.” Kilgore’s presentation segued to introducing Tomas’ new all electric Type-C school


bus. With Edgerly behind the wheel, “Jouley” glided in as quiet as a whisper to appear before conference attendees. Kilgore noted that the new bus release comes at a time when, “Tere’s a lot of state and federal interest” in emissions reduction. Tat interest has resulted in an especially electric trade show experience on Tuesday for


NAPT and NASDPTS attendees. Tomas is joined by Blue Bird, IC Bus, Lion Bus and Trans Tech in exhibiting all-electric school buses. For Tomas, Kilgore revealed that Jouley will be five to 20 percent more efficient than


diesel school buses, and reminded those who remain skeptical of real-world performance that “technology has a price, but there’s a lot of incentives available.” Edgerly and Kilgore answered some audience queries on how the bus operates in dif-


INSIDE:


ferent terrains, climates and duty cycles, though they underscored that more answers will come as the bus is put into real-life situations. “Te purpose of producing this bus is 100 percent to learn.” Edgerly reiterated. “We


have to invest to learn. It’s a learning experiment for the industry.” Jouley joins other school bus manufacturers who have announced new or expanded


plans for electric school buses this year. Cummins is developing fully electric drivetrains for heavy vehicles, and Lion Electric will release an electric minibus next summer. Meanwhile, electric drivetrain provider ADOMANI, Inc. signed a deal with Blue Bird


for three years of Type C and Type D electric school bus production. At the NAPT Trade Show, IC Bus is unveiling a medium-duty electric school pro- duced in partnership with the Volkswagon Truck & Bus Group. ●


2017 STN Leadership Award recognizes Rick Grisham of Georgia’s Cobb County School District for focus, ingenuity & instruction


GETTING THE ‘BELT


Who knew the biggest advantage of 3-point seat belts could be improved student behavior?


PLANNING FOR WORST, HOPING FOR BEST WITH SCHOOL BUS CRASHES


STUFFING THE BALLOT BOX TO FUND SCHOOL BUS OPERATIONS


REMEMBERING ROSCO’S SOL ENGLANDER


Publisher, Tony Corpin Editor in Chief, Ryan Gray Associate Editor, Claudia Newton Assistant Editor: Nathan Tuvalu Creative Consultant, Vincent Rios Senior Designer, Kimber Horne Graphic Design, Maria Molina Chairman of the Board, Bill Paul Senior Vice President, Colette Paul Event Manager, Sylvia Arroyo Circulation Manager, Andrea Dugmore


School Transportation News magazine, “Driving the Industry since 1991” ®


For over 25 years, School Transportation News has been a market leader in sharing the business tools necessary to navigate the many challenges facing the industry. The operational and ideological answers to today’s issues reside within our readers, and they rely on our analysis to help them make vital decisions.


November 2017


NOVEMBER 2017 ISSUE SCHOOLTRANSPORTATION NEWS MAGAZINE


4 THE SHOW REPORTER • NOV 4-7, 2017

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