News
Bellville, Texas, ISD Shop Foreman Leon Pustejovsky works with the OnCommand Connection program from Navistar and IC Bus. The district uses the technology on 15 buses so far to obtain real-time health reports.
aid in updating electronic inspection reports did not meet expectations and CCSD is currently testing the use of laptops to fill that need instead. A change in processes did the trick at Kentucky’s
Kenton School District. To assist the six technicians who service the district’s 200 buses and auxiliary vehicles as well as inspect and repair two other districts’ buses, the transportation department imple- mented a just-in-time inventory control system. Tat subsequently reduced excess parts inventory by almost $200,000 and has brought the district’s cost per mile down by over 20 percent since 2014. In addition, the summer inspection process was redone to address the most common breakdowns and the district supplied the depart- ment with the necessary tools to allow more in-house repair work. “With less labor spent on reaction (breakdowns), we spend more labor on prevention,” explained Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Banta. She noted that operations have tightened up and continue to run smoothly, thanks to technician cooperation and monthly
“Tool Box Talks” held to compare notes and discuss concerns. Bellville Independent School District in Texas owns a fleet of 55 IC buses and has benefitted from readily available telematic technology. Since learning about Navistar’s remote diagnostic tool OnCommand Connection at the 2017 STN EXPO, Director of Transportation Cody Cox has implemented the technology on 15 buses and plans to have the whole fleet equipped by this fall. Te technology allows transmission of health reports whenever a bus stops at a school along its route and connects to Wi-Fi. Alerts about any mechanical issues the bus has are sent directly to Cox and his shop foreman Leon Pustejovsky, so they can determine needed repairs and be ready to make them as soon as the bus comes in. “Tis has increased our efficiency—when a code is thrown by the bus we know before the bus is back at base,” Cox said. “When drivers call in and have a light on the dash we are able to tell the code from our desk if they do not know what the light means.”
See a full gallery with photos provided by these districts and read more details about operations at Lower Merion School District and Scottsdale Unified School District at stnonline. com/go/ar.
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22 School Transportation News • FEBRUARY 2018
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11/30/16 3:29 PM
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