their own buses to being assigned a substitute vehicle while repairs are being made. Consequently, drivers may not report needed repairs until a Friday, a holiday break, or the end of the school year. “Overall, that doesn’t work too well,” Coughlin stated. As is common in the industry, technology brings with it in-


creased capabilities that must nonetheless be carefully implement- ed into a school bus garage’s operation. “It gave me a lot easier role than at the beginning of my career, when I had to look at everything, write it down, make charts and format it,” Scesny explained. “Today’s technology is assisting a lot.” “I would encourage you to use as much technology as you can


to streamline the relationship,” Coughlin added. However, technology can only go so far. As multiple keynote speakers at the 2018 STN EXPO reiterated, it’s the people that make or break any organization. Scesny explained that new school bus drivers being trained solely


by a driver trainer or administrator can serve as a barrier to the learning and communication that should be happening in a school bus operation. “When drivers have training, you should bring a shop foreman or mechanic in there,” he suggested. Tis is valuable, he said, because a mechanic can help bridge gaps, provide under- standing, and lead to better and smother interactions all around. Some operations use a lock-jockey to check for mechanical issues,


so drivers don’t have to. But Scesney questioned the usefulness of that method in cases where the bus breaks down on a sports or field trip, leaving the driver unaware of what to do or even what is wrong. And of course, a mechanic conducting a pre- or post-trip check on the bus for the driver is “a hundred percent no.” “Mechanics are great candidates for (training), because they


understand everything from A to Z,” declared Coughlin. When drivers have a better understanding of how things on the bus work, they’re less likely to engage in driving behavior that is unsafe, inefficient, or damaging to the bus.


Te formation of cliques does not help with communication, as Coughlin attested to. Drivers can get annoyed that mechanics don’t fulfil their requested repairs, while mechanics can operate under the perception that drivers write up every little thing. Animosity and disagreements need to be addressed by management, because “when there’s animosity, it really affects the safety of the fleet,” he cautioned.


While the amount of work to be done in the garage often


prevents drivers and mechanics from working together as closely as they should, Scesny still urged both parties to take the time “to establish that working relationship.” Tis results in not just increased efficiency and avoidance of legal issues, but the safety of students. ●


QUAL IT Y MAT TERS


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