JAMES BROWN Head Mechanic Hannibal School District #60 in Missouri Recent State Inspection Score: 100 percent this past year Fleet Size: 36 school buses Miles Traveled: 375,000 to
400,000 annually Number of Technicians: 1 full-time & 2 part-time James Brown started at Hannibal Transportation 23 years
ago, and said that every day is different, due to the variety of his schedule. One day he could be monitoring tire depths or pres- sures and the next carrying out a major repair.
His day starts before the first bus departs at 6:15 a.m., and ends
after the last buses are back at the transportation center, around 4:30 p.m. His favorite part of the job is ensuring that all of the students riding the buses every day are safe. He is focused on maintaining a high-quality fleet that not only functions safely, but looks good as students are transported. Over the past 22 years, Hannibal Transportation had only 6 buses that had a defect and were failed at the Missouri Highway Patrol Inspection. This year, 100 percent of its buses passed. Transportation
Director Scott Speer said Brown was constantly learning and adapting to the needs of Hannibal. He learned to work on full air conditioned buses, new diagnostic software, and helped shape Hannibal’s preventive maintenance program. He also serves as a substitute driver when needed.
“Simply put, James keeps Hannibal Transportation running safely.” —Scott Speer, Transportation Director for Hannibal School District #60
FRANK NAELITZ Maintenance Manager for First Student Fleet Size: for Euclid: 73 vehicles; Elyria: 52 vehicles Miles Traveled: Euclid: 750,000 miles per year; Elyria: 730,000 miles per year Number of Technicians: Euclid: 2; Elyria: 2
Frank Naelitz’s day in the shop ranges from calm and
organized, to organizing the chaos. He strives for predictive main- tenance whenever possible and pre-planning the shop’s work. He prides himself on having an organized shop and a good
employee culture that is instilled in every member of the team. Naelitz is responsible for the transportation services for the Elyria and Euclid City Schools in Ohio. He said he has several
favorite parts of the job, starting with when he sees the buses on the road that are full of students, knowing that the bus has been held to the highest of standards. “It’s not only one of the highest-ranking inspection systems in
the country administered by the Ohio Highway Patrol, but also my company’s high standards and my personal high standards. Own- ing the responsibility is something that each member of my team understands and the pride we all share is a key to success,” Naelitz said. He added that he also enjoys training technicians and giving them the knowledge and tools they need to be successful. Lastly, he said he loves seeing the technicians thrive at their job, and that without them, the fleet would be incomplete. His employees describe him as self-driven and an extremely
motivated person with a wealth of knowledge. Naelitz was recently included in Auto Care Association’s annual list of World Class Techni- cians and he has 14 years of experience in the transportation industry.
“Frank is self-driven and extremely motivated. He has the skill set and the talent to maintain an excellent fleet of buses and technicians. He understands that he is a leader of a team, and that for his fleet to be successful, his team must be successful and well trained.”
—Brad Sprague, Operations Manager for First Student
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