Options for school bus operators
are as varied as Mendenhall noted, adding that one option is to trade the buses to the school bus dealers. But from a dealer perspective, he said it’s important to remember there are associated costs, including necessary service and upgrades to fetch a better price, and committing to hold them until they’re sold. This could result in the trade value being less than fair market value. Another option is selling to con-
tractors, which might have districts that are “not as picky about age, as long as the buses are safe, clean and look decent.” He said deals can often be negotiated that ease age restric- tions based on not having to replace a fleet with brand new buses. The easiest path, said Mendenhall, is to find non-traditional buyers. This can make sense when a school district is looking to sell fewer school buses at a time. “Traditional media is a great way
to reach the masses,” said Menden- hall, adding that he’s seen school bus operators run ads on social media to reach people who might need a bus for church events, motor homes or farms that need bigger transportation vehicles. He encouraged operators to think
creatively when it comes to market- ing—for example, putting for sale signs on school buses that need to be sold—and looking for potential users in the community before a sale becomes necessary. “There’s all kinds of people that
could use pre-owned school buses, they just don’t know it,” he said. Mendenhall spoke about the
benefits of using resources like the “Official School Bus Blue Book” and appraisals as a good “touchpoint of reality on your fleet.” He said that in the many appraisals performed by the Bus Solutions staff, the company often identifies both good and bad practices that are affecting the overall value of the fleet. “Our crew has been there and done it in every segment of the bus indus-
try,” said Mendenhall. He noted that the staff includes former operators of bus fleets and maintenance professionals, creating a well-rounded staff that can provide experience-based observations and highlight areas to improve in. They can also provide a better understanding of how the fleet value is holding up in the marketplace, what factors are influencing depreciation and what investments will be a good choice in the long run in terms of increas- ing potential selling prices. Mendenhall said that to keep the “Official School Bus Blue Book” updat- ed, he and his team review sales transactions of all the school bus makes
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