T
he South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is known for its high standards when it comes to maintaining school buses. In fact, under the tutelage of retired director of maintenance
Marshall Casey, it set the standard for inspecting school buses, a practice still taught at conferences today. The six members of the SCDE engineering associate team (left) have over 150 years of service in student transportation combined. They share that knowledge and contribute to national efforts by helping teach the inspection class at both STN EXPO East and West. “This class has proven highly beneficial to school
bus programs across the country,” said Luke Patrick, the current maintenance director of SCDE. “By sharing inspection procedures and service guidelines that can be implemented locally, the team helps districts enhance their preventive and predictive maintenance programs and improve fleet safety.” When it comes to Garage Stars, the SCDE team is truly
a one-of-a-kind group, as they oversee all the vehicles in the state, responsible for over 5,600 school buses and 440 service vehicles including tankers, wreckers, tractors, forklifts and service trucks. On average, each associate oversees approximately 1,000 vehicles within their des- ignated service area. They also serve on the state’s school bus specification committee and support with providing specifications for tools, parts and equipment. “Safety, maintenance and service information is
regularly communicated to local shop team members, supporting a more effective preventive and predictive maintenance program,” Patrick added. “Each team mem- ber brings unique strengths to the table, fostering mutual support and efficient collaboration when specialized ex- pertise is needed. Moreover, SCDE leadership, from state Superintendent Ellen Weaver down, actively promotes a culture of teamwork and collaboration, reinforcing the foundation for a successful maintenance program.” And while it is a state agency, SCDE includes local school districts in any training opportunities and is
committed to supporting its communities whenever there is a need. Plus, as active members of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, the agency provides fuel, personnel and supplies during natural disasters or other statewide emergencies. SCDE is also incorporating alternative fuel vehicles
into its fleet, currently running 168 electric school buses, 522 propane buses and two compressed natural gas. “Electric buses offer a major advantage due to their
simplified design, having significantly fewer moving parts than internal combustion engines,” Patrick said. “This results in fewer points of failure and reduced maintenance needs, such as the elimination of oil changes and emissions-related issues.” Propane school buses, while maintained similar-
ly to diesel, stand out on their own. He added that it’s “because their reduced complexity of emission related systems translates to lower maintenance requirements and improved reliability.” The two CNG buses also operate similarly to diesel vehicles in terms of mainte- nance. However, Patrick said the team has observed a noticeable decrease in engine regen cycles, indicating improved engine efficiency. When it comes to technology and innovation, Patrick noted that tools such as GPS, Geotab, AssetWorks and Traversa by Tyler Technologies “have greatly improved our efficiency in both maintenance operations and reporting.” He added that the systems allow the team to track, man- age and respond to maintenance needs more effectively. Additionally, its centralized approach to student transpor- tation provides a level of efficiency “that sets us apart. This structure enables streamlined communication, standard- ized processes and consistent service delivery across the state,” Patrick said. Plus, tools such as GPS tracking and fleet maintenance
software have transformed SCDE’s transportation system, with these technologies enabling the use of digital report- ing dashboards. It allows the team to make data-driven decisions regarding maintenance schedules, vehicle per-
www.stnonline.com 35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
