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DATA, STATISTICS AND TRENDS


School Bus Production Up Slightly, Falls Short of Meeting Demand


WRITTEN BY RYAN GRAY | RYAN@STNONLINE.COM


supply chain constraints and astronomical fuel prices impacting the OEMs. As a whole, they were simply not able to fulfill the high demand of school districts and bus companies. The latest OEM survey conducted by School


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Transportation News indicates about 1,400 more school buses were manufactured during the period of Nov. 1, 2021 and Oct. 31, 2022, following a 14-percent downturn caused by COVID-19 shutdowns. Amid the meager school bus output gains of this year, most of the 10 manufacturing companies that responded to the online survey conducted this past fall reported unprecedented backlogs. Hundreds of student transporters told the magazine


2023 Bus Table_P11.pdf 1 12/6/22 4:45 PM


as much last year because receipt of the new buses was delayed. In fact, readers in November said via a separate survey that the average wait time to receive new orders averaged about seven months longer than they are traditionally accustomed to. Many


chool bus manufacturers reported a 4.4 percent increase in vehicle production over the previous year. The numbers could’ve been better but for the continued trend of


transportation directors indicated they are waiting a year or longer. It is easy to blame record inflation. After rates began spiking in the latter part of 2021, last year’s average ballooned to 7.7 percent by the end of October. That was the highest figure since the late 1970s and early 1980s. Then as was the case last year, the skyrocketing price of oil was a culprit. But supply and demand forces exacerbated by COVID-19 and the federal government flooding the market with newly printed money haven’t helped. To add further perspective, U.S. inflation averaged 1.6


percent from 2012 through 2020. It comes as no surprise, then, that last year new school bus purchases were the second-most requested budget line-item increase made by school district transportation departments, just behind fuel, according to an online reader survey conducted in November. The good news is that, relatively speaking, inflation


is coming down. But does that matter? It does, but most experts agree that high prices will remain the norm for at least the next year, despite the passing of


School Transportation News Annual School Bus Manufacturing Data


School Year 2021-2022 2020-2021


2018 2019 2019-2020


2017 2018 2016 2017 2015 2016


2014 2015 2013 2014


2012 2013 MFSAB 1,606 1,448


1,761 2,231 1,870


2,000 (est.) 1,061 (est.)


1,585 (est.) 2,500 (est.)


1,500 (est.) Type A-1 4,010 2,827


1,948 2,589 3,361


2,338 2,978


2,084 2,303


3,924 Type A-2 2,081 2,932


6,671 6,641 4,404


7,356 6,424


6,132 6,017


3,921 Total Type A 6,091 5,759


8,719 9,230 7,765


9,694 9,402


8,216 8,320


7,845 Type C 24,117 23,101


31,554 31,834 25,965


32,291 29,757


28,640 27,071


25,230 Type D 2,665 2,616


4,508 3,790 2,948


4,145 4,143


4,344 3,662


4,098 Totals* 32,873 31,476


44,634 44,781 36,678


46,130 43,302


41,200 39,053


32,594


*Total count does not include MFSAB, AAV or “white” buses that are typically used for commercial applications. Source: School Transportation News


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