SPECIAL REPORT


Tools like OnCommand Connection are providing real-time, deep dives into maintenance and vehicle data.


Getting a Grip


As student transporters continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, hopefully with an official end in sight soon, proactive school bus maintenance is key to ensuring a healthy and safe fleet


Written by Jim Romeo


I


n early March, transportation staff members at Lee County School District in Fort Myers, Florida had their hands full after the state inspected 120 buses and identified seven with multiple problems, and


four of those buses scored “incomplete.” According to local news reports, the inspection results uncovered 28 broken seatbelts, a worn drag link (a part critical to steer- ing the bus and maintaining control), a pinched wire fire hazard, and tire tread depths that were not recorded. School Transportation News reached out to Lee County


for comment but could not connect with officials there be- fore press time. But local reports indicated that the district does not have a computerized preventive maintenance program and relies on handwritten records. The situation could be a cautionary tale for operations


nationwide—Without a disciplined preventive or predictive maintenance program, especially during labor and supply shortages, material and equipment deficiencies pile up quickly and pose undue risk to equipment and personnel. An issue even before COVID-19 is aging bus fleets that


20 School Transportation News • MAY 2022


aren’t replaced fast enough, demanding more correc- tive maintenance as parts and components are more prone to failure and approach their own end of life. Compounding matters, school bus mechanics are also in short supply. Factor in COVID and all the woes of the pandemic and the problem has worsened. At least during the first several months of the pandemic,


some buses sat idle, making them prone to maintenance problems such as corrosion and other operational snafus. School bus manufacturer Blue Bird noted in its earn- ings report that for the first quarter of 2022 sales of parts declined by 15 percent between 2020 and 2021, due to school closures. “Stay at home orders and school closures reduced bus repair and maintenance activities due to lower bus use,” the company stated. John Finn, the senior vice president of maintenance


for school bus contractor National Express, said he understands the existing climate and knows that a host of big and small problems—from procurement delays to supply chain snags, present challenges.


PHOTO COURTESY OF NAVISTAR


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