service planning is also leveraged on vehicles for repairs, both proactive and reactive, which results in a 16 percent reduction in dwell time compared to vehicles without.”


Robust Maintenance Technology Narrates Positive Stories Aside from uptime, robust maintenance technology


produces personnel and asset safety, and works through- out the entire collaborative team that strives to build excellence in student transportation. Johnson shared a story from his prior position, where alerts from the GPS/ telematics system prevented the loss of an engine. “A bus was idling in the yard when a technician


received an alert through the system and was able to monitor the issue in real time, and intervene before major damage occurred, ultimately saving the district tens of thousands of dollars,” he explained. “Even before GPS/telematics was implemented, the technicians were very proactive about preventive maintenance. However, once the buses were effectively talking to them through diagnostic alerts and data, the team was able to respond even more quickly to developing issues. That additional visibility helped reduce downtime and lowered the likeli- hood of breakdowns while buses were in service.” Sims recalled an instance where preventive mainte-


Karim Johnson (far right) and STN EXPO East inspection class listen to South Carolina Department of Education’s Mike Bullman (far left) discuss what to expect from training held March 28, 2026 at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.


nance inspections identified a developing brake issue during a scheduled service that could have resulted in an on-route failure.


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