At the trade show, Blue Bird unveiled its 2014 All American Type D school buses, pictured here. Company officials said that features include superior fuel efficiency, turning radius, driver visibility and paint warranty.
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On the trade show floor
At the trade show, Blue Bird unveiled its 2014 All American forward-engine and rear-engine school buses.
Company officials said that features include superior fuel efficiency, turning radius, driver visibility and paint warranty. Also on board are a new passenger window design with “ultra-smooth operation” and enhanced serviceability.
Additionally, the cockpit has been redesigned to comfortably fit virtually any body size. The ergonomics are similar to those of the Blue Bird Vision, so drivers can transfer between the Vision and All American product lines without having to learn a new cockpit layout, according to the company.
Also at the trade show, attendees were introduced to a new nonprofit initiative aimed at helping veterans find jobs in the industry.
Warriors in the Workplace puts employers in contact with qualified veterans of the U.S. military for positions such as mechanics, school bus drivers and routing specialists, and in such areas as manufacturing, management, purchasing, communications, and safety and training. Sponsors will be able to list their open positions on www.warriorsintheworkplace.org, and they will have their contribution recognized at trade shows and hiring events that the organization attends.
For information on some of the new products that were at the trade show, go here.
To see more photos from the NAPT Summit and sights in Memphis, Tenn., click here.
Pupil transporters honored for dedication, achievements
Pupil transportation professionals were honored for their contributions to the industry at the association’s annual awards banquet, which included dinner with musical accompaniment.
Here are the award recipients:
• Larson Quality Award — Dysart Unified School District, Surprise, Ariz.
• Heroism Award (sponsored by Blue Bird) — Cathy Snow, Elk Grove (Calif.) Unified School District
• Continuing Education Award (sponsored by Thomas Built Buses) — Heather Handschin, Spotsylvania County (Va.) Schools
• Driver Training and Safety Award (sponsored by IC Bus) — Steve Simmons, Columbus (Ohio) City Schools
• Special Needs Transportation Award (sponsored by Sure-Lok) — Victoria Creech, Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, Fla.
• SBF’s Administrator of the Year — David Anderson, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Thornton, Colo.
• America’s Best School Bus Technician — Alan Fidler, Tippecanoe School Corp., Lafayette, Ind.
• America’s Best School Bus Inspector — Jack Defibaugh, Greenbrier County (W.Va.) Schools
• School Transportation News Leadership Award — Charley Kennington, Innovative Transportation Solutions, Houston
Cesar Davila of Brownsville, Texas, had the winning poster in Division III and was the overall winner of NAPT's 2012 National School Bus Safety Week Poster Contest. Photo by Jaime Gallego
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NAPT annual poster contest winners
Entries for the 2012 NAPT National School Bus Safety Week Poster Contest were on display at the trade show.
The theme of the contest was “Stand Back From the Yellow and Black.” Cesar Davila of Brownsville, Texas, took first place in Division III and was the overall winner of the contest.
The other winners are:
Division I (K through 2nd)
First: Shivangi Ojha Pirtle of Belton, Texas
Second: Andres Alvarez of Peoria, Ill.
Third: Lindsay Mueller of Linn, Kan.
Division II (3rd through 5th)
First: Regina Gutierrez of Baldwin, N.Y.
Second: Mary Massey of Lafayette, Tenn.
Third: Jennifer Sieredzki of Clayton, N.C.
Division III (6th through 8th)
First and overall winner: Cesar Davila of Brownsville, Texas
Second: Mark Jarrell of Mount Zion, Ga.
Third: Carly McCloy of Chillicothe, Ohio
Division IV (special needs)
First: Kendra Diggs of Dendron, Va.
Second: McKenzie Spong of Port Charlotte, Fla.
Third: Andrew Sarles of Sandusky, Mich.
Division V (computer aided design)
First: Cathryn Phetsomphou of Sherwood, Ore.
Second: Ronando Moore of Colorado Springs, Colo.
Third: Elizabeth Trail of Palmetto, Fla.
Division VI (international)
First: Haley Rowe of Misawa Air Base, Japan
Second: Tabitha Smith of Misawa Air Base, Japan
Third: Jeric Locquiao of Misawa Air Base, Japan