School Bus Fleet Magazine Forums
Home | Profile | Register | Active Topics | Members | Search | FAQ
 All Forums
 Professional Garage
 Enter Forum: Professional Garage
 Trading buses
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  

bwest
Administrator

United States
3820 Posts

Posted - 01/04/2013 :  06:49:04 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
This question has probably been posed before but I thought I'd put it out there again. With the budget crunches we have not been trading buses as fast as we have been over the last 18 to 20 years. My question is; do you guys go by year or miles when trading/ replacing units? I have some units with low miles but are older than the ones with more miles.

Fastback
Top Member

1500 Posts

Posted - 01/04/2013 :  09:33:25 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
We don't go by years or miles, we go by rust issues.

Rub rails, panels over rear wheels, battery boxes and step wells, oh my. They don't last like they used to, we have more issues at 12-14 years than we used to have at 17.

Why yes, the ORIGinal CHARGER is a Fastback
Go to Top of Page

partsman_ba
Administrator

United States
377 Posts

Posted - 01/04/2013 :  10:12:38 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
We go by mileage and year, then maintenance headache level (buses with small issues that we can't figure out, or just ones that seem to be in the shop more often.) We have some low mileage 1999's with mechanical 6C engines that have been kept over some high mileage/PITA 2000 ISC's.

"Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional."
Go to Top of Page

Wolf0r
Top Member

USA
2181 Posts

Posted - 01/04/2013 :  11:36:25 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
It varies district to district here. Some let us use only use a 12 year old bus. We range from 1995-2008 right now.

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Go to Top of Page

bwest
Administrator

United States
3820 Posts

Posted - 01/04/2013 :  2:54:36 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Boy maybe I shouldn't complain. My oldest one is 1998 and a different bus has just over 200k

Bryan
Go to Top of Page

Kodie
Top Member

United States
2028 Posts

Posted - 01/04/2013 :  3:24:44 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Replacement cycle here just goes in order when it comes to full size buses. Example would be 1-5 being replaced this year, 6-12 being replaced next. Type A's are replaced when their miles reach a certain point, or they're just too rotted out. I don't agree with the system at all, but I don't make the decision. They sent an 02 Int. RE out with 69,000 miles on it, but kept an identical 02 with 135,000+ miles. Both ran/run just fine, no issues whatsoever.
Go to Top of Page

raytobe
Advanced Member

USA
293 Posts

Posted - 01/04/2013 :  3:26:11 PM  Show Profile  Visit raytobe's Homepage  Reply with Quote
We go by year. Man, I can't wait to get rid of the REs with the 444E.
Go to Top of Page

bwest
Administrator

United States
3820 Posts

Posted - 01/07/2013 :  07:21:27 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by raytobe

We go by year. Man, I can't wait to get rid of the REs with the 444E.



So it doesn't matter how many miles they do or do not have on them? What age are you replacing?

Bryan
Go to Top of Page

C.HARDY
Advanced Member

354 Posts

Posted - 01/07/2013 :  6:32:23 PM  Show Profile  Click to see C.HARDY's MSN Messenger address  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by bwest

Boy maybe I shouldn't complain. My oldest one is 1998 and a different bus has just over 200k

My newest is 98 with 150k......ha ha

"Hardybusman"
Go to Top of Page

bwest
Administrator

United States
3820 Posts

Posted - 01/08/2013 :  05:33:54 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by C.HARDY

quote:
Originally posted by bwest

Boy maybe I shouldn't complain. My oldest one is 1998 and a different bus has just over 200k

My newest is 98 with 150k......ha ha



I'll pray for you. Although, I'll bet you haven't replaced any dashes on yours like these guys are talking about in another thread on here.

Bryan
Go to Top of Page

sob
Senior Member

USA
91 Posts

Posted - 01/08/2013 :  5:31:44 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
No flys on a 98, IMHO.
Go to Top of Page

eddo
Advanced Member

USA
311 Posts

Posted - 01/09/2013 :  08:49:54 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
ok, my situation is a bit different, as I'm not running actual busses. My trucks are bus chassis's with our unique box put on them. Plus, living in AZ, I don't hardly ever have to deal with rust.

Saying that, I have 2 1987's that are currently getting scrapped (one has over 1 million miles, the other has just over 450,000.) Both have blown motors, and the company does not want to replace them. I have one '86, and another '87 that will run til they die.

We used to go to 23 years and replace no matter what, but company strategies changed a few years back and now we just run them til they need some big expense (like an engine.)

Taking those 2 trucks out, my average fleet age is 1996- and mine are all Internationals.
Go to Top of Page

raytobe
Advanced Member

USA
293 Posts

Posted - 01/09/2013 :  1:34:55 PM  Show Profile  Visit raytobe's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by bwest

quote:
Originally posted by raytobe

We go by year. Man, I can't wait to get rid of the REs with the 444E.



So it doesn't matter how many miles they do or do not have on them? What age are you replacing?



They all have pretty much the same (close) mileage by year. I think we have some 98-99s with non electronic trans that will be the first to go, then the 2000s. My main gripe with the REs is the blowing of crud into the air cooler. We start thinking of getting rid of busses at the 15 year mark.
Go to Top of Page

IBTMech
Top Member

USA
973 Posts

Posted - 01/09/2013 :  1:59:09 PM  Show Profile  Visit IBTMech's Homepage  Reply with Quote
It's all about the rust up here in Maine. Regardless of mileage, which pretty much averages around 160K, by age 14 the corrosion issues have the State Police rolling their eyes when they come out from under the buses and the words unsaid......"Don't bring it back to us again."

If it doesn't fit, FORCE it.
If it breaks, well, it needed replacing anyway.
Pullin' wrenches for 45 years.
Go to Top of Page

Crown
Senior Member

89 Posts

Posted - 01/20/2013 :  05:57:28 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
For us it has always depended largely on the service situation of a particular make and model series of bus, and also offers from outside agencies to help us replace them. We're not in a particularly rust prone area so running them two or three decades is the norm, even in good times. Many passed that higher mark years ago. Unless there is an urgent safety situation, we usually asses a specific series of buses and go from there. Mileage is factored in to the assessment but there is no mileage threshold. Some bus types soak up miles better than others.
Go to Top of Page

C.HARDY
Advanced Member

354 Posts

Posted - 01/20/2013 :  08:15:55 AM  Show Profile  Click to see C.HARDY's MSN Messenger address  Reply with Quote
or regen issues or injector issues or ecms or EGR....lol
quote:
Originally posted by bwest

quote:
Originally posted by C.HARDY

quote:
Originally posted by bwest

Boy maybe I shouldn't complain. My oldest one is 1998 and a different bus has just over 200k

My newest is 98 with 150k......ha ha



I'll pray for you. Although, I'll bet you haven't replaced any dashes on yours like these guys are talking about in another thread on here.


"Hardybusman"
Go to Top of Page
  Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Jump To:
 


School Bus Fleet Magazine Forums © 2022 School Bus Fleet Magazine Go To Top Of Page
This page was generated in 0.09 seconds. Snitz Forums 2000