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second.flood
Top Member
USA
640 Posts |
 Posted - 07/28/2002 : 08:01:12 AM
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Does anyone have a link to information regarding mechanic to bus ratios? I work in Ohio and any info would be appreciated. Our district (37 buses) employs one full-time and one half-time mechanic, does this seem to be in line with others? Thanks, Scott.
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wagonmaster
Top Member
USA
2298 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2002 : 10:06:15 AM
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I guess an "ideal" ratio is 14 or 15 buses per mechanic, we're at about 22 to one. That's ok because we have a pretty new fleet. As long as we can maintain adequate replacement buses, I don't think a change is in order.
Joe
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wsauer3481
Senior Member
USA
65 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2002 : 3:55:53 PM
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our district is 35 busses for each techmech we have two lube/tire men and 1 helper, we have over 400 busses some as old as 1995
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second.flood
Top Member
USA
640 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2002 : 5:00:26 PM
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If your oldest bus is a '95, that's pretty good. We have seven from '84 to '87... but all the route buses are '96 or newer (we use our buses a minimum 15 yrs). Our shop also takes care of our our maintainance dep't vehicles (7 vehicles including a back-hoe). We are also in a cold weather climate, northern Ohio. I think a ratio of 1-14 or 15 would be great. Mechanics could then take time to do the little things that get lost in the shuffle and also have time to communicate with the drivers. Thanks for the replies so far.
Scott.
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wsauer3481
Senior Member
USA
65 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2002 : 7:56:58 PM
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my mistake 1985 not 1995
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rockpik98
Active Member
USA
44 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2002 : 11:16:57 PM
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I have 46 in my yellow fleet and 300 in my white fleet with only 6 mechanics and what a ratio-57 or so to ONE, try that sometime. My techmechs can do all phases of mechanical work.
Mikey |
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wagonmaster
Top Member
USA
2298 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2002 : 04:51:31 AM
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Mikey,
You really can't count your "white" fleet in the bus/mechanic ratio. My "white" fleet is over 900, but they don't require the level of service that the buses do, usually every 90 days. If you were to pull(for arguement sake)two techs and assign them to the 300 support vehicles, that would be approx. 2 P.M.'s every day for a 90 day cycle, each, plus any non-scheduled stuff that was to come in. The other four would then be assigned to buses at a ratio of 11.5 buses per mechanic! A lot of us would be thrilled with those figures!
Even if you assigned 3 to do the "white" fleet and 3 to the bus fleet, the bus ratio would then be 15 to 1. Not too bad.
Joe
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rockpik98
Active Member
USA
44 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2002 : 08:45:57 AM
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Joe, thanks for the advice, but I already have 2 mechanics that service the white fleet and the other four the yellow fleet. We just got our 30 day inspections back on track as long as I can keep my two night people from getting sick. We have year round school here, so the mechanics take their vacation when they want and not during the summertime like a lot of the other shops. Sometimes I only have five mechanics in a weeks time or maybe four if another gets one sick or has a personal necessity. The two night mechanics do all of the PM's and the day mechanics do all of the mechanical work.
I have one other person that works part time repairing and recovering seats in our buses. We have as many as 14 seats a day per bus too repair or recover. What's your seat ratio?
My people do all of the welding, spindle work, bushing work, brakes and kingpins, air lines and electrical, all glazing, and all interior and some of the exterior painting and change all of the tires. We rarely send anything out for repairs. We do some engine repair but when an engine is really bad, I buy a reman for replacement.
For the next two weeks I will only have three mechanics on each shift and I sure nobody gets sick.
Mikey |
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wagonmaster
Top Member
USA
2298 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2002 : 05:39:49 AM
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Hi Mikey, I know what you mean! We have to have our own full time sewing shop that sews our covers, but our line staff does the actual R&R. Sounds like they do the same stuff your guys do. Since we went to oil lubricated front hubs in 1990, we have yet to do any spindle work, and our engines since 1988 are almost all wet sleeve units, and I can count those on one hand since then.
I must admit that I have a full time body shop, and they don't figure into the ratio. Otherwise, we would have to send a lot of things out, with all these vehicles.
Good luck!
Joe
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1042
Senior Member
USA
156 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2002 : 07:14:42 AM
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Hey Mikey!
Here's hoping for nothing but the best - and God's speed to you in your retirement coming up!
I know this is somewhat of an overused term these days, but in my book a career of 28 years' "wrench turning" qualifies you for aHEROaward!
Enjoy! You've earned it.
Cecil
Edited by - 1042 on 08/05/2002 07:16:59 AM |
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crobie
New Member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 08/24/2002 : 10:55:00 PM
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We have 130+ buses and three day and two evening mechanics. They seem to run behind only when they have to drive a route. All the other time they stay on top of it. They are really good though.
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bholman
New Member
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 05:00:23 AM
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| 07 c2 freightliner,windshield wipers come on/off at any given time, the blinker swith has already been replace with new style. my boss loves to presure wash the inside of buses, any help |
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bluebirdvision
Top Member
USA
1081 Posts |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4546 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 05:24:47 AM
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Ignoring that the ten year old topic revived is totally unrelated to this problem in question...
There are relays in the PDU under the hood, driver side, on the fender, that get wet easily and cause the wipers to run out of control. Check for water in the PDU. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 06:46:36 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by bholman
07 c2 freightliner,windshield wipers come on/off at any given time, the blinker swith has already been replace with new style. my boss loves to presure wash the inside of buses, any help
You should really start a new thread. It's easy, really.
Your answer is, DON'T PRESSURE WASH THE INSIDE OF YOUR BUSES!! If your drivers are keeping them swept and mopped every so often you won't have a big mess that needs pressured out. |
Bryan |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 08:45:36 AM
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| Decided to make a comment about the ratio thing. It really depends on what kind of mechanics you have. If you have a bunch of whiners who don't want to pull their weight and are only concerned about themselves then your ratio will, (to borrow a word from our president)necessarily, have to be lower. On the other hand if you have guys (or girls for that matter) that are team players and come in even when they have a head ache and make their doctor & other personal appointments on their days off. Then you can assign more buses to each person. Yes, it is true, if you have an aging fleet and live in the salt belt you will have to have more personnel no matter what. Just my two cents! |
Bryan |
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Bassman
Top Member
USA
558 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 12:16:59 PM
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| 115 buses - 4 techs plus one higher level AC/Electronics/primarily road man with only four big bays in shop. 125 in white truck fleet and 30 staff cars with 2 techs on white vehicles. Then we do all tractors (137), weedeaters, pushmowers, hedgetrimmers, edgers, snowblowers etc. at 54 schools that mow and plow are maintained by one tech. We have one helper who does primarily shuttling/parts pickup and one Fleet Inventory Coordinator. Lean, mean and successful. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 3:40:59 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bassman
115 buses - 4 techs plus one higher level AC/Electronics/primarily road man with only four big bays in shop. 125 in white truck fleet and 30 staff cars with 2 techs on white vehicles. Then we do all tractors (137), weedeaters, pushmowers, hedgetrimmers, edgers, snowblowers etc. at 54 schools that mow and plow are maintained by one tech. We have one helper who does primarily shuttling/parts pickup and one Fleet Inventory Coordinator. Lean, mean and successful.
Your wearing me out just talking about it! Wow! Good Job!! |
Bryan |
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efkimes
Active Member
31 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2012 : 06:19:57 AM
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| We have about 20 buses per mechanic. Then we have white fleet mechanics and grounds mechanics. |
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Wolf0r
Top Member
USA
2181 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2012 : 07:45:34 AM
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30 contract route buses here and customer work. One tech, buy my own tools and software. I even have to pay for my own ASE here. Soon I'm thinking about buying a van and going mobile.  I do miss working in a dealership professional atmosphere on the Bluebirds and for Chevrolet.  |
“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson |
Edited by - Wolf0r on 12/07/2012 07:49:34 AM |
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tigger2
Advanced Member
USA
470 Posts |
Posted - 12/10/2012 : 05:29:24 AM
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| We have 71 buses and 29 support units 4 techs, sort of I work in the shop when not doing whatever else comes along. I seem to be my own administrative assistant. |
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08 Thomas EF
Top Member
533 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2012 : 6:12:45 PM
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| We have a fleet of 24 and we actually outsource our work to a small truck and engine repair shop, so our ratio is a bit fuzzy. I'm guessing, perhaps 2 of the mechanics there normally work on buses? The owner (who drives bus 10 on route) and his brother, I believe. |
Edited by - 08 Thomas EF on 12/16/2012 6:13:23 PM |
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Mechanic to bus ratio...
