School bus garage shop tools are the unsung heroes of school transportation. While buses may steal the spotlight, the tools used to maintain them are critical in ensuring the safety of the precious cargo aboard them.

School Bus Fleet is keeping you up to date, with a look at some of the latest maintenance shop tools on the market.

Prioritize Preventive Maintenance Using Fleetio’s Fleet Management Software

Regular preventive maintenance on school buses helps safeguard assets, drivers, and passengers. Fleetio’s fleet management software allows customers to easily perform vehicle inspections from their mobile phones and create work orders to capture needed maintenance for vehicles. Its system also easily integrates data from fleets’ existing telematics providers.

Since bus fleet managers often cover an entire district, the ability to receive automated notifications with the results of an inspection or fault codes from telematics devices enables them to ensure safety and maintenance compliance fleet-wide, a Fleetio spokesperson says.

Users can also quickly obtain and share critical data in an easy-to-read format with the software’s custom reporting feature. Fleetio provides necessary information for school bus fleets to make informed decisions, getting the most out of their assets.

Fleetio’s fleet maintenance software allows users to streamline communication and collaborate with mechanics in the garage in real time. Fleet managers can assign electronic work orders, review repair approvals, and monitor shop progress from anywhere to ensure all maintenance tasks are completed accurately and on time.

Keep Your Technicians Safe with Assistance from JohnDow’s Various Product Offerings

JohnDow has a number of products designed to make technicians’ jobs easier, and more importantly, safer.

The Tire Taxi HD (JDI-TT1-HD) is a safe, ergonomic, and more efficient method for moving oversized tires and wheels around the repair shop. It measures 32.4 in. in diameter, holds four tires and wheel assemblies with a maximum load of 552 lbs., has 4-in. industrial casters with one locking, and fits through a standard 36-in. wide doorway.

When you need to use a grounding wire while working with fuel products, the Static Grounding Reel (JDI-SGR75) is a safe option, a spokesperson for JohnDow explains. The 75-ft. cable length reel includes slow retraction, a ratchet-locking mechanism, and auto-release that activates wire over-stretching, to maintain safety at all times. The reel has three mounting options: ground, wall, and ceiling, with a mounting template.

The EuroVent Vehicle Exhaust Extraction System provides the elimination of harmful vehicle exhaust fumes from interior repair facilities while reducing energy consumption and air loss. The EuroVent system is an approved equipment supplier for all major vehicle manufacturers in North America, a spokesperson says. The virtually maintenance-free system includes an overhead rail system, telescoping system, and fixed hose recoil-style reel system, as well as an inground disappearing system.

Heft School Buses Using Rotary’s Modular or Mobile Lifts

Rotary specializes in lifts for heavy duty transit vehicles, especially school buses.

The Mod35Flex is an inground lift, featuring a modular, encapsulated shallow pit design with recessed, unobstructed floor designs. The lift also features patented universal style lifting saddles, giving operators flexibility in the form of multiple saddle styles, including tall rear, low truck front, low profile and ultra-low profile. It’s available in a two- and three-post series, with a lifting capacity of 70,000 lbs. or 105,000 lbs., respectively.

What sets the Mod35Flex even further apart from comparative models is the Mod35 Flex remote control, which provides quick, wireless setup and the ability for operators to move freely around the vehicle and bay during operation, a spokesperson explains. Operators can view the vehicle and adjust it from a distance, providing them with new vantage points and new levels of safety. Additionally, an emergency stop button is accessible at the top of the remote.

Rotary offers mobile lifts designed for operators who want the capabilities of an inground lift with the flexibility to position it wherever possible. The FlexMax features four mobile lift columns capable of lifting between 14,000 to 18,000 lbs. per column. This allows technicians to service multiple school bus sizes.

The FlexMax columns are easy to set up, allowing operators to placed them and lift a vehicle in a matter of minutes. It also allows them to position the lift columns in any open bay at their shop or in any space that can accommodate a vehicle. Additional features include digital column gauges that display vehicle height and weight, 24V DC batteries with a 110V charging system, a spring loaded steering and braking system, and a lock light that turns green when the column is on its locks.

Focus on Greener Options with Stertil-Koni’s Lifts

Stertil-Koni’s lifts help technicians easily and safely access underneath school buses.

The company now offers a continuous recess with the inground telescopic piston DIAMONDLIFT. Continuous recess allows the bolster to be lowered into the floor and travel anywhere along the horizonal travel range while fully recessed. This makes it ideal for lifting low-ground clearance vehicles – notably the growing wave of electric school buses, a spokesperson explains.

Continuous recess also provides enhanced ergonomics and safety for the busy tech on the shop floor by reducing tripping hazards. Additionally, high strength aluminum pit covers help prevent accidents while vehicles enter or exit maintenance facilities. The DIAMONDLIFT is ALI certified, features a lifting capacity of up to 35,000 lbs. per piston, and is available in 2- , 3- , and 4- piston configurations. The lift is electronically synchronized for maximum safety and convenience and allows for wheels-free lifting.

With growing requirements for school bus fleets to provide “green” maintenance facilities, Stertil-Koni offers the industry’s first “green” mobile column lift. Columns on the EARTHLIFT are made from components that are 98% recyclable. It also uses bio-degradable oil, features batteries that are 100% recyclable, and it employs an Active Energy Retrieval System to deliver up to 50% more lifting cycles at maximum load. Lifting capacities range from 18,500 lbs. to 22,000 lbs. per column.

With safety in mind, these columns connect wirelessly via a full-color touchscreen control panel, are electronically synchronized for smooth lifting every time, and have a mechanical locking system as a standard feature.