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SEARCHDiscover key trends, challenges, and needs in the student transportation industry through the eyes of the nation’s school bus dealers.
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School bus dealerships play a crucial role in student transportation by providing essential services to school districts and private operators.
As specialized suppliers, they provide vehicles equipped with the latest safety features, maintenance support, and expert advice. Their contributions ensure safe and efficient transportation for students nationwide.
This year, School Bus Fleet asked dealers to participate in a survey to provide their insights into the state of the industry that they serve. Respondents hailed from Oregon to Ohio to upstate New York.
Said one respondent: “It is important for any manufacturer to understand different markets and not assume the landscape of all markets is the same as it was 20 years ago. Every state and often regions within a state carry different challenges for dealers and manufacturers. High quality can be hold at a high price and low quality at low price, but low quality can’t be sold at high price.”
Dealerships also find themselves struggling to keep up with the enthusiasm for electric school buses with the advent of the Clean School Bus Program and state-mandated zero-emission goals for school transportation fleets.
“The school bus dealers are the industry leaders which have implemented new technologies and new fuels into the marketplace,” wrote one respondent. “Why should the dealer be overlooked in the conversation? It can be argued that the dealer is the most critical part to the process as it is likely that the dealer will be the first phone call when a request is needed by an end user.”
Said another: “The school bus industry is not going to go along with $400,000 school buses if a $125,000 bus does the same thing. Do you know how ridiculous the idea of cramming the idea of an electric bus onto a school district is?”
Here are the other insights School Bus Fleet received from our dealer respondents.
The school bus dealer industry in 2023 appears to consist mostly of stalwarts that have been selling vehicles for at least 16 years.
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About two-thirds (65%) of responding dealerships sell two or three school bus brands, while 29% are exclusively committed to one brand. When considering brands to represent, dealerships reported that they are mostly motivated by vehicle quality and reliability, as well as brand reputation and market presence.
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About two-thirds (64%) of responding dealerships indicated that they are satisfied or very satisfied with the support and services received from their manufacturers. Slightly more than one-third (34%) stated that they were neutral or dissatisfied.
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About two-thirds (65%) of respondents found that meeting customer demands and preferences was their foremost challenge. Other challenges reported by school bus dealers included the New York electric vehicle mandate, availability of qualified technicians, and the supply of Type A school buses.
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An overwhelming majority (94%) of responding dealerships indicated that technology and innovation in the school bus industry are vital to the success of their business.
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Most respondents (87%) indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with demand for school buses in the markets they serve.
Image: Canva/SBF
More Product Training.
Better Warranty Support.
End-User Electric School Bus Training.
More Personal Service/Field Support.
Shorter Lead Times for School Bus Inventory.
More Competitive Aftermarket Parts Pricing.
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Roberts, 35, serves as the lead IT application engineer for vehicle electrification at First Student, where he helps shape scalable, real-world EV infrastructure to support student transportation.
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Swazer, 29, serves as director of transportation at Puyallup School District, where he champions student wellbeing and inspires the next generation of industry leaders.
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Moore, 32, grew up around the school bus, leading him to the classroom and eventually inspiring high-performing teams while bringing operations in house (twice).
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Baran, 38, serves as transportation supervisor at Odyssey Charter School in Delaware, where he leads daily operations with a focus on safety and professional growth.
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Maybee, 36, leads transportation operations for Denver Public Schools, where he is advancing equity, efficiency, and cross-department collaboration to improve student access.
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