In SBF’s 2003 exclusive school bus maintenance survey, shop managers were asked if they had done anything recently to improve performance while lowering maintenance costs. Answers varied widely, but reprinted here are a few of the more descriptive, and potentially insightful, answers given by respondents.

• We started using higher quality brake lining.

• Instead of selling old buses, we take the engine, transmissions, glass and other parts off and give the bus shell to a junkyard. We save thousands of dollars in spare parts and still have parts left over that can be sold if not used.

• We did a better job of keeping the same drivers in the same buses because they get to know the sounds of each bus, helping us identify problems.

• Locking down on a price based on the future’s market, we bought fuel for a full year, which averages out to almost half of the current price of fuel at pumps on the street.

• We chartered out field trips that travel more than 100 miles, increasing revenue.

• We started repairing seat damage instead of replacing seats and seat covers.

• We started taking advantage of warranty recovery opportunities.

• We purchased an easier-to-use vehicle lift, which saved us a lot of money.

• Driver training and education has been improved, and the condition of our buses reflects it.

• We moved to a larger maintenance facility.

• We improved our bus to mechanic ratio.

• We cut idling time on all bus routes, cutting down the wear and tear on vehicles.

• We set up a centralized purchasing department and streamlined equipment procurement expenses.

• We converted all manual transmissions to automatic and all standard brakes to air brakes.

• We started measuring the value of repairs by comparing the cost of repair with bus age and cost.

• We started giving the technicians more of a say in purchasing decisions because they work more directly with the equipment.

• We started a fuel additive/treatment program.

• We improved our maintenance record-keeping.

• We began tracking overtime hours more carefully.

• An assistant supervisor was put in the shop to help keep things moving.

• We resealed rear window glass and water leaks to slow down the onset of body rust.

• We put stainless steel screens on light mountings to protect them.

• We improved our radiator and coolant monitoring procedures.

• We began replacing torque converters instead of the entire transmissions when they quit moving or broke down.

• We installed road speed governors on all of our engines.

• Drivers who damage equipment are now reprimanded. If they do so twice, they are terminated.

• We implemented a bulk purchasing program for maintenance parts.

• We started an oil analysis program.

• All of our garage operations are now computerized.

• We changed our lubricant and grease to a less expensive brand.

• We began standardizing our entire fleet to improve cost efficiency on parts ordering and repairs.

• We started talking to our drivers more to have them share concerns with us since they know the buses best.

• We replaced all of our unproductive mechanics with hard workers.

• We went to a more aggressive tire maintenance program.

• We replaced all of our rear-engine buses, which were having trouble with salt and calcium corrosion in extreme weather conditions.

• We now run retreads on the rear axle to cut down on tire costs.