PEORIA, Ill. — School bus technicians and inspectors put their expertise on display in the fourth annual “America’s Best” competition.

This year’s event, organized by NAPT, drew more than 20 competitors from 15 states. The contest included a written exam provided by ASE and a hands-on component in which participants had to diagnose problems on out-of-service buses.

”Watching them work was awe-inspiring,” said Bill Tousley, chairman of the event and president-elect of NAPT. “The personnel that perform these preventative maintenance activities deserve a lot of credit for the safety record of school buses.”

The winning technician and inspector (announced in the September issue, pg. 8) both earned an all-expenses-paid trip to the NAPT’s upcoming Conference and Trade Show in Grand Rapids, Mich., where they will be recognized.

The competition, which was sponsored by Zonar Systems, Bus Parts Warehouse and Hydrotex, was held at a Caterpillar facility in Peoria. Participants also attended several training seminars and witnessed a live demonstration of the heavy equipment that Caterpillar manufactures.

For information on the 2008 America’s Best event, contact Tousley at bill.tousley@farmington.k12.mi.us or (248) 489-3700.