SBF 70 years logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Thomas Built Buses Honors Top Dealers of 2020

The school bus manufacturer names Interstate Transportation Equipment Inc. of Hopkins, South Carolina, as the company's 2020 Dealer of the Year and President’s Club and President’s Club Platinum award winners.

by SBF Staff
May 11, 2021
Thomas Built Buses Honors Top Dealers of 2020

Interstate Transportation Equipment Inc. of Hopkins, South Carolina, is named Thomas Built Buses 2020 Dealer of the Year. The dealership reportedly played a key role in providing clean-diesel engine technology to its customers via the Detroit DD5 and DD8 engines. Shown here is the school bus manufacturer’s Saf-T-Liner C2, which is equipped with the Detroit DD5 engine.

File photo courtesy Thomas Built Buses

3 min to read


Thomas Built Buses (TBB) recently recognized the winners of its 2020 Dealer of the Year, President’s Club, and President’s Club Platinum awards.

The school bus manufacturer honored this year’s winners during a virtual awards program held earlier this month, according to a news release from Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), the parent company of TBB.

Ad Loading...

Interstate Transportation Equipment Inc., a full-service dealer offering sales, parts, and vehicle service based in Hopkins, South Carolina, was named the company’s 2020 Dealer of the Year.

“2020 was a rough year, but Robert Coleman and his team at Interstate Transportation provided Thomas Built Buses a simply dominating sales strategy and really went above and beyond for their customers,” said Jed Routh, vice president of sales, marketing, and service at TBB.

Interstate Transportation Equipment, according to DTNA, played a key role in providing clean-diesel engine technology to its customers via the Detroit DD5 and DD8 engines as well as educating state agencies and customers on electric vehicle conversion. The dealership reportedly also promoted various safety technologies to protect students in and out of the school bus.

“They really have their customers’ best interests in mind and do whatever it takes to ensure the best school bus for students and for the larger community,” Routh added in DTNA’s news release. “Plus, they achieved a world-class Net Promoter score and continue to earn strong marks from their customers for their service and support.”

Dealerships that received TBB’s President’s Club and President’s Club Platinum awards were recognized based on their achievement of key performance indicators this year, according to DTNA. To qualify as the Dealer of the Year in a specific region, a dealer must reach the President’s Club Platinum level.

Ad Loading...

Here is the full list of TBB’s 2020 dealer award winners:

Dealer of the Year

  • Interstate Transportation Equipment Inc., Hopkins, South Carolina

Dealer of the Year Regional Winners

  • Midwest Region: Kerlin Bus Sales and Leasing Inc., Silver Lake, Indiana

  • Northeast Region: New England Transit Sales Inc., Pocasset, Massachusetts

  • Southeast Region: Interstate Transportation Equipment Inc., Hopkins, South Carolina

  • Southern Region: Sonny Merryman Inc., Evington, Virginia

  • Western Region: BusWest – Southern California, Carson, California

Ad Loading...

President’s Club Platinum

  • American Bus Sales and Service, Annapolis, Maryland

  • Autobus Thomas, Drummondville, Quebec

  • BusWest – Southern California, Carson, California

  • Carolina Thomas LLC, Greensboro, North Carolina

  • H.A. DeHart and Son Inc., Thorofare, New Jersey

  • Interstate Transportation Equipment Inc., Hopkins, South Carolina

  • Kerlin Bus Sales and Leasing Inc., Silver Lake, Indiana

  • Matthews Buses Inc., Ballston Spa, New York

  • Matthews Bus Alliance Inc., Orlando, Florida

  • Mid-South Bus Center, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

  • NESCO Bus, Bay Shore, New York

  • New England Transit Sales Inc., Pocasset, Massachusetts

  • Rohrer Enterprises Inc., Duncannon, Pennsylvania

  • Sonny Merryman Inc., Evington, Virginia

  • Transportation South Inc., Pelham, Alabama

  • W.C. Cressey and Son Inc., Kennebunk, Maine

President’s Club

  • Hoekstra Transportation Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan

  • Matheny Motor Truck Co., Mineral Wells, West Virginia

  • Midwest Bus Sales Inc., Crawford, Arkansas

  • Midwest Bus Sales Inc., Bonner Spring, Kansas

  • Thomas Bus Sales of Georgia, Forest Park, Georgia

More Management

A close up of a school bus stop arm with a graphic overlay. Text reads "California Districts Adopt Routing Platform."
Managementby Staff and News ReportsJuly 15, 2026

Transfinder Expands California Footprint with Multiple School District Wins

Six California school districts selected the company's routing platform and related transportation technology as Transfinder continues expanding its presence across the state.

Read More →
Promotional thumbnail for The Route podcast featuring School Bus Fleet Editor Amanda Huggett and NSTA Executive Director Curt Macysyn
ManagementJuly 15, 2026

NSTA's Curt Macysyn on Student Transportation History and What's Next

Hear from NSTA's executive director as we discuss student transportation's role in American history, federal regulation, driver recruitment, illegal passing, AI, and what might be next, in this Route interview.

Read More →
Promotional thumbnail for The Route podcast featuring School Bus Fleet Editor Amanda Huggett and NSTA Executive Director Curt Macysyn. The episode, titled "The School Bus and America 250 and Legal Updates," discusses the school bus as an American icon and recent legislative developments affecting student transportation.
Sponsoredby Amanda HuggettJuly 14, 2026

NSTA on 250 Years of America and the Road Ahead for Student Transportation

Curt Macysyn joins The Route to discuss student transportation's role in American history, federal regulation, driver recruitment, illegal passing, AI, and the industry’s future. Sponsored by IC Bus.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A new Blue Bird school bus is lifted on a heavy-duty Rotary vehicle hoist during an outdoor maintenance equipment demonstration as attendees gather nearby.
Managementby Amanda HuggettJuly 13, 2026

Photo Highlights: Inside the 2026 Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation Conference

Snapshots from the 2026 MAPT conference, where Michigan's school transportation professionals gathered for training, technology updates, awards, networking, and more.

Read More →
Promotional image of Zonar's Bus Suite platform displayed on a desktop monitor, tablet, and smartphone, showcasing dashboards for ridership analytics, route management, GPS tracking, and real-time student transportation operations.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseJuly 10, 2026

Zonar Launches Reimagined Bus Suite Web Portal

Can one platform replace your transportation software stack? Zonar says its new Bus Suite unifies routing, dispatch, field trips, GPS, and parent communication.

Read More →
Three award winners pose with their awards.
Managementby Elora HaynesJuly 9, 2026

Indiana Association Announces 2026 Award Winners

See who earned top honors at the 2026 School Transportation Association of Indiana conference, recognizing excellence in school transportation statewide.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic announcing an acquisition in the school transportation industry, featuring the Student Transportation of America (STA) and Tremblay's Bus Company logos over a background of parked yellow school buses, with the headline "Acquisition News" and School Bus Fleet branding.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseJuly 8, 2026

Student Transportation of America Acquires Massachusetts Contractor

Tremblay’s Bus Company and its 400-bus fleet joins the STA family of brands as the company grows its presence across the Northeast U.S.

Read More →
Collage of winners receiving awards during the 61st Annual Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) Conference, featuring recipients posing on stage with engraved wooden plaques and MAPT branding.
Managementby Amanda HuggettJuly 7, 2026

Michigan Association Announces 2026 Award Winners

See who earned top honors at the 2026 Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation conference, recognizing excellence in school transportation statewide.

Read More →
Thumbnail for a School Bus Fleet video featuring MAPT Executive Director Katrina Morris standing with her arms open in front of a blurred trade show floor at the 61st Annual Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) Conference. A yellow outline of the state of Michigan and the text "MAPT 61st Annual Conference" appear beside her, with the School Bus Fleet logo in the lower-right corner.
Managementby Amanda HuggettJuly 7, 2026

Inside MAPT 2026: Michigan’s School Transportation Community Connects at Boyne Mountain

Check out highlights from the 2026 MAPT Summer Conference, where over 300 transportation pros gathered for training, networking, awards, and trade show.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A Durham School Services bus with its stop arm extended.

Summit School Services to Complete Fleetwide Samsara Technology Rollout

The company said outfitting its entire fleet with AI-powered safety and fleet management technology will strengthen student safety and operational efficiency across its local brands.

Read More →