JASPER, Ind. — Top school bus technicians and school bus inspectors from around the country vied for the top spots in the National Association for Pupil Transportation’s 2010 “America’s Best Technician” and “America’s Best Inspector” competitions, which were held here last week.

Tim Knoll of Ohio placed first in the technician competition and Shaun Dennis from Michigan took the top honor for the inspector competition. Knoll and Dennis were among 30 school bus maintenance professionals from 19 states who participated in the competitions.

Jasper Engines and Transmissions hosted the seventh annual event, which was held from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1.

To qualify as America’s Best technician and inspector, competitors were scored on written exams and hands-on components. The exam covered technical aspects of school bus components, such as electrical systems, brakes, engines, suspensions, drivetrains and body systems. For the hands-on portion, competitors were required to troubleshoot and identify mechanical deficiencies in school buses.

The top competitors in the technician category were:
1. Tim Knoll, Berlin-Milan Local Schools, Milan, Ohio
2. Chuck Schniedt, Tippecanoe School Corp., Lafayette, Ind.
3. Denver Foster, Fannin County Board of Education, Blue Ridge, Ga.

The top competitors in the inspector category were:
1. Shaun Dennis, Traverse City (Mich.) Area Public Schools
2. Steve Cox, Abbeville (S.C.) County School District
3. Danny Reed, Beaufort County Schools, Washington, N.C.

The America’s Best competition is hosted each year by a different company involved in the pupil transportation industry. For more information, visit www.americasbesttech.org.[IMAGE]235[/IMAGE][IMAGE]236[/IMAGE]