Here’s an inside look at the IC Bus school bus manufacturing facility in Tulsa, Okla.
Virtual Tour: IC Bus' Tulsa Plant
Integrated vehicle: IC Bus is a leading integrated manufacturer of school buses, providing multiple engine choices, a chassis built from more than 100 years of experience, and a body that gives top protection to children and drivers.
Rigorous assessment: IC Bus performs severe and detailed tests and audits on every bus it builds.
Icon: Officials say that the IC Bus badge is a symbol for great efficiency, quality, pride and care put into every bus that the company makes.
Color spectrum: National standards specify a special hue for student transportation vehicles, “School Bus Yellow.”
Around the clock: Each day, up to 75 buses roll out of the IC Bus Tulsa plant. Company officials say that the plant’s nearly 1,200 workers take great pride in what they do for the country’s precious cargo.
Fuel system integrity: IC Bus diesel tanks are cradled in an extremely secure frame.
Compartmentalization: Federal standards require a minimized seating area, which reduces the likelihood of injury. On IC Bus products, customers can easily switch to three-point belted seats or to integrated child restraint seats. Upgrading can be done quickly, without removing the complete seat and tearing up the floor for needed structural reinforcements.
Checks and balances: IC Bus officials say that the company prides itself on making safe school bus products. Every bus on the line goes through four standard, rigorous tests to ensure quality manufacturing.
Pupil warning system: All electrical components in IC Bus products, including the pupil warning system, are tested before each bus leaves the plant.
Interesting history: The Tulsa facility was built in 1941 to manufacture B-24 bombers, which were used by Allied forces in World War II. The plant had been sitting idle when IC Bus took it over, launching school bus production in 2001. For more on the IC Bus Tulsa plant, see this new video from the "How It's Made" TV program.