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Newsby StaffJuly 2, 2012

Thomas Built offers fall maintenance training program

The school bus manufacturer’s fall Maintenance Training Institute will be held in Omaha, Neb., Sept. 11-14. Topics scheduled to be covered include EPA emissions systems; advanced electrical; coolant, maintenance and cost savings; and utilizing websites, resources and wire diagrams.

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Newsby StaffJune 29, 2012

Special-needs student left on bus

The student reportedly falls asleep on the bus and is not visible to the driver when she returns to the transportation facility. A maintenance worker finds the girl, who is uninjured, an hour later.

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NewsMay 17, 2012

Barker Bus to turn over fleet every 5 years

The school bus contractor will replace 20% of its fleet with new buses each summer. Don Bickel, interim operations manager, tells SBF that after five years of replacing older buses, the company expects to save nearly $250,000 per year in maintenance costs.

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Newsby StaffMay 15, 2012

No mechanical problems found on bus in crash

Maintenance reports indicate that there are no issues with a Tippecanoe School Corp. bus that was involved in a crash earlier this year. Beverly Turner, a former bus driver for the Indiana district, claimed that steering problems may have caused her to drive the bus into a cement post, but investigators determined that she fell asleep at the wheel.

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Newsby StaffMay 1, 2012

Dossier software training available at annual conference

The Dossier User Group will hold its annual summit in New Orleans this October. The conference offers attendees the chance to be updated on Dossier, the maintenance management software from Arsenault Associates, and a preview of future versions.

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Newsby StaffApril 3, 2012

IC Bus announces expanded 2012 training schedule

Sessions for the manufacturer's IC Bus University will be held during the weeks of June 25, July 9, July 23, Aug. 6 and Aug. 20, and will cover such topics as engines, bus electrical and bus maintenance. IC Bus is also offering an Advanced IC Bus University that will focus on advanced diagnostics.

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ArticlesMarch 20, 2012

Achieving inventory efficiency

Adjusting your parts inventory to fulfill the needs of your technicians and to address the repairs that occur most will help bus maintenance and parts ordering in your shop run smoothly.

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Newsby StaffMarch 13, 2012

Ore. district sees cost savings from propane buses

Portland Public Schools operates some of its own buses and also contracts with First Student — eighty percent of all the buses are powered by the fuel. Officials say the propane units run up to 30,000 miles longer than buses fueled by gasoline, resulting in lower maintenance costs, and the district expects to see a 50-percent savings in fuel costs.

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School Bus Fleet BlogMarch 12, 2012

Tips for an outstanding maintenance operation

In the March 2012 issue of SBF, I wrote an article wherein pupil transportation professionals at operations shared with me their thoughts on what helps keep school buses in good operating condition. The people I interviewed offered many more tips, which I'll share with you here.

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Articlesby Kelly AguinaldoMarch 6, 2012

Skilled techs keep fleets top-notch

Pupil transporters say that technicians should have a desire to learn, and they discuss methods and resources for instruction. They also say that employee communication, a strong preventive maintenance program and performance benchmarking are essential to achieving well-maintained school buses.

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