Merryman, who died on Saturday at age 89, launched his school bus business in 1967 when Thomas Built Buses was looking for a new dealer in Virginia. Today, Sonny Merryman Inc. has three locations and more than 125 employees in the state.
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The manufacturer is now starting pilot production of a compressed natural gas (CNG) Minotour, with official production slated to start in the first quarter of 2014. The CNG model will utilize a GM 6-liter engine on the 4500 series cutaway chassis.
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Many school districts and contractors are employing a variety of vehicles to supplement traditional yellow bus service. These alternative arrangements often cut costs and shorten ride times, but the safety implications of transporting students in taxis, vans and other non-school bus vehicles have become a contentious issue.
Read More →BusWest acquires the Nevada Thomas Built Buses dealership from Arizona-based Auto Safety House. BusWest, which has sales and service locations in California and Hawaii, will now also serve Nevada through an office in North Las Vegas.
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These improvements at Virginia's Prince William County Public Schools started by investing more time in maintenance and money in better equipment for its school buses, which also led to an overall reduction in costs.
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Four students nominated Andrews, a driver for Pender County (N.C.) Schools, in the annual Children's Choice contest. Two of those students tie for first place for their essays about Andrews, who one says "loves helping people of all ages and wouldn’t hurt a fly."
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First Student and Thomas Built Buses’ partnership hinges on a high level of collaboration and transparency. Their efforts are helping both companies become more efficient and make improvements that could benefit the entire industry.
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Staff members at the Tucson (Ariz.) Unified School District bus depot are joined on Wednesday morning by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. The duo discuss the importance of bus drivers in school safety, and they ride along on a school bus before participating in a service project at a local middle school.
Read More →For the contest, parents submit a photo that depicts their child and a school bus. Five winners will each receive a $2,000 donation for their child's school.
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In a 10-year lease-purchase agreement, Lee’s Summit R-7 School District will replace its diesel fleet with 149 Thomas Built school buses powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). The district’s program also includes a shift toward CNG-powered facility maintenance trucks and continued use of all-electric delivery trucks.
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