Thomas Built to offer hands-on bus maintenance training

The school bus OEM will hold two sessions of its Thomas Built Institute this year. The first will take place at the company's High Point, N.C., facility April 24-27 and will include hands-on training covering a number of topics.

Laser cutters boost quality, efficiency at Thomas Built

The new equipment allows the school bus manufacturer to eliminate five other machines, reorganize work flow and reduce the average time it takes to fabricate parts by about 25 percent.

Insight on timely topics

Speakers during the NAPT Summit discuss such issues as bullying, wheelchair use, training and alternative fuels. Attendees also see several new school buses.

Snapshots — Fall 2011/Winter 2012

Thomas Built expands Canadian dealer’s area

The school bus manufacturer increases the area of responsibility for Warner Bus Industries from the 251,366-square-mile province of Saskatchewan to also include the 250,946-square-mile province of Manitoba. Warner Bus will serve its Manitoba customers using fully equipped "Warranty on Wheels" trucks.

Thomas Built honors suppliers at annual event

The school bus manufacturer holds its sixth annual supplier day event in Greensboro, N.C. Julian Electric Inc. receives the 2011 Supplier of the Year award, and numerous gold and silver awards are given out to other companies.

NAPT Summit 2011

NAPT trade show features many new products

Among the new products from the nearly 130 exhibitors is a quasi-static three-point activity seat from Freedman Seating Co., a camera system from Fortress Mobile that captures stop-arm violators and a condenser from American Cooling Technology. Thomas Built Buses displays its redesigned Type D unit, the Saf-T-Liner EFX, while Blue Bird displays its Next Generation Propane-Powered Vision school bus.

42-year school bus driver wins ‘Children’s Choice’ title

10-year-old Mauriene nominated Joyce St. John, who also drove the youngster’s mother and four siblings. Mauriene wrote in the Thomas Built Buses contest that St. John “taught us manners” and expected riders to help keep the bus clean.

Thomas Built employees carry out bus delivery

VP Ken Hedgecock is among the team members who drive 10 school buses more than 500 miles to New Jersey. Hedgecock says that third party driveaway companies couldn't deliver the buses on time, "so we decided to do it ourselves.”