Thomas Built Bus Report: Propane buses? What's all of the fuss about?

	Propane buses? What's all of the fuss about?
			There has been a lot of buzz surrounding propane buses, but what is all of the fuss about? Hasn't propane been around for years? It's true that propane is not a new fuel source, but its popularity in the school bus industry is definitely on the rise. As district budgets are tightened and environmental standards become as much of a public mandate as they are governmental, fleets are switching to alternative-fueled school buses to improve their image and their transportation budgets. Alternative fuels, such as CNG and propane, are "green" fuels that are less impactful on the environment and are cheaper, more efficient fuel sources. But why propane? There are many advantages to propane-fueled school buses, starting with the fact that propane is simply the world's most popular clean-burning alternative fuel. Propane has been used for many things, from grilling steaks to heating homes, so most people are at least somewhat familiar with propane. Read more >
	Thomas Built Buses Launches Second Annual Photo Contest
			To celebrate riding the school bus back to school, Thomas Built Buses is once again hosting its annual Back to School Photo Contest. The photo contest invites parents to submit a photo of their child that best represents the Back to School season. The top five winners will each receive a $2,000 donation for their child's school. To enter, parents and students aged 18 or older can visit the Thomas Built Buses Facebook page, "Like" the page and enter a photo that best represents the fun, excitement and nostalgia of riding the bus back to school to either elementary, middle, or high school. All photos must depict a school bus. Entries will be accepted from August 1, 2014 through September 15, 2014. To learn more, visit www.Thomasbus.com/contest >
	Media Story – Thomas Built Buses extends warranty coverage
			HIGH POINT, N.C. — Thomas Built Buses announced on Wednesday that it will extend its standard warranty coverage for the Saf-T-Liner C2 as well as its warranty coverage for standard body and chassis paint on all models. The Saf-T-Liner C2 base warranty will provide three-year or 50,000-mile coverage for units built on or after Oct. 1, 2014. This is an extension over the previous one-year warranty. The warranty will cover the chassis and many other components, including electrical and manual controls, safety equipment, assemblies and more. Normal wear items are excluded. Read article >
	Total Cost of Ownership Pro Tip
			Train your team; time is running out Downtime is costly. Technician training is an important aspect of TCO because the sooner your technicians can perform routine maintenance checks, the more quickly your buses can be back on the road. Solid training keeps your buses in optimal condition, and it saves you time and money on maintenance that can be performed quickly on-site. Each year, Thomas Built Buses offers hands-on intensive technician training and factory-certified curriculum all in one week. Thomas Built Institute 2014 - West will take place from September 9 - 12 in Dallas, Texas. Registration is now open. To register or learn more, visit the Thomas Built Institute page.