Amphi school buses are going 'green'

ORO VALLEY, AZ (Tucson News Now) -It is the first day of classes for students in the Amphitheater School District, and something new for students this year - 'green' buses. 

According to officials with the district some 6,000 students ride to school on the bus and soon some will get to take a green one to campus, but they aren't talking new paint color. These newer buses will run on cleaner fuel than diesel. This week the district received two new buses that are fueled by propane. The new propane powered buses also run quieter than conventional diesel powered buses.

The new propane buses are not quite ready for service yet, so they will not be picking up and dropping off students. Officials with Amphi are saying these two new buses are just the beginning, the plan is to replace 15 diesel buses with propane ones. This changeover will save the district on fuel, propane costs fifty percent less than diesel, a change that will save the district some $75,000 in fuel cost for the year. Fuel savings will go back into the general fund, said Amphi officials, which means more money for the classroom. Aside from more money for the classroom, there is another benefit to propane, it is produced domestically.

"This means less dependency on foreign oil," said Marc Lappitt, Director of Transportation for the Amphi Public Schools. "All the propane that we consume is domestically produced in the U.S."

Students will find it difficult to see the difference between the diesel and the propane powered buses, but they certainly will feel it temperature wise.  The air conditioning works better in the propane buses.

District officials are expecting three more propane buses next week, with the ultimate goal of getting them all in service by August 18. See original article here.

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New Product Lines, More State Incentives Expected to Spur Sales of Propane Autogas School Buses This Year

See full article here, page 46.

Collins Bus Corp. names new director of sales

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Joe Leggett has been named director of sales at Type A school and activity bus manufacturer Collins Bus Corp.

In the new role, Leggett will work primarily with Collins Bus distributors in the western regions of the U.S. and Canada. He will be responsible for generating new vehicle sales, providing sales support to dealers and attending major industry events and dealer conferences.

Internally, Leggett will work closely with Collins Bus plant personnel to improve features on existing models and develop new products.

“I’m delighted to have Joe as part of the Collins sales staff,” said Matt Scheuler, vice president of sales and marketing. “With his industry experience and excellent reputation, I’m confident he will have an immediate impact on our organization, distributors and customers.”

Leggett comes to Collins from bus mirror manufacturer Rosco Vision Systems, where he was regional sales manager in the western U.S. He also has past industry experience with Radio Engineering Industries.

“After working with Collins Bus Corporation over the past six years in a supplier role, I’m very excited to join them as a member of their sales team,” Leggett said. “The company has a strong reputation in our industry, and I’m looking forward to working with their great team of employees, dealers and customers.” See more here.

New Propane-fueled Saf-T-Liner C2 in Production at Thomas Built Buses

Thomas Built Buses is pleased to announce the expansion of its green vehicle lineup with the new Saf-T-Liner C2 fueled by propane autogas. The first few propane C2 models have already been delivered to a select few customers, and Thomas Built Buses is now beginning to ramp up full production.

How is it spec'ed?

Built upon the popular Saf-T-Liner C2 model, the propane autogas C2 comes complete with an Allison 2300 PTS Series transmission and a 8.0-liter liquid propane gas (LPG) engine with fully-integrated CleanFUEL USA liquid propane injection system. The 2-tank set-up has an estimated 300-mile range with a 67-gallon capacity.

It is available with a GVWR of 33,000 lbs and has a capacity of up to 81 passengers. It is also California Air Research Board-certified and exceeds EPA 2010 emissions requirements.

Why Propane?

Propane is less expensive than a gallon of gasoline or diesel on a BTU basis, plus propane fueling infrastructure costs less to install than other alternative fuels. Some schools may not even need to install propane fueling infrastructure as there are currently 2,500 public fueling locations across the United States.

Propane is also a green, clean-burning alternative fuel, with 20 percent less NOx and 12 percent less CO2 than gasoline. More than 90 percent of the propane used in the U.S. is domestically produced.

To learn more about the propane C2 or any of Thomas Built's other alternative fueled buses, visit Thomas Built's website or speak with a dealer near you. Read more here.

School Bus Fleet Blog: Districts are in the transportation business

“We are not in the transportation business. We are in the education business.”

That bold statement, by a school board member at a Virginia district, was in a Washington Post article that I came across online last year.

The story described the school board’s decision to cut costs by more uniformly enforcing the district’s existing walking distances, which meant that about 4,000 students would no longer be provided with school bus service because they lived within the walking distances of their schools. (Those students may have been bused in the past due to construction zones or other safety concerns.)

The board member quoted above told the Washington Post that the school board’s priority is to focus resources on the classroom. While that may be true, the statement that the district is “not in the transportation business” seems misguided and even unsettling.

Multiple businesses
Yes, school districts’ primary responsibility is to educate children. But that doesn’t mean it’s their only responsibility.

Keeping kids safe and secure is equally important. In light of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre and other deadly school shootings, can a school district say that it is not in the safety and security business? Certainly not. Furthermore, keeping kids safe and secure extends beyond the classroom, to the playground, the school loading zone, the school bus, etc.

What about making sure that students get a good breakfast and lunch? When many kids don’t get enough to eat at home, can a school district say that it’s not in the nutrition business?

I’ve heard some school bus contractors, in making a case for districts to outsource their school bus service, use lines that are similar to what that Virginia board member said — that school districts should be in the education business, not the transportation business.

But even if a district decides to outsource all of its bus service to a private company, it’s still the district’s responsibility to make sure that the contractor is keeping the district’s students safe, properly maintaining the buses and meeting other requirements.

Pupil transportation — in other words, making sure that students can actually get to school so the teachers can teach them — is still a part of the overall service that the district provides for the public, even if someone else is running the buses for the district.

Parents’ perspective
In the case of the Virginia school district, parents did not agree that the district is “not in the transportation business.”

The Washington Post reported that about 100 parents had filed appeals because their children would not be able to ride the school bus anymore.

One local mother put the issue into harsh words when she told the newspaper, “The school system has washed its hands of the responsibility for my kids’ safety” in getting to and from school.

Clearly, parents expect school districts to be in the transportation business, and they’re not going to let that business go without a fight.

Thomas McMahon is executive editor of SCHOOL BUS FLEET. Click here to read more.

NEW! Propane Autogas Proves a Perfect Fueling Solution for Texas School District Case Study

Alvin ISD, a Texas school district just south of Houston, converted its school bus fleet to propane autogas following the energy crisis of the 1970s. Fuel access and pricing hindered the district’s transportation department, and, after researching alternative fuels, it switched to propane autogas in 1982. After three decades, Alvin ISD has witnessed noticeable engine technology improvements and saves 50 percent on fuel costs annually compared with conventional fuels. Click here to download the case study.

STN: Technician Training Ramps Up for Alt-Fuel School Buses

Click here to read the article, page 42.

School district looks at buses powered by alternative fuel

A school bus powered by propane made a tour of the Methow Valley last Wednesday, part of the school district’s research into potential replacements for its aging bus fleet.

The school district has nine buses with an average age of 10 years, all with more than 100,000 miles on them, according to Methow Valley School District Transportation Supervisor Hunter Maltais. The district also has a newer van for special-needs students.

The district is looking into propane buses because the fuel is cleaner and easier on the engines, therefore requiring less maintenance, said Maltais. Propane-fueled vehicles typically last three to five years longer, he said.

The fuel is also less expensive than diesel. Propane currently costs $1.24 per gallon, whereas the district is paying $3.40 for a gallon of diesel, said Maltais. Propane gets lower fuel economy — about 5 miles per gallon, compared with 7 or 8 miles per gallon for the diesel buses, said Maltais.

Still, Maltais calculates that switching to buses using the alternative fuel would save the district $5,000 per bus each year. The district’s current budget for transportation — including salaries and maintenance — is $456,000, he said.

Because of its very low emissions and nontoxicity, propane is considered a “green” fuel, said Maltais. Vehicles that run on propane use less oil and do not require additives to assist with starting in cold weather.

Most propane (also known as liquefied petroleum gas – LPG – or autogas) is a byproduct of natural-gas processing and crude-oil refining, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Today there is an abundant domestic supply because it is also a byproduct of hydraulic fracturing (also called fracking) for natural gas, said John Van Winkle, a sales representative from Schetky Bus & Van Sales, who drove the demo bus to the valley. Schetky is the largest dealer of school buses in the Northwest. Read more here.

Daimler Truck Financial Celebrates 40 Years

Daimler Truck Financial announced that 2014 marks a company milestone, 40 years in the U.S. trucking industry. Since its inception, Daimler Truck Financial has grown its portfolio to more than $8.7 billion with a customer base of more than 500 dealers and more than 24,000 customers.

The announcement and official celebration took place in Orlando, Florida at the opening ceremony of the company's biannual "Truck and Bus Series" meeting with the Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Bus dealers and Daimler Trucks North America executives.

Freightliner Financial opened its doors in 1974 with few employees and a handful of contracts. Since that time, the company has grown to more than 200 employees located across the country, with offices in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Fort Mill, South Carolina and Fort Worth, Texas. Read more here.

Collins boosts bus serviceability

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Collins Bus Corp. has upgraded many of the features on its school buses to improve their serviceability, company officials said.

The changes to the manufacturer’s Type A buses are aimed at giving technicians improved access to several areas as they perform maintenance.

• Four-inch holes were added below the rear bulkhead to aid in accessing the evaporators.

• A schematic decal was added on the back of the electrical panel for easy troubleshooting.

• Wires were rerouted below instead of in the wall for rear lighting.

• Bigger access holes were added behind the warning lights.

• The DOD (double out door) panel can be removed for easy access to the motor.

• Wire covers unsnap for easy removal.

Collins also offers an optional battery/storage compartment. It has up to 7.2 cubic feet of storage and is capable of holding 120 pounds. Company officials said that the compartment offers flexible storage options for batteries, jumper cables and other safety equipment. Read more here.

Texas School Bus Fleet Still Keen on Propane After 30 Years

Schools choose propane autogas to fill up their buses

The second in a series of videos of fleet managers discussing the benefits of propane autogas is available. Check out how autogas is helping Mesa Public Schools in Arizona get its kids to school.

North Carolina Trying Out Propane School Buses

This video from Clean Cities covers introduction of propane autogas buses in Raleigh, N.C.