Caring for the Diesel Engines in Your School Bus Fleet

With budgets that seem to be contracting further with each fiscal year, school districts are looking to save money in every way they can. One method of reducing expenditures is to adhere to a strict regimen of care and maintenance for the diesel engine on the school buses in your fleet. Considering that poor maintenance and shoddy operation can result in diesel engine replacements that can rival the expense of buying a used school bus, taking care of these engines makes sense.

• Change the fuel filters – Fuel filters are often taken for granted and overlooked in the maintenance schedule for diesel engines but letting these filters get clogged can lead to expensive consequences such as the damage of injectors and injection pumps
• Change out air filters – Keeping air filters around until they get clogged hurts mileage and makes the turbo work harder to deliver air to the engine.
• Changing fluids – Fluids that should be changed regularly include engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid, and power steering fluid. 
• Warm the engine before heading out on the route – Engine parts warm up at their own pace, so have drivers warm the engines to allow oil to thin and lubricate the turbo and rest of the machinery properly.
• Pay attention to smoke coming from the engine – Black, white and blue smoke signify different issues with a diesel engine. 

While a little smoke is normal in the cold, if smoke continues to be emitted when the engine is warm the bus should be taken in for service.

Proper maintenance of your school bus fleet can keep it running without incurring unnecessary repairs. Additionally, your school buses with run cleaner and more efficiently.

3 Tips on Finding Financing for Cleaner School Buses

As resources at local government levels become scarcer, many school districts wishing to upgrade their fleets of school buses are being forced to stand by while they attempt to find funding. Truth be told, this aspect of trying to buy buses that offer the healthiest environment possible while students are being transported from home to school and back has become more difficult as well as lenders have become more cautious with their funding.

While the current environment may be extremely challenging, there are still financing sources that can make upgrading a fleet of school buses a reality. Here are 3 tips on finding the financing your district needs to buy cleaner school buses:

• Assemble a detailed account of the age of the buses in the district fleet as well as their overall condition – This process will help to determine the available sources for funding as well as the most advantageous programs for rebates and other forms of assistance.
• Assess whether the district has the ability to match funds – It’s not uncommon for financing to require the matching of funds from the school district. Having a handle on whether matching funds are available can speed the process of getting funded.  
• Look for partners – There may be non-financial assistance in the form of non-profit groups that can connect the school district to local business that offer sponsorships, such as corporate sponsorships or charitable events.

While funding may be challenging at this point in time, it can still be found. Starting the process by being prepared with data related to your existing fleet as well as the funding available from local sources and your district will be well on the way toward the purchases of a new fleet of buses.

Retro-fitting Diesel Engines versus Switching to Natural Gas Powered School Buses

As government agencies across the country tighten the emission levels on aged school buses, many school districts are being faced with a decision to either retro-fit the diesel engines on their fleet or replace them with engines that are powered by natural gas or compressed natural gas (CNG). One example of the upcoming regulations on emissions is the requirement by California Air Resources Board which mandates that school districts add emission controls such as filters to older diesel powered school buses by the year 2018 to reduce the emission of soot and other pollutants. Buses that aren’t retro-fitted by that time must be removed from service.

Retro-fitting older school buses is a far less expensive proposal than buying new ones and can reduce emissions substantially, but there are arguments against these types of emission controls as well. The arguments against retro-fitting include additional maintenance expenses and the fact that, even with drastic reductions in emissions, schoolchildren are still breathing a cocktail of soot and pollutants when they ride on older school buses. Further arguments against retro-fitting are that 1980’s era school buses are so dirty that filters would have to be replaced so often that school buses would be in the garage more than they would be on the road.

The other option for school districts is to replace old diesel engines with natural gas or CNG powered engines that will likely cost more initially but provide savings over time with lower fuel costs (when measured by present day prices) as well as less frequent and less expensive maintenance requirements than retro-fitted engines. The other big advantage of these replacement fuels is that children would travel in a much healthier environment, which is hard to put a price on.

5 Factors to Consider when Buying a Used School Bus

As budgets tighten for businesses and school districts, used school buses are becoming an increasingly popular transportation option. This growing popularity has resulted in a busy market as buyers including companies, schools, and churches prioritize core operations over transportation issues. For buyers who are new to the idea of purchasing a used school bus, one of the biggest challenges involves developing an accurate assessment of the value of each bus under consideration for purchase.

To start developing an accurate value it’s important to consider a variety of factors above and beyond the number of miles on the odometer. This is not to say that mileage isn’t an important factor, it’s that the 40,000 miles put on one school bus could be vastly different than the same mileage put on another. For example, 40,000 miles driven on flat surfaces would result in far less wear and tear than on a bus that put its miles in on steep inclines, salted roads, extreme weather conditions, etc.

With this in mind, additional factors that should be considered include:

• The year the bus was built – This date, when factored in combination with mileage will give you the average mileage per year that the bus was driven. In this scenario, 40,000 miles on a bus that is a year old is much different than 40,000 driven over 10 years.
• Body condition – Inspecting the body can reveal a lot of information about the care that the bus received from its previous owners. A clear paint finish would indicate that the bus was waxed regularly while cloudy or oxidizing paint would indicate a lack of maintenance, which could extend to the inner workings as well.
• Engine – Check for overall appearance, cracking hoses, accumulations of dirt, etc. to get a general feel for engine upkeep.
• Rust – The presence of rust indicates poor maintenance and the necessity of future expenditures to keep it in check.
• The maintenance log and documentation of repairs – Detailed records, especially if accompanied by receipts, will give you a clear picture of the care given to the vehicle as well as the frequency and cost of repairs. Generally speaking, a bus that has needed constant repairs from previous owners will continue need them with the new owners as well.

Getting a clear picture of the pattern of use, maintenance, and repairs on each pre-owned school bus under consideration will help to determine the vehicle that has the best value. For more information on buying the best bus for your needs, visit: http://www.busmartinc.com/

Selling Tips for Used School Buses

If you’re selling a used school bus, here are a handful of tips to get the best price regardless of your geographic location:

• Be able to present all of your maintenance and repair records – School districts typically keep detailed documentation and the more you have of it, the better. Being able to document the amount of maintenance that went into the vehicle in detail can both convince a buyer and differentiate your bus from competing offerings.
• Prepare the visual appearance of your bus for sale – Presenting a bus that looks great is another step along the path toward maximizing the proceeds from your sale. Wash and wax the exterior, clean the interior, and be sure to remove gum and other items from the seats.
• Tune the engine – A smoking engine, especially if you’re selling a school bus with high mileage, could either result in a much lower selling price or kill the deal altogether. A little maintenance prior to placing a used school bus for sale can make a material difference in the ultimate selling price.
• Expand your market – Advertising locally, especially for a niche item like a used school bus can be a frustrating experience. It can also result in a minimal selling price if your one buyer knows he’s the only one you have. Instead, list your bus with a company that has a record of success in placing used school buses for sale on the web. This will expand your potential market, the number of buyers, and potential selling price of your bus.

With an increasingly active secondary market for pre-owned school buses, sellers can maximize their proceeds with documentation, preparation, and a marketing plan that maximizes the audience for the bus to be sold. For more information, visit: http://www.busmartinc.com/

The Flexibility, Advantages and Solutions of Leasing School Buses

As school districts and corporations face tighter finances, delays in replacing used school buses and other transit vehicles have become common as the costs related to buying a new bus or a new fleet of buses simply don’t fit into their shrinking budgets. One option that is particularly effective, especially in situations where being able to provide transit is a necessity, is to procure buses using lease financing.

One of the many advantages of leasing is that it can help to maintain the overall age and quality of the fleet while staying within a smaller budget. This enables organizations to purchase the vehicles they need rather than buying less than optimal buses due to budgetary constraints. It also allows for payments over time, which allows for better budget management and the ability to cover other capital requirements.

Financing through leasing can deliver flexibility, advantages and solutions that otherwise are not available for school districts, businesses, contractors, etc. through the outright purchase of used school buses, vans, etc.

Flexibility in Lease Financing

• The option to set a timeframe for a lease – The standard lease typically runs for 5 years but leases can have timeframes ranging from 3 to 10 years.
• A variety of financing scenarios – Leases can be structured with no down payment, the option to pay yearly, grace periods, and other financing options.
• Lease to purchase options – In this form of financing, lease payments reduce the amount owed on the purchase, much like buying on credit.

Advantages

• With a lease, payments are made for a set period of time and then the vehicle can be returned as per the contract. This eliminates resale and other issues associated with ownership.
• Leased vehicles typically require less maintenance, saving on expenses and down time.

Solutions

• As mentioned, tight budgets may preclude the outright purchase of new or used school buses. Lease financing can provide organizations with the ability to get the bus or buses that they want without having to come up with a large payment.
• For school districts that have government regulations regarding lease specifics, the lower amount of funds that must be appropriated for school buses means that money can be directed to the classroom.

Lease financing enables access for organizations to the transportation options that best suit their needs while working within the tightening budgets of school districts, businesses, and contractors. For more information, visit: http://www.busmartinc.com/

Yes or No for Seat Belts on School Buses

25 million students ride the largest form of mass transit in the country each day when they board new or used school buses to get to and from school. The vast majority of them make these trips without the use of seats belts, a fact that has been hotly debated for years. The question surrounding the issue is, “Why is it illegal in 49 out of 50 states (New Hampshire being the exception) to not wear a seat belt in a car while it is acceptable in a school bus?”

The arguments against the installation of seat belts in new and used school buses focus primarily on two factors; the expense of installation and the safety features that are already designed into school buses. In terms of the expense of installation, an Alabama State Department of Education report revealed that installing seat beats on every bus in the state would incur a cost ranging from a minimum of $32 million to a top end cost of $38 million.

The second factor in the argument against seat belts on school buses is that the safety design implemented in buses, known as “compartmentalization” is sufficient. In a compartmentalized bus, high backed seats are engineered to absorb the energy and impact of an accident with cushions and/or padding. The seats are also set up in a tight configuration to minimize movement.

Additional arguments against seat belts include:

• The concern that seat belts would be used improperly or not at all, increasing the danger to all passengers
• That seat belts could be used as weapons
• That money spent on seat belts would save more lives if it was put toward safety measures related to getting to and leaving the bus, where more fatalities occur than in bus-related accidents

Arguments for the installation of seat belts focus on:

• The additional safety provided by seat belts in side impact crashes
• Increased safety in rollover accidents

The final factor in the argument for and against installing seat belts on new and used school buses may be found in the safety records related to bus transportation to and from school, where only buses weighing less than 10,000 pounds are required to have seat belts. Depending on the study, statistics show that between 6 and 11 school bus related fatalities occur each year, making school buses one of the safest forms of transportation available. For more information, visit: http://www.busmartinc.com/