Innovations over the years have brought maintenance into the technological age

Julie Metea | Contributor

There’s a place in Williams, Calif., a small town located north of San Francisco Bay, where the past meets the present in garage maintenance. Ted Campbell, owner of Coach Maintenance, takes pride in the lost art of restoring and maintaining historic buses.

“I try to save things that are rare and nearly gone,” said Campbell, who specializes in buses (including school buses) with model years 1935 to 1965. His work often requires tools and techniques used by bus garages of the past.

He cares for these wooden and steel vehicles with both manual handiwork and modern tools. Even in the collectible bus business, technology is necessary to succeed in today’s garages.

The first mechanics were buggy people. They eventually had to learn the combustion engine and brakes. Then came hydraulics and advanced braking systems. As time progressed, technology changed both the buses and garages, explained Campbell.

Low-tech guesswork is gone in today’s garages, as manufacturers and bus owners continue adapting new ways to build and maintain buses. School buses now “talk” with shop computers in order to display electrical and mechanical issues for technicians.
What hasn’t changed is the need for mechanics to keep learning for safety’s sake.

“Technology makes things better. The primary objective is safety, because we’re hauling people and children. Irreplaceable freight,” he said.

The Evolving Garage
School bus manufacturers and suppliers have driven the milestones that changed garages. From two-way radios in the 1970s to today’s sensor components, garage professionals have witnessed significant changes. And then they had to master them.
Many still remember learning about automatic transmissions, electronically controlled engines and upgraded wire harnesses — all now standard procedure. The transitions continue today, and garage staffs are learning about the next “must-know” high-tech components, such as GPS, new fuels and reconfigured engines.

“There’s no more turning wrenches. You have to have a computer and learn the whole vehicle history. Mechanics now know more electronics and are computer literate,” said George Sontag, transportation supervisor, Centerville, Ohio, Public Schools.

Sontag has served in his school district’s garages for 47 years. Today he oversees four mechanics who maintain 109 buses that transport 7,200 students. Over time, he’s experienced several changes, and he insists on constant training to keep up with the trends.

However, he points out two low-tech mainstays — concern for safety and a good attitude.

“Safety is a priority. No matter how much technology we have, top concerns are tires, mechanical and routine maintenance,” he explained.

Timeless Garage Requirements
Other garage veterans agree that technology shouldn’t displace a well-defined program of policy, procedure and process. A few professionals told School Transportation News that a number of timeless essentials are still needed for safety, even in the most high-tech garages:

· Garages need to have a schedule and examine each bus on a periodic basis.

· Mechanic training is important.

· Equipment and tools must be provided for necessary tests and repair.

· Sufficient time is needed for proper repairs.

“Good support of the mechanics from management is a great way to promote performance. This is much closer to common sense than rocket science,” said Denny Coughlin, who manages the school bus fleet operations for Minneapolis Public Schools’ 200 school buses and 175 other motorized vehicles.

Although regulation may increase expenses, many garage supervisors believe technology is lowering costs, because vehicle-to-computer diagnosis provides reliable information and faster troubleshooting. Plus, computers help archive up-to-date manuals and connect garages to manufacturers for accurate information.

Support can come with a garage staff’s demonstration of how technology can lower costs and increase efficiency. A heavy duty computer costs around $2,500, with an added $2,000 to $4,000 for software and support. However, the relatively small investment helps maintain a school bus fleet that averages $60,000 to $100,000 per vehicle.

In addition, garages need to provide regular mechanic training in order to keep up with vehicle trends and government regulation.

“Managers and mechanics who are imaginative in thinking and exposed to the outside world have probably updated as needed. We have no choice but to update the equipment we use for repairs,” said Coughlin.

Full Throttle Garage
Vehicle operations at the Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky got a boost of support after good communication between the garage and administrative offices. Superintendent Stephen Daeschner understood the garage’s needs to maintain more than 1,500 district-owned school buses and vehicles that transport nearly 60,000 students.

He helped drive investment for the state-of-the-art Nichols Garage Complex, which comprises 38 repair bays, a paint booth, metal working area, training center and work space for 108 garage employees.

“There’s nothing we can’t do in this facility. We’ve repaired vehicles that other people may have thought to junk,” said Ike Pinkson, vehicle maintenance director. “Our mission is to have the safest and most efficient fleet. It’s an information world, but you still have to have the knack for maintenance. You have to interpret the information. Digest it.”

Pinkson oversees 46 vehicle maintenance technicians, and each of them requires 40 hours of training per year. At a minimum, technicians need at least one certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).

“Any time you come out with something new (like EPA standards or new engines) there’s a learning curve. Many times it’s a brand-new animal. Change is inevitable,” said Pinkson, who keeps a close eye on the needs of the technicians and shop.

Pinkson communicates openly with administrative offices in order to keep his vehicle operations evolving with the latest technology trends and training. The district also relies on resources and support from external organizations, such as manufacturers and associations.

“Our employees care about kids and they’re flexible. It’s a super advantageous to our fleet. Our bus amortization has increased immensely. They end up lasting 12 to 14 years. That pays off in the long run,” said Daeschner.

Coming Up the Road
The school bus industry went from diagnostic to telematic technologies. Manufacturers, suppliers and the government (EPA) will continue to spell out the future needs for school bus professionals.

Prognostic technologies are the next phase for vehicle garages. These automated systems will predict bus issues and communicate preventative needs to technicians. Dashboards are becoming more sophisticated and will communicate needs to drivers and technicians.

Garage professionals know their work is cut out for them in the coming years, and they can’t sit still. For example, new fueling systems will be transitioned into fleets over the next two decades.

In many cases, staffs will need to two ways to maintain fleets — those with older components and those with new standards. More than ever, fleet maintenance staffs will rely on manufacturers, dealers and regulators for information.

“We understand the challenges of the bus garage that does its own maintenance. It can be very complex,” said Roe East, Cummins Bus business general manager. Global companies, like Cummins, provide bus distributors and dealers with information about components and systems. Field support requests for topics, such as new engines and biodiesel, will be in high demand in the coming months. “Some things will always stay the same. The primary objective is to achieve safety,” said Campbell. “I keep that in mind when doing maintenance. Millions ride on our handiwork.”