BROWNSBURG, Indiana – About three dozen maintenance personnel learned how to take their school bus inspections to a safer, more complete level during the National School Bus Inspection Training at STN EXPO Indianapolis, which also featured the launch of hands-on exercises.
Hosted by Brownsburg Community School Corporation northwest of Indianapolis on Saturday, the new hands-on portion involved inspecting for defects under the hood of a conventional bus, beneath a lifted Type D rear-engine bus, and inside the cabin of another Type C. The intent was to identify any issues that could put a bus out of service or signal that repairs are necessary to keep buses from breaking down while on route.
On Friday, attendees took an eight-hour class at the Indiana Convention Center that reviewed the major mechanical aspects of bus engines, transmissions, brakes, air conditioning and other components. It concluded with a written exam to test retention of the information.
The training was developed by Marshall Casey, a retired director of maintenance for the South Carolina Department of Education and a former School Transportation News editorial advisor, to surpass state and federal minimum requirements.
A LionC electric bus was also at Brownsburg for attendees to browse.
Transfinder sponsored a session later Saturday for inspector training attendees as well as other STN EXPO attendees on the role maintenance software plays in complementing inspections.
The National School Bus Inspection Training next heads to Washoe County School District during next month’s STN EXPO Reno. Transfinder will also reprise its software training, which focuses on submitting inspection forms digitally. creating work orders based on the inspection fault, assigning the work to a technician, running reports, and billing and invoicing.
