If you are a school transportation director or school bus fleet owner, you know how important it is to keep up with school buses news and trends. Whether you have one school bus for sale or a fleet of used school buses for sale, keeping up with price trends is an important part of your job.

But it’s not the only trends you need to track. You also have to keep your fleet of school buses on the road daily. The yellow school bus has to arrive at its destination punctually. And you have to keep your cargo safe. This takes a lot of effort to coordinate. Staying on top of school buses news and trends can help you find ways to make your job easier and the ride safer for children.

As you study school buses and what’s happening within the school bus industry, you begin to notice a number of themes develop. Here are some common issues:

1. Ways to sell used school buses to make the most profit.

2. Getting the most out of the school district’s energy dollars.

3. Keeping school buses maintenance costs low.

4. Ways to manage student discipline effectively.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Read articles about school buses

Find out how fleet services and school districts are handling some of the above issues. You are sure to find ways you can adapt the information to your situation, whether you have a fleet of two buses or 6,000.

I recommend: You can find current articles from the American School Bus Council on its website. They also have a subscription email service to keep you informed of news and trends among school bus vendors. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation offers a number of articles and publications on school bus safety.

Subscribe to magazines that cover the latest in school buses

While some subscriptions have an annual fee, others are free. Magazines are a good way to get in-depth information about school bus trends and news. You can often find information in them about used school buses for sale so you can track price trends as well.

I recommend: Bobit Business Media offers an online magazine, School Bus Fleet, to help you follow school buses news and trends. STN Media offers information about current issues for school bus drivers. It also offers links to websites that offer new school buses for sale, as well as used school buses.

Find out about current issues that affect school buses on blogs and vlogs

Whether you read about school buses on blogs or watch the information on vlogs, you are sure to find a number of interesting topics that pertain to your job. Many of these online resources feature writers who have first hand experience as school bus drivers or transportation directors.

I recommend: The National Organization for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) offers a periodical webcast of current information about school buses. You can find information about environmental factors that may be affecting the yellow school bus that takes your children to school on TheDailyGreen.com blog.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Explore different types of fuels for your school buses. Depending on the state you live in, you may have some restrictions. Many school districts are looking at clean burning, renewable fuels such as biodiesel.

The classic yellow school bus is recognized by almost everyone as a child's primary transportation to school and school events. Although school buses are still most often used for student transportation, used school buses are finding second lives as church transportation, company buses, mobile homes and more. Because unique safety requirements limit the number of years a bus can be used to transport students, school buses can make ideal purchases.

When purchasing used school buses for sale always ask for the original paperwork, recent repair records and service receipts. This can help you identify any potential problems, and gives you a general idea of what's been replaced. Consider the following before making any school bus purchase:

1. Always follow federal safety guidelines when buying a school bus or used school bus. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in being unable to use the bus.

2. Some school systems require a bus to be under a certain number of years old to be used for pupil transportation.

3. There may be additional state requirements to follow, depending on where you plan to use your school bus. These may only apply if you plan to transport students.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know what type of school bus you wish to buy

Most school buses can seat somewhere between 41 and 72 people. Many models come with a wheelchair lift, allowing handicap access. The may also include things like brake sensors, a child reminder system or other features. In addition, there are other factors to consider when selecting a school bus type. Conventional models offer flip-front engine access, which means cheaper repairs. Rear pushers allow you to enjoy a quieter ride, while flat-front pushers generally offer more room in a bus of the same length.

I recommend: Find out what models and features are available in your state from the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transport Services, or check out a rundown of school bus types from School Transportation News.

Buy new school buses for student transportation

When purchasing a school bus for sale, it's important to consider what you will use it for. Buying a new school bus for student transportation means following all state and federal guidelines for buses. These guidelines may include pre-delivery inspections, using only approved parts and equipment and specific types of paint and signs. Before you purchase a schoolbus, ask the school bus vendors to certify that their buses meet all applicable guidelines for your area.

I recommend: Check out school bus safety tips from North Carolina's School Bus Safety Web, or read federal school bus guidelines at the American School Bus Council.

Purchase buses from used school bus sales

School buses are made with incredibly strong steel walls to protect passengers, making them very safe vehicles that hold up well. Because requirements for school bus child transportation use are so stringent, many buses that are still in excellent condition are put up for sale, so you can get a cheap, safe vehicle for other uses. These include things like employee transportation, retirement home buses, church vehicles and more. A used school bus can be an ideal way to obtain cheap mass transportation.

I recommend: Get used school buses from the North Carolina Used Bus Surplus System, or check out the new and used buses available from Bus Crazy.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you plan to use your school bus for something other than student transportation, many states require you to remove traffic signal signs from your bus and paint it another color. If you plan to transport students many states require you to paint your bus an officially certified color, like 'School Bus Yellow.'

As a transportation director of a school district or an owner of a fleet of school buses, you know you have a lot of responsibilities and very little time to devote to them all. Each yellow school bus you’re responsible for must safely transport children to and from school on a daily basis. On top of child safety issues, you also must maintain each bus and determine when to offer any given school bus for sale so you can upgrade your fleet.

Lucky for you there are a number of ways you can approach the task of making the most of school buses in your fleet. Depending on the size of your budget you can address issues that confront you daily in a variety of ways. These daily issues include:

1. Planning efficient routes for your school buses that use the least amount of fuel and cause the least amount of wear and tear on the buses.

2. Hiring trained school bus drivers.

3. Performing daily safety and maintenance checks.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use school bus maintenance software to keep track of your school buses

This software not only tracks daily maintenance checks but it can also track mileage. This can help you plan more efficient bus routes that can save money in the long run. Most bus maintenance software is easy enough for even a computer-phobic mechanic or bus driver to use.

I recommend: Dolphin SoftSense Incorporated offers its Dolphin Fleet Management bus maintenance software. Not only does this allow you to track your daily maintenance needs, but the software also lets you keep track of miles on each bus so you are better able to track when it’s time to get rid of your used school buses. Bus Master Software tracks a number of maintenance items for each bus in your schoolbus fleet.

Lease school buses for your fleet

If your school district doesn't have the money to buy new or used school buses, look into the leasing options available. You may find this to be a good alternative to save your district money.

I recommend: Consider leasing your school buses from Durham School Services. Multiple Asset Management can help you with making the most of school buses by offering affordable leases.

Use the services of a school bus broker to purchase school buses

If time is a premium commodity for you, let an expert school bus broker help you. Whether you have school buses for sale or are looking to buy new school buses, a school bus broker can match you with the right sales partner without taking a lot of your time. This is an excellent way to stretch your transportation budget.

I recommend: Use the services of Bus Broker for your used school bus sales, as well as to help you find school bus vendors with school buses you want to add to your fleet. Central States Bus Sales can help you quickly find new or used school buses for sale.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep your fleet of school buses clean on the inside and out. Not only does it reflect pride in the school district, a well-cared for used school buses can be an asset when it's time to trade them in for new buses. Used school buses for sale sell quickly if the interior and exterior have no major cosmetic problems.