School Bus Fleet, October 2017
TOP 100 SCHOOL DISTRICT FLEETS NEWS Atlanta Boosts Efficiency Service With Fleet Department Overhaul term successful technicians were retained According to Franklin the district was able to recruit strong techs from diverse locations and their variety of mechanical backgrounds fostered better group problem solving I wasnt necessarily looking for school bus mechanics Franklin said I was looking for inquisitive mechanical minds with a strong work ethic who WWW SCHOOLBUSFLEET COM When John Franklin came to Atlanta Public Schools as executive director of transportation in May 2014 one of his top priorities was bolstering school bus maintenance There were serious but solvable mechanical issues taking place that did not allow our bus operators to have reliable buses to perform their jobs Franklin said Atlanta Public Schools reportedly had the newest fleet of school buses in the state of Georgia but the fleet was plagued by maintenance issues that afected all aspects of service routes athletics and trips This all came to a head with repeated parental concerns and a local news exposé on the number of buses being towed due to mechanical failure Franklin said In December 2015 funding was appropriated to create new fleet leadership positions technician positions with stronger skill sets higher salaries and service writers All of the new positions required ASE school bus and automotive certifications A number of long Atlanta Public Schools recruited new technicians and fleet managers with a variety of mechanical backgrounds which has reportedly fostered better group problem solving Tashard Jackson left an Atlanta Public Schools fleet mechanic and Vince Parks master fleet technician install a diesel particulate filter together werent afraid of such applications as computer diagnostics anti lock brakes multiplex wiring smart switches and DPF after treatment The techs maintenance experience included such fields as waste management military contracting oil field pumps and support transit and airport ground support equipment The group came together in June 2016 just in time for another initiative the outsourcing of school bus inspections to a vendor at night Too often in K 12 school bus shops the labor and production hours needed to complete the state inspections eats up labor for service and repair Franklin explained Having a vendor conduct the state inspections freed up Atlanta Public Schools techs to focus exclusively on repairs preventive maintenance and service The techs felt more engaged in repairs and there was ample time to provide training so that skills were maintained and increased Franklin said 34 SCHOOL BUS FLEET OCTOBER 2017
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