Be Cool, Bus Rules! products are now available. If you are interested in ordering for your school, contact your salesman!
Here is a list of what is available:
Coloring Book – A fun and engaging way to learn the ten “Be Cool. Bus Rules!” for elementary-age children.
Bus ID Tag – This nametag includes the ten “Be Cool. Bus Rules!” safety rules on one side and a place for the child’s name and bus number on the other side. A plastic holder and strap are included for easy backpack attachment.
Post Cards – Special safety tips for parents on a postcard-sized mailer that schools can mail with a customized message.
Magnet – A magnet with the ten “Be Cool. Bus Rules!” safety rules for the refrigerator at home or a student’s locker at school.
Folder (30 pack) – A pocket folder to contain your “Be Cool. Bus Rules!” information for handouts to customers and students.
Bus Driver’s Safety Guide – A comprehensive safety training guide for drivers gives you another great way to demonstrate to your customers how you go beyond the bus.
IC debuted Busformer at NAPT. Busformer is a fully functioning robot that shoots earplugs out of his shoulders! Here is a couple of pictures of the machine.
Filed under: 2010 Emissions, IC, International, School Transportation News Magazine
The president of Navistar’s bus and motorcoach arm sits down with STN to discuss how the company is reacting to the economy, new and existing markets.
SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION NEWS: WHAT’S THE LASTEST NEWS FROM IC BUS?
JOHN MCKINNEY: IC Bus had a buy summer making final preparations for the emissions change coming next year. We feel that MaxxForce Advanced EGR will be the preferred emissions solution to our customers. Its simplistic nature, with compliance resting on us, not our customers, will make it the preferred choice for 2010. Additionally, we have several product enhancement programs underway. Our customers will see a new seat frame, new electrical system, and new mirrors from us later in the year, all of which we have made great progress on over the summer. And while we are striving to improve the product experience for our customers, we at the same time are focused on improving the quality of the product coming out of our plants. I feel that when we look back on this summer, IC Bus will have made great strides in improving the long-term satisfaction of our customers.
STN: WHAT ROLE DO IC BUS’ DEALERS PLAY FOR THE COMPANY?
JM: Our dealer network is one of the greatest assets, we think it is the strongest dealer network in the industry. Part of what makes IC Bus who we are in we believe in providing support to our customers from start to finish, having them “covered” if you will. Our IC Bus dealers play that role for us. They are the conduit through which we work with customers, thus vital to our continued success.
STN: HOW IS THE COMPANY DOING FINANCIALLY IN THIS DOWN ECONOMY?
JM: IC Bus is financially sound. As part of a larger organization such as Navistar, we have been able to benefit from an organization that is diversified in its business, not solely relying upon the school bus or truck market. Within IC Bus specifically, our extension into the global commercial bus business has helped us diversify our revenue streams, which in a down school bus market allows us the ability to continue to reinvest into our school bus business.
STN: HOW IS IC BUS LEVERAGING NAVISTAR’S RELATIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE MEDIUM- AND HEAVY-DUTY MARKETPLACE (I.E. RECENT ASSET PURCHASE AND FORMATION OF MONACO RV LLC, INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT WITH MAHINDRA MAHINDRA, ETC.) ECONOMIES OF SCALE?
JM: Through the business and relationships Navistar has in the truck market, IC Bus is able to draw upon these not only to leverage economies of scale with suppliers but also in product development. Our inventory of available components to select from in new product development or processes allows us to more effectively control development costs. For example, take something like a headlight. With our relationships around the world, we can tap into existing componentry, versus developing it from scratch ourselves. This allows us to control costs while still brining a world class school bus to market.
STN: WHAT IS THE CURRENT VIEW FROM IC BUS OF THE STATE OF THE SCHOOL BUS INDUSTRY?
JM: We see the industry being down this year about 20 percent. With the economic downfall, school revenues are down, leading to a decrease of bus purchases. This unfortunately has been added onto an industry that had already been facing pressure. If we look back to before the economic collapse, the industry was shrinking due to revenue short falls, rising fuel prices, and parental indifference to school bus service. This decline, while important to me as an employee for a bus manufacturer, is important as well as I’m a father of school age children. I want them to be able to ride the bus to and from school, which is why groups such as the American School bus Council are so important. We will have a few months left (as of this interview), and the potential for ordering in advance of the emissions change, but the reality is that many school districts stared a new budget year July 1, and it is this fiscal year where they will feel the hit of the economy. While school districts may want to order prior to the emissions change, a lot will not have the money to do so.
STN: DO YOU SEE ANY SPECIFIC TRENDS THAT ARE FUELING YOUR CONFIDENCE FOR THE LONG-TERM STRENGTH OF SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION?
JM: What gives me confidence in the long term strength of the school bus industry is the fact that a lot of people care about it. When visiting with customers, you can see the passion they have for what they do, that they believe in the benefits of the yellow school bus. And knowing that they are supported by great organizations such as NAPT, NASDPTS, NSTA and the American School Bus Council, give me confidence that the school bus industry will not only survive, but grow and prosper.
STN: CAN YOU EXPLAIN/BREAK DOWN THE RECENT $6,000 TO $8,000 PRICE INCREASES FOR YOUR 2010 VEHICLES? HOW MUCH IS TIED TO THE NEW ADVANCED EGR ENGINE AND HOW MUCH IS TIED TO OTHER MATERIALS?
JM: With each emissions change, bus and engine manufacturers have incurred costs to comply with the strict emissions standards set by the EPA. While I can’t break down the cost between engine and vehicle, with stricter emissions controls comes research and development costs to meet the standards. Navistar’s engine group has spent millions of dollars on R&D to be able to develop and hone MaxxForce Advanced EGR. While we understand our customers have a difficult time absorbing any price increase, we fell they will appreciate the benefits.
STN: WHAT IS THE IC BUS VISION OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, YEAR FOR WEATHERING THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS? ARE THERE LONGER RANGE GOALS?
JM: Our plan to weather the economic storm is simple; we have to stay committed to executing on our strategy. First, we have to deliver 2010 EPA compliant engines using MaxxForce Advanced EGR. We are on track, but it is important that we stay focused to ensure we deliver engines and buses that perform as our customers demand. Second, we have to continue to work to control bus costs. Keeping the pressure on now will only benefit our customers when the economy begins to turn around and commodity prices trend upward again. Finally, we need to deliver on the product programs that we have designed to improve our customers’ experience with our buses. New seat frames, new electrical harnesses and mirrors, along with longer ranging programs, designed to improve the operational experience our customers have with our buses.
STN: HOW BIG OF A ROLE DO YOU SEE PRE-BUYS AHEAD OF THE 2010 ENGINE REQUIREMENTS PLAYING INTO PURCHASING DECISIONS THIS YEAR?
JM: We feel the impact of a pre-buy will be small. Many customers would like to, but simply do not have the funding to do so. Some will be the recipients of grants, which will allow them to advance their school bus buys. But the federal dollars to do so were stretched pretty thin. A lot of customers looking for federal assistance with their purchase did not receive funding.
STN: COMMODITY PRICES HAVE BEEN ON A YO-YO FOR THE PAST YEAR. WHAT IS IC BUS DOING IN RESPONSE TO THESE COSTS FROM A MANUFACTURING STANDPOINT? IS THERE ANYTHING IC BUS IS DOING TO HELP ALLEVIATE SOME FINANCIAL STRAIN ON CUSTOMERS?
JM: From the manufacturing side, we are continually looking to control costs. Commonly through improving our manufacturing efficiencies or through supplier selection and negotiation, but also through product enhancement. For example, with our redesigned seat frame, we are able to eliminate about 60 percent of our welds, which will dramatically improve the durability, reducing the back-end costs for both IC Bus and our customers. For our customers on the sales side, we are able to offer budget constrained school districts financing options, which allows them to manage their available budget to get them the buses they need. We have several options available and can work within a number of parameters.
STN: HOW DOES IC VIEW THE RECENT BANKRUPTCIES OF CHRYSLER AND GM AFFECTING ITS BUSINESS, EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY? ITS SUPPLIERS?
JM: The difficulties within the automotive industry do impact school bus OEMs, as we use a lot of the same suppliers. At IC Bus, our purchasing division has been working to ensure our supply base is strong, and in areas where there may be some concern, find new suppliers that can meet our supplier and product standards, as well as help control costs. IC Bus has several hundred suppliers, which with the economic turbulence, we have seen some unable to continue to support us. But as some of the suppliers have dropped off, other, new, stronger, suppliers have taken their place.
STN: RECENTLY, IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT NAVISTAR WOULD RECEIVE A $39 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT TO COMMERCIALIZE ELECTRIC VEHICLE TRUCK TECHNOLOGY. WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THIS MONEY ON IC BUS?
JM: The $39 million grant from the Department of Energy will be focused on developing all delivery trucks. While IC Bus may be able to indirectly benefit from the technology development in energy storage and use, the delivery vehicles will be a different class vehicle than used in the school bus industry. I am excited about the opportunity presented for IC Bus through a grant awarded in April 2009 for $10 million to develop the next generation plug in hybrid school bus. Which this grant, we will be able to electrify accessories on the bus and turn the engine off, allowing the school bus to run in an all electric mode for a short time, drastically improving fuel economy and reducing emission output.
STN: THANK YOU.
From School Transportation News Magazine, November 2009 issue.
Filed under: Green, Hoglund Bus, Hybrid, IC, Mark Your Calendars, Minnesota, Open House, Training
Hoglund Bus would like to invite you to see and drive our new IC Conventional Electric Hybrid. This bus will be in Minnesota, at our Monticello location on 10/7 with a training class scheduled and a ride and drive to follow. The presentation will begin at 1:00 p.m. by Keith Kladder, Marketing Manager, IC Bus. If you are concerned with your carbon footprint or high diesel costs, come find out what our bus has to offer. Lunch will be provided and other exciting things happening, as this is happening during our Open House, call Linda at 763-271-2952 to get registered and find out what else we have to offer.
Filed under: Arboc Spirit of Mobility, Braun, Commercial Buses, Diamond Coach, Espar Heater, Exide, Fleetguard, Glaval, Hankook Tires, Hoglund Bus, Hoglunds, IC, International, Mark Your Calendars, Minnesota, Open House, Parts, Ricon, Training, Trucks, Turtle Top
You’re Invited!!
Hoglund’s Annual Open House – Wednesday, October 7th from 11am to 2pm.
The Open House will be held in our new service bays!
Place a parts order of $100 or more during the Open House and be entered to win 1 of 5 $100 gift cards!
BBQ provided by Diamond Coach
Register to Win - TV, Pressure Washer, Gift Cards, Apparel, Jewelry, and much more!
Vendors that will be attending include:
IC Sales, International, International Finance, Arboc Mobility, Allison, Braun, Carrier, Champion Bus, CMI Fabrics, Collins/Mid Bus, Diamond Coach, Dupont, Espar, Exide, Freedman Seating, Fleetguard, Hoglund Body and Equipment, IC Parts and Service, International Renewed, Authorized Transmission Remanufacturing, Glaval, Haldex/Midland, Hankook Tire, Koroseal, NCS, Pomp’s Tire, Premire Bank, Q-Straint, REI, Ricon, Rosco, SKF, Sure-Lok, Trans/Air Mfg. Co., Translite, Truck Utilities Mfg. Co., Turtle Top, Ventech and more!
Training Seminars:
11:00 – 12:00 Parts Catalog Online*
12:00 – 1:00 IC Hybrid Technology
1:00 – 2:00 Hands-On Training with Doug Yager (Tech Helpline Specialist)
1:00 – 2:00 Navistar Financial
* Attend and enter to win a Nintendo Wii Bundle
Call to register at 763-295-5119
Here is some pictures of a recent Commercial Bus delivery we did recently. This went to the Western Iowa Community College in Council Bluffs, IA. We hope they are enjoying their new bus!
Marketplace rhetoric has insinuated that the use of credits somehow makes a manufacturer non-compliant. In some isolated conversations, customers have questioned whether the use of credits meets the standard. But the ARB letter inarguably confirms and accepts the approach on which we have been working with the EPA since 2004.
In the attached letter to our parent company, Navistar, Inc., ARB acknowledged that engines that use averaging, banking and trading (ABT) provisions comply with the 2010 emissions requirements. ARB added that engine families both using credits and creating credits are compliant and receive “an Executive Order making them legal for sale.” Furthermore, our 2010 engines are considered Best Available Control Technology requiring no retrofitting and are essentially on equal footing with those at 0.20 g/bhp-hr of NOx.
We think this affirmation by ARB will resolve any doubts about the acceptability of credits for meeting emissions requirements. IC Bus is the only bus manufacturer who can meet 2010 emissions with an in-cylinder solution because we planned ahead for it. We have worked tirelessly to give our customers a solution that takes the burden of 2010 compliance off their shoulders.
We are incredibly confident in our 2010 emissions solution. And thanks to this letter from ARB, we think our customers will be, too.
Click here to view the letter.
Regards,
John McKinney
President, IC Bus
Filed under: IC
WAKARUSA, IN – Hundreds of Navistar employees welcomed President Barack Obama to its Wakarusa, Ind., manufacturing facility to celebrate the award of a $39 million federal grant to develop and build all-electric delivery vehicles and bring jobs to the Elkhart County, Ind., communities.Through this U.S. Department of Energy grant, Navistar intends to build 400 all-electric vehicles in 2010 and expects that within a couple of years to be producing several thousand vehicles annually. Navistar anticipates hiring additional workers immediately as it ramps up production of the all-electric delivery vehicle. As volumes increase and the market grows, the company estimates opportunities for several hundred more people in the Elkhart area. The grant application calls for the creation of up to 700 jobs, which includes Navistar employees and suppliers. “The all-electric delivery vehicle is a concrete example of what business and government can do when we work together,” said Dan Ustian, Navistar chairman, president and chief executive officer. “The future is now with this electric vehicle. In fact, we already have interested customers, including some of the most respected names in the industry.” Navistar is in the process of finalizing a joint venture with Modec Ltd. of the United Kingdom to produce and sell electric Class 2c-3 commercial vehicles in North, Central and South America. This zero emission all-electric delivery vehicle would primarily be used by drivers for local deliveries where stop and go driving would otherwise consume a large amount of fuel. Navistar has three manufacturing facilities in the area: the Monaco RV facility in Wakarusa another facility recently purchased from Monaco in Elkhart City, Ind., and the Workhorse Custom Chassis facility in Union City, Ind. Earlier this year, Navistar purchased certain assets of the recreational vehicle (RV) manufacturing business of Monaco Coach Corporation, one of the nation’s leading recreational vehicle manufacturers.
Wow! Is it already August? As I sat down to write this week’s email, I thought it would be an interesting exercise to think ahead to August 2010. What might you be doing this time next year?
As you know, IC Bus and our parent company, Navistar, Inc., will meet 2010 EPA emissions requirements with our customer-friendly solution: MaxxForce® Advanced EGR. With Advanced EGR, emissions reduction takes place within the engine, while urea-based SCR, the competitor’s 2010 solution, uses an after-treatment system.
So, how might next year be different for you as it relates to your buses?
Well, if you only have IC BusTM brand buses in your fleet, next year won’t be much different for you, your drivers or service techs. That’s because our MaxxForce Advanced EGR won’t put the burden of compliance on you. IC Bus has taken on that burden so you don’t have to.
This means your drivers won’t be undergoing new training, since our 2010 EPA emissions solution doesn’t add new warning lights to the driver’s interface. Drivers will simply get in their bus and drive, just like they do now.
Your service technicians will not be taking on new hassles and training, either. Our MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines will have an additional turbo and a larger cooling package, but service technicians are already trained to work on both. Further, since the technology used in Advanced EGR evolved from the same technology used to meet 2007 EPA mandates, diagnostic requirements and service intervals remain the same.
Advanced EGR is less hassle for you, your drivers and your service technicians, because you don’t shoulder the burden. When you weigh your options for meeting 2010 emissions requirements, MaxxForce Advanced EGR from IC Bus is clearly the solution that has you covered.
Regards,
John McKinney
President, IC Bus
In the quest to provide service technicians with invaluable education that’s so rare in the industry, IC Bus recently completed another session of our ongoing IC Bus™ University. Held during the week of May 18 in Tulsa, OK, 45 service technicians from over 40 school districts attended.
In a business where buses need timely maintenance, service technicians yearn for any update in training they can find. IC Bus University, the brainchild of John Thompson, dealer training director at IC Bus, has established a curriculum to keep technicians up to speed and able to avoid costly downtime.
“There’s a real thirst out there in the bus world for training,” Thompson observed. “Technicians can’t get this extensive training anywhere else. Buses are easier to work on right now, but only if you have the training and skills to do it.”
The recent training session started with a trip to the IC Bus plant, where technicians spent time observing how a bus is assembled. Over the rest of the week, they received specific instruction on bus electronics, engines, bus care and maintenance, Alison transmission systems, full power brake systems, AC systems and specialty manufacturing.
Technicians also received hands-on training with the one-of-a-kind IC Bus Training Bus, a fully operational bus (with its own VIN number) on which every kind of diagnostic can be performed, taught and evaluated. The Training Bus has cross-sections that display all electrical and mechanical elements present in an IC Bus brand bus.
The response by attendees has been uniformly enthusiastic. Here’s an example from Brian Koehn, who is the Lead Bus Mechanic for Noble Public Schools in Noble, OK:
“I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate IC Bus’s commitment to customer education and training. I just completed a run-through of IC Bus University and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the training your people were giving. The instructors were informative and knowledgeable and the material was relevant. I believe IC Bus has got it right.”
Given the great response, IC Bus University will now offer an advanced session of instruction (ICU2) for technicians who have completed the first session. ICU2 will be more hands-on with a focus on advanced diagnostics. The class will be smaller, around 10 techs per class, and the first ICU2 will be held the weeks of October 19 and October 26 this year.
The next time the initial IC Bus University sessions will be offered is October and December 2009, followed by sessions in March and June of 2010.
The cost of IC University is $300. You will need a voucher from your dealership to register. Please contact Nicole Crum at 763-271-2983 or busadmin@hoglundbus.com if you are interested.
