In our review of the North American bus industry, we can’t avoid a very specific area – school bus transportation. The phrase “school bus” was born, developed, and now sets the tone for the whole world here.
The first special vehicles for transporting children to school were born long before the bus. Of course, at first they were horse-drawn vehicles: school hacks, school cars, school trucks, kid hacks and school hacks (hack – meaning “hired horse”). Quite simple in design, but specialized. By the end of the nineteenth century, a number of states already had laws governing these activities.
Needless to say, as soon as horses were replaced by trucks with internal combustion engines, manufacturers who already existed immediately began adapting them for this purpose. One of the pioneers in producing a new type of vehicle was Wayne Works. It installed wooden van on automobile chassis in 1914. The seats were arranged around the perimeter, like in a ruler or tonneau type body – children sat with their backs to the side, like in a modern subway. There were still no windows in the cabin, and a canvas canopy protected the young passengers from the weather. The only passenger door for entering and exiting was at the rear end (this is how horse-drawn carriages were built, so as not to frighten the horses).
As a result a simple, reliable and, what is important, cheap car was created. Later, this trend was continued, and gradually a classic type of American school bus appeared.
So, at its basis – a frame design of the cargo chassis on a spring suspension. Engines are of low power, diesel, and in recent years – gas and hybrid (taking into account the high safety requirements for transportation of children, the maximum speed is limited to 60 km/h, and the weight of the “cargo” in this case is small). A frame-modular body is installed on the frame, which allows you to vary the length, up to the allowable 45 feet (13.7 m). The side panels and roof are made of metal and the bumpers, front and rear panels are made of plastic. Considering that the buses are originally designed to carry children, the distance between the rows of seats is reduced.
Separately about the color. The famous orange-and-yellow color has the official name “National School Bus Chrome Yellow. It legislatively appeared in 1939, after the conference in New York City, which established national standards for school buses, and was chosen due to better visibility in the morning and evening twilight. By the way, it was proposed by the engineers of the second leading company in this industry – Blue Bird. The conference was held for a week, and 45 standards were adopted, including technical requirements for bus length, ceiling height and aisle width. It was a significant event, as representatives from 48 states attended.
In addition to bright colors, special warning signs are used to improve safety. During a stop, four to eight red-and-yellow lights flash alternately, and a loud ticking sound is heard. In addition, the “STOP” sign is mechanically extended on the left side, and on the right side of the bumper a restrictor is extended to prevent crossing the street in front of the car. By the way, passing a car during a school bus stop is a serious offense, and in some states it results in forfeiture of license.
Of course, 3-point seat belts for passengers, triplex safety glass, escape doors, and hatches in the sides and roofs are mandatory elements. Bus hoods are fitted with additional spherical mirrors for greater attention when disembarking. Video cameras, recorders, and navigation systems are now standard equipment. Modern school buses are equipped with air conditioning, elevators for wheelchairs, two-way communication, etc.
By the way, special versions are produced on the basis of school buses, which are popular in many areas – for the police, the U.S. army, the penitentiary system, religious and tourist organizations, etc.
In addition, most school buses that find their way into the secondary market are imported to many Latin American countries, where they serve local transportation and are called “chikken-bus” because of their multifunctionality (transportation of chickens and animals by peasants). Small lots of used buses are steadily purchased by companies from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Oceania and Africa.
There are 480,500 registered school buses in the United States, of which 70% are owned by private companies or schools, and 30% are used by SBC (School Bus Contractor) contractors.
Below are the main players in the U.S. school bus market, either current or having played a prominent role in it.