In the February issue of School Transportation News magazine, Technical Editor Robert T. Pudlewski provides four basic requirements for cost-effective maintenance and breaks down the average total maintenance costs based on a survey of readers at public school districts.
Bob PudlewskiBased on reader responses, he categorized fleets into two sections: More than 100 buses and less than 100. Then, he calculated how much, on average, it costs school districts in these two camps to maintain their fleet, including the amount the spend on parts and labor. It’s important to again note that the analysis only provides a breakdown based on what readers from public school districts reported to us. Still, we believe it’s the first non-biased look at what fleet maintenance operations are really spending per bus based on parts purchasing, mechanic wages, the size of the fleet, shop resources and more — especially considering the questions we regularly receive from readers and industry manufacturers and distributors, alike.
He also recommends maintenance operations employ one mechanic to every 25 new buses in the fleet, or one mechanic to every 20 buses when the fleet is at least seven years old.
How does your operation compare?
FLEETS WITH MORE THAN 100 BUSES
Total Number of Buses Reporting Parts, Tires, Lube and Supply Expenses: 7,552
Total Reported Expense for Maintenance: $30,148,383 or $3,992 per bus
Total Number of Buses Reporting Labor Expense: 5,457 (172 mechanics reported)
Reported Labor Expense: $8,320,725 or $1,525 per bus
Average Wage for 172 Mechanics Related to Those 5,457 Buses: $48,376/EACH
Average Number of Buses per Work Bay: 28
Average Number of Buses to Mechanics: 27
Replacement Age for the Reported Buses: 11 to 15 years
Average Age of Buses Currently in Fleet: 6 to 10 years
Total Average Maintenance Cost for Districts Operating More than 100 Buses: $5,517 per bus
FLEETS WITH LESS THAN 100 BUSES
Total Number of Buses Reporting Parts, Tires, Lube and Supply Expenses: 553
Total Reported Expense for Maintenance: $2,097,827 or $3,794 per bus
Total Number of Buses Reporting Labor Expense: 184 (of the 553 mechanics reported)
Reported Labor Expense: $928,633 or $1,679 per bus
Average Wage for 22 Mechanics of the 29 Reported: $42,210/each
Average Number of Buses per Work Bay: 13
Average Number of Buses to Mechanics: 19
Replacement Age for the Reported Buses: 11 to 15 years
Average Age of Buses Currently in Fleet: 6 to 10 years
Total Average Maintenance Cost for Districts Operating Less than 100 Buses: $5,474 per bus
Read Pudlewski’s full article and browse average maintenance cost data in our February edition, which focuses on on fleet maintenance and diagnostics trends.
