Due to COVID-19, going back to school looks very different this year. Cummins wants to partner with school bus operations to complete free fleet health checks so that engine issues can be one less thing to worry about during these unprecedented times.
Like all vehicles, school buses that are out of service or have been sitting still for extended periods of time can experience undesirable effects if left alone. To combat unwanted maintenance issues as buses start back up and transport kids to school, there are plenty of preventative measures you can take to make sure your fleet stays healthy. Checking the quality of your fuel and DEF and keeping fluid levels where they should be, making sure your fuel-fired heaters are turned off, and checking battery voltages once a month are just a few.
During this unique season, your local Cummins Sales and Service branch wants to partner with you to help you prevent unwanted issues by performing a health checkup on your fleet. That way, as life begins to pick back up and kids head back to school, your buses are operating at peak efficiency and don’t miss a beat.
What Is a Fleet Health Check and How Do I Schedule One?
Scheduling a fleet health check is as simple as contacting your local Cummins Sales and Service branch and asking for one. The branch will work with you to send a certified field technician to your location to perform a complete check on all your Cummins-powered buses.
A School Bus Health Check includes:
- Retrieval of full ECM image
- Fault code review
- Calibration update (if needed)
- Inspection of all belts and hoses
- Fluid level check
- Visual inspection for leaks (oil, trans, fuel, coolant)
- Battery connection condition check
- Charging/starting system
- Harnesses — visual check of wiring condition
- Inspection of radiator
- Enabling of DPF temperature stabilization feature (only if regen is not set to “0” mph)
After retrieving and analyzing the data on each bus, the branch will provide you with its findings in a quick, easy-to-understand manner. If during the analysis process maintenance items are identified that need to be addressed, the branch will work with you directly to complete the work in a timeframe that works for you and your operation.
Fleet Health Checks Are Worth It … Take It From Tom Belcher
Cummins’ goal is always to provide exceptional products, dependable service and reliable support, when and where our customers need it – and a global pandemic does not change that. In offering free fleet health checks, we hope to partner with our customers to help provide some peace of mind that despite living in a time where so much is uncontrollable, the health and well-being of their buses doesn’t have to be.
Take it from Tom Belcher, district fleet supervisor for Dublin City Schools in Ohio. Belcher recently worked with our Hilliard, Ohio, branch to complete a fleet health check on his 65 Cummins-powered buses.
“Conducting a fleet health check on our 65 units uncovered some issues that needed attention, and the action shown during this time to complete these in two weeks by the Cummins Sales and Service Hilliard Branch is in a class of its own,” Belcher said.
“Preventive and predictive maintenance at its best has and will always keep any fleet safe, and for our 18,000 students that will soon again travel to and from school, field trips and sporting events, safety is our number one priority. I cannot put into words the amount of appreciation and gratitude I feel toward all the staff at Cummins Hilliard. During times of uncertainty, it is great to see businesses coming together,” he stated.
Schedule Your Free Fleet Health Check Today!
Call your local Cummins Sales and Service branch or call 1-800-CUMMINS (1-800-286-6467).
Additional Resources
Check out our Fleet Health Check 1-page flyer for more information and download our DPF Maintenance Best Practices White Paper & Informational Flyer.
