The Type D school bus, easily recognizable on the roads by its flat-front construction, is preferred by fleets for its unparalleled visibility, increased passenger capacity and optimal performance on rugged terrain. The Type D can be found nationwide, with its features finding appeal from coast to coast. The Northeast is fond of the tight turning ratio that helps drivers navigate the tighter streets, while drivers in the West look to the Type D for the higher capacity load beneficial for their longer routes.
Thomas Built Buses, a leading manufacturer of school buses in North America, is committed to furthering the advancement of the Type D bus with the introduction of the Saf-T-Liner® HDX2. The new model will be produced at the company’s state-of-the-art Saf-T-Liner® C2 Plant in High Point, North Carolina, where Thomas Built plans to take advantage of the facility’s advanced manufacturing technology. The move will lead to operational refinements and efficiency gains, contributing to the commonization of parts between all Thomas Built school buses and thereby streamlining the service of school bus fleets.
Simplifying Fleet Management
For fleet owners, the switch to the C2 plant means an impactful simplification of fleet management. The integration of common parts between the C2 and HDX lines streamlines service, reducing the complexity of maintaining mixed fleets with fewer service parts.
“There are some parts where we’ll have complete commonality, which cuts down on any inventory for regular repairs that a fleet owner might have,” said Kendra Eads, VP of engineering and technology at Thomas Built Buses. “You won’t have a significantly different bus if you have both C2s and Type D buses, like the HDX, in your fleet.”
This means that not only will parts between the two products be more common, but so will the repair methods. Whether a service group is working on a Type D bus or a C2 bus, the repairs on some body parts should feel familiar, and they’ll be able to follow many of the same procedures.
Service will also be simplified through advancements in the electrical system, with the addition of a much more common wiring harness.
“The new electrical system is connectorized, which means you can plug and unplug features such as lights, instead of having to go in and change out any wiring,” said Eads. “From a service perspective, the electrical system will be much easier to work on.”
Optimizing Manufacturing Efficiencies
The move to the C2 plant not only signifies a move to a more automated production system, but also emphasizes increased accuracy, faster build times and overall manufacturing efficiency for customers.
“With enhanced automation at each station, we can have more specialized assembly technicians and produce vehicles faster,” said Eads. “This means much more consistency coming off the end of the line at the newer plant.”
The move to the C2 plant also enables production line undercoating, further improving the overall quality and reliability of the buses and eliminating the need to work with extra undercoating where it is not wanted, such as when a technician is making chassis repairs.
Why Parts Commonality Matters
For fleet owners who keep an inventory of repair parts themselves, the increased availability and commonality of popular C2 parts means that there are fewer parts they need to have on hand. Whether a fleet owner is doing the repairs themself or hiring them out to a service group, they’ll reduce downtime by seeing a quicker maintenance turnaround.
Every Mile Counts
Thomas Built continues to invest in its Type D product line, providing every customer with the right solution to fit their specific needs.
“The move to the C2 plant symbolizes our dedication to the Type D product line and will allow us to continue to make the next iteration of the product even better. Investing in the HDX2 provides customers with cutting-edge solutions and simplified fleet management across the board,” concluded Kevin Bangston, president and CEO of Thomas Built.
Thomas Built Buses continues to innovate its Type D school bus line. For more information on upcoming products, contact your local Thomas Built dealer.
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