June, 2019
INDUSTRY NEWS - MN SCHOOL BUS
Upcoming Events

7/15-19/2019
Minneapolis Marriott NW
Brooklyn Park.

1/16-17/2020
Minneapolis Convention Center

Train the Trainer
7/20-24/2019
The Telin bus will be racing again this year!
Come out to see if Brian can hold his championship title.
Tuesday, July 16th
Olgivie Raceway
Did you know that you do not need to remove the dash panels to get the serial number off of the Zonar box for a Saf-T- Liner C2 bus?
You can use Diagnostic Link software to retrieve the serial number from the Zonar box.
Following the attached guide and discover the short cut
Summer Eats Minnesota app shows where kids can receive free summer meals
Publications
Contact Us
Main Line: 952-435-9060
Fax: 952-435-9066
Parts: 952-443-6346
Toll Free: 866-287-7278

Dave Mohr
Sales Manager
612-850-6348

Jamie Romfo
Account Manager
763-219-3615

Brian Hanson
Account Manager
612-799-1251

Aztlan Sanchez
Service Manager

Jake Suess
Service Writer/Scheduler

Dan Sprengeler
Lead Tech/Trainer
952-737-7408

Matt Schedlbauer
Parts Manager
952-443-6351

Sam Armour
Warranty
952-443-6350

Todd Telin
President/GM
952-443-6340
Help MSBA prepare for its Centennial
Help MSBA prepare for its centennial at the 2020 Leadership Conference by sharing interesting images from your school’s history. Send your images by email to Greg Abbott at gabbott@ mnmsba.org.



Thanks to all who visited our "campsite" at Camp MSBOA 2019
Train the Trainer 2019
The Midwest's premiere pupil transportation training
NEW LOCATION!
Train The Trainer 2019 will be held July 15-18, 2019 at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest in Brooklyn Park.
 
Drivers, dispatchers, trainers, mechanics, supervisors, special education staff, and other school district and school bus contractor personnel will all benefit from this seminar.
 
This seminar is laid out in several tracks so you will be able to pick and choose the topics that most pertain to your position or interests.
 
Tracks are designed for School Bus Technicians, Drivers Training, Wheelchair and Wheelchair Lift Training, Dispatchers, Management, and Transporting Students with Disabilities; as well as Agency Updates from Minnesota DVS and Minnesota State patrol.

Through tax-exempt municipal financing, school districts update their school bus fleet, stretch their budgets, and save money year over year.
With limited budgets, transportation directors and school boards across the country are forced to make tough budgetary decisions every year. Decisions like how many new school buses to acquire and what state-of-the-art safety features like stop-arm cameras, seat belts, and collision avoidance systems can be afforded. The harsh reality is that most districts have an older fleet than they’d like and aren’t able to spec their buses with the latest in technology features. While the average age of most school bus fleets today is around nine years, many school districts are reporting retirement of their Type C and D buses after 16 years or more.
3 Free Tools (And One Low-Cost One) Small School Districts Should Consider to Manage Bus Fleets
We love talking with transportation staff at small school districts. Sometimes our calls with Transportation Directors get interrupted because of the many hats these Directors wear. A recent example: the Transportation Director had to end a call to start a troublesome lawnmower. At another district, we discussed routing plans that were represented on a lovely, big map on the wall with pins and strings.
These interesting scenarios, however, illustrate that small school district staff have to make do with small budgets, often outdated or hand-me-down technology. At the same time, they are facing the same new fleet management pressures and expectations that bigger districts face.
Introducing Women at the Wheel, a new transportation based group focused on women in our industry.

The name “Women at the Wheel ….. steering our future” was chosen for several reasons. First and most obvious is that we are all women in the transportation industry. We have similar goals and challenges to accomplish. Second and maybe more important is that we can come together, teach each other from past experiences and help to “steer” the future of generations of women to come.
 
Our Mission:
To educate ourselves and others about our industry
To network with our peers
To celebrate our victories and give back to those in need
Our Goals:
To gather three times per year
To focus on one spoke of the wheel at each gathering
 
If you are a woman in transportation, you are invited to become a part of our group. There is no cost to be a member and you will only be asked to pay for your portion of any event that is planned.
 
Contact Linda or Ann at ltelin@telingroup.com or acasey@adamsvs.net for more information.

Joi n our Facebook group to stay informed of new activities.
MN School Bus Driver Honored for Preventing Crash with Semi
A school bus driver in Warren, MN was honored after preventing his bus full of students from colliding with a semi-tractor trailer in May. Francis Kuznia, a driver for Warren-Alvarado-Oslo School District #2176, received the district's first Unsung Hero Award during the district's graduation ceremony,
5 Tips for Effective Driver Retraining
Taking a personal approach, avoiding a punitive tone, and providing handouts in a well-documented retraining program can help get struggling school bus drivers on track.

1) Keep it Small
2) Don't make it punitive
3) Utilize video footage
4) Keep it focused
5) Make the most of materials

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