As leaders in innovation in the school bus industry, I admit that there is a lot of new technology coming along today. To some, it may seem like too much, with so many bits and pieces flying around: new gadgets to learn, new components to maintain and new features to spec. To others, many of the latest technologies are exciting, but out of touch because of budgetary constraints or technology fragmentation in mixed fleets.
Although it may seem overwhelming, every innovation that we at Thomas Built Buses bring to market serves a specific purpose or addresses a current need. It’s not innovation for the sake of innovation. Every new device, feature, gadget and gizmo is part of our journey to making school buses the safest, smartest, easiest to maintain and the most efficient possible.
As part of the Daimler Trucks North America network, we have access to some of the leading innovations in the transportation industry, many of which are transforming the commercial trucking and automobile industries today. But the latest features on the Mercedes® S Class or the Freightliner Cascadia® aren’t right for the school bus industry. That’s why our engineering team aims to provide a happy medium by asking our customers what would benefit them the most? What would make our school buses safer? What is the best solution?
From the PV360 camera to electronic stability control, lane departure warnings and collision mitigation systems, each new piece of technology helps us bridge the gap for our customers, taking their school buses to the next level of safety and efficiency without overwhelming the market with too many (or too few) features. Every innovation has a purpose and fulfills a significant need in the industry.
It’s what we like to call Thoughtful Innovation.
Caley Edgerly