Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation work closely together to improve school bus production, vehicle reliability and customer experience
Behind the familiar school bus brand of Thomas Built Buses is a manufacturing and engineering network that is undergoing a significant transformation.
During an October media event at Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) in Gaffney, South Carolina, Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles executives outlined how making Thomas Built Buses and FCCC one business unit is changing the way school buses are designed, manufactured and supported throughout their service lives.
School Transportation News Publisher Tony Corpin attended the event earlier this month, where he toured the manufacturing facility and engineering validation center and spoke with company leadership about the implications for the school transportation industry.
Although the two companies have worked together for more than two decades, their operations have historically remained separate. Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles President and CEO T.J. Reed said the consolidation is intended to eliminate those divisions and capitalize on shared resources.
“We had three separate engineering groups,” Reed explained, referring to the body engineering team at Thomas Built Buses in High Point, North Carolina, and the separate internal combustion and battery-electric chassis engineering teams at FCCC. “We combined those as what I call an engineering technical powerhouse.
The change adds capacity for product development and ongoing vehicle support.
For school transportation directors, the significance of that integration extends beyond manufacturing efficiency. It could influence everything from the technology available on new school buses to how quickly maintenance concerns are resolved.
Connecting the Chassis and the Body
The relationship between Thomas Built Buses and FCCC dates to 2004, when the companies began collaborating on the Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus platform. Today, FCCC manufactures school bus chassis in Gaffney before transporting them approximately 125 miles along Interstate 85 to the Thomas Built Buses body assembly plant in High Point, North Carolina. The Gaffney facility operates three production lines dedicated to school buses, recreational vehicles and walk-in vans.
Reed said the specialty vehicle business differs from traditional truck manufacturing because the vehicles require more specialized configurations for transporting people.
“Everything we build has a body. We don’t build tractors here,” he said, noting the importance of integrating mechanical and electrical systems between the chassis and body.
Combining the engineering teams allows the manufacturer to share knowledge across its school bus, recreational vehicle and commercial delivery platforms.
During the tour of the engineering validation center, company representatives explained that improvements developed for one vehicle application can now be more readily transferred to others. For example, engineering solutions designed to reduce vibration between a school bus body and chassis can inform similar applications for recreational vehicles.
Electrical technology offers even greater opportunities for collaboration, particularly as school buses incorporate more sophisticated controls, diagnostics and battery-electric systems.
Manufacturing Improvements and New Powertrain Options
The organizational restructuring comes alongside investments in Thomas Built Buses manufacturing facilities and product lineup.
Reed said the company’s High Point operations recently completed improvements to its historic North Campus, including a dedicated production line for the Minotour Type A school bus. The changes have increased production capacity while supporting quality improvements.
The company also updated its Type D transit-style school buses to share more components and manufacturing processes with the higher-volume Saf-T-Liner C2 platform. Reed explained the changes are designed to improve production output and consistency.
Meanwhile, Thomas Built Buses is expanding its propulsion options as school districts weigh fuel costs, fleet replacement needs and infrastructure investments. The manufacturer is preparing to introduce the Cummins B6.7 Octane gasoline engine in the Saf-T-Liner C2, complementing its existing diesel and battery-electric offerings.
Electrification also remains an important part of the company’s strategy, despite changes to federal funding and the regulatory environment. Reed pointed to the second-generation Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school bus, which uses an Accelera by Cummins electric axle, as an example of continued investment.
The company is also developing its electric Type D platform, the Saf-T-Liner eHDX2 Wattson, which shares powertrain technology with the Jouley.
At the engineering validation center, attendees learned how the electric buses undergo reliability and durability testing designed to replicate years of service in a compressed period.
Company engineers said durability testing can simulate approximately 300,000 miles of operation in less than six months. The process includes vehicle testing on specialized tracks, vibration testing and evaluations of battery protection during crash scenarios.
For school districts considering alternative powertrains, these efforts underscore the importance of evaluating long-term reliability alongside vehicle range and operating costs.
One Customer Service Operation, Fewer Delays
Perhaps the most immediate impact of the consolidation for school transportation operators is occurring after vehicles leave the factory.
Nick Rini, vice president of quality and customer experience for Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles, said the company has unified its previously separate customer assistance operations into one centralized system.
Previously, Thomas Built Buses and FCCC maintained separate customer assistance centers and quality management structures, despite providing components for the same vehicle. The consolidation created a single customer assistance center operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with specialists supporting the company’s different product lines.
Rini said the restructuring did not result in staffing reductions. Instead, the company expanded its aftermarket support and quality functions. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary handoffs between departments and accelerate the resolution of service concerns.
An out-of-service bus can require route adjustments, substitute vehicles or additional maintenance labor, faster response times can have a direct operational impact. Rini explained that vehicle downtime is a key performance indicator for the organization.
The company strives to complete service work within 48 hours, while vehicles remaining out of service for five days trigger additional attention and escalation.
That process can include coordinating with dealerships, locating replacement parts or engaging suppliers such as Cummins to resolve powertrain concerns.
“We’re seeing results on days out of service,” Rini said, adding that the company is also observing quality improvements in manufacturing and operations.
Remote Diagnostics and the Future of Maintenance
The consolidation also presents opportunities for more advanced diagnostics and technical support.
During the event, Corpin asked company executives about predictive maintenance technology, telematics and the potential use of augmented reality to assist technicians.
Rini explained that DTSV already monitors telematics information from certain customer fleets, although those capabilities are not yet as extensive as the company’s commercial truck operations.
Battery-electric school buses represent an area where the manufacturer has made greater progress.
“Telematics on battery electric is really probably where we’ve seen the most opportunity, and really we’ve seen the most success, too,” Rini said.
The technology allows the company to access real-time vehicle data, identify early warning indicators and assist with remote diagnostics.
However, the system continues to evolve, with the manufacturer working to make diagnostic information more accessible throughout its customer support organization.
Remote technical assistance is also becoming part of the service strategy.
Rini described technology that allows customer support specialists to guide technicians through repairs using live video connections, potentially reducing the need for additional personnel to travel to a service location.
The manufacturer is beginning to deploy the capability in the field, with plans to expand its use.
Rini said the technology could be particularly beneficial when specialized technicians and access to vehicles are limited.
AI may eventually provide additional opportunities, but the company is approaching its application to customer service cautiously.
“If AI makes us better, then we’ll use it,” Rini said, emphasizing that the company does not intend to replace human customer support simply for the sake of adopting technology.
What It Means for School Transportation?
Thomas Built Buses currently accounts for approximately 35 percent of the school bus market making the direction of Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles significant for transportation operations across North America
For school districts, the consolidation could translate into greater product consistency, more coordinated technical support and faster integration of new technology.
It also highlights the increasingly interconnected relationship between commercial truck engineering and school bus manufacturing.
As transportation departments evaluate new vehicles, manufacturers are being asked to deliver more than a reliable bus. They must also provide accessible diagnostics, responsive service networks and technology that supports increasingly complex fleet operations.
Daimler’s approach is to bring those functions closer together, from initial engineering through manufacturing and aftermarket support.
Article written with the assistance of AI and live recording notes. This version corrects the spelling of Nick Rini’s name.
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