The school year is underway, and transportation departments across the country are facing a tough reality: diesel prices are roughly 50% higher than they were this time last year. This is not a predictable way to start.
It’s back-to-school season, and school districts across the country are still feeling financial pressure from high fuel costs. After a painful spring where diesel prices skyrocketed to more than $6.00 per gallon in some regions, many districts are grappling with how to keep budgets on track in the new school year.
By now, you’ve likely seen the numbers from ASBO, AASA and NAPT’s recent transportation survey; they’re pretty hard to ignore. More than half of U.S. districts are running over budget on fuel this school year, and the ripple effects are concerning. No matter the size of your district, this is a pain that nearly every district’s transportation department is feeling.
As a country we are celebrating an incredible milestone this month and it’s got me thinking about what independence actually means when you’re staring at a fuel gauge.
It’s been a remarkable year for propane in the headlines. Our customers have been sharing real-world experiences about their propane buses, and these stories highlight how propane has delivered cleaner air, consequential savings and peace of mind.
I’m fresh off a week at ACT Expo in Vegas, where a shift in the conversations from previous years took place. Fleet managers and the industry as a whole are no longer just talking about alternative fuels; instead, the discussion has broadened around new technology that helps fleets operate with more efficiency, safety and confidence. That includes topics fleet managers really want answers to. We’re seeing more weight being put on practicalities like uptime, safety, productivity and performance.
Our staff — from sales reps to service techs and support staff — are located all over the U.S. and the one thing we have in common right now, aside from our continued commitment to advancing clean alternative fuels, is that we’re seeing increasing fuel costs at gas stations all around the country.
Earlier this year, Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., announced the launch of an $11.1 million five-year pilot program to deploy 28 electric buses across seven counties in western Maryland. The goal of the project is to help school districts meet Maryland’s Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, which requires public schools to operate zero-emission vehicles.
With decades of experience in student transportation, we, too, are invested in clean, low-emission school bus options. But, there are 1 million public school students traveling millions of miles to Maryland’s 1,400 schools each day, and we respectfully question the value and long-term impact of Potomac Edison’s investment.
At ROUSH CleanTech, our work is grounded in trust, quality, innovation and American values. As our team talks with school districts, transit agencies and postal service contractors operating propane vehicles, we see more and more that, in the midst of rapidly changing global and domestic events, they can continue to depend on the real solution we’re providing through advanced propane engine technology.
In the midst of one of the most extreme winters in recent memory, with millions of Americans are facing sub-zero temperatures, many public and private businesses are reminded that not all transportation technology can withstand the demands of harsh winter weather.
