Thomas Built Buses celebrated a major milestone with the delivery of its 50,000th Saf-T-LinerC2 conventional school bus to Dean Transportation of Lansing, Mich., on October 30.
“Dean Transportation’s commitment to provide best in class pupil transportation mirrors Thomas Built’s dedication to design and build the best buses on the road,” said Thomas Built Buses president and CEO Kelley Platt. “I am thrilled to deliver this milestone bus to Dean Transportation, a company as focused on excellence, sustainability, community and the pupil transportation industry as we are.”
Launched in 2004, the Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner C2 was based on extensive driver and customer input and designed from the ground up.
The ergonomic driver cockpit and the best driver visibility in the Type C category is a favorite with school bus drivers. The multiplex wiring system shared by the body and chassis simplifies maintenance and troubleshooting for technicians. Plus, the C2 offers a number of other features that enhance safety, including the use of structural adhesive to provide nearly double the strength of standard joining methods.
With support from the Daimler organization, this milestone was achieved through the combined efforts of two Daimler Trucks North America Companies. Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation president Bob Harbin said, “Working together, Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation brought the school bus industry the most innovative school bus design and technology. Today we both continue to set impressive examples as leaders in our product offerings, sustainable manufacturing practices and alternative-fuel offerings.”
Freightliner Custom Chassis was the first chassis manufacturer to achieve Zero-Waste-to-Landfill in the U.S., and Thomas Built Buses was the first, and remains the only, school bus manufacturer to achieve Zero-Waste-to Landfill status.