On a daily basis, Marshall Casey’s focus is on the safety of South Carolina’s public school students as they ride his buses to and from school.
As the Director of Maintenance for the South Carolina Department of Education Transportation Division, Casey oversees the care and maintenance of 5,700 buses and 500 support vehicles.
South Carolina is the only state that manages all of its buses on the statewide level, making Casey’s position very unique. But with 37 years in the industry, the task doesn’t faze him—in large part because of the high-quality technicians at each of the state’s 45 bus maintenance facilities.
“Bus technicians have a tough job,” explains Casey. “But our team continually strives to keep our fleet in good working condition.”
And top-of-the-line Delco Remy products play a crucial role in that as well.
With shrinking school budgets and rising fuel costs – South Carolina buses use an average of 65,000 gallons of diesel fuel every school day – efficiency and performance are vital components of maintaining a strong fleet.
“Because of unavailable funds, we’ve not been able to replace buses as often as we’d like. Some of our buses are 25 years old,” he explains. “Obviously, upkeep and repair are vital. We need components that offer reliability and a good service life at an efficient cost. We get that with Delco Remy products.”
The Delco Remy 28SI High Output Alternator is one of the select alternators approved for use on South Carolina buses when a replacement is needed. Casey said it was chosen specifically for its
good output at idle – critically important since buses spend a significant amount of time in idle – as well as its
efficiency, longer battery life and
cost-effectiveness.
Additionally, Casey says the 28SI, 200-amp model has a great track record in handling the heavy power demands on special needs buses with wheelchair lifts and air conditioning.
America’s Best: Seeking bus technicians and inspectors
Casey is an advocate for bus technicians and inspectors not just in South Carolina but all over the country. He plays a key role in “America’s Best,” a national skills competition and training program developed to recognize the important role of school bus technicians and inspectors. And we back this cause 100%. Each year, our team joins “America’s Best,” helping judge the bus maintenance competition, providing onsite product training and support, and even offering scholarship money to support technician attendance. Visit
www.americasbesttech.org to find out more.