SAN ANTONIO, Texas- HOLT Truck Centers, an operating company of HOLT Group, donated five heavy-duty trucks to promote diesel technician training at three schools in Oklahoma, highlighting their commitment to education, workforce development, and the future of the skilled trades industry.

The donation includes two trucks each to Francis Tuttle Technology Center and Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology, and one truck to Tulsa Tech. Each truck weighs more than 50,000 pounds and is equipped with advanced systems that aim to help students bridge the gap between theory and practice.

“We are proud to support programs that are shaping the future of our skilled trades workforce,” said Robert Fulgium, senior vice president of HOLT Truck Centers. “At HOLT Truck Centers, we recognize the critical importance of providing students with access to industry-standard equipment, ensuring they graduate job-ready and confident in their abilities. Training on the latest tools and technologies will give students a competitive edge as they transition into the workforce.”

The donation comes at an important time, as industry experts forecast a growing technician shortage due to retiring baby boomers and an increasing demand for skilled trade professionals. According to TechForce Foundation’s 2024 Technician Supply and Demand Report, the United States will need more than 249,000 new techs by 2028 to meet demand.

This growing gap threatens productivity and service reliability. HOLT Truck Centers’ donation aims to address this issue by providing schools with the tools to train more students and strengthen the workforce pipeline.

The trucks will be used across several training programs to enhance hands-on learning in the diesel industry. They will combine classroom instruction with evolving technologies like hybrid and electric systems, help meet rising student interest, and provide practical experience for students training to become diesel technicians.

HOLT Truck Centers’ donation reflects their goal to support students and empower entire communities by helping close the talent gap in skilled trades.

About HOLT Truck Centers:
HOLT Truck Centers is the authorized International and Idealease dealer in Oklahoma, North Texas, and East Texas. Additionally, HOLT Truck Centers has dedicated truck engine service bays throughout its full-service facilities, with the necessary components to provide bumper-to-bumper diagnostics, maintenance, and emergency service, including brakes, drivelines and transmissions for all makes and models of on-highway trucks, RVs, and buses.

With a large selection of new and used on highway trucks, trailers and specialty equipment, HOLT Truck Centers has the inventory to meet your needs. Other manufacturers available at HOLT Truck Centers include IC Bus, Isuzu commercial trucks, XL Specialized, Crane Carrier, Load King, and Hi-Vac specialty vehicles. HOLT Truck Centers has 36 locations throughout Texas and Oklahoma.For more information, visit HoltTruckCenters.com.

The post HOLT Truck Centers Donates 5 Trucks to Advance Diesel Technician Education and Workforce Development appeared first on School Transportation News.

LISLE, Ill. – Durham School Services and its sister brands have partnered with Universal Technical Institute (UTI) to help develop and recruit the next generation of skilled diesel technician team members. Through this collaboration, Durham will join UTI’s Tuition Reimbursement Program (TRIP), which helps employers attract and retain top talent. As part of the partnership, Durham is offering a $3,000 relocation bonus to all UTI Diesel Technology graduates who accept employment and relocate for a position.

As a participating TRIP employer, Durham and its sister brands will be able to showcase their career opportunities through UTI’s career pages, job boards, print collateral, digital campaigns, and on-campus job fairs – linking students with a potential post-graduation employer that is ready to hire skilled transportation technicians.

Melanie Scheet, Senior Vice President of Student Success and Outcomes at UTI, noted, “Our industry partnerships underscore the high demand for skilled technicians and the value of a UTI education, which produces graduates who are workforce-ready. We look forward to working with Durham School Services to connect our students and alumni with fulfilling career opportunities at their company.”

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with UTI to hire diesel technicians nationwide,” said Yvonne Valdes, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition, Durham School Services. “This collaboration represents our commitment to innovation and excellence in the transportation industry. By offering relocation assistance, we aim to attract top talent and give them the support they need to thrive. Together with UTI, we look forward to building a stronger workforce and continuing to deliver exceptional service to our customers.”

About Durham School Services: As an industry-leading student transportation provider, Durham School Services and its sister brands, Stock Transportation and Petermann Bus, are dedicated to the safety of our students and People. Collectively, for more than 100 years, we have been committed to Excellence and upholding our mission of getting students to school safely, on time, and ready to learn. Through this mission and a grassroots approach to our operations, Durham School Services and its sister brands have earned recognition as a trusted transportation provider among our Customers and the Communities they serve.

About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
Universal Technical Institute, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is a leading workforce solutions provider serving students, partners and communities nationwide. The company offers high-quality education and support services for in-demand careers via its two divisions: UTI and Concorde Career Colleges. The UTI division operates 15 campuses located in nine states and offers a wide range of transportation, skilled trades, electrical and energy training programs. Concorde operates across 17 campuses in eight states and online, offering programs in the allied health, dental, nursing, patient care and diagnostic fields. For more information, visit www.uti.edu or www.concorde.edu; LinkedIn at @UniversalTechnicalInstitute and @Concorde Career Colleges; or X at @news_UTI and @ConcordeCareer.

The post Durham School Services and Universal Technical Institute Partner to Power the Next Generation of Diesel Technicians appeared first on School Transportation News.

TULSA, Okla. – Over the summer, as part of school start-up preparation and training, fourteen maintenance team members from Durham School Services and its sister brands, Petermann Bus and Stock Transportation, participated in IC Bus University’s annual three-day training sessions. The training sessions taught participants how to service various types of engines, transmissions, and a number of other vital bus components from different manufacturers and vendors. Representatives from each manufacturer led their respective trainings for each bus component.

Training topics included, but were not limited to:

Allison transmissions
Bendix Intellipark/Stability
Braun Ability wheelchair lift
Cummins diesel engines
Electric Buses
New DLB/SDS software training
Next Gen updates
Service Portal navigation

In addition to the training sessions, participants were also given the opportunity to tour IC Bus’s assembly plants for both their standard and electric school buses.

“It is important for our Company to ensure our team members are provided with opportunities to fine tune and enhance their skills. The annual IC Bus University Training is one example and timing-wise is a great segue and supplement to our own school start-up preparation,” said Regis Rock, Senior Manager of Talent Development, Durham School Services. “And most importantly, these training and development opportunities ensure that our technicians are continuously being equipped with the utmost knowledge and skills to keep our buses in top condition to transport students safely year-round. We are lucky that we have some of the most committed, ambitious team members who are constantly searching for training opportunities to refine and advance their skills and are glad to be able to support their development.”

About Durham School Services: As an industry-leading student transportation provider, Durham School Services and its sister brands, Stock Transportation and Petermann Bus, are dedicated to the safety of our students and People. Collectively, for more than 100 years, we have been committed to Excellence and upholding our mission of getting students to school safely, on time, and ready to learn. Through this mission and a grassroots approach to our operations, Durham School Services and its sister brands have earned recognition as a trusted transportation provider among our Customers and the Communities they serve

The post Durham School Services and Sister Brand Technicians Elevate Maintenance Skills with IC Bus Training for School Start-Up appeared first on School Transportation News.

Lisle, Ill. – Durham School Services and its sister brands are proud to recognize its newest group of ASE Master Technicians and Blue Seal locations. Both of these esteemed and highly respectable recognitions are certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) to respectively distinguish an individual’s and location’s extraordinary level of maintenance expertise and service excellency. ASE-certified technicians are regarded as experts in their field and at the forefront of industry standards.

New ASE Master Technicians (Sister brands are specified in parentheses)

Arvidson, A – Robbinsdale, MN
Clement, R – Indian River, NY
Davenport, M – Milford, OH (Petermann Bus)
Dusharm, B – Indian River, NY – Double ASE Master
Fradkin, B – Algonquin, IL – Triple ASE Master
Gillen, R – West Jefferson, PA
Lal, G – San Mateo, CA
Rodriguez, A – San Bernardino, CA – Triple ASE Master
Snyder, D – Kings, OH (Petermann Bus)
Solomon, S – Crowley, TX
Warner, M – Indian River, NY – Double ASE Master

In addition to individual recognitions, business locations can also be certified for their team’s overall industry experience, expertise, and service excellence through ASE’s Blue Seal of Excellence; one of the highest accolades within the automotive service industry that can be bestowed upon a business. To achieve Blue Seal status, at least 75% of a location’s technicians must be ASE certified, and there must be ASE-certified technicians for each area of service performed.

New Blue Seal Locations (Sister brands are specified in parentheses)

Collierville, TN
Coppell, TX
Pleasant Valley, IA
Robbinsdale, MN
San Carlos, CA
West Jefferson, PA (Matthews Bus Company)

Blue Seal Renewals (Sister brands are specified in parentheses)

Ann Arbor, MI
Everett, WA
House Springs, MO
Pickerington, OH (Petermann Bus)
Rochester Hills, MI
Tallmadge, OH (Petermann Bus)

“Congratulations to our newest group of ASE Master Technicians and Blue Seal locations for being recognized as the best of the best in the industry,” said Wayne Skinner, Senior Vice President of Fleet & Procurement, Durham School Services. “These highly regarded ASE certifications are a powerful representation of the time, effort, and commitment each individual and location has put into perfecting and elevating their skills and service excellence. I simply cannot praise these individuals and teams enough for these coveted recognitions and living up to the Company’s commitment to safety.”

Lastly, Skinner shared, “I am beyond proud of each and every one of you for your achievements. Congrats again for joining your fellow peers on the Company’s ever-growing list of top experts and thank you for always putting in your best efforts to keep our vehicles in top shape year-round for the safe transport of our students.”

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence is a non-profit organization that works to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service by testing and certifying automotive professionals. ASE Certified Technicians perform in every part of the automotive service industry.

Durham and its sister brands proudly support our technicians’ ASE certification through our internal ASE Advantage Program. This distinguished program provides free training, bonus incentives, and more for technicians who seek to be ASE certified in various maintenance categories of the transportation industry, including transit, student transportation, automotive, and inventory management. Since the establishment of its ASE Advantage Program in 2019, Durham has significantly increased its number of Certified Technicians, Master Technicians, total company ASE certifications, and Blue Seal locations.

About Durham School Services: As an industry-leading student transportation provider, Durham School Services and its sister brands, such as Stock Transportation and Petermann Bus, are dedicated to the safety of our students and People. Collectively, for more than 100 years, we have been committed to Excellence and upholding our mission of getting students to school safely, on time, and ready to learn. Through this mission and a grassroots approach to our operations, Durham School Services and its sister brands have earned recognition as a trusted transportation provider among our Customers and the Communities they serve.

The post Durham School Services Spotlights New ASE Master Technicians and Blue Seal Locations for Exemplary Service and Expertise appeared first on School Transportation News.

As School Transportation News celebrates garage stars this month in the August issue of the magazine, Idaho named Derek Canode as the state’s Technician of the Year.

The Idaho Department of Education named Canode, the maintenance supervisor for the local Durham School Services operations, as the recipient of the award for his contribution to student transportation. After being nominated, Canode was selected by a review committee.

“Qualities such as leadership abilities, being a positive role model and commitment to safety and student transportation were also noted in consideration while choosing the winner,” a press release by Durham School Services states.

The nomination form submitted by Samuel Ray, Durham’s area general manager, read, “By the start of school in August [last year], Derek was able to lead his team to get each of the 235 buses titled and registered, inspect each bus, fix any issues, get the buses to meet Idaho codes, and work with the Idaho Board of Education Transportation Department to inspect them. Since the start of school, Derek was able to meet all expectations on PM compliance and ensure safe and reliable pupil transportation to the families of the West Ada School District.”

Related: EverDriven Modern Student Transportation Awards Include All-expenses Paid Trip to TSD
Related: Suffolk Transportation, Past-President Noble Among NSTA Honorees at Recent Convention
Related: Michigan’s Morris Presented with 2025 Grandolfo Award at STN EXPO
Related: Sharda Presented with Innovator of the Year Award at STN EXPO West

Ray added in his nomination that Canode hit the ground running as the maintenance supervisor with the West Ada School District and led his team to success.

“Derek’s work ethic and dedication to safety is beyond admirable,” Ray continued. “He is truly the golden example of a leader who exhibits the company’s values of safety and excellence to the highest degree.”

Canode was presented with the award on July 28 at the Idaho Student Transportation Awards banquet.

The post Idaho Department of Education Names School Bus Technician of the Year appeared first on School Transportation News.

The post Does your operation employ school bus technicians certified by Automotive Service Excellence? appeared first on School Transportation News.