Wondering "how many miles per gallon does a school bus get?" With fuel costs continually rising, this crucial question is top of mind for districts across the country operating bus fleets. Well after reading this 3000 word guide, you‘ll have a solid handle on the key factors impacting efficiency.
If you‘re pressed for time, here‘s the quick answer: Most full-sized, diesel-powered school buses today average between 6-10 mpg under normal driving conditions. However, MPG ranges fluctuate more widely depending on bus type, size, age and several other variables we‘ll explore below.
By the end, you‘ll not only understand real-world school bus fuel economy, but also pick up expert tips to start optimizing usage across your fleet. Let‘s get started!
Breaking Down School Bus Types and Typical MPG
There are four main classifications of school buses designated Type A, B, C and D. These range dramatically in size from small 16 passenger vans up to 90 passenger transit coaches. Intuitively, the larger full-sized models require more engine power and fuel to operate – directly impacting efficiency and MPG.
Type A School Buses
Type A buses comprise the smallest vehicle classification in the yellow bus fleet. Also dubbed "mini-buses", Type A‘s are built on a van or light-duty truck chassis capable of seating between 16-36 passengers. With tight maneuverability and parking ease, they work well for special needs and tight urban routes.
In the fuel economy department, Type A buses achieve the highest MPG averages of all school bus types – ranging around 12-15 mpg thanks to compact size and lighter gross vehicle weights starting around 10,000 lbs.
Type B School Buses
The next tier up, Type B school buses serve 36-54 passengers on a stripped van/truck chassis. Their signature flat front "transit-style" design provides good visibility and maneuvers well in tight quarters despite larger proportions. You‘ll often spot these doing hotel runs for athletics or shuttling kids short distances.
When it comes to MPG, Type B‘s rate slightly lower than Type A‘s, but still achieve respectable economy: approximately 8-12 mpg depending on specifications.
Type B "transit-style" school buses average around 8-12 mpg. [Source: Pixabay]
Type C School Buses
Now we enter the domain of iconic, full-sized yellow school buses. Type C models represent the most common variety roaming roads today. Their signature silhouette sports a flat front "dog nose" hood stretching over the front wheels to a rear-mounted engine.
With passenger capacities between 42-72 students, Type C‘s require more substantial powertrains to ferry kids to class leading to lower economy: national averages land around 6-10 mpg under normal operating conditions.
Type D School Buses
Lastly, Type D school buses serve as the largest variety shuttling upwards of 90 passengers in a given trip. Like Type B‘s, they also adopt a front-engine "transit-style" form factor characterized by a flat nose and boxy shape. The cavernous space swallows scores of additional children compared to Type C models.
As you might expect, the mammoth size and weight vortex fuel at marginally lower MPG averages: Type D buses commonly achieve approximately 6-8 mpg.
Variables Impacting School Bus MPG in Practice
While the ranges above reflect national averages, school bus MPG fluctuates more widely in practice due to many additional variables. From route profiles to vehicle age, let‘s explore the key factors sending MPG higher (or lower).
Vehicle Weight and Size
It likely comes as no shock that a school bus‘s size and weight exert substantial influence over achieved MPG. According to physics, larger and heavier vehicles require more engine horsepower and fuel energy to propel – especially from stops.
For example, a petite 16 passenger Type A transit bus may tip scales around 10,000 lbs en route to netting 14+ mpg. Meanwhile a max capacity 90 passenger Type D bus balloons to over 26,000 lbs resulting in nearly half the MPG at just 7 mpg. The drastic 45% efficiency difference demonstrates the enormous weight-to-mpg tradeoff.
Engine Type and Fuel Variety
The engine and fuel type selected also governs fuel utilization rates. Most contemporary Type C and D school buses adopt modern diesel powerplants, prized for their unbeatable durability, torque delivery and efficiency mastery. Yet a number of aging buses still employ antiquated (and relatively inefficient) gasoline engines — especially smaller Type A and B transit varieties.
According to Connecticut Department of Energy testing, the latest clean diesel buses average 20-40% superior MPG over gasoline counterparts (9+ mpg vs 6-7 mpg). Some districts opt to upgrade drivetrains during maintenance rotations to capture these economy upsides.
Alternatively, a growing contingent are also switching over to propane or compressed natural gas fueled buses to realize similar MPG improvements along with lower emissions profiles. When Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems are added, next-gen diesel buses can also match alt-fuel NOx reductions.
Vehicle Age and Condition
Age and maintenancetake substantial tolls on any workhorse vehicle — and school buses are no exception. Conventional replacement cycles stretch to 15-20 years in pursuit of ROI from high initial capital costs. But over long operating lives, sustained wear and tear degrades components and drivetrain performance.
Newer buses often achieve 8-10+ mpg when gardenshed fresh. Yet the American Transportation Research Institute found aging units creeping down to 6 mpg after years of arduous start-stop duty cycles and postponed repairs. Proper maintenance and tune-ups fend off deterioration, but don‘t entirely offset the economy advantage of newer technology innovations.
Many districts rationalize replacement decisions by calculating total lifecycle costs and fuel savings against upfront CapEx. It‘s not unusual for modern buses to payback the difference during warranty periods via MPG improvements alone.
Driving Habits and Duty Cycles
The assigned duty cycle and driver habits behind the wheel also sway MPG returns. Buses constantly battling congested urban traffic with endless stops and starts gulp excess fuel compared to those happily cruising highways at steady paces. Continuous start-stop cycles force additional acceleration that strains engine components.
The EPA revealed a 27% MPG benefit driving 55 mph rather than stop-go cycles in testing. Even maintaining velocities without excessive braking enhances economy.
Eco-driving education focusing on smooth acceleration/deceleration, staying in gears longer and limiting excessive idling trains operators to extract every last MPG. Technology like telematics and driver feedback systems help ingrain lasting behavioral change.
Passenger Loads and Total Weight
Transporting sports teams or band equipment piles on extra weight that adversely affects MPG. Yet due to their fixed passenger capacities, school buses rarely travel fully loaded except select routes at peak times. Light loads prove more common outside critical windows.
The variable passenger weights don‘t scale fuel usage linearly due smaller differentials relative to the vehicle‘s base curb weight. Whether at 60% or 100% occupancy, the bus itself comprises the majority of mass moved.
Nonetheless, smarter capacity optimization ensures every gallon burned moves more kids — reducing waste, mileage and boosting MPG/rider.
Expert Recommendations to Improve MPG
While vehicle specifications and routing procedures largely govern MPG, districts aren’t completely helpless improving economy across fleets. Let‘s discover smart tactics and best practices to bolster efficiency.
Keep Up Rigorously with Preventative Maintenance
Staying diligent with OEM prescribed maintenance encompassing fluid flushes, inspections and tune-ups is fundamental to peak efficiency.
Neglected check engine lights and infrastructure repairs drag MPG down. The EPA links this comprehensive regimen to a potential 4% MPG improvement alone. It also reduces more expensive repairs down the road.
Institute Ongoing Driver Eco-Training
Instilling economical driving techniques focused on smooth inputs, staying in high gears and limiting idling pays dividends. Telematics monitoring and one-on-one coaching help drivers identify improvement areas.
Not only are savings significant (up to 10% per driver), safer operation also minimizes accident liabilities. Continual reinforcement ensures lasting adoption.
Right-Size Fleet with Route Analysis
Crunching ridership statistics across routes reveals opportunities to better align capacities. Underfilled routes present options to downgrade to lighter transit buses with inherently better economy.
Meanwhile, booming routes plagued by standing room only may justify Type C to D upgrades. Optimized alignments channel savings with each properly sized bus.
Leverage Software for Superior Route Optimization
Baked-in navigation and telematics data illuminates mileage reporting by route, vehicle and driver. Armed with intelligence, planners reroute to avoid congestion, condense stops and streamline durations.
Shaved route windshield times directly curtail excess fuel consumption. Analysis also reduces operational waste hauling empty seats around.
Upgrade Aging Fleets with Newest Models
Although upfront capital intensive, gradual fleet replenishment cycles bring twofold benefits: lowered TCO and economy gains from cutting-edge efficiency features.
The latest diesel or alt-fuel engines, stop-start systems and EV tech combine to deliver 12-15%+ MPG jumps over aging predecessors. Financial incentives offset initial investments long-term.
Pilot Alternative Fuels for Incremental Savings
Migrating from diesel to alt-fuels like propane and CNG proffers similar or slightly better MPG along with reduced smog emissions.
Certain applications see more substantial upside — Type A CNG buses often achieve 25% better economy by design. Meanwhile electric pilots promise revolutionary TCO and environmental profiles as range, charging and grid interconnection hurdles relax.
Key Takeaways on School Bus MPG
When it comes to fuel efficiency, school bus MPG undulates across vehicle types and use cases. However today‘s workhorse Type C and D diesel yellow buses average approximately 6-10 mpg in real-world operation.
Smaller Type A and B transit varieties net 10-15 mpg thanks reduced weight and powertrain requirements. And gasoline powered buses continue trailing diesels by 20-40% across the board.
Fleet managers displeased with economy outputs must enact holistic improvements spanning maintenance, operating practices, routing and targeted upgrades to wring out every last mpg.
By following the expert tips above, you‘re well equipped to start maximizing fiscal and environmental performance from your bus operations. Feel free to reach out with any other questions on improving your fleet‘s MPG!