Contact:  nicholas.smith@daimler.com

High Point, N.C. – September 6, 2016 – Blue Springs R-IV School District, located in Blue Springs, Missouri, has purchased 19 Saf-T-Liner® C2 CNG school buses from Thomas Built Buses.  Blue Springs becomes the second district to incorporate Thomas Built Type C CNG school buses in its fleet.   

"Over the past 13 years, our fuel costs have increased 213 percent," said Steve Brown, transportation director for Blue Springs R-IV School District.  "By incorporating compressed natural gas in our fleet, we hope to not only reduce fuel costs, but also to reduce our emissions.   We could not be more excited to introduce CNG in our school district."

Thomas Built Buses’ Saf-T-Liner C2 CNG, the first Type C CNG in the industry, utilizes the Cummins Westport ISB6.7 G 6.7 liter natural gas engine and an Allison 2000 series transmission. It is CARB-certified, meets ARB’s optional low oxides of nitrogen (NOx) standard of 0.1g/bhp-hr and meets EPA 2016 emissions and 2017 EPA greenhouse gas (GHG) requirements.  Like all other C2 models, the Saf-T-Liner C2 CNG features excellent driver ergonomics and maneuverability, along with the best visibility, safety and durability in its class.

“We have had a lot of interest in our Saf-T-Liner C2 CNG school bus,” said Caley Edgerly, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses. “Blue Springs is the second district in the United States and Canada to receive our Type C CNG buses, and we are very excited to see them on the road this school year.”

Thomas Built leads the industry in incorporating green technology into its buses. The company introduced its first compressed natural gas bus nearly 20 years ago and since then CNG has grown in popularity due to an abundant domestic supply and stable fuel costs. Today, Thomas Built also offers the new Saf-T-Liner C2 CNG, along with the Saf-T-Liner® C2 Propane, Saf-T-Liner® HDX CNG, Minotour® Propane and Minotour® CNG. 

For more information about the Saf-T-Liner C2 CNG, customers may contact their local Thomas Built Buses dealer.

About Thomas Built Buses

Founded in 1916, Thomas Built Buses is a leading manufacturer of school buses in North America. Since the first Thomas Built bus rolled off the assembly line, the company has been committed to delivering the smartest and most innovative buses in North America. Learn more at www.thomasbus.com or at www.facebook.com/thomasbuiltbuses.                                                                 

Thomas Built Buses, Inc., headquartered in High Point, N.C., is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of class 4-8 vehicles. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Daimler Trucks North America is a Daimler company.