How one bus company handles cold-weather issues

It's not unusual for severe cold weather to cause problems for bus engines, said John Buxton, a general manager for Laidlaw Transit, which uses 180 buses to provide service to five Lake County school districts.

"When it gets this cold, everybody's equipment is difficult to start," Buxton said, explaining that most school buses run on diesel fuel, which can be more difficult to start in freezing weather.

"They don't generate as much heat as a gasoline engine," he said. "You have to be cautious what kind of fuel you use -- there are alternative fuels out there."

Diesel engines, while more expensive, last longer than gasoline engines, need fewer repairs and usually get more miles per gallon.

To make sure buses will start in the cold, Laidlaw uses a system of alternate starting, in which bus engines are started and left running intermittently through the night. The company also uses starter devices "like battery chargers but operated off a gasoline or kerosene engine so a larger charge" can be administered.

Buxton declined to comment specifically on why First Student buses -- approximately 130 -- might have failed to start this week.

"Maybe it's a charging issue, maybe it's a fuel issue," he said. "But more often than not, when it's this cold the parts are stiff. In order to turn the engine over it takes a lot of juice. And cold weather reduces the efficiency of batteries.

"You have to be as proactive as you can and work really hard to make sure you keep up on the maintenance," Buxton said.