METRO Magazine, in conjunction with BusCon and the Transit Maintenance Forum (TMF), is wrapping up the submission process for its inaugural Maintenance Director of the Year Award, which will be presented at BusCon 2018. The event takes place Oct. 1 to 3 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

The award has been designed to honor two maintenance directors — one with a fleet of over 501 vehicles, and one with a fleet under 500 vehicles (includes paratransit operators) — who have gone above and beyond to create a well-run maintenance shop.

“This award is long overdue, since it is the vital work done in maintenance shops that keeps fleets running on-time and on-schedule every day,” said James Blue, GM for METRO Magazine. “We hope to not only honor the best-of-the-best, but also provide the winners with the opportunity to also take part in our now annual Transit Maintenance Forum.”   

Forum for maintenance
TMF gives senior transit maintenance professionals the chance to learn about some of the latest trends they are facing in their shops. Holding this event at BusCon also affords transit professionals the unique opportunity to network and share challenges with peers and keep up-to-date with the newest vehicles, technologies, and products on the market today.  

Content for TMF will again be created by a steering committee that includes Bus Maintenance Consultant and well-known Industry Expert Halsey King; Rick Streiff, Manager, Fleet Design and Maintenance, at Southern California’s Access Services; Gary Glasscock, former VP, Fleet & Facilities, for San Antonio’s VIA Metropolitan Transit; and Vicki Learn, Director of Maintenance at Indianapolis’ IndyGo.

In addition, long-time industry veteran John Maddox, principal at Transit Bus Technical Advisors (TBTA), is joining the TMF board. Before launching TBTA, Maddox spent the previous 10 years at BAE Systems and was involved with overall plans for deliveries of over 7,000 hybrid-electric propulsion systems, electrically-powered accessories along supporting projects, including all-electric and fuel-cell programs.

For an economical $115, attendees have the opportunity to not only attend TMF, but also all of BusCon’s networking events and the Keynote Address.

BusCon, North America’s Largest Bus Show, will again offer hundreds of exhibitors and plenty of vehicles, ranging from transit buses to motorcoaches and cutaways to vans, as well as some of the latest technologies available to operators on the market today.

Stay tuned to both www.metro-magazine.com and www.BusConExpo.com for all of the latest news about this year’s event, taking place at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis Oct. 1 to 3.

For more information for both awards, contact Managing Editor Alex Roman at alex.roman@bobit.com or call (310) 533-2589. alex.roman@bobit.com