In case you journey a Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) bus, you’ll be able to relaxation assured that your bus is maintained by a few of the greatest crews within the trade. PSTA’s upkeep workforce just lately received a primary place award on the Worldwide Bus Roadeo Upkeep Competitors hosted by the American Public Transportation Affiliation.
No, it wasn’t their first “roadeo.” The workforce of three, Bobby Farris, Tyler Johnson and Paul Levesque, competed on the native and state upkeep bus roadeos earlier than making the journey this spring to Louisville, Ky., to compete among the many greatest crews within the nation and Canada.
With 38 groups within the working, the strain was on. When it got here to the competitors for sustaining bus engines and transmissions, the PSTA crew had simply ten minutes to repair seven defects – from free clamps, fasteners, and bolts, to lacking objects.
“These are points that may trigger low energy, smoking, and no acceleration. It will take the bus out of service fully,” Tyler Johnson, PSTA upkeep workforce member stated.
Earlier than the clock ran out, the workforce had uncovered and repaired all the problems, however they had been tied for first place with one other crew. There was one issue that set PSTA aside for the primary place win.
“We received the occasion as a result of we had been in a position to get the engine to begin in lower than one minute. That’s the toughest defect to right, and nobody might beat our time,” Johnson defined.
PSTA Deputy Director of Fleet Operations Joseph Cheney takes loads of satisfaction in seeing his workforce succeed. After spending greater than 30 years within the trade (24 of which had been on the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority) and competing in bus roadeos himself, he needed to go on his data and expertise to the subsequent technology.
“We spend loads of time working with our upkeep workforce and training them to make them one of the best at what they do. It ought to give residents a degree of consolation to know that the individuals who keep their buses are one in every of one of the best within the enterprise, acting at a really excessive degree of their commerce,” Cheney stated.
Johnson says he’s grateful for the chance to develop professionally. He’s been with PSTA for 9 years after graduating from Pinellas Technical School. Whereas Johnson and his workforce are used to being behind the scenes, they’re proud to highlight the sense of goal behind their jobs.
“For me, probably the most rewarding half is that we offer a protected and dependable service to so many individuals. You don’t get to see us, however we’re doing our greatest.”