Cook-Illinois Corp. quadruples fleet of autogas school buses

Cook-Illinois Corp.’s most recent order of school buses includes 50 Saf-T-Liner C2 units from Thomas Built Buses, equipped with CleanFuel USA liquid propane injection systems. Photo courtesy of CleanFuel USA

Cook-Illinois Corp., a family-owned school bus contractor, quadrupled its current fleet of propane autogas-fueled school buses for the 2016-17 school year.

The school bus contractor ordered 50 Saf-T-Liner C2 units from Thomas Built Buses, which come equipped with CleanFuel USA liquid propane injection systems. The company adds that this is the first school bus order it has made that has not included diesel buses.

According to Cook-Illinois, maintenance problems with diesel buses served as one of the main reasons it decided to purchase only autogas buses.

“We had a big problem with the newer 2007 and 2010 emission diesel engines,” says Roger Bannerman, fleet director at Cook-Illinois Corp. “Maintenance on these buses is costing us a fortune.”

Bannerman adds that he has had fewer problems in repairing the company’s autogas buses, which have also provided the school bus contractor with lower fuel costs.

“Cook-Illinois recognizes the immense benefits that propane autogas buses offer,” says Curtis Donaldson, founder and president of CleanFuel USA. “We are thrilled to partner with Thomas Built in providing Cook-Illinois with the best school bus transportation option on the market.”