It would be a tough job to find anyone over the age of five in America who doesn’t know what a school bus looks like. With their big yellow frames and various flashing lights, they’re instantly recognizable to anyone on the road.
What many people don’t know though is that there are actually quite a few different types of school buses that districts use. Let’s take a closer look at the four most common school bus models!
Type A School Bus
Often referred to as a conversion bus, a Type A school bus is either a converted van or constructed from a cutaway front section with a bus body and has a left-side driver’s door and right-side passenger entrance. This is the smallest school bus available, sometimes called a mini-bus, with a capacity of about 10-16 passengers, or 30 at most.
Type B School Bus
A Type B school bus is similar to a Type A in that it is also a conversion bus designed for 10-30 passengers. These buses are larger than their Type A counterparts, but less common, and built on a stripped chassis or installed on a front-section vehicle chassis. Type B school buses are classified by the location of the engine beneath or behind the windshield and next to the seat of the driver.
Type C School Buses
When you picture a conventional school bus, you’re likely imagining a Type C. The chassis of a Type C school bus has a hood and complete front fender, giving it a larger nose. The engine is located behind the front of the windshield with a passenger entrance behind the front wheels. These buses can carry, on average, anywhere up to 80 passengers at a time.
Type D School Bus
Type D School buses are the largest of the four common models and have a flat front like a transit bus. They can have a front, mid, or rear-mounted engine and the entrance door is in front of the front wheels. Type D school buses are designed to hold up to approximately 90 passengers.
At Northwest Bus Sales, we have a variety of different types of new and used school buses for sale. Just let us know what kind of bus you’re interested in, and our specialists will help you find a vehicle that checks every box.
Head over to our website or contact us today to start your search!
