Thomas Built Buses is a company that has been involved in the production of children's school buses, intercity buses and even buses since the very first days of its existence. To date, the company is a subsidiary of the German automotive corporation Daimler AG.
Perley Thomas is a famous American industrialist and entrepreneur, a fitter by profession. A native of Canada, he began his acquaintance with trams, working at the branch of the tram manufacturer J. G. Brill and Company in Cleveland, Ohio. Later, Perlie moved to the US in a small town called High Point in North Carolina, where he worked as a chief engineer on the Southern Street Car - it was an enterprise specializing in the production of trams.
In 1916, he was dismissed in connection with the current economic situation at the end of the First World War, and signed a contract for the repair of trams from the Southern Public Utilities Company. And in subsequent years, Thomas organized the company Perley A. Thomas Car Works, which became known already thanks to the production of trams. Thomas's trams have gained great popularity in the US and have been used extensively in many major cities of the country (Detroit, Michigan, New York, Miami, Florida, San Juan, Puerto Rico).
In the 30s of the twentieth century in the United States, trams on the roads began to replace buses that are gaining popularity among the population. Thomas could not help but pay attention to this, and besides, orders for the construction of new and repair of old trams began to fall. In 1936, his company moved to the production of buses. In the first year, the company produced 200 wooden school buses for North Carolina. This marked the beginning of a long tradition that is still observed in the state today.
The very design and design of school buses from the company Perley A. Thomas Car Works have become revolutionary. Prior to this, most school buses in the US were a wooden box on wheels, which has absolutely no means of security. However, then, in 1936, the situation changed.
In 1938, the company introduced the first school bus made of steel. In 1939, Frank Sir, known as the "Father of the Yellow School Bus," set 44 mandatory standards, including a yellow color for school buses throughout the United States. Perley A. Thomas Car Work after World War II became a leader in its industry. Since 1980, the company has been one of the six largest campaigns for the production of school buses in the US market.
In 1972, a company from Perley A. Thomas Car Works transformed into Thomas Built Buses, Inc. In 1978, the first chassis model was made at the Thomas Built Buses factory, although the company previously purchased chassis from other manufacturers (Ford, Dodge, GMC, International Harvester, Volvo). In the same year, the classic bus Saf-T-Liner, which became very popular and was used as a school bus, as well as a bus for personal use, was released.
In 1980, the company introduced the Thomas Minotour (Type A school bus) bus on a standard chassis, but with smaller dimensions. This bus is still used in the US in various variations. Its capacity is up to 30 passengers.
At the end of the twentieth century, the company was one of the top three manufacturers of large school buses, and was acquired by the Freightliner Group, which is part of Daimler AG.
In 1996, Thomas Built Buses released the FS-65 bus, which was manufactured with various engine options. Original powertrains were developed by Caterpillar and Cummins. Later the company Mercedes-Benz offered its own version of the engine. The FS-65 bus was widely used in the United States. The last such bus was manufactured on December 13, 2006, commissioned by O'Brien Bus Service, Inc., Maryland.
He died in 1958, Thomas, in 2004 was honored to become one of the first persons to fall in the North Carolina Transportation Hall of Fame, located in the city of Raleigh.
In 2009, Thomas Built Buses produced a brand new type A bus, focusing on market needs. The bus was called MyBus. This vehicle was built on the basis of GM chassis.
Thomas Built Buses is actively working to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The result of this work was the production of a bus called Saf-T-Liner C2. The advantages of this model are in economy and longer life in comparison with conventional buses with diesel engines.
Almost a hundred years have passed since the founding of the company Thomas Built Buses, and this is quite a long time. For such a long period of time the company has constantly developed and achieved more and more success. She became one of the leaders in the production of buses in the United States of America. Thomas Built Buses buses are in great demand throughout North America, as the company has proven its products as modern, high-quality and time-tested.