Driver First

Research resulting in comfort.

When designing buses, our goal is to create a vehicle that appeals to drivers. As such, our team focuses heavily on how drivers use their buses, day-to-day. We create bus designs to support their activities and tasks. And during the design process, we take actual driver measurements to help maximize driver comfort and minimize fatigue. We also modify our bus designs repeatedly to ensure the end product is ergonomically friendly.

Experience DriverFirst™ for yourself.

  • Accessible storage
  • Left-hand switch panel
  • Standard steering wheel controls
  • Ergonomic optimization
  • Driver visibility
  • Driver accommodation
  • Driver seat options
  • Ingress/Egress
  • BTI Seating

“It’s quite simple. Taking a systematic approach to understanding how drivers interact with a vehicle allowed our team to build a bus that makes it easier for bus drivers to do their jobs.”

Lenora Hardee
IC Bus Chief Technology Engineer

Driver Visibility

  • No center post to obstruct the driver’s view
  • 3-piece windshield reduces damage repair costs and provides a clear view of side mirrors, unlike traditional A-Pillar design
  • Overlapping wipers clear more windshield surface area

Driver Accommodation

Tilt/Telescoping wheel (optional) for customization and increased maneuverability

Driver seat options

  • Static Seat with vertical adjustment
  • Mechanical Seat for additional movement from hip to knee
  • Air Suspension Seat w/heated option
  • Premium Air Suspension Seat with triple-chamber and lumbar adjustments, recline, and heated option
  • Dual Shock Air Suspension Seat to damper extreme and residual bounce, with heated option

Ingress/Egress

  • The widest door in the industry for ease of entry and exit
  • Uniform steps with consistent spacing and optimal driver alignment
  • Aluminum door construction to minimize corrosion

BTI Seating

  • Best-in-class serviceability
  • Maximum configurability
  • Improved aesthetics
  • Lower weight

Leave No Student Behind® alarm system

Standard equipment on the CE Series, and available on the RE Series, Leave No Student Behind® technology sounds an alarm the instant the key is removed from the ignition. Drivers must walk to the rear of the bus to disarm, ensuring no passengers remain on board.

SmartTrac™ Hydraulic ABS System

Optimize braking with less weight and noise compared to other systems. We’ve partnered with Meritor WABCO to bring the SmartTrac™ Hydraulic Anti-lock Braking System to the CE Series—an electronic wheel speed monitoring and control system that integrates drag torque control, automatic traction control, and J1939 Toolbox diagnostics.