School Districts Increasingly Turn to Next-Gen Inground Vehicle Lifts for Service and Repairs

Stertil-Koni continues to innovate providing a safer, more efficient and durable heavy duty vehicle lifting system

A new overview of maintenance facilities in the North American pupil transportation sector shows school districts are increasingly turning to next-generation inground vehicle lifts to expedite safe and reliable servicing and repair.

Driving the trend are three key factors: safety, efficiency and cost, according to Stertil-Koni, the recognized leader in the heavy duty bus lift and truck lift industry and provider of the overview.

As Peter Bowers, Technical Sales Support Manager at Stertil-Koni, noted, “About 75 to 80 percent of maintenance performed on school buses includes work on the steering, tires, and brakes. That’s why an axle-engaging lift that enables wheels-free lifting is so important.”

For its part, Stertil-Koni re-envisioned the process when it first introduced an inground, telescopic piston lift, known as the DIAMONDLIFT, nearly seven years ago. With a lifting capacity of up to 35,000 lbs. per piston, and models that are typically ordered in two and three -piston configurations (hence, a lifting capacity up to 105,000 lbs. in the most popular models), the challenge of lifting standard school buses for servicing is never an issue. 

What’s more, DIAMONDLIFT – which is Gold Label-certified by the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) – features pistons that are electronically synchronized for maximum safety, utilizes a mechanical locking system for exceptional protection and requires a mere 4.8 gallons of biodegradable fluid per lifting unit. 

DIAMONDLIFT comes in two models, cassette and frame, and it is the frame version that has resonated particularly strongly with the school transportation industry.  Here’s why: According to Matthias Lennemann, Stertil-Koni’s Sales Manager for inground lifts, “In many cases, installing the frame version of the DIAMONDLIFT into an existing concrete pit, or new construction, will deliver substantial time and cost benefits to the customer. What’s more, installation is often easier because it requires a pit that is less deep than traditional products.”

The lift’s modular frame design also means that it can readily accommodate a variety of different pit sizes. It is also designed with different travel ranges, to work seamlessly with a wide range of vehicle sizes and wheelbases. “That makes the DIAMONDLIFT frame ideally suited for both retrofitting existing facilities and new construction,” Bowers added.

Concluded Dr. Jean DellAmore, president of Stertil-Koni, “In just a few short years, the DIAMONDLIFT has gone to the top of the class in pupil transportation.  It has rapidly become the go-to inground lift in the industry.  What’s more, DIAMONDLIFT exemplifies our firm commitment at Stertil-Koni to continue innovating with the goal of always providing a safer, more efficient and durable heavy duty vehicle lifting system.”

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