Bus Tech Talk: Maintenance Insights from Connect Transit’s Charlie Busse

Charlie Busse is Director of Maintenance at  @connecttransit  (Connect Transit), the public transportation provider for Bloomington-Normal, Ill. Charlie is the driving force behind Connect Transit’s fleet operations. He ensures that every bus on the road is safe, reliable, and running at peak performance. But, his role goes far beyond just keeping wheels turning — Charlie is a key player in the agency’s forward-thinking initiatives, including integrating electric buses and developing cutting-edge charging infrastructure. Through his leadership, Connect Transit is not only maintaining service standards but also paving the way toward a more sustainable and efficient future in public transportation. Find out more in this first edition of Bus Tech Talk.Topics include:• How Charlie got his start in the public transit industry.• The challenges of being part of a small agency from a maintenance perspective.• Recruiting, retaining, and training today’s technicians. • Embracing new tech in the shop.Make sure you're signed up for the METRO Express newsletter, so you don't miss another METROspectives.Sign up for the METRO newsletter: https://www.metro-magazine.com/newsletter-signup?utm_source=formcms&utm_medium=email_subscriptions_optins&utm_campaign=met_website_100#transit #transportation #leadership #publictransit 🚚 Visit Metro Magazine for all the latest transportation news and information ➡ https://www.metro-magazine.com/ 🤝 Follow and connect with Work Truck on social media! Metro on LinkedIn ➡https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/metromag/ Metro on Twitter ➡ https://twitter.com/METROmagTweet Metro on Facebook ➡ https://www.facebook.com/MetroMagTimestamps00:00 Intro01:30 How Charlie Started in Public Transit02:50 What Fueled His Growth?05:01 Shared Knowledge in the Transit Industry07:02 Challenges/Benefits of being at a Small Transit Agency10:42 Recruiting New Techs in Normal, Ill.15:05 Working to Create a Heavy-Duty Training Program16:32 Additional Training Opportunities20:45 Working with New Technologies in the Shop23:00 Embracing New Tech, including AI25:00 The Learning Curve when bringing in New Vehicles