Driving America Forward with Todd Franssen
“What sets Zum apart is that they’re not operating on the same model … genuine innovation means changing the model, the way things have always been done in the industry, and doing something new.”
Todd Franssen
Sales Manager
Buswest
Todd Franssen has been in the bus industry his entire life. Growing up, he worked every summer for his father’s east coast bus dealership, Commonwealth Thomas, washing buses, repairing seat covers and delivering mechanical parts. When his father took over another Thomas Built dealership in Arizona, Todd moved west to manage it, and eventually took it over and sold it. Today, Todd works as the Sales Manager for Buswest, another Thomas Built dealership, serving California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii.
How is BW driving innovation forward?
The first thing to know and remember is that buses are the most regulated vehicle on the road today. It’s more heavily regulated at the federal level than any other vehicle—cars, trucks, vans, you name it. And rightly so—because students and children ride on these things.
What that means is that a ton of innovation that happens with buses, specifically, is around safety. Again, rightly so. Of course, we’re also seeing significant innovation technologically, in the shift to electric buses. And in both of those areas, Thomas Built is at the forefront of innovation.
First, with safety. Buswest sells Thomas Built buses, some of the best in the industry. Thomas Built is, in turn, owned by Freightliner Trucks, which is owned by Daimler Mercedes—so when Thomas Built adds safety features, it’s doing so with the resources of one of the largest and most advanced automobile manufacturers in the world. Part of how we’re able to stay ahead of the innovation curve is by leveraging those resources.
And secondly, with EVs. Thomas Built created some of the earliest EV bus models—and at that point in time, there wasn’t a lot of regulation about how to assemble those vehicles. That being the case, Thomas Built stepped up and did things to the highest level of safety and technological advancement. For instance, there was no regulation stipulating that batteries had to be placed inside water proof and bulletproof encasements, but Thomas Built did it anyway—and now regulations are being written, in some instances, based on the decisions Thomas Built made with its earliest prototypes. So in that way, Thomas Built and Buswest have been on the forefront of EV innovation as well.
And secondly, with EVs. Thomas Built created some of the earliest EV bus models—and at that point in time, there wasn’t a lot of regulation about how to assemble those vehicles. That being the case, Thomas Built stepped up and did things to the highest level of safety and technological advancement. For instance, there was no regulation stipulating that batteries had to be placed inside water proof and bulletproof encasements, but Thomas Built did it anyway—and now regulations are being written, in some instances, based on the decisions Thomas Built made with its earliest prototypes. So in that way, Thomas Built and Buswest have been on the forefront of EV innovation as well.
From your perspective, how is Zum driving America innovation forward?
I’ve been in the bus industry literally my entire life—and to me, the way Zum approaches things is like a breath of fresh air.
As long as I can remember, I’ve seen student transportation providers operate a certain way. They serve a school district, set up their operations, then in order to grow, they begin buying up other, smaller student transportation providers, and grow their businesses that way. There’s nothing wrong with that, per se, except the focus is more on the business model than in creating a world class product for schools and students. It led to long periods of stagnation, where buses weren’t changing, and neither were the companies who provided those buses to the schools.
What sets Zum apart is that they’re not operating on that same model. They didn’t come in and use their money to buy up smaller transportation vendors. Instead, they decided to simply create a better product—one based on technology, and focusing primarily on the needs of students, families, and schools—and to win based on the strength of that product.
For someone like me, who’s been in this industry forever, that’s genuine innovation—changing the model, the way things have always been done in the industry, and doing something new.
When you think of the future, what role do children/the next generation play, and how can we set them up for success?
I have kids.
Today, I see the next generation, and I’m conflicted about how technology changes their lives. On one hand, I want to give them every tool available to succeed. On the other hand, I know that too much technology is making them feel disconnected and isn’t great for their mental health. It’s a delicate balance, and I’m not sure we’re always getting it right all of the time.
What I do know is that the single greatest thing we can do for the next generation of students is to continue to focus on safety. No matter what, that always has to be our #1 priority. We aren’t always going to get it right with technology and AI, but at the very least, we can get students to and from school efficiently and safely—and that’s something everyone in the industry can all agree on.