What Goes Into Building a Transit Bus with Paul Germo

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Paul Germo, a transit consultant with more than 15 years of experience in bus manufacturing, inspections, and procurement. Paul shares his perspective on the challenges of purchasing new transit vehicles, the importance of involving maintenance and operations staff in procurement decisions, and how poor communication can lead to costly delays and mistakes. The conversation explores what happens on the factory floor, why transit buses are still largely built by hand, and what inspectors look for before vehicles are delivered to agencies. Paul also discusses common manufacturing defects, the challenges of introducing new vehicle technologies, and how transit agencies and manufacturers can work together to improve quality and reliability.