7811C - Type C (Conventional) School & Activity Buses

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Statewide Term Contract 7811C – Type C (Conventional) School & Activity Buses

Contract Summary
Category Description
Bid Number DPC-924516120
Contract Name Type C (Conventional) School & Activity Buses
Effective Dates May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2027 (with two (2) optional one-year renewals)
Awarded Vendor(s)
and Contact(s)

Carolina Thomas LLC
Kelly Rivera | (800) 440-3492 | (336) 687-4765

Gregory Poole Bus Sales
Walt Brandenburg | (919) 755-7021

White’s International Trucks
Mark Hunt | (800) 632-1050 | (336) 553-4758

Contract Covers This contract is intended to cover the state’s normal requirements for Type C (conventional) school buses and activity buses.
Contract Does Not Cover

This contract does not cover:

  • Chassis configuration that are not specifically listed in the award (Type A, B, and D)
  • Prisoner transport buses
Contract Type This is a mandatory statewide term contract for state agencies, departments, institutions, universities, and community colleges – unless exempted by North Carolina general statute. Non-mandatory entities, including schools and local governments, may use this contract as allowed by general statute.
Special Note

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) manages the process of replacement school buses for North Carolina’s public schools. Based on years and mileage criteria, DPI annually identifies which buses in the state fleet are subject to replacement. If the legislative appropriation is insufficient to replace all buses meeting the criteria, then the buses eligible for replacement are prioritized by DPI and those eligible – within available resources – are designated for replacement in priority order.

To best meet their needs, LEAs may select any size bus as a replacement for the one being replaced. To replace more than one NON-LIFT BUS with a LIFT BUS, the LEA must pay the cost of the additional LIFT(s) and the LEA must usually pay the cost of a “flat floor” configuration.

If more than one vendor is awarded a contract for a particular bus size (capacity), DPI anticipates that it will consider the “default vendor” in each school bus size/configuration category to be the one offering the lowest price. However, if an LEA’s fleet operation needs would be best met by selecting another bus from the contract, it may select the alternate bus as its state replacement bus provided that the LEA submits its justification to DPI along with its purchase order.

Contract Items and Pricing Award & Pricing Information
Delivery Information

Delivery shall be made to the designated pickup sites for each vendor:

Carolina Thomas LLC 6643 Auction Road, Archdale, NC
Gregory Poole Bus Sales 400 Gregory Poole Lane, Mebane, NC
White’s International Trucks 7045 Albert Pick Road, Greensboro, NC

The vendor’s distribution point shall be within a 100-mile radius of Raleigh, NC with all transportation charges prepaid and included in the bid prices. All buses will be picked up by the purchasing entity at the vendor’s distribution point.

Vendors shall complete the delivery of school buses within 210 consecutive calendar days after receipt of purchase order and delivery of activity buses within 240 consecutive calendar days after receipt of purchase order.

Order Placement

Vendors are required, upon request, to provide the buying entity with catalogs and descriptive literature, and/or a URL address with bus manufacturer descriptive literature, including exterior and interior colors, manufacturer’s user-accessible URL for MSRP of all OEM options and/or aftermarket components, and NC pricing for OEM options and/or aftermarket components. This information is to be provided to the buying entity within three (3) business days of the request. Such information shall be provided at no charge to the buying entity.

Vendors are required to provide the buying entity with all information pertinent to the placement of and payment for orders, including the following information:

  • Contract number
  • Vendor business name
  • General description of bus
  • Make, model, and model code of the bus
  • Option code(s) and descriptions, if applicable
  • Part numbers and descriptions of aftermarket components, if applicable
  • NC contract price for bus
  • Quantity
  • Total price
  • Total aftermarket components cost, if applicable

Local Education Agencies (LEAs) must submit purchase orders through the Department of Public Instruction, Transportation Services for verification and/or approval.

  • Original purchase orders for school buses must be mailed
  • Copies of original purchase orders for activity buses can be mailed or faxed
  • Copies of eProcurement orders can be mailed or faxed
  • School and activity bus dealers are instructed not to process orders without approval from DPI Transportation Services
  • All non-LEA entities are to place orders directly with the vendor

The following information must be included in all purchase orders. To minimize errors, submit all information in the provided order:

  • Address purchase order to the contractor
  • Charge to Address: Indicate correct “charge to” for bulling purposes
  • Title Information: Designation for the vehicle to be titled

Example:
____________________County Board of Education
or
____________________City Board of Education

Contractor will provide “Application for Title” to obtain license and title of vehicle

  • Contact Person: List a designated contact and telephone number for answering questions concerning the order and for notification from the contractor when the vehicle is ready for pickup
  • Color or Lettering: Indicate color as school bus yellow and indicate the format for lettering designation
eProcurement No, catalogs are not loaded into eProcurement.
eProcurement Help
Desk
(888) 211-7440
Contract Manager Jackson Alspaugh | (984) 236-0268
Contract
Attachments

Carolina Thomas LLC
Gregory Poole Bus Sales
White’s International Trucks

Contract Addenda

09/18/2024: Contract Manager changed to Jonathan Davis
02/18/2025: Gregory Poole Bus Sales pricing increase
04/24/2025: Carolina Thomas LLC pricing increase
09/08/2025: Contract Manager changed to Jack Alspaugh
12/09/2025: White’s International Trucks/IC Bus pricing increase
01/29/2026: Gregory Poole pricing increase
02/26/2026: Contract Manager changed to Pablo Blackwell & Jackson Alspaugh
06/30/2026: Pablo Blackwell removed as Contract Manager

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