New Stimulus Orders Stabilize Bus Industry

At Daimler Buses, Scully says he can already point to 200 bus orders with stimulus money and he expects more soon. Sales forecasts for 2009 and 2010 are steady, he said.

"I would guarantee you, without this stimulus bill, we would have to curtail our operations," he said.

That could be a campaign sound bite for President Obama's re-election effort. The problem is, neither Scully nor Gibson, nor managers in countless other industries, have hard numbers on how many jobs were saved. The White House says it has already created or saved 150,000 jobs, a number that is impossible to verify.

The bus industry also reveals a political truth for the Obama administration: Even in industries where the stimulus is working, White House job estimates will be overshadowed until the economy turns around.

For example, engine-maker Cummins Inc. stands to benefit from bus spending. The Columbus, Indiana, company makes diesel and natural gas engines and is a major supplier for bus companies. Cummins also hopes to benefit from stimulus money to reduce pollution from old diesel engines.

But the slowdown in the auto market has been devastating. The company has cut 8,000 jobs worldwide since October, spokesman Mark Land said. A major customer, Chrysler, is in bankruptcy. The trucking industry has fallen dramatically, with thousands of companies going out of business last year and others scaling back their fleets.