SAFE FLEET BLOG

At the end of this year, Safe Fleet will bid farewell to one of its most enduring leaders. After 43 years of dedication, Jim Haigh is retiring from his role as Strategic Account Manager, School and Transit, effective December 31, 2025.

Jim has made an incredible and lasting impact on school and mass transportation safety. As employee #1 at Transpec — long before it became part of the Safe Fleet family — Jim helped lay the foundation for what our company is today. His influence has shaped the school bus, transit, motor coach, shuttle, and paratransit industries, and his name has become synonymous with electromechanical safety solutions.

His career has been defined by professionalism, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to customers and colleagues alike. To celebrate his legacy, we reached out to a few direct collaborators who worked closely with him over the years. Their voices — including Paul Prestis, VP of Operations for PTLW; Dan Pulskamp, VP of Bus & Rail; and Joe Allen, Director of Sales, School Bus — capture the immense respect Jim earned across the company.

Jim has been a steady presence through industry changes, ownership transitions, and challenging times, always ensuring Safe Fleet’s reputation as a safety-first organization remained strong and its relationships intact.

Building Trust: The Mark of a True Mentor

Jim’s readiness to guide others left a deep impression, particularly on those new to the industry. Paul Prestis, VP of Operations at Safe Fleet, recalls joining the company a decade ago:

“I was a rookie or a novice in this industry, and Jim was the old pro.”

That mentorship extended beyond onboarding. During a period of industry disruption when supply chains were strained and orders delayed , Jim was “frontline on the hot seat” but never wavered. As Prestis explains:

“Jim did a great job of bridging the gap between where we were and where we needed to get to… maintaining customer confidence that we would recover and support them, which we ultimately did.”

Walking the Line: Customer Advocacy and Stewardship

Jim’s ability to balance customer advocacy with company stewardship is a rare quality. He never gave away too much, but he never let a customer down. Prestis summed up his talent simply:

“Jim excelled at walking that line: doing what’s right for the customer and for the company.”

That balance, combined with his calm demeanor, earned Jim deep respect across the industry. Dan Pulskamp, VP of Bus & Rail at Safe Fleet, described him as one of the best customer advocates he has ever worked with:

“He goes above and beyond every day. He’s a customer advocate — probably one of the better customer advocates I’ve ever worked with.”

For Pulskamp, Jim was more than a colleague, but a mentor whose reliability was absolute:

“His word is gold. If he says he’s going to do something, he does it. You don’t have to follow up with him. You know, Jim’s got this, he’s gonna take care of it.”

That unwavering professionalism and reliability earned Jim a reputation that Pulskamp captured in one powerful word:

“Titan. Irreplaceable Titan.”

Encyclopedic Knowledge and Lasting Influence

Jim’s presence and encyclopedic knowledge also left a lasting impression on Joe Allen, Director of Sales, School Bus, at SEON/Safe Fleet.

“He has the ability to just take over the room and the power when he speaks. Everybody pays attention… his overall knowledge of the product and the understanding of how the industry works has always just blown me away.”

Allen recalls a moment in Maui at an industry trade show, where Safe Fleet representatives, OEM partners, and competitors found themselves side‑by‑side on a group outing. Jim carried himself with calm authority — keeping conversations respectful, representing Safe Fleet with confidence, and showing how competition can coexist with professionalism:

“It’s how you handle competition. Jim kept the conversation active and respectful.”

The Next Chapter

While Jim’s professional presence and influence are legendary, his colleagues know he is equally devoted off the clock. Beyond the boardroom and trade shows, Jim is a devoted family man. He loves golf, hunting, and spending time with his grandkids. As Allen shared:

“Honest, respectful, and a friend I’d love to keep, even outside of the industry.”

Jim’s retirement marks the end of an era, but not the end of his influence. His standards, relationships, and examples will continue to shape Safe Fleet for years to come.

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It is impossible to truly summarize a four-decade career like the one Jim has, but perhaps his impact can best be understood through the heartfelt words of the colleagues and friends he leaves behind:

“Consummate professional.”

“Titan.”

“Honest, respectful, and a friend.”

Jim, thank you for everything you have given to this company over the past 43 years. We wish you all the joy and peace that retirement can offer. You have certainly earned it. You’ll be missed, but we celebrate the journey that lies ahead for you!