Avail Technologies, Inc.: Viewpoint Q&A with Rick Spangler

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Rick Spangler

President & CEO
Avail Technologies, Inc.
State College, PA

Facing Tariffs Head-On: How Smart Transit Leaders Are Using Technology to Extend Asset Life and Control Costs

Tariffs may seem like a federal issue, but they show up fast in local budgets.

From replacement parts to onboard hardware, many transit components are sourced internationally, even from neighbors like Canada or Mexico. When tariffs rise, so do costs. And for public transportation agencies already operating under tight margins, even small increases can cascade into bigger challenges: delayed maintenance, service interruptions, and difficult decisions at the budget table.

But forward-thinking leaders are responding, not by slashing service, but by investing in systems that make their operations smarter, more proactive, and more resilient.

We sat down with CEO, Rick Spangler to discuss how his company’s myAvail ETMS (Enterprise Transit Management Software) can help manage your agency’s time, money, and assets.

Q: How can myAvail ETMS help agencies reduce costs in the face of tariffs and rising part prices

A: myAvail ETMS provides our customers with an incredibly diverse product offering so agencies can simply turn on new features supported by the infrastructure already in place. This approach capitalizes on previous investments to eliminate new architecture costs and streamline the deployment of new products by leveraging existing data, training and configuration.

myAvail ETMS hardware components are built for the full life of a heavy-duty transit bus, to ensure that as long as an agency keeps a vehicle on the road, the myAvail system has the same core functionality of a brand-new Avail installed vehicle from the factory. Avail is very passionate about retaining backwards compatibility in our solutions, so if fleet replacements are delayed, the system remains fully operational.

Q: How does myAvail help agencies better manage spare parts and asset inventories?

A: At a time when every dollar counts, myAvail helps agencies make the most of what they already own. The system’s asset and inventory management tools track warranty status, catalog available spares, and highlight opportunities to reduce on hand quantities, to ensure inventory stocking levels meet the agency’s needs without carrying extra stock on the shelf.

In an environment where tariff uncertainty can cause price volatility, that kind of control can be a critical advantage. It means fewer surprises, more strategic purchasing, and greater alignment between operations and finance.

Q: What broader financial value does Avail offer to U.S. transit agencies beyond the platform itself?

A: Avail isn’t just a technology provider. We’re a long-term partner to the U.S. public transportation industry. Avail’s system is fully modular, allowing our experts to help an agency develop a plan to add the right technology at the right time. Aligning agency objectives and budgets with implementation plans long after the initial project is over is one part of Avail’s approach to committing to our partners for life. And because we offer solutions to every facet of Public Transportation, we have experts to assist Agency’s with plans beyond their existing product portfolio.

Q: Can you share a real-world example of how agencies have used myAvail to reduce operational costs?

A: Absolutely. Avail has many partner agencies that have adopted the complete ETMS product offering. Not only are these agencies able to take advantage of a consistent platform for the entire agency to run their business from, but they also have a single support contract that covers the software and hardware costs for most of their technology needs.

That’s the heart of what myAvail enables: not just managing today’s costs, but creating a foundation for sustainable, efficient operations over the life of the relationship.

In today’s economic climate, transit leaders are tasked with doing more—with less.

Avail Technologies offers the tools and the partnership to make that possible.