There are a lot of possible ways to upgrade a bus fleet to improve efficiency or student accuracy. So, what would be the best upgrade to make, in terms of costs vs benefits? Well, if your district hasn't installed GPS tracking systems on your buses yet, that's probably it.
The Global Positioning System allows you to keep track of your buses moment-to-moment on the road, by sending back positional information to the transportation office. Along with software to collect all that data and put it on a map, this upgrade brings several major benefits at affordable prices.
Five Big Benefits to GPS Tracking School Buses
1 - Never lose track of a bus
The biggest benefit is also the most immediate: you'll know at all times exactly where your buses are, and what they're doing. If one stops unexpectedly, or deviates from its route, you'll know almost instantly. This can also speed up response times if there's some kind of emergency, which is a nice side benefit.
2 - Better ETAs
Undoubtedly, your office receives a lot of calls from families, wondering where their student is. When you have a map tracking the exact location of every bus in real-time, these calls become far easier - and faster - to field. You can simply look up the bus's location and go from there.
As an aside, mobile apps can streamline this process further, by allowing families to directly look up their child's ETA for themselves.
3 - Improved bus routing
Being able to track your buses on the road will help you understand how well your bus routes work in reality. You'd be able to easily see, for example, if a particular part of the route tends to have traffic jams in the morning or afternoon, just by seeing where the bus tends to move slowly. Drivers might not think to report these issues, but you'll know if your bus routes need to be updated to avoid on-the-ground problems.
4 - Track your drivers' behavior
You put a lot of trust in your bus drivers to protect their student riders. Are they constantly following the law, such as obeying the speed limit or coming to a full stop when legally required? Now you can monitor these things. The GPS information can be compared to the actual speed limits and other signage.
If you find a driver who's constantly violating the rules of the road, you'll also have hard evidence - and a basis for whatever disciplinary action or retraining is called for.
5 - Combine with other data for extra insights
You're presumably already tracking other critical data from your buses, such as fuel efficiency and maintenance. The GPS information can greatly aid in analyzing that data, or spotting potential problems before they become an issue.
For example, say a particular bus seems to need more fuel than others. Why is that? You can check the map history to see if the driver is taking long routes, driving too fast, or otherwise wasting fuel. These issues can be spotted and addressed. If not, it would point to a mechanical problem that your garage can look into. The diagnostic possibilities are nearly endless.
BusBoss Is Your Bus Safety Partner
BusBoss has years of experience using technology and consulting services to improve school transportation across the country. From GPS tracking to route mapping to improved communications apps, we can make your bus system better, at budget-friendly prices.
Contact us to learn more about our products and services.