It's been a few months since Top Transportation Teams announced their 2024 winners, and it's time to start looking towards the 2025 competition!
We love the entire idea of this competition. It encourages school transportation management teams to do their best, as well as recognizing districts which are doing school bus management right. With more than a decade's experience helping districts optimize school bus operations, we're happy to help every district improve.
So what makes for a top transportation management team? These are some of the factors we've identified over the years.
How To Build A Top Transportation Team
1 - Positive change starts at the top
Any initiative to improve your bus system must start at the top, with firm backing from school administration, as well as from the transportation director. You need people empowered to push for new and better policies, and encourage adoption all the way down the line.
Without buy-in from the most important participants, change will be very hard to achieve.
2 - Find great employee candidates
Hiring bus drivers and other transportation staff is still challenging, but districts shouldn't be hiring any random person who says 'yes' to a steady paycheck. To have a top team, you need a workforce which is genuinely committed to keeping bus-riders safe, and overall improving the experience for students.
Screen your candidates for their child-friendliness and dedication to great school bus services, and it will pay off in the long run.
3 - Be willing to invest in new technology
One running theme among the winners of previous Top Transportation Team competitions is that they invested in new technology to improve operations. Better bus routing software, GPS and student tracking, and robust data-collection systems can all pay for themselves. You get more efficient routes, lowed maintenance costs, and - very often - more positive response from bus riders.
4 - Clearly-defined plans to achieve goals
"Better bus transportation" is an ideal, not a plan. Your initiative to create a better transportation team should be backed up by a clearly-written document that outlines how that goal will be achieved. This shows that leadership is invested in the goal, as well as giving everyone involved a roadmap to better transportation management.
In particular, create a series of metrics you wish to see improved, such as lowering maintenance costs, along with some realistic goals backed by hard numbers to aim for. Don't be afraid to think long-term, with progressive goals marked by key milestones along the way.
5 - Have open communication
Communication is key for any team effort. Every member of your transportation system should feel empowered to report problems or suggest improvements, with a clear line of communication to advance the idea.
In particular, pay attention to your drivers. As the people on the road, dealing with day-to-day realities of bus systems, they're likely to have the most insights into how to improve the process.
6 - Don't become complacent
School bus transportation is one of those fields where further refinement is always possible. Keep looking for new ways to streamline your routes, or encourage smarter driving that keeps on-road costs down. Offer rewards like bounties for new ideas that lead to better results. Encourage everyone to keep trying to make your bus system better.
BusBoss is Your Reliable Bus Transportation Partner
BusBoss offers industry-leading solutions for building a better transportation system! Whether you need better routing, improved data tracking, or even physical hardware, we're here to help!