August 2018 - trackschoolbus

14 Preparations You Should Make Before Using School Bus Transportation Services

Posted on August 31, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

School buses are one of the safest means of transportation for students. The use of advanced school bus transportation software in schools nowadays is enhancing the overall safety and convenience to the next level.

However, one should not forget about the preparations to be made before utilizing the school bus transportation services. Both the students using the service for the first time and their parents would be worried about the voyage and related things unless they know well about the services.

Nevertheless, preparing your child for school bus voyage can be a matter of excitement and fun if handled in the most optimal way. So here we can have a short look at the areas to be focussed and things to look for before using the school bus transportation services.

1. Converse with your kids: It is important to make a conversation with your child regarding the bus voyage if they are travelling alone without your company for the first time.

Explaining what they should not expect, and to help them come out of their insecurities during the journey. Also, give them relevant tips about the rules to be followed when using a school bus, the safety measures to be taken care of and importantly about punctuality as it is not fair to keep others waiting for you.

2. Don’t skip the bus tour: For first time bus voyagers, the school management usually provides a bus tour to make things comfortable for them. Make the most out of the bus tour and let your child experience the fun and awareness of bus travel in advance.

So they will have an idea about how to board the bus, how to get seated in the bus comfortably without much delay and just look around and enjoy the view from the bus. This is also a chance for them to clarify any of their doubts they might come across during the travel.

3. Teach the basic details to remember: Travelling in a school bus without parents is in fact responsibility training for kids to handle themselves. So teach them the basic details to remember to make the voyage comfortable or in case to use when they are in some sort of trouble.

This includes their official name, address and emergency phone number. Knowing the school name, teacher’s name, route number and driver’ name would be an advantage.

4. Make a visit to the bus stop: Make sure that you go to the allotted bus stop in advance and make sure the place is comfortable and familiar for the child. You can teach them how to stand safely in the bus stop and how to identify the allocated bus.

A brief awareness about the traffic rules and safety measures about getting in and out of the bus can be good. See that there is no pit or other dangerous things in that area and give them safety awareness if there are any.

5. Understand vehicle safety rules: Make them understand the vehicle safety rules before they start travelling by the school bus. This includes staying seated while the bus is moving, maintaining a forward looking posture throughout the journey, behaving well with the bus mates, keeping all belongings safe and more.

Also students are not encouraged to stand up unless their stop arrives and avoid stepping down from the moving bus.

6. Have a personal connect with driver: It would be good if you can maintain a personal connect with the school bus driver and make him talk with your kid.

This would help the child to have a sense of safety inside the bus and talk to him without any fear if he faces any kind of bullying or other troubles inside the bus. It would prompt the child to make any constructive criticism regarding the bus voyage without suffering silently.

7. Arrange a care taker: It would be a good decision to arrange a care taker to drop your child at the bus stop and be with him until the bus comes and similarly wait for him at the stop to pick him up before the bus arrives. Follow this for at least the first few days or weeks until the child gets comfortable with the bus journey.

You can slowly stop this gesture and make the child more independent. The care taker can either be an elder sibling or a friend or the parents themselves if possible.

8. Follow the bus: Some children may find it difficult to cope up with the bus travel in case they are into it for the first time. It would be good if parents can follow the bus to school and similarly from school to home for the first few days.

This gives students a feeling of comfort and safety as their parents are around them. Follow the same until they are comfortable to carry out things on their own.

9. Make regular chats with driver: Make it a habit to have a regular chat with the bus driver regarding your child’s behaviour in the bus and other bus safety measures. This gives the child a feeling that the parents are responsible for their safety and they are keeping track of his/her journey.

This gives a sense of confidence for the student to travel without any fear and the driver would be more responsible as parents are keeping a watch on them.

10. Behaving at bus stop: It is important to behave well at the bus stop too. You have to advise your child to arrive at the bus stop at least 5 minutes prior to the bus arrival time. This helps to avoid rushing for the bus at the last moment or even missing the bus.

Ask your child to wait patiently at the bus stop until the bus arrives and opens the door for them and avoid rushing to the bus once they see the vehicle. If there are more students at your pick up point, maintain a queue and get in and down safely and avoid unnecessary pushing.

11. Handling a missed bus: There can be instances when your child misses the bus for any reason. So it is important to train them to handle the situation without panicking. If they miss the bus at the pickup point, teach them how to get back home safely.

And in case they are left at school and the bus is gone, teach them how to meet the teacher or other responsible staff and find a safe alternative. Ask them not to take the lift from a stranger in either of these cases.

12. Behaving inside a bus: A child’s behaviour inside a bus can affect the bus safety to some extent. So teach them about how to behave well once they get inside the bus.

This includes getting seated once they are in and never standing up once the bus starts moving and in all cases obey the safety monitor. Ask them not to put their hands or head out of the bus and be responsible for the items which they carry such as their bag and books.

13. Being safe at drop off point: Once they get down from the bus, ask them to walk off straight to home without wandering here and there. Also teach them how to cross the road if that is required. Tell them not to run but make a safe and fast walk to home without making conversations with strangers.

14. Maintain a bus travel routine: It would be good if parents support their child to follow a bus travel routine. This includes maintaining a regular time for activities such as getting ready in the morning, reaching the bus stop and reaching back home. This helps students to follow the plan daily and to be comfortable.

Also, avoid changing the pickup and drop off point in between unless it is unavoidable. Otherwise, it can get confusing for your child.

Keep these points in mind when your child uses the school bus transportation services for the first time. This would not only erase unwanted scenarios during your child’s school bus voyage, but also make it a remarkable school time experience.

Survey reports say that school buses are least prone to accidents unlike any other vehicles on the road and that is why school buses are always the first choice of many parents.

In addition to the unparalleled safety measures that are used in a school bus, the journey with their peers to and from school would make their days enjoyable.

School Bus Transportation Software – 10 Things to Note

Posted on August 27, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

Schools across the globe invest in automated school bus transportation solutions majorly to serve two main objectives. While the primary motive is to ensure all-time safety of its students in school bus, the other objective is to efficiently operate its fleet.

In order to lend a helping hand to schools to address these two major concerns, TrackSchoolBus offers a holistic solution in the form of school bus transportation software. The software is really useful for both school authorities as well as parents.

Here we are listing out 10 things that you must know about the indigenous school bus transportation software of TrackSchoolBus.

Ensures Real-Time Safety of Students via 4 Different Apps

The TrackSchoolBus school transportation software comes with a host of safety features that are delivered through 4 different apps. They are – the Bus Attendant App, the Parent App, the Driver Console and the Transport Manager App.

All these apps in the hands of different people concerned about the safety of students perform the primary function of ensuring real-time safety of students.

The Bus Attendant App is a holistic solution that enables bus attendants to plan every trip, receive notifications and announcements and help them assign correct pickup points to students.

Aptly named the Parent App, it is through this app that parents will be able to track the route of their wards’ school bus. They will have real-time information about the exact location of the bus. Parents can also keep a watch on the attendance of their wards through this app.

Every fleet manager of a school will find it handy to use the Transport Manager App provided by TrackSchoolBus. All in an attempt to exercise complete control over the fleet of school buses, this fleet management app can also step in to locate untracked vehicles.

The Driver Console App can be tagged as an innovative and driver-friendly offering of TrackSchoolBus. This app enables drivers to perform a number of monitoring activities like scheduling trips, planning school bus routes and keeping a watch on the speed of the bus.

Use of High-End Hardware Components

You can rely on the seamless performance of the TrackSchoolBus transportation software suite as it built using high-end hardware components. This superior hardware when integrated with the state-of-the-art software leads to a robust school bus transportation software that can be tailor-made to suit your specific requirements.

Easy to Install and Maintain

TrackSchoolBus vouches for the top-class quality of hardware that makes up its indigenous school bus transportation software. Leaving no room for duplicating its integration to the system, this suite demands minimal maintenance. Added to this, you can easily install this software in a jiffy.

Compatibility With Various Hardware Configurations

Another significant pointer that makes the software suite of TrackSchoolBus stand out from the rest is its compatibility with different hardware configurations. Along with this feature, it is important to note that this is a very affordable solution which can be availed by different schools.

Additional Security and Tracking Features

Tagged as an affordable software from TrackSchoolBus, you can avail the features of video surveillance and the built-in attendance system. Real-time notifications are the most important data points that can be helpful in averting unforeseen exigencies.

Given the scenario that your child has boarded the wrong bus or has missed the bus, you as parents will be notified about such instances.

Artificial Intelligence Automates Many School Bus Transport Features

Parents and all those who are concerned about the safety of school students should be aware of the fact that TrackSchoolBus employs cutting-edge AI technologies. AI steps in to support three main transportation functions: auto allocation, auto optimization and auto routing features.

Auto Allocation is a function that permits the automatic selection of the pickup location by simply checking the residential address of a student on Google Maps.

Through Auto Optimization, school bus drivers can effectively optimize the pickup and drop points of students. This is an innovative feature that helps drivers save their efforts and time with every school trip.

The school bus transportation software from TrackSchoolBus provides the Auto Routing feature. As the name suggests, fleet managers who sign up for this software will be in a position to optimize school bus trips and routes, eventually picking the right vehicle that matches their requirement.

Vehicles Benefit A Great Deal

As mentioned earlier, the school bus transportation software offered by TrackSchoolBus meets the dual demands of student safety as well as effective fleet management.

With this software in place, school administrations will be able to cut down vehicle overheads considerably. Automated fleet management techniques supported by TrackSchoolBus pave the way for reduced vehicle maintenance and fuel expenses.

In addition to improving the operational tenure of every school bus, this software can keep you away from roads having high traffic.

Use of Technology Creates Goodwill

All those schools which sign up for the school bus transportation software of TrackSchoolBus can take pride in their foresightedness.

This indigenous software which promises student safety and efficient fleet management at all times can become the strongest reason for schools to have a good reputation. Parents and fleet managers would definitely want to get associated with schools which employ modern technology.

A Worry-Free Alternative for Parents and Schools

Schools which sign up for the school bus transportation software offered by TrackSchoolBus will always enjoy peace of mind. They will be rest-assured that their students and vehicles are constantly under the watchful eyes of this multi-faceted software solution.

Alongside ensuring the safety of kids on board, this solution which helps in regular attendance management can be the biggest asset to every school.

A Multi-Faceted Software Solution

After having learnt about the striking characteristics of the school bus transportation software offered by TrackSchoolBus, it will not be an overstatement to mention that this is an all-in-one solution.

Constantly meeting the various needs of parents, school bus drivers and fleet managers, this school bus transportation software promises a great deal of convenience coupled with student safety.

You can also substantially reduce your vehicle expenditure when you are in perfect control over the different routes, trips and pickup points. All these are the collective benefits of this school bus transportation software suite from TrackSchoolBus.

Closing Thoughts

Safety is indeed everyone’s concern, especially with kids who are expected to reach their destination on time and safely; every day. Additionally, schools face the challenge of effective fleet management when they have to employ modern means to reduce vehicle overheads and avoid mishaps.

All in an attempt to provide a workable solution to these two major concerns, TrackSchoolBus has come up with an indigenous school bus transportation software. Go for this software to be at the receiving end of a multitude of benefits.

8 School Bus Games You Can Download Now On Android

Posted on August 22, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

If you have a craze for school bus games, there are hundreds of options available on Android. Driving games have always been popular among players. But school bus games add more attachment and indulge you in a personal way.

This article has the best school bus games that you can download on Android.

1. City School Bus Coach Simulator

With a combination of city bus, school bus and other buses, this simulator game offers satisfaction to your bus riding wishes. You get to drive multiple buses and coach. The rush on the roads and the responsibility of pick up and drop off make this simulator more interesting than other school bus games.

The best features of this game include multi-angle camera view. Advanced 3D graphics that give realistic views of the virtual city. Players can complete levels to attain new buses and enjoy more advanced simulator experiences.

2. High School Bus Driving 3D

Another simulation game that satisfies your school bus driving desires. The fun and energetic levels of this game allow you to become a disciplined citizen and understand the responsibilities in traffic. The tasks change with levels you complete and so is the difficulty.

As a driver in the game, you are required to go to various bus stops and pick children. Traffic rules are presented in monitor and follow. The game notifies when you need to blow horn. Using indicators and maintaining a safe speed is also included in the rules of this app game.

Game quality and graphics’ appeal create an engaging environment to play. You learn a lot about the city environment, school bus driving and following traffic rules.

3. City School Bus Drive Fun

This game shows a luxurious school bus that moves from one part of the city to others. This game is a blend of time management, driving, and coaching. With 3D graphics, this bus driving game offers enjoyable moments on the school bus. The tracks that are offered seem challenging, which also improve the engagement. You can win laps by completing trails provided as challenges.

Dodging high traffic on the roads becomes a great challenge. This school bus game is more adventurous than many other choices in this category.

4. Flying School Bus

A different approach to school bus game is possible with game. This free Android game offers flying experience when you ride the virtual school bus.

As you fly your bus, the challenges become different compared to other school bus games. For instance, this game presents extreme conditions of weather, which you have to conquer. The same game also offers helicopter, airplane and other flying experiences as well.

The graphics feel as if you are in the future when school buses have started flying. You can take your school bus game love to a new level and feel like a pilot. The views look beautiful and provide extreme situations to bring thrill in the game.

5. Hill School Bus

An uphill location increases the toughness of a driving game, especially when you have a large vehicle to drive. Driving a heavy bus to its ultimate destination is the task you need to fulfill. The hill area presents sharp turns in the beautiful view of the surroundings. Every successful driver drops children safely to their home.

The path to the destinations can seem crazy, but they all add excitement to the experience. In fact, the routes in this game are the most powerful feature that makes it different. You feel thrilled to control the bus when taking sharp turns.

6. Modern City School Bus Simulator

In an urban city environment, you get to drive a school bus, manage parking, and handle passengers in a virtual yet realistic way. The paths can seem moderately difficult, but they all align with the real city traffic scenarios. Your ultimate task is to pick up and drop off students to and from schools.

The big city environment and smooth control systems impress you more with effective sounds attached to the scenarios.

7. School Bus Driver 3D Simulator

TapinatorInc included some crazy missions with school bus driving simulations. This way, the game reaches to a whole new level. From the front seat, you get to explore the road without getting into messy traffic situations. Obstacles are critical and require focus, otherwise, you may face crash.

There are 30 fun missions with challenges that you will enjoy. The realistic traffic and top-notch sound effects make you more engaged in the game.

8. Off Road School Bus

What happens when a school bus goes off the road?! You can explore this idea through Off Road School Bus Android game. The challenges in this game include off-road trails that make bus handling more difficult and adventurous. Road hurdles become crazier and you face certain limitations due to the off road trails.

A school bus doesn’t act like a monster truck. Hence, driving a bus on these roads requires a responsible nature and you have to follow some rules to keep your bus on the track.

The game offers a touch steering, tilts steering, and buttons to use when driving. The traffic has been designed with AI, which creates realistic scenarios when you use brakes or take turns.

These are the best and unique school bus games available on Android. You can choose any one that seems more suitable to your wish.

TrackSchoolBus Smart Bands Ensure Your Kid’s Safety

Posted on August 20, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

When it comes to the safety and security of school children, there are umpteen modern alternatives that come in as blessings. While GPS tracking attached to school buses is one of the safety means, you can also look at the options of equipping your kids with safety watches or wristbands.

These safety devices help you keep a close watch on the whereabouts of your kids; whether at school or out on a school excursion with teachers and schoolmates. These devices provide the much-needed information about the exact location of your kids.

If you are the parent of a small kid who does not know how to use a smartphone or all those kids who cannot clearly express themselves, smart bands come as their protectors.

This blog sheds light on all the ways in which smart bands from TrackSchoolBus ensure the safety of young kids.

Smart Bands from TrackSchoolBus – The Safety Wearables for School Kids

TrackSchoolBus is one of the leading providers of wearable tracking devices to kids. This noble initiative offers modern and innovative ideas to protect your school-going kids.

The Smart Bands offered by TrackSchoolBus are embedded with geo-fencing features which come up with alerts about the location changes of your kids.

All thanks to the multipurpose geo-fencing capability of these safety bands, you can keep a close watch on your kids who are out on a school excursion or even while they are in the school premises. Along with assisting you track your kids, the geo-fencing software steps in to record the attendance of your kids.

Heave a Sigh of Relief with Smart Bands from TrackSchoolBus

If you are a parent contemplating to sign up with TrackSchoolBus for securing smart bands for your kids, you can check out this long list of benefits offered by these smart devices.

For your convenience, you can look at these benefits under two heads: functional benefits and operational benefits.

Functional Benefits:

Real-Time Tracking Feature: This feature deserves a special mention because of their ability to perform real-time tracking. Let them go on a school picnic or sit within the four walls of a classroom, these Smart Bands provide you with real-time tracking details.
Instant Alerts Avert Mishaps: Parents and school authorities who have signed up with TrackSchoolBus for the supply of smart bands can benefit from instant alerts. The tracking software installed in these smart devices throws up alerts which pop-up on the screens of your smartphones. The geo-fencing alerts specify the real-time location of your kid.
Tracking Perimeter: The Smart Bands provide accurate information within a range of 20 m to 30 m.
Lay Hands on The Last Tracked Location: The smart bands from TrackSchoolBus help you recognize the last tracked location.
Error-Free Location Details: With the TrackSchoolBus smart bands by your side, there is no scope for any errors. You can enjoy error-free location details of your kids at all times. That means, these are brilliant safety devices that are exclusively meant to protect your school-going kids from any sort of eventuality.

Operational Benefits:

Durability: You will always look for the durability of electronic gadgets. With this primary objective in mind, smart bands from TrackSchoolBus come with a minimum 12-month battery life, without needing to connect them to a charger.
Extended Life Coming from Resistance to Water and Grime: Kids are known to be messy and careless. Keeping these two innate tendencies of young children in mind, these smart bands made in such a way that they are 100% resistant to water and grime.
Additional Features: Every Smart Band comes with Bluetooth and location sensing features.
Independent of Operating System: This Smart Band can be connected to your Android or iOS-powered smart phones.
Global Presence: Another advantage that makes the Smart Bands of TrackSchoolBus unique is linked to their global presence. You can pick up these Smart Bands from most of the countries.
Independent of Wi-Fi or Cellular Data Connection: Fret no more if your Wi-Fi or cellular data connectivity is lost. You can still track your kids’ location using the Bluetooth feature.
Affordability: TrackSchoolBus offers these Smart Bands to all concerned at affordable prices.
Size Variants: The Smart Bands come in three sizes. A small Smart Band comes with a 13 cm diameter. A medium Smart Band measures 14 cm and 15 cm as the diameter of the large Smart Band.

Key Takeaways

There is no dearth for safety mechanisms meant to protect school kids. A modern and viable option is to provide young kids with wearables in the form of smart bands.

When your kids wear these safety devices on their wrists, you can have a sigh of relief about their well-being. Practically replacing RFID cards which can pose operational issues to kids, Smart Bands from TrackSchoolBus can protect kids from accidents and mishaps.

You can not only track your kids but also restrict their movements as and when the need arises.

How to Properly Organize and Manage School Field Trip

Posted on August 16, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

Planning a field trip and knowing exactly how to go about doing it is an essential skill. The idea of field trips works excellently for both the teachers and students.

While the idea is to take students out of the classroom and help them experience some real-life learning, it is also beneficial for teachers as they got to know a student’s interest.

It is no wonder that school boards these days have become increasingly cautious about allowing field trips. If planned well then a field trip can indeed be a memorable and meaningful experience for everyone involved!

Planning and Organizing a Field Trip

Some of the below mentioned stages can be a good guide on how to organize and plan a school trip:

Decide where to go and think about places that enhance and reinforce your curriculum goals.
Ask your administrator and jot some notes before presenting the idea. Tell her why you want to go, where you want to go, what dates you are thinking of, and what the cost will be.
Arrange for transportation and decide how you are going to get the little kids there and back.
Decide on where and when you will stop for meals. Some of the common options available are either everyone including children bringing their own lunch, or stopping at a restaurant or café on or off sight.
Make a plan and understand the time that each activity takes to perform keeping the interest and attention span of students in mind.
Arrange for supervision depending on the number of students going for the trip and number of adults needed in order to handle the children. This also varies depending on the behaviour of age and maturity of the students.
Create a permission form that includes all the necessary details about the field trip, like the date, time, venue, pick-up, drop-off, food to be carried, money to be carried, dress code if any and other such details that is necessary for parents to know before they sign and give their children the permission.
Tie in the field trip with the student’s curriculum by deciding the kind of assignment and learning that can be done on the trip. This usually requires pre-learning and background reading to be done by the teachers.

Tips for Field Trip Behavior Management

While planning a field trip, teachers are usually worried about kid’s behaviour outside the school premises as they don’t how they are likely to behave outside the school setting. Some tips that teachers must remember while planning for a school field trip are:

If some students have significant trouble meeting the behaviour expectations on a day-to-day basis, they should hold a frank discussion regarding the same with the parents.
Always think of an alternative plan for students that you think would not be able to cope with the trip circumstances.
Tell students they are under observation a week before the trip and reward the ones that behave appropriately as this will also give them an insight about the kind of behaviour that is expected from them.
Keep into consideration the medication schedule of kids from their parents
Hold an open discussion with students about the purpose of the trip and expectations of their roles and responsibilities on the same.
Consider keeping a low teacher-student ratio to reduce chances of mishaps

Field Trip Safety Tips for Teachers

While taking children on a field trip, teachers have a huge responsibility of their safety. And as children are usually not so responsible and old enough to be at their best behaviours, teachers must keep a tab of the below tips as they are helpful in ensuring student safety:

Make students get their parents’ signature on a no-objection form which gives the school permission to take children on a field trip
Divide children into groups and assign a monitor to be able to give equal attention to all students and avoid mishaps.
Inform children about the place they are going to visit and prepare them about what they are going to be doing there.
Educate children about the safety tips for the trip and let them know who they are supposed to reach out to when they need any help.
Let the students know they are going to be divided into groups and also let them know who they are going to be with so that they can be comfortable around the people.
Choose a safe transport. Instead of hiring private vehicles, school buses that children travel are safer and more preferred during field trips.
Carry a first aid kit and also water and juices in case to avoid students from feeling dehydrated and low on energy

Here's a video of how teachers can able to track students while on a school field trip or an excursion

Field Trip Rules for Elementary School Students

For students of elementary school going for a field trip, certain rules are mandatory that make trip a pleasurable experience for all like:

Be along with your group at all times
Respect what the monitor says and obey her commands
Help keep noise and confusion at a minimum
Know who to talk about any problems that you are facing
Help others in your group
Take care of your belongings and do not indulge in any inappropriate behaviour while on the trip
Discuss if there is any problem with the teacher
Abstain from using any foul language or showing any disrespect

Field Trip Rules for Middle School Students

Just like students of elementary school, it is very essential for students of middle school to follow rules and regulations as the middle school usually have trips that are for more than just a day and usually are outside the city.

This makes it more important for them to abide by the rules to ensure their safety. The students must remember to:

Stick to the instructions given by teachers and chaperones courteously and respectfully
Keep the transport vehicle, hostel or hotel room clean at all times
Not go beyond the mentioned boundaries of the place they are staying at
Strictly adhere to the time lines and report on time, as suggested by teachers.
Carry appropriate clothes according to the weather and the place
Not ride any form of public transportation during their free time
Make no excessive noise in hotel or the hostel through music or shouting
Follow the buddy system and leave no student alone in his or her hotel room

Impact of Field Trip on the School Environment

A field trip is one of the best tools that we can use to provide every student with real-world experiences.

By taking children out once in a while where they begin to see that what they learn within the classroom walls, schools promote a more efficient way of learning for the students.

It helps them solve the problems they see in the world around them and can have a direct impact on who they become as people. Field trips make learning relatable and faster for students making the school environment more lively and interactive.

Therefore, encouraging school trips is promoting a better learning program for schools and also enabling a healthy development amongst students making them more self-aware and confident.

Great School Bus Drivers – A Short Guide

Posted on August 13, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

It will not be an overstatement to mention that great drivers are the life-blood of any school district aiming at an efficient and problem-free fleet. It is through these professionally trained men that kids, parents and everyone concerned can heave a sigh of relief.

It is because of these men who are always behind the wheels of school buses that your school-going kids reach home safe and on time. With so much being said about school bus drivers, this exhaustive blog points out every facet of hiring, training, retaining and attracting them.

It also sheds light on all the qualities of a school bus driver that will stand as a testimony for him to be called “Great”. Before you try to understand all the above-mentioned aspects of great school bus drivers, let us first focus on the duties of a school bus driver.

School Bus Driver Duties

Every job comes with a detailed job description speaking of the “good to have” and “must have” skills so as to hire the most befitting candidate.

So is the case with school bus drivers who are supposed to match their job description so that they move on from being considered as mere vehicle-operators to friends of both students and their parents.

On the flipside, every job entails upon certain duties that should be fulfilled by an employee. Here are certain duties of a school bus driver:

The one that tops the list is the ordained duty of picking up and dropping school kids at their designated points.
It is also his duty to follow the routes that are mentioned by the school authorities.
He is required to keep his eyes and ears open to weather and traffic conditions.
In addition to meeting timelines, he should ensure the safety of kids onboard at all times.
He should periodically test the tires, brakes and other bus-body parts and suggest timely overhauling and maintenance procedures.
It is also the prime duty of a school bus driver to ensure that kids maintain a safe environment while onboarding.

Qualities of a Great School Bus Driver

There are many things that separate a good school bus driver from a great school bus driver. While a good school bus driver may follow all the traffic rules, a great school bus driver goes beyond these requirements.

Since it is all about ensuring the safety of school kids at all times in addition to effectively managing the fleet through timely maintenance, here are the “must have” characteristics of a great school bus driver.

Sticks to rules and ensures safety of school kids

The topmost quality of a school bus driver is his adherence to rules. All for the sake of ensuring the safety of school kids, he is expected to demonstrate a great deal of professionalism that manifests in the form of:

Punctuality both in terms of pickup and drop timings and parking the vehicle in the school garage
While following all the traffic rules, he should also wear seat belts so as to ensure his safety which is indirectly linked to the safety of the kids onboard
He is expected to honor the signals at railway crossings
In addition to driving according to the traff ic signals, he is also expected to have an eye on the speed limit

When it comes to handling kids, patience tops the list of qualities

It is the innate quality of kids to be fidgety and mischievous. School bus drivers who deal with kids all the time are expected to exercise a great deal of patience.

While it takes all sorts of well-behaved and unruly kids to make a school trip, a great school bus driver is the one who not only drives carefully but also has an eye on the kids. Hence all those bus drivers who have patience can become great school bus drivers.

Timely responses to issues

Life is uncertain and it does not take more than a second for a calm situation to turn into an eventuality. Things are meant to go wrong with a number of unexpected issues cropping up en-route a school trip.

Hence a great school bus driver is expected to react fast to issues and take remedial steps to avert the extent of damage that can affect kids and the vehicle.

His decision making skills coupled with his strong presence of mind in averting accidents can be the perfect blend of must-have traits in a great school bus driver.

A well-informed driving professional

In addition to knowing how to use the state-of-the-art routing software that is offered by TrackSchoolBus, a great school bus driver should demonstrate routing and time management skills.

He can become an asset to any school as he is well-informed about all the school bus routes which help school management save a lot of time, money and effort.

Should never use school buses for personal use

A great school bus driver, alongside demonstrating his driving skills should reach the garage on time every single day. This mirrors the fact that he has not used the bus to fulfill personal obligations.

Should understand the world of differences between a car and a school bus

School bus drivers should know that maneuvering a passenger car is way too different from being at the wheel of a school bus. School bus drivers are expected to exercise caution while driving. Hence the motto should be to drive slowly and steadily.

Why is there a Shortage of School Bus Drivers?

Topping the list of challenges faced by school districts across the globe is the shortage of school bus drivers. Enabling you to get the right picture of this biggest challenge, here are the main reasons that are leading to an acute scarcity of school bus drivers.

The main obstacle that comes in the way of school bus drivers is the fact that they need to wait for up to 6 months to clear the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) exam.
Next in line are the monetary requirements that entail upon a driver’s job. Alongside expecting better benefits, school bus drivers are required to spend their time and efforts in getting a CDL.
The number of hours that are required to be put in by a school bus driver is another concern impacting the deficiency of school bus drivers.

From the school administration perspective, here is the main reason for the shortage of school bus drivers.

The fact that mechanics are available only for 4 hours a day is an impediment for school bus drivers to address to breakdowns.

Also when it comes to regular maintenance of school bus fleet, school bus drivers have to rely on these trained mechanics to perform routine safety checks.

Hence it is because of maintenance requirements that schools are unable to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of school bus drivers.

How to Attract School Bus Drivers?

It is the responsibility of every school to attract many applications from school bus drivers so that their fleet requirements are filled in. In an attempt to experience a steady flow of applications, it is the need of the hour to look out for creative ways to recruit school bus drivers.

While the conventional newspaper ads and fliers may yield results, sometimes the informal communication between people can fill in a school bus driver vacancy. If you are looking for other compelling means that will help schools fill their school bus driver positions, here they come.

Billboards Can Make Their Presence Felt

Notwithstanding the fact that the bright yellow-colored school buses make their strong presence felt on city roads, you may go ahead and cash in on the strength of attractive billboards.

Billboards in the form of attention-grabbing vinyl signs can display the message of a vacancy. These billboards when displayed on school buses can create an impact on the readers and riders.

These people can in-turn spread this message to school bus drivers who are looking for an employment.

Maintain a Rapport with PTA

It is important for transport organizations to foster their relationship with the Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs).

Once transport conglomerates start building a rapport with PTAs, they will be able to collect data points about good school drivers who used to ferry their kids when they were small.

PTAs serve as effective means to fill in the drivers’ seats of school buses since they can vouch for the behavior of all those school bus drivers who transported kids on time and safely.

Unleash the Power of Direct-Mailing

Directly mailing prospective candidates for the role of school bus drivers is another means to fill the vacant positions.

It comes as an intelligent move to send a recruitment letter supported by a poster and the job application to people who might be interested to work as school bus drivers. These professions come with flexible schedules which can come as a blessing to fill up school bus driver vacancies.

How to Train School Bus Drivers?

Training school bus drivers is a significant part to ensure the safety of school students. Training is also about informing drivers with emergency planning tactics along with harping on the importance of common sense while being at the wheel.

And to impart this training to drivers, you can bank upon the knowledge imparted by school bus driver training programs.

Given the fact that a majority of these training programs focus only on how to maneuver and drive a school bus, it is the need of the hour to equip them with details concerning safety issues and crises management.

With an intention to prepare the school bus drivers for any sort of eventuality that might arise while driving, below are certain training measures that should be taken by school authorities.

School bus drivers should be informed about the latest trends in school violence so as to avert any such incident.
They should be trained to deal with bus supervision issues.
School bus drivers who have a thorough knowledge of their vehicle will be in a position to conduct pre & post trip inspections. Along with periodical checkup of brakes, they should be trained to adjust their mirrors and reference points so as to avert accidents.
Every school bus driver should be taught about various driving situations including how to maneuver the bus at an intersection, how to safely reverse the bus and the precautions that need to be taken at railroad crossings.
Prevention and effective management of violent incidents that take place in the bus also form a subject to learn.
School bus drivers should be equipped with information concerning bus emergency strategies and exercises that need to be conducted as part of crises management.
They should be informed about all the ways in which school buses can become targets to terrorist attacks.
School bus drivers should be trained about safe bus stops along with having an eye on sleeping children. It is very important for every school bus driver to be taught about the nuances concerning student management.
Last but not the least, it is very important for every school bus driver to identify distractions while driving so that he/she can focus on the road ahead. This is an important part of training that will help the driver exercise his/her presence of mind to avert an accident.

Tips To Retain School Bus Drivers

It is a well-known fact that while good school bus drivers are scarce, then to retain them is quite a difficult task. All the transportation departments looking for means to retain professional and trained drivers can check out these 12 workable tips.

School districts should look at the salary structure of school bus drivers and strive to offer them competitive salaries. Once health and retirement benefits come as perks, they will attract more and more school bus drivers to stick to their jobs.
If school bus drivers are encouraged through adequate support and training, they feel valued and hence will stick on to their jobs.
Any reason for a driver’s unruly behavior should be immediately brought to the notice of supervisors who should be ordained to take timely action.
In an attempt to value the opinions of school bus drivers, it is important to conduct periodical staff meetings. As part of the agenda, supervisors should allow the drivers to say their opinions about anything that is of concern to them.
It is also very important to offer an unbiased treatment to all the school bus drivers.
School administrations inclined to retain school bus drivers should have procedures and policies along with certain best practices that should be followed by them.
Respect for drivers is another factor that will go a long way in retaining them.
A pat on the back of drivers for any positive trait such as accident-free driving or regular attendance is sure to retain them for long.
To top it all, financial incentives like rewards and bonuses can come in as attractive means to retain good school bus drivers.

Closing Thoughts

Given the fact that good school bus drivers are an asset to every school, it pays for school authorities to pay heed to their concerns and demands. Only then they will be encouraged to take pride in their job.

Along with training, appreciating and respecting school bus drivers can bring in a great deal of accountability to their ordained duty of transporting students safely and on time.

Real Time Bus Tracking App – 12 Things You Need to Know

Posted on August 10, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

A real time bus tracking app will allow you to determine the precise real-time location of your kids and their school buses. It also has the ability to record location of school bus at specified intervals.

Nowadays, all these apps have been designed to be compatible with all mobile platforms and other high-end widgets.

Running a school bus is not an easy task, particularly if you are in charge of handling more number of school buses. You will have to take much effort in knowing the exact location of your school buses.

This means that you have to get yourself familiar with the features of a real time bus tracking app before heading out to use one.

This blog will inform you about 15 things you must know about the real time bus tracking app.

1. Lessen Operating Costs

Real-time bus tracking app comes equipped with a good fleet administration system or GPS tracking system. This will allow you to decide the shortest as well as the best routes for your school buses.

It will definitely aid you considerably in reducing your school bus fuel consumption, which, in turn, will allow you to cut needless overtime expenses.

2. Save Your Time

You can save much of your time by tracking school buses in real time. There are instances when your school bus gets trapped in the traffic jam for hours.

With the best school bus tracking software, you will be capable of guiding your drivers to shun the hectic routes in a real-time basis, thus saving much of your time as well as the riding time of your school bus.

3. Decrease Downtime

Dipping downtime plays a vital role in improving the output as well as the prosperity of your school bus management. The real-time school bus tracking through an app will aid you significantly in making knowledgeable decisions and plan trips more resourcefully.

4. Make the Most of the Resources

Real-time school bus tracking apps not only help the parent but also help with the school authorities with monitoring your buses and getting comprehensive insights on driver performance, fuel utilization, engine inactiveness, etc.

This will result in using resources efficiently without wasting more amount of money.

5. Maximize the Bus Use

School authorities can take the maximum advantage of your school buses by tracking school bus in real time.

This will be capable of using the information and analysis received from the app to eradicate vehicle inactive time, lessen excess speeding, and reduce the consumption of fuel.

6. Keep Kids and Parents Happy

The real-time school bus tracking will allow school authorities to offer the required safety to your kids. This will offer a peace of mind to their parents, as they will know that their kids are safe in their school buses. It will allow improving your loyalty to the parents, as well.

7. Predictable

The real-time school bus tracking can provide the running time of school buses. This means that parents will never come across uncertainty in your school bus transportation.

Thus, you will be capable of providing parents with real-time tracking information, exact delivery times, and other important details.

8. Handle Bus Staff Efficiently

The real time bus tracking will help school authorities substantially in managing attendants and drivers in an effective way. You can pull up the information obtained from the tracking system, examine it, and can take remedial measures whenever obligatory.

9. Better Route Scheduling

The real-time school bus tracking helps greatly in identifying routes that will save both your money and time. You will be capable of designing a smart route scheduling, which, in turn, will decrease fruitless work. This will allow you to get rid of needless fuel costs, as well.

8 School Bus Route Auto Allocation Features from TrackSchoolBus

10. Locate Your Lost School Bus

You can find your stolen or lost school buses easily through the real-time school bus tracking, which, in turn, will decrease your maintenance expenses.

You can watch key aspects, as well, like engine oil levels and the overall physical condition of your school buses. The information from the fleet administration system will help you with ascertaining the time of routine inspection of your school buses.

11. Well-Timed Notifications

Tracking your school bus in real time will offer you the ability to send email or SMS alerts when your school buses go out of your school zone. In addition, you can propel appropriate real-time alerts in case of mishaps and other unforeseen incidents, so that you can take the essential steps.

12. Safety

The real-time school bus tracking will perk up the safety of your school students and bus staff through monitoring your buses.

If any troublesome incident happens, you will be capable of offering direct support and assistance to your bus attendants and drivers. It can even help you execute both-way communication between you and your drivers.

How TrackSchoolBus System Allocates School Bus Routes

Posted on August 8, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

It will not be an overstatement to quote that technology has become a torchbearer offering a host of convenient features, simplifying the lives of its users. A couple of such technological innovations that deserve a special mention are the school bus tracking system offered by TrackSchoolBus.

Aiming to not only offer transparency with every school bus ride, this system and the tracking apps integrated with it bestow a great deal of convenience to all the stakeholders; school bus drivers, school van operators and parents included.

It is through these tracking apps helps school administrators to ensure that they are plying their vehicles according to the desired capacity levels for every bus route.

This blog sheds light on numerous ways in which TrackSchoolBus System helps in auto allocating school bus routes.

The Smart Allocation Algorithm of TrackSchoolBus Tracking System

If you look into all the ways in which the TrackSchoolBus System lends a helping hand to school bus operators, you will be convinced that it is indeed a smart means to operate school buses and routes in complete control.

If you are a trasnport manager, then you can rely on this facility to plan school bus routes within minutes, in line with the number of pick-up points and their respective densities. That means, every school bus route is allotted in line with the capacity and pick-up point requirements.

Historical Data – The Primary Source of Information

Looking into the parents’ registration forms, school bus operators, with the help of Parent App integrated with TrackSchoolBus System will be in a strong position to assign pick-up according to the residential addresses of respective students.

Allowing you to conduct the auto routing procedures, it helps you to alter route in the event of a sudden relocation.

You will be able to take the help of Google Maps to identify the exact pick-up location of every student; residential address of the student.

6 School Bus Auto Routing Features from TrackSchoolBus

Unleash the Power of Control Through Automation

The power of automation can never be undermined, especially concerning the matters of control and efficiency. This is a fact that goes well with the TrackSchoolBus System that it automatically assists you to create vehicle assignments and school bus routes.

Banking on the trip and address details of every student, the TrackSchoolBus System handholds all school transport managers to exercise complete control over every school bus route. In the event of a sudden relocation, the system through its smart notifications via app shows the changed pick-up points.

The app comes with a printout facility that can provide pertinent handouts. These printouts can be used as reference points for the existing school bus transportation system.

What’s In Store for You?

You can avail free auto allocation trails that can be availed by schools which have subscribed or are planning to subscribe to the TrackSchoolBus System.

Tagged is a centralized and user-friendly interface, the TrackSchoolBus System is independent of any sort of hardware specifications. Offering you a host of unique value-added features, it is through this system that you can enjoy the flexibility of quoting for the facilities according to your needs.

To top it all, you have the additional benefit coming in the form of affordability. That means, with the reasonably-priced TrackSchoolBus System you will be in a position to operate your school bus fleet in the most efficient manner.

And once you become a TrackSchoolBus System subscriber, you can make the most of the advanced auto allocation feature and more.

10 Simple but Important Things About School Bus Tracking

Posted on August 6, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

School Bus Tracking helps to improve student safety and build a better and secure relationship between parents and schools. This is a most efficient way to keep track of students’ security.

Each school might have proper arrangement for bus service or have bus companies for providing such services. They are responsible for taking entire responsibility of the kid’s safety along with ensuring that they keep updating the parents about any delays or urgent needs.

Let us see the important things about a proper school bus tracking system:

1. The tracking system for school buses can help in improving the safety measures as a result of which parents, teachers and even bus management people can work at ease.

This tracking helps to monitor the bus services in real and can also help parents to know about their time of arrival. This can reduce a lot of tension between parents and teachers. This effective procedure should be implemented as much as possible.

2. Bus tracking service such as GPS can help parents to keep an eye on the behaviour of the bus management team. At the same time, it also helps in knowing whether their kids are safe in harsh weather conditions or any incidental cause.

Having proper tracking system can help in improving the management system as managers would be informed about any urgent breakdown or be notified of any maintenance need.

This can in turn help in reducing costly breakdowns. When buses need maintenance then managers are responsible for scheduling replacement of buses.

3. Apart from this a bus tracking system can help to keep a close eye on the driver and check if they are following rules and regulations such as speed limits and scheduled routes.

Managers may also take note of the driving patterns such as hard braking or lingering around unnecessarily. This shall not only help in reducing the cost but also assure safety of children travelling in bus.

4. By following the tracking system, parents and teachers can get to know more about the arrival and departure time of the Bus. It shall be easy to generate effective schedule management for students. As per the details, parents and teachers can decide about their timings and proper schedule management.

Moreover, if there is any problem, for instance if the bus arrives late or there is a sudden breakdown then it might really get difficult. Students might have to keep waiting for their bus while at the same time it is also irritating for parents to keep waiting.

However, if there is a proper tracking system then it gets easier to deal with these things. The school bus tracking system can help in dealing with the bus management system and collaborate with your own dealings and schedules.

5. When parents let their children to go by bus, they completely trust the driver and other management officials involved here. Parents are often worried about their children to ensure that their child is protected and in complete safe hands.

Just as an additional precautionary measure by having a tracking system can give great peace of mind to the parents.

6. With the tracking system it will be easier to track the buses live and are notified about any emergency. Even automatic updates can save parents from calling again and again.

This shall help the management team to look after the kids. The live tracking system shall be updated with more reliable timings. So there would be no worries about delays.

7. Most schools face issues regarding their budget. However, a tracking system can help in reducing a lot of wastage of money. It helps in improving the route efficiency which in turn can reduce the fuel costs.

Other than this it becomes easy to monitor vehicle performance and reduce the maintenance cost.

8. School bus tracking offers better safety for drivers as the tracking system is not only helpful for children but also for the drivers. One can easily keep track of the drivers’ accountability, their whereabouts, and behaviour.

It can be easy to monitor reckless speed or improper behaviour of the driver. The perfect implementation of a tracking system can help to reduce the risk of students being exposed to any problem.

9. Tracking system makes the collection of data easy. This helps in proper collection and storage of data. Though tracking a vehicle isn’t that easy as it might seem be. However, with the right arrangement of various factors such as mileage and other things can be taken care of.

Moreover, the data is collected automatically via bus tracking software. There is no longer any need to rely on manual data handling or generating process as now it shall become easy to deal with these. The data recorded can further be used to prepare log books.

Having proper accuracy they can be used at the end of month for generating payments. Their performance can easily be taken care by collecting these data. One needs to simply print the data and go through it properly.

10. Those schools which haven’t come up with any bus tracking system yet should consider all the benefits involved in having a proper tracking system. This shall not only help in improving the school business but also gain a level of trust on the school. This shall be the best way to improve brand awareness and improve safety measures in schools for their own children.

Final Thoughts

In short, School Bus Tracking made easier for you to keep the track records of the security of your kids. Whatever is the case, a school bus tracking system will surely help in enhancing the overall performance of school.

This will help to improve the overall system and can provide safety benefits to school management, parents and children. As safety is very important for your children so if you are getting any safe opportunity for your child then never miss it.

9 Things to Avoid In School Bus Transportation Services

Posted on August 3, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

School bus transportation services offer the safest mode of transport for getting kids to and from their schools. They offer about 50 times more safety for kids to and from schools than other mode of transportation.

Additionally, kids have a much safer travel in a school bus than being taken by their parents in the personal vehicles.

As school buses are one among the safest means for kids to and from school, there are many superior reasons that make them a rising option amid parents for the school commute of their children.

However, to make the school bus safe, kids availing the school bus transportation services are supposed to avoid some factors. Here are 9 vital things to avoid while availing such services to ensure the maximum safety of kids boarding the bus.

1. Bus stop rushing

School-going kids should not all rush to their bus stop if they are late. Late kids are inclined to run to their bus stop or chase their school bus if it has already gone past their bus stop.

This can be very hazardous if they run across a highway and overlook to pay their attention to traffic. Kids should always come to their bus stop at least five minutes before the arrival of their school bus. This may greatly aid them to avoid the morning panic.

2. Clothing

Kids should avoid wearing loose straps or hanging drawstrings clothes as it can be a risk on a school bus. Unruly straps and drawstrings can be trapped in the doors and handrails of their school bus.

They can become lodged in or wrapped around a seat, as well. This will stop the kids from exiting their school bus quickly during an emergency.

3. Waiting for bus

It is safe for school-going children by avoiding standing near to the curb while they are waiting for their bus. Usually, kids have a much higher possibility of being wounded in a zone where the loading and unloading of school students is being carried out, than within the bus itself.

School administrators and students should advise their kids to stand at a minimum distance of six feet away from the curb while they are waiting at their bus stop.

4. Bus front

School students should not walk very close to the front part of bus while boarding it. This is because while strolling in front of their school bus, there is a chance for a mishap with the bus if the driver accidentally releases the brake of the bus.

Therefore, kids should be appropriately instructed to stand at a minimum distance of 10 feet ahead of their bus prior to crossing the road every time.

5. Road crossing

Students should not cross the road without checking the traffic on both of their sides. This means that they have to check the traffic on their left as well as on their right side while crossing the street.

Furthermore, it is the personal responsibility of the school bus driver to stop the bus from where the kids and the driver should be able to see each. While crossing before the school bus, children should first see the driver.

This will make sure that both the driver as well as the kids can perceive each other.

6. Picking up the dropped things

Kids should avoid picking up things by themselves that they have dropped their items while boarding and unboarding school bus.

Parents should suitably instruct their kids not to attempt and repossess their things that they have dropped near or under their school bus on their own.

This could be unsafe for the reason that they will be out of the sight of driver. Asking the driver to pick up the dropped things will ensure the maximum safety of the kids boarding bus.

7. Boarding the bus

Kids are supposed to avoid boarding their school bus too hastily. Parents should advise their kids to remain patient while they are boarding their school bus. They should make their kids understand that entering the bus is not a competition or a race to grab their seats.

Kids should stand one behind the other in a line away from the road at their bus stop before boarding their school bus. Moreover, they should avoid entering the bus before it stops completely.

Then, they can start boarding the bus after the doors are opened. They can then start entering the bus after getting the green signal from the bus attendant to board the bus.

8. Safe seating in the bus

Traveling kids should not put their body parts outside the window of school bus. Even though it may offer some sort of enjoyment to kids, they should stay away from hanging their body parts out of the window as it can led to serious wounds.

Therefore, children who are school bus commuters should not at all put their arms, heads, or hands out of the bus window.

9. Emergency exit

By no means, kids should play with the emergency exit in their school bus. Grown-up kids will usually sit in the back seats of their bus. Although the emergency exit door may intrigue them, they should not at all touch the door or try to open it.

On no account, they should obstruct the door with their backpacks or bags, as well. During the time of an emergency, students are supposed to listen to the instructions of the driver carefully about the use of the emergency exit.