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11 Things about School Bus Transportation Software You Have To Experience It Yourself

Posted on September 10, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

School bus transportation software are gaining wide acceptance than ever before owing to the role it plays in improving the overall efficiency and convenience.

The school management, the students as well as their parents are getting benefited in one way or the other with its amazing features and options. When students can have a smooth bus journey to and from the school, parents can be assured about the safety and engage in their daily schedules with peace of mind.

School management can make the transportation services better with improved driver accountability, easy record management, and efficient risk management.

The real time bus monitoring features with GPS tracking facility is the key highlight of school bus transportation software as the accurate GPS data analysis optimizes the safety factor of the journey. It also helps with efficient fuel usage and easily handles field trips.

Here let us have a look at the key elements and benefits of school bus transportation software you have to experience it yourself.

1. Convenient Calendar Based Scheduling: With scheduling based on calendar, a lot of data can be managed effortlessly. The trips can be created, edited, planned and rescheduled in relatively quicker period. A number of preset scenarios can be set in advance such as a half day, unexpected holiday, emergency journey and more.

The plan can be made in advance for a semester altogether or for an academic year. Also the automatic bus routing saves a lot of time which is otherwise wasted with the manual option.

2. User Friendly GPS Tracking: The entire journey of the bus can be tracked efficiently with GPS tracking facility. The RFID student tracking cards assures comprehensive insight into their routes without any hassle.

This facility is equally beneficial for school authorities, support staff and parents to keep track of their child’s location whenever they needed by just logging in. Everyone can make sure if the bus is running on time and through the right route or not.This also reduces the waiting time for the bus and avoids the scenarios of missed buses.

3. Adapt to Schedule Changes: The changes in the schedule for a particular student can be made easily with the automatic software. If it is a one time change or a permanent change, it can be made without any trouble.

The software allows a change in the route if the student’s destination is temporarily changed, or the specific route would be suspended for a particular time if he goes for a vacation. This eliminates the need for creating an entirely new schedule. Moreover, the optimal use of resources adds a lot of value to the efficient school transport management.

4. Efficient Driver Management: The comprehensive data base helps to keep track of the driver information such as payroll information & hire and termination dates. You can also easily check if there are any pending certifications on First Aid, TSA Clearance, CPR and validate details on annual training and license expiration regularly.

The reminder options on due dates makes the management over drivers and other staff easy. Also the software will have a clear overview of the statistics based on driver availability, driver absenteeism, as well as allocation of driver assistants.

5. Manage Fuel Usage: The school authority can make sure that the drivers are utilizing the fuels efficiently by checking if they are following the assigned routes. They will get alerts in case the drivers deviates the bus from the scheduled routes for any other purposes.

As maps are updated frequently, driver can consider any new routes that can save fuel and avoid traffic jammed routes. Routes can be decided efficiently as time needed to cover specific routes can be calculated at ease.

6. Accurate GPS Data Analysis: A team can be assigned to have a look at the analysis of GPS data of the vehicle. The data can be used effectively for the overall improvement of the bus journey which in one way or the other helps with enhanced productivity of school transports.

Talking about the safety, this also helps to find out the nearest buses running in the route of other bus that needs an emergency assistance.

7. Handle Field Trips: When a group of students go for field trips, the efficient software can make sure that the journey is safe. The right use of routes and the option to plan the trip quickly saves a lot of time.

The comprehensive digital records make it easy for handling the details such as the places to be covered, trip tickets, duration of each trip, number of trips covered in an annual year by batches and more. The additional costs during the trips can be added to separate tabs on the software which makes the financial settlement more accurate.

8. Easy Record Management: As every records based on transportation are stored and accessed from one place, the management is made really easy. This avoids the manual records on details such as driver information, vehicles details, expenditure, student list, fuel costs and more.

The lists of drivers are updated on a regular basis to avoid any clash in the schedules. The emergency contact numbers of all the students travelling in bus are maintained in the database and drivers and bus staff can access it easily at needy times.

The advanced software will also have options to take care of students with special needs by assuring optimized school bus routes, reduced on-board times, and proper management of medical reimbursements.

9. Real Time Bus Monitoring: As the advanced technology allows real time monitoring of bus, the concerned people can get the live location of the students at their comfort. This also includes the stoppage reports of the bus which helps to improve the punctuality of the bus and save potential time of students.

As if the driver know that everybody is observing him/her, then the drivers would be more cautious about their driving and punctuality. In advanced software, parents can have a look at the online portal at school bus hubs to get info on real time bus arrival notifications.

10. Better School Bus Maintenance: Every detail regarding the bus is available on the data base such as equipment specifications, vehicle depreciation, scheduled services due dates and inspection reports.

This makes it easy for the authority to keep track of the timely maintenance of the bus which can reduce the emergencies and downtime caused due to bus functionality. With lowered emergency rates and penalties, school authorities can keep the budget under control.

11. Efficient Risk Management: In case, the bus went through an unfortunate breakdown, they can pass the message to authorities within minimal time. This helps them to arrange an alternate transport quickly, thus minimizing the waiting time of students in busy roads.

The map routes available in the data base will have details regarding the emergency centres available in the routes. Moreover, the optimized routes and engine idling gives you the exclusive benefit of contributing to improved carbon footprint.

Choose the right school bus transportation software with advanced features for your institution after taking into account your exact purpose with the software. With the right option, you can experience smarter routes, safe buses and smooth operations with your finger tips.

Msking use of this software can bring a notable improvement within a short period of time. With optimal use of buses, one can make a huge reduction in staffing and maintenance costs.

The advance software even comes with options such as live video of the bus journey so that officials can foresee the behaviour of drivers and make sure that they are driving safe.

15 School Bus Safety Ideas You Can Share With Everyone

Posted on September 7, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

Safety begins at home. All in an attempt for everyone concerned to ensure that students reach their destination safe and sound, parents should play a major role.

They should do their bit in educating kids about safety rules that need to be followed by their wards. Additionally, life with its uncertainties in the form of an unforeseen eventuality caused by an errant motorist may cause a road accident involving a school bus.

For the sake of informing everyone about the safety parameters concerning school buses plying on roads, here are 15 safety tips that are categorized under the heads of those meant for parents and those that are given out to motorists on the road.

Firstly, let us look at the 8-fold safety tips that parents should teach their school-going kids so as to ensure that every school trip is safe. These pointers should then be made public for everyone to pay heed and implement.

Tip 1 : A Yellow Signal Indicates That the Bus is About to Halt: It is the prime responsibility of the parents to educate their wards about the safety signals of school buses. One such explanation concerns the flashing of yellow lights on a school bus. Parents should teach their kids that blinking yellow lights indicate that the bus is preparing to halt.

Tip 2 : Escort Young Kids to Their School Bus Stops: Parents of young kids should always escort them to the pickup points and wait for their return at their designated drop points.

Tip3 : Give Clear Drop Point Instructions to Kids: Elder kids who need not always be accompanied to bus stops should be informed about the safest route to reach home. Parents should insist that their kids who get dropped at their bus stop should either head straight to their doorstep or to the normal after-school destination they are ordained to reach.

Tip 4 : Caregivers to Step In, Filling In for Parents: In the event parents have a change of plan with regard to picking up their kids from the school bus stop, they should keep the caregiver informed about the new plan. Caregivers should then ensure that these kids are not left stranded on the road after getting dropped from their school bus.

Tip 5 : Educate Kids about School Bus Safety Rules: Information is strength. In line with this adage, it is the duty of parents to educate their wards about the school bus safety rules. One important pointer that should be brought to the notice of kids is to avoid picking anything that has fallen down when they are boarding the bus. They should let their kids know that informing the bus driver about the fallen object can avoid accidents.

Tip 6 : Patience – A Virtue That Should Be Inculcated in Kids: Kids should be taught to patiently wait for the driver’s instruction to board the bus. Kids should wait for the driver’s instruction to cross the street and should avoid hurrying away from the bus after the bus comes to a halt at a drop point. Additionally, they should also be instructed to move away from the danger zone and to wait for the bus in a safe corner, away from the street.

Tip 7 : Better to Be Safe Than to Be Sorry: Parents should keep a watchful eye on what their kids wear and carry to school. In addition to avoide loosely hanging straps that can get caught to the doors, seats or handrails, school bags with strings not tied up should be avoided at all times.

Tip 8 : Good Conduct While Travelling in a School Bus: Parents should teach their kids that they should demonstrate a disciplined conduct while on board. In addition, they should din it in the minds of kids that misbehaving while travelling can lead to accidents. Distracting the attention of school bus drivers can lead to an unsafe environment, causing harm to all the students on board. Kids should also be taught to respect the instructions given out by the school bus driver with a belief that rules are meant for the safety of every student travelling.

Tip 9: Heeding to the Instructions of the School Bus Driver: Obedience is another trait that should be inculcated in kids, early on. While parents teach kids to obey their teachers in class, they should also teach them to be obedient towards the school bus driver. Secondly, Let us now move to the 6 safety tips that should be followed by motorists and proclaimed to everyone.

Tip 10: Rules are meant to be Followed: Motorists should always follow the rules specified by the government. The law states that motorists should be watchful about school buses and should stop when they see a school bus either picking or dropping kids at their respective locations.

Tip 11: Keep An Eye on the School Bus Signals: Motorists should always look for the stop arm and red lights that flash when the school bus halts. These two signals suggest that they should completely halt their vehicles without seeing them as “proceed with caution” indicators.

Tip 12 : Safety Instructions to Vehicles Plying alongside School Buses: These safety tips are meant for vehicles which are plying on a divided roadway sharing the road with a school bus.

Tip 13 : Shed Light on the Consequences of Errant Drivers: People residing in rural areas should be educated about the seriousness of impatient or preoccupied drivers. Such drivers who do not spare a thought about school buses can injure the kids who are either boarding or alighting the school bus.

Tip 14 : The Significance of a Stop Signal: Motorists should bear in mind that a school bus stop signal is non-negotiable. Going against such a signal attracts a traffic ticket which can be avoided if they keep their eyes open to school bus signals.

Tip 15: Safety Instructions for Drivers and Pedestrians: It is not only for pedestrians to follow traffic rules. Drivers should also take care of pedestrian traffic rules. All those riders who are in close range of the school bus stops and the school premises should be very vigilent at all times. They should completely halt their vehicles when they see a school bus either picking up or dropping students.

Closing Thoughts:

All the above-mentioned school bus safety tips should periodically be reviewed thoroughly. Once these tips are made public to everyone concerned about the security of school students, safety will be ensured.

In this way, every school bus trip will become a safe ride for kids to enjoy and for parents to be rest-assured. In addition to stay safe while boarding the bus, kids should be taught to maintain seating discipline and follow instructions of how to get down the bus.

Motorists who make their presence felt on roads are also expected to be watchful about school buses plying with many students.

Artificial Intelligence in School Bus – A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on September 3, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

You will agree with the fact that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the catchphrase which is attracting the attention of people operating in different spheres. Now, AI is also making its strong presence felt in the field of school transportation.

You might be wondering the role of AI in this territory concerning the pickup and dropping of school students at their designated stops.

For every one of you to make the most of the state-of-the-art technology aptly coined with the AI title, here is an all-in-one guide. Reading this will help you understand the numerous ways in which AI can simplify the school bus fleet operations.

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence, true to its name is a technology that is meant to simplify the lives of humans in more ways than you can imagine. It is a technique by which you can allow your routine operations to be controlled by AI-supported computers.

To sum it all, AI allows machines to think and act on their own, just as human do. Human intelligence takes the form of instructions that are given to these machines. They will then be transformed into artificially intelligent systems that can act on their own.

If you are curious to know about the different ways in which AI-powered systems operate, it will take you by surprise that such machines can plan, learn, demonstrate reasoning abilities, solve problems, show up various perceptions and provide creative solutions.

Not leaving the various demands of school transportation behind, TrackSchoolBus makes the most of AI features to provide a host of benefits to the stakeholders. Let us now move on to understand the various ways in which TrackSchoolBus relies on AI in supporting the various needs of school buses.

What are its main features?

What do you expect from a school bus transportation system which is powered by Artificial Intelligence? You will expect it to seamlessly provide all the solutions to various concerns of school transportation alongside strengthening the security of school students.

And AI does exactly the same. It is through an in-built AI technology that TrackSchoolBus automates the three most important subjects concerning school transportation.

They are: Auto Allocation, Auto Optimization and Auto Routing.

Let us now examine all these 3 features in detail.

Auto Allocation:

True to its name, auto allocation is an AI-powered feature that helps fleet managers allocate vehicles on different school routes. AI steps in by providing the much-needed data point which is the optimum capacity of every school bus route. There may be some routes which demand a couple of trips and there may be others which are less populated. In such cases, an auto allocation enables transport managers to optimally allocate a particular bus to a particular school bus route.

Auto Optimization:

Moving on to the next AI feature that helps school districts is about the preparedness to initiate a sudden change in route. This feature serves two basic necessities. One being the route optimization and the other is the pickup optimization.

Speaking of route optimization, it is through this feature that fleet managers can effortlessly manage and juggle with multiple pickup points that should be covered in a single bus route. In the event a student needs to be picked up somewhere between two pickup points, a provision can be made. Route optimization also helps the school bus to take the shortest route to a destination.

Moving on to pick up optimization, you will be in a comfortable position to come up with an exact pickup point for a student that is in line with the historical data and the assigned points.

AI helps fleet managers rise to the occasion of a change in the pickup point so that they can make timely changes to the school bus route. That means, it is through AI that school bus managers can optimize their routes taking into account a sudden change in the pickup point while the bus is in motion.

Auto Routing:

TrackSchoolBus relies on a smart Auto Routing algorithm that enables fleet managers to come up with the most cost and time-effective route. Here, the existing data points consisting of drop and pickup points that are generated by AI serve as pointers to alter a particular school bus route.

What are its advantages?

For you to understand the benefits of AI to the field of school transportation, you need to give a closer look at the three automated features, individually.

Advantages of Auto Allocation Feature

AI will help fleet managers to assign the correct pickup point which is established on the basis of the current residential address of students.
If any change in the route, auto allocation helps transport managers to redo the auto routing plan while effectively performing all the activities of auto routing.
All thanks to Artificial Intelligence, you now have a system that takes care of all the school bus routes, pickup points and vehicle assignments. You need to simply provide pertinent details concerning the trip and residential address and AI does its job, automatically performing all the above activities.
Both parents and school bus drivers will be informed about the pickup point of students as location indicates on Google Maps.
AI simplifies the job of a transport manager allowing him to chalk out a route in a jiffy. He does not have to worry about the number of pickup points or the strength of students. AI does all the spade work necessary and suggests an optimal route which saves a lot of time and cost.
As an attractive incentive to prospective schools, TrackSchoolBus offers free auto allocation trials. Depending on their satisfaction levels, schools can opt for this time-saving and efficient AI-powered auto allocation feature.

Advantages of Auto Optimization Feature:

You just need two data points to implement the auto optimization feature and they are the starting point and the ending point. Due to this feature, school bus routes are optimized automatically and are AI-inbuilt.
It is through this AI-powered feature that fleet managers can continuously and diligently monitor any change in pickup points. They will get all the help needed to assign pickup points by relying on the actual location of the student.
You can also immediately get information about the best possible road that is free from traffic jams. Through this auto optimization feature, transport managers can not only reduce the travel time but also bring down fuel bills to a considerable extent.
If any relocation, you can effortlessly update the pickup point that will be intimated to everyone concerned.
With this, fuel and fleet maintenance bills can be reduced. In turn, you can also reduce the wear and tear of your fleet when you avoid the instances of unnecessary travel, covering long distances.

Advantages of Auto Routing Feature

This help transport managers to decide which route to take, which trip to start and which vehicle will meet the capacity requirements of a particular route.
Fleet managers can perform regular checks to assess the efficiency of their current school bus routes.
It is through this AI-powered feature that you can optimize many elements of school transportation including durability of the vehicle, usage of vehicle on a daily basis along with running time and the total distance covered per day.
Since this feature takes the vehicle details as an important data point, you can match your requirements based on the number of students at a particular pickup point, the total seating capacity of a school bus and the shift that a particular driver is filling in for.
In addition to cut down the costs to run the school bus fleet, AI helps to save the vehicle running hours through optimized vehicle assignments.

How will AI change the management of school buses?

It is indeed a very difficult task for transport managers to come up with the most befitting route for a school bus trip. However, they need not fret as they can now make the most of modern technological advancements coming in the form of Artificial Intelligence. Modern technology now steps in to provide the much-needed support to transport managers to effectively manage the school bus fleets.

Let us now check out the various ways in which AI helps transport managers to deliver their responsibilities in the most efficient manner.

AI Solves School Bus Routing Issues

AI is now being considered the most viable option to address many concerns revolving around school bus routing. When AI comes into the picture, a host of user-friendly and affordable apps are available to all the stakeholders concerned about the safety and convenience of students. With AI by your side, school bus tracking apps loaded with modern features including auto routing, auto optimization and auto allocation can be put to use.

Let us look at these 3 features which have a major role in the effective management of school buses.

Auto Routing Helps to Operate an Optimized School Bus Route at All Times

By now you have understood the advantages you can derive out of TrackSchoolBus’ auto routing feature. This feature collates pertinent information concerning school bus routes, pickup and drop points, student profiles from historical transportation records, vehicle assignments and seating capacities of school buses. Taking all these important data points into consideration, the auto routing feature automatically suggests an optimized route supported by other details linked to vehicle assignments and trips.

Having an eye fixed on these parameters will automatically put you in complete control over the running hours of every school bus and the fuel and vehicle maintenance cost that is incurred on every vehicle.

To sum it all, below is the rundown of the various ways in which auto routing helps in the management of school bus fleets.

Come up with the most appropriate school bus route for every trip
Cut down the vehicle running time, in turn leading to the fall in operating costs of school buses
Regular checks on the effectiveness of every school bus route can be performed
School bus operators can effortlessly chalk out optimized routes and school bus trips considering data points like pickup point density, the bus seating capacity and the school timings

Auto Allocation – Another AI-Powered Offering of TrackSchoolBus

To activate the AI-powered auto allocation feature, you need to collate student information which comes in the form of vehicle information and their designated pickup and drop point details. Here are the evident ways in which auto allocation helps transport managers perform their duties in the most efficient manner.

Transport managers can effectively complete all the techniques concerning auto routing
They can select the pickup point by considering the residential addresses of students
AI steps in to display the pickup point of every student as a location on the Google Maps
School bus operators can optimize the pickup point by referencing it with the historical data that is stored on the system

Auto Optimization Enables the Optimum Utilization of School Buses

Meant to address two important sub-processes, auto optimization helps transport managers come up with: a) an optimized route b) an optimized pickup point. Collectively, this feature enables school bus operators to optimize the utilization of school bus in the following ways:

Suggests the most befitting and efficient route, thereby saving the drivers’ time and efforts
By plying on an effective route, you will be in a strong position to cut down vehicle maintenance costs and the running time of school buses
It help to reduce fuel consumption
Apart from preventing the haphazard movement of school buses, the auto optimization feature improves the durability of your fleet
While AI suggests a road with less traffic, it will also come up with the shortest route which cuts down the vehicle running time
The efficiency of pickup points can be improved by coordinating the efforts of school bus operators and transportation authorities
Along with a facility to update and alter pickup points, AI helps in the modification of school bus routes matching the seating capacity of school buses
A relocation can be addressed by the re-center facility, a feature that allows you to immediately alter and update the pickup point
School bus operators can effortlessly change the pickup point by taking the reference of the actual location
They can also make the necessary changes to the school bus route depending on how much students can be accommodated.

Conclusion

As a takeaway thought, AI through its effective features paves the way for an effective management of school bus fleet. Not only it helps school bus operators to come up with cost-effective and shorter bus routes, it will also improve the goodwill of every school.

Hence signing up for the AI-powered school bus transportation services of TrackSchoolBus will be an as an intelligent move for every school.

Schools which subscribe to these automated school bus management and tracking services are bound to take pride in their efforts to employ advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence.

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.

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.

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.

8 Common Mistakes Everyone Makes In School Bus Transportation Software

Posted on July 30, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

The school bus transportation software plays a significant role in allowing school districts to enhance the transportation safety of school students. These software solutions are now the most sought-after option amid many modern-day schools.

Moreover, they aid school administrators considerably in school bus scheduling as well as routing in an effective and convenient way.

Thus, the school transportation management will be capable of scheduling the fastest as well as shortest school bus routes to make their everyday operation quicker and more affordable.

The school bus transportation softwre can assign bus stops, as well, which will help schools in choosing the pick-up stops for the staff and students, consistent with their focus on the areas.

However, some schools are not aware on how to choose the right software for their school transportation department. This makes them choose the app with some common mistakes, thus have to use the one with less benefits.

Here are the eight common mistakes every school makes while choosing the school bus transportation application.

1. Child Reminder Alarms

One of the most common mistakes everyone does while choosing a school bus transportation software is failing to verify the Child Reminder Alarm.

The main purpose of alarm is to alert both school bus attendants as well as drivers about the kids who are still on the bus even after the trip is completed. Thereby, ensuring better safety to the kids as well as to the schools.

2. Performance Improvements

When comes to safety, school buses are an admired solution for student transportation. Therefore, these buses are supposed to offer better performance and safety to the school students boarding them.

This means that school districts are supposed to upgrade the performance as well as the safety features of their buses to make children feel comfortable and offer the peace of mind to their parents. This can be achieved only by verifying the beneficial features of school bus transportation software while choosing one.

3. GPS

One of the major purposes of using the school bus transportation app is to track the school bus and their occupants in a real time. This can be done only through the GPS or Global Positioning System.

It is vital for schools to verify whether the software comes with the most powerful and latest version of GPS. If not, either parents or schools can come across many problems in tracking the school buses.

4. Notifications

Although all school bus tracking apps come with notifications features, it is important for every school to check that the software should come equipped with as many notification features as possible.

There are several reasons when school buses gets delayed to reach the bus stops such as traffic jam, closure of roads on a particular route, breakdown of buses, etc.

During these situations if the software does not come with the appropriate notification feature, both the school administrators, as well as the parents could not be notified in time.

Thus, school districts are supposed to know the announcement features before choosing an application.

5. Live Map

While selecting transportation software, some schools would fail to verify whether the school bus tracking software comes with a live map. This feature plays a vital role in helping both the school administrators and parents to track the real-time location of school bus.

Therefore, schools should check whether the software supports the live map to ensure the student safety as well as to make their daily school bus operations a breeze.

6. Route Scheduling

This is one of the features that some schools usually fail to check. This is because their focus will be on the student safety in school bus. Route preparation is one of the vital features of school bus transportation software that and offers time-efficient and safe travel to and from school.

Thus, the software aids school authorities in addressing the entire needs of students as well as handling different traffic conditions to choose the best route. Thus, automating school bus route scheduling will not only offer the shortest route, but also helps the school management in dipping fuel use and maintenance expenditure.

7. Parents Convenience

Most schools fail to consider the convenience of parents of their school kids by thinking only about the students’ comfort. Usually parents prefer school transportation for their children considering the fact that it is the safest mode of transportation.

These school buses are handled by the school management on a daily basis. Very frequently, in news and other media, parents find upsetting and shocking stories about school bus mishaps and accidents.

Therefore, schools are supposed to consider a school bus tracking application notifying parents and authorities about the real-time location of their child. Thus, considering the convenience of parents is very important for schools while choosing the software.

8. Radio-frequency identification Attendance

Schools should not do the mistake of ignoring the RFID student attendance feature while choosing their school bus transportation software.

This is for the reason that this feature will offer strong, safe, as well as automatic attendance management in educational institutions. With RF-Attendance system, student attendance administration turns out to be easier, more accurate, and efficient.

Surrogate attendance can be considerably minimized or eliminated.

Check out this Slideshare presentation on Two-factor Attendance present only in TrackSchoolBus apps

It automates the entire students’ registration and ID card printing, data processing on attendance server, automatic attendance recording, everyday SMS to parents, weekly as well as monthly attendance statements for teachers, reports on attendance management system, etc.

Choosing a perfect school transportation software will be quite useful and helpful to the school management, drivers, as well as to parents. Therefore, schools are not supposed to overlook any of the vital features while choosing their software.