Category: School Bus

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

Posted on 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 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 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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

  1.  AI will help fleet managers to assign the correct pickup point which is established on the basis of the current residential address of students.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.  
  4. Both parents and school bus drivers will be informed about the pickup point of students as location indicates on Google Maps.
  5. 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.
  6. 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. If any relocation, you can effortlessly update the pickup point that will be intimated to everyone concerned.
  5. 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

  1. 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.
  2. Fleet managers can perform regular checks to assess the efficiency of their current school bus routes.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 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 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

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

Posted on 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 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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
  1. 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 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 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.

10 School Bus Safety Tips for Drivers [Infographic]

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

Getting children to school and back home is one of the main concerns every parent have. In this situation, they consider school bus for their children as it is considered the safe transportation mode for school going children.

Here comes the role of school bus driver as they are responsible for student safety in a school bus. If you are a school bus driver, then you are responsible for your as well as your passengers. It is quite a difficult job as you have to avoid violations and accidents and should be always alert.

Safe driving is thought to be a predictable routine and not often thought about. As technology is improving day by day, we need to ensure student safety in a school bus to avoid accidents or any other mishaps.

But still, there are some safe driving tips that you must take care of in order to do safe driving. It also secures you from getting into legal issues.

You are supposed to be aware of each and everything around you on the road. Not only this, you must always monitor rear view mirrors to know what is happening behind your vehicle. Keeping yourself attentive to your surroundings can evade sudden breaks.

So, have you concerned about safety while driving? If so, there are certain safety tips for school bus drivers to ensure school bus safety to and from school. Following tips (shown in the form of an infographic) can offer you a peace of mind and considering these tips might help you to save your as well as your passengers’ life.

10 School Bus Safety Tips for Drivers infographic