Maintenance Archives - trackschoolbus

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.

Safety is the first norm in the management of school bus system. School authorities and bus companies have to regularly shoulder the responsibility of to and fro transportation of innocent children, which is time-sensitive as well as risky.

Although as priorities, the schools lay a lot of importance, while appointing expert drivers and selecting best buses, timely and right maintenance is the true need of any streamlined transportation system.

With the advent in technology, the schools have now equipped the buses with latest trackers that could give the authorities the real-time location of the buses and notify them about the maintenance required for the vehicles.

The authorities have now begun to realize that the well-maintained vehicles could keep the other operational expenses low. Right type of maintenance not only keeps the carbon emissions from the vehicles low but also makes the vehicles last longer.

A well-planned bus maintenance system ultimately helps companies avoid frequent break-downs and improve mileage from the oil consumption.

Steps to Create a Guide on “How to Design a School Bus Maintenance Facility”?

The planning and compilation of the designing of school bus maintenance facility needs the involvement of everyone, who would use the facility. To add to it, creating the facility requires meticulous planning. As the aim is to go for an efficient facility, which could meet the practical needs of the bus operator.

Let’s know about the steps to create a fruitful school bus maintenance facility.

1. Involvement of right types of individuals and creation of coordinating group

First of all, the first initiative for this is to involve individuals and create a group. Architects, engineers, and real users of the facility need to become members of the co-coordinating group, who would have brain-storming about construction of right type of maintenance facility.

The real users of the facility are mechanics, drivers, supervisors, and clerks and their involvement in the group would add practical ideas to the construction of the maintenance facility. This is the first part of the design stage, where detailed planning could make the future progress of the construction work easy and hassle-free.

2. Understand the Function and Know the Use of the Facility

The second task is to know and understand as to how the facility would be useful for the maintenance of the buses. For that, everyone needs to understand the true functions of the facility. Let’s consider them one-by-one.

Would be facility get constructed only for maintenance purpose?
Would it have space for adequate parking?
Would the construction of the facility accommodate supervisory offices?
Whether the construction would also include a separate “dispatch” section?
Would it also have the provisions for training of the drivers?
As “fueling” is also part and parcel of maintenance system, the new construction would also have a separate gas station or filling station.
What would be the provisions for adequate water storage for washing the vehicles after through repairs?
Where the installation for painting would get constructed?
How would the outside parking get constructed?
What are the installations required for security arrangements?
Would the facility be put to regular use?
Would there be provisions for night-shift maintenance?

3. Let the construction begin for the same

Every facility for maintenance would at least have two dedicated bays for the maintenance purposes. Usually the bay has the 16 feet width and 60 feet length.

The pattern of construction of the bay would have the provision for tool storage and access to every side for the convenience of repairs of the buses. As per the capacity, 20 to 30 buses could only get facilities for maintenance in a shift. When the necessity exists for 2^nd or 3^rd shift, the coordinating group would also plan for the construction additional bays.

4. What would be the height of the ceiling?

Usually, the ceiling of the facility would have the height of 18 feet. This is essential for raising the bus on a lift for the purpose of maintenance. The facility needs to have at least one or two lifts.

If it has two lifts, the second one could become useful during the lengthy repairing of a particular bus. Lifts are also very useful for the purpose of inspection of the maintenance works of the vehicles.

5. What are the options for washing the bus?

When plans are afoot for the creation of right type of bus maintenance facility, the coordinating group needs to have proper consultation about right type of bus washing system. The decision makers would have to make careful selections for installing the right type of washing system for the bus.

They would have to exercise their options about creating the suitable type of washing system for the buses. Let’s know about the available options:

If the automatic washing system would become enough for the need of thorough cleaning of the buses.
Whether a portable washing system could sufficiently wash dirt off the buses?
Whether hand-washing of the buses could keep the buses cleaner and hygienic instead of using other types of sophisticated washing systems.
The coordinating group of individuals could think of assigning the contract of washing the buses to the outside agencies instead of getting involved in creating the entire washing arrangement for the facility.
As the wash bay of the buses would require a space of at least 1200 square feet and installation of storm discharge and sewer disposal facilities, construction of the system needs careful analysis and execution. When huge quantity of water is essential for washing the buses, a water recovery system needs to remain in place to avoid wastage of water.

6. Ideas about constructing the painting facility for the buses

While the buses get repaired in the maintenance facility, painting of the faded or dented buses is simply unavoidable in the repairing process. Painting restores the vehicles to their original shapes and looks and gives them shining as they get back to the streets after thorough overhauling.

So the ideas about constructing painting bay are as follows:

It is also important to decide whether the maintenance facility would accommodate an independent and dedicated “paint section” or not.
As now-a-days, three types of painting installations are available, such as compressed air, high volume and low pressure, or electrostatic, the coordinating members of the group would have to select the right option for the purpose.
A compressed air system gives highly polished finish to the exterior of the vehicle, whereas high pressure produces over-spray of the paint and it also attracts air-borne particles. The high volume and low pressure system operates with minimum air-pressure that invariably gives low-quality painting. The electrostatic system makes use of electrically charged paint particles, which reduces the chances of over-spraying of the paint on the bodies of buses.

Considering the pros and cons of each painting facility, the members of the group would have to make a judicious decision.

7. What about storage room for Spare-parts?

A storage-room for spare-parts is almost an essential part in the construction of facility for maintenance facility. Moreover a quick access to the inventory of spare-parts is necessary to minimize the requirement for an open inventory of spare parts.

For storing tires and pipes, the facility has to include space for dry storage. Moreover storage of inflammable and hazardous materials requires safe and restricted areas.

8. Parking – last but not least in priority

As the final phase in construction is to create provision for adequate space for parking, a decision needs to be made whether the parking facility would exist inside or outside the maintenance premises.

As block heaters are necessary for parking inside the maintenance building, no heaters are necessary if the vehicles are parked outside. It depends on the climate of the place to decide about the type of parking for the vehicles.

Tag: Maintenance

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