Building resilient school bus operations through four student transportation trends

In response to new technologies, unpredictable labor markets and shifting government priorities, the student transportation industry is changing at a breakneck pace. But for your school bus operations, a simple industry pulse check is insufficient. You need to know not only what’s happening in the industry, but how to turn these high-level insights into a tangible action plan for a safer, more efficient bus fleet. 

In this post, we dig deeper than headlines alone, dissecting four crucial trends paving the path ahead. You’ll explore how these shifts affect your district and what you can do in light of them to build a safer, more resilient operation.

On-bus technology is being consolidated. 

Of all the trends currently taking shape, the most prominent is an industry-wide push toward integrated in-bus technologies. Today’s districts want a complete view of operations, and they’re moving beyond disconnected systems to find it. If your district is still relying on closed-off solutions, data silos could be holding your bus fleet back. Integrating tools like dash cameras, student ridership platforms, routing systems and telematics will help you:

• Make smarter operational decisions - Integrated solutions give you 360-degree visibility into your entire operation, from safety to student attendance. This comprehensive view allows you to see how each piece of your operational puzzle fits together, stay updated on real-time events and better protect students.
• Enhance driver efficiency - Connected technology can also help your drivers be more productive. By allowing them to check students in, get in-cab navigation and complete pre-/post-trip bus inspections with a single platform, you’ll help your drivers stay efficient and avoid app-juggling.
• Better protect students - Integrated tools can even enhance student safety. Through routing solutions and turn-by-turn navigation, you can help drivers prevent missed pickups, while tools like telematics can help you build a data-driven driver coaching program that slashes risk.

Integrate your district’s in-bus technologies for smarter, safer routes. And with a fleet management solution, you can even connect your district’s white fleet (maintenance trucks, administrative SUVs and delivery vans) to the same platform for a truly holistic view of operations. By managing every asset in one place, you verify that maintenance and safety standards are consistently maintained across all your vehicles, not just your school buses.

Districts are using tech-driven methods to overcome the bus driver shortage.

A key catalyst behind districts’ desire for integrated technology is the current labor shortage. It’s a challenge that virtually all student transportation directors are grappling with, and it’s resulting in hiring obstacles, poor driver retention rates and route cuts. In fact, a recent study found that 26% of surveyed school leaders admitted they’d had to shorten or slash routes altogether due to the shortage. Prevent challenges like these from affecting your fleet by using connected tools to:

• Develop rewards-based safety programs - With split shifts often causing bus drivers to leave for other transportation jobs, incentivization is a powerful retention strategy. Use an all-in-one driver coaching and rewards solution to tangibly recognize your team’s progress and reduce turnover. And because these solutions take care of everything from goal-setting to dispensing rewards for you, you can keep your drivers feeling valued with minimal manual oversight needed.
• Cover shifts with ease - Is the driver shortage affecting how you manage and assign routes? Here’s another area where turn-by-turn navigation helps. Use these tools to provide drivers with adjusted routes on demand and prevent shift-covering headaches. With real-time route updates, give your team simpler guidance and stronger support behind the wheel.
• Reduce pressure on bus drivers - Often transporting 50 or more children per day, your bus drivers shoulder a considerable amount of responsibility. And if challenged by parents over issues beyond their control, they’re confronted with even more pressure. To help ease driver burden, keep parents informed with communication and bus tracking apps. These tools allow parents to review child check-ins on their own, monitor bus locations and even receive important updates. The result: Greater transparency and fewer questions for your team to answer.

Uneven labor markets call for unique solutions. Amid the shortage, what is your district doing to entice and keep quality drivers? Use a tech-driven approach to help your drivers feel rewarded, empowered and supported enough to stay.

Districts are trying to balance differing federal and state priorities on electric school buses.

As districts figure out the driver shortage problem, they must also navigate differing priorities for zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs).The U.S. federal government has paused tax credits for electric school buses, but certain states like California, New York, Delaware, Washington and others still have ZEV mandates in place. However, costs are a key consideration. An electric school bus is almost four times as expensive as a standard Type C diesel bus up front, but can offer over $100,000 in savings on fuel and maintenance over its lifespan. To determine the most realistic path to your sustainability goals, it’s critical to weigh expenses like these. Depending on where your budget stands (and which state you’re in), consider:

• Extending your current buses’ longevity - Many districts need more time and funding to comply with state-mandated ZEV programs. As a result, they’re prolonging their current diesel buses’ life to avoid early replacement costs and prepare for their future ZEV fleet. If your district is getting ready for a ZEV transition, but doesn’t have the resources yet, use data-driven maintenance to lengthen its diesel bus lifespans and avoid pricey breakdowns along the way.
• Testing alternative fuel programs: If your district isn’t prepared to jump straight to ZEVs but still wants to make sustainability progress, alternative fuels are a great first step. Cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel works with existing diesel engines, while states like Oregon have offered funding to help districts retrofit their diesel buses for other alternative fuel types. No matter which alternative fuel you choose, your district can make a conscious effort to decrease emissions, costs and environmental harm.
• Measuring ROI from a ZEV transition: If your school bus fleet has already begun implementing ZEVs, tracking the impact is critical. Thankfully, tools like telematics can allow you to measure the fuel and emissions reductions you’re generating from electric school buses. Use automated reporting to save your district time and headaches as it proves ROI.

No matter where your district is at in its ZEV journey, navigate the process easier with a fleet management partner. For example, a sustainability-focused partner like Geotab will help you determine where to go next by identifying your highest-emitting vehicles, assessing battery range potential and even forecasting possible cost savings from ZEVs.

AI is helping school bus fleets run safer, more interruption-free operations.

AI is starting to permeate the entire student transportation industry. As the future unfolds, this technology will increasingly intertwine with districts’ daily workflows, allowing them to create safer, more effective student journeys. In your school bus operations, consider adding AI-enabled tools to help you:

• Reduce risk - From smart dash cameras to tools that analyze collision probability, AI tools can help your drivers evade hazards. For example, solutions like Geotab can integrate with AI school bus cameras, which assist drivers with detecting and avoiding real-time risks. Additionally, AI-enabled collision risk tools can help you see where safety needs to improve by accurately forecasting your fleet’s incident likelihood over its next 100,000 miles. Arm your district with proactive tools like these to get ahead of risk and make student journeys even safer.
• Prevent breakdowns - In school bus fleets, there’s a brewing shift from reactive maintenance to predictive maintenance, an approach that actively anticipates service needs. It uses AI to forecast when a vehicle should be serviced based on data like abnormal engine vibrations. Through proactive servicing, your district can fix problems before they cause failure, keep its buses on the road and better protect everyone onboard.
• Get insights, faster - Extracting insights might feel like enough work to be a full-time job, but it’s just a small part of what you have to do daily. Thankfully, today’s most advanced fleet solutions include AI assistants that make data exploration quicker and easier. Through simple conversation, you can find critical fleet insights and save valuable time while doing it.

AI isn’t just a novelty concept for school bus fleets. It’s proving to be crucial for rider safety, bus performance and administrative efficiency. How will your district use it to optimize school bus operations?

In light of student transportation trends, what will stay the same?

From on-bus technology to AI, the landscape of student transportation is continuing to evolve. But amid these shifts, one thing will remain constant: Districts want simplicity. They don’t want to be forced into a rigid solution, undo the tools they currently use or rely on disconnected systems. That’s why amid industry ebbs and flows, the smartest approach will always be to have a platform that lets you stay flexible. 

Geotab offers the adaptability, support and partner marketplace needed to build a unified solution that drives value every school year. No matter where the industry goes, keep your team equipped with connected tools that promote safer, more cost-efficient student journeys.

Learn more about the fleet management savings your district could unlock by using our ROI calculator.