New Improved
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Student transporters share how their fleet operations are improving through innovations in technology and management
WRITTEN BY MICHELLE FISHER
managers are ingenious. Tese profes- sionals must find new methods and tools to keep operating costs down and safety
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reports high. Add in the stress of dealing with shrink-
ing budgets, increasing social ills and aging fleets, and this is one challenging job. Ten again, most student transporters wear multiple hats — and this is where true innovation is a must, according to the 201 supervisors who re-
sponded to STN’s 2013 Fleet Operations Survey. Editor’s Note: Varying numbers answered each question, from 102 on up. Te results of this survey, which was distributed
to more than 4,000 magazine subscribers whose titles indicate transportation-department or fleet management positions, shed light on myriad ways industry professionals strive to improve safety, accountability and cost efficiency. While safety reigns supreme in the school bus industry, it does not exist in a vacuum but intertwines with efficiency and customer service, noted survey respondents. When managers opt to put scant transportation dollars toward new
52 School Transportation News October 2013
f innovation means finding bet- ter, more creative ways to attain common goals, then student transportation directors and fleet
onboard video cameras, GPS systems or two-way radios, the goal is to access data quickly and learn the exact location of buses and students — and with the cameras, even what is happening during the ride. “Video surveillance protects our employees and students, and reinforces prudent and proactive steps to correct inappropriate behavior,” said Morgan Scribner of Choctaw County Schools in Ackerman, Miss. Te department transports the majority of students (1,200 out of 1,500 total), operates 40 school buses and employs 30 drivers, two mechanics and five other staff members. Scribner represents one of the 133 partici- pants who responded that new technology was among the innovations their departments had adopted since 2011. Innovations in employee training and/or man- agement came in second, with 97 respondents, or 54 percent (people could select all that apply).
Software & Hardware Trends In all, Scribner said he purchased seven types of new
technology to streamline operations: GPS, routing software, two-way radios or communication system, onboard video cameras, student information system (SIS), employee information/attendance system and bus safety equipment. He also purchased two types of bus safety equipment: warning lights and fuel system protection. Scribner shared that his top priorities were improving customer service and drivers’ on-time performance.
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