transportation leaders have access to more info than ever on just what’s happening in any given vehicle. Through the use of telematics, in which data is com-


W


municated remotely to monitor fleet assets and manage them more effectively, transportation leaders have a wealth of details not previously available. Going be- yond applications such as route optimization, this tech is proving valuable in shedding light on areas such as departure and arrival times, vehicle location, student accountability, driver performance, tire pressure, fault codes and more. But as the volume


of data mushrooms, the availability of so much info brings a key question: How can trans- portation leaders work most effectively with sup- pliers to make the most of these systems? The best outcomes


hen it comes to effective fleet operations, common sense would have it that the more information the better. And thanks to robust features of the latest technology,


us can help translate raw vehicle and safety data into insights that teams can actually act on.” When districts move from siloed data to real-time


visibility, the impact is real, he added. Recognizing the two-way nature of such partnerships


is critical, said Robbin Marshall, transportation director at Prince William County Public Schools in Manassas, Virginia. He pointed to the specific roles of partners and their potential for bringing improvement. The supplier owns the technology, and the district owns the process- es that run the operation. “Data exists on both sides” he said. “District data can


improve the product, and supplier data can improve district processes.”


The key is not just


collecting data, but turning it into clear operational


happen when school transportation depart- ments and suppliers treat data as a shared tool for improving safety, routing efficiency and service to families, noted Bryant Maxey, product manager for Zonar Systems. “School transportation personnel bring the day-to-day


operational knowledge including what is happening on routes, where delays occur, what drivers are expe- riencing, and what schools and parents need,” he said. “Suppliers bring the technology, data and support need- ed to turn those needs into actionable intelligence.” A successful partnership is when districts move from


simply reacting to managing operations more proactively. Sean McCann, VP of public sector sales at Samsara, noted that lack of collaboration is the biggest gap in how districts operate today. Yet the best outcomes happen when transportation leaders and technology part- ners work toward corresponding goals, and that depends on appropriately shared information. “Districts have the operational context and know what’s happening on the ground,” he said. “Suppliers like


insight that helps districts improve safety, reduce


downtime and run more efficient service.


- Bryant Maxey, Zonar Systems


Dynamic Data Connections Gathering data is just the first step in what is ideally a collaborative process. In Zonar’s case, vehicle


data is collected through the company’s onboard telematics hardware, which can capture a wide range of information including vehicle move- ment, GPS location, idle time, speed, fuel, unsafe driving behaviors, and en- gine and fault data. Once obtained, data is trans- mitted securely through a


cellular connection to a fleet management platform. For customers, the value comes from how the data is


organized and presented. Transportation staff can view data insights directly through real-time dashboards, alerts and reports that help in monitoring fleet activity, identify issues and make crucial decisions in real time. Fleets can customize their own data thresholds to indicate when operations are operating at desired levels of efficiency. “The key is not just collecting data,” Maxey explained,


“but turning it into clear operational insight that helps districts improve safety, reduce downtime and run more efficient service.” For Marshall, that means making good use of routing


data pulled into a dashboard. “It shows seat utilization, ride time, stop distance and other metrics that help us pinpoint improvements across the system.”


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