Portland
mechanic Marco Ramirez works on a tablet
mounting while associates Nick Allen and Ty Ball, far right, look on.
will help manage the transition. “We worked with our cus-
How do we think ahead to what [customers] will need, to find the right solution for them that will accommodate not just what they used to be doing but what they expect to be doing over the next 10 years?”
- Michael Flood, Kajeet
tomers to understand not just what their past needs were that caused them to install a 3G solution years ago but what are their present and expect- ed future needs, so that we can plan, so [that] we’re not in the same boat again when 4G eventually gets phased out which will probably be about 10 years from now,” Flood said. “How do we think ahead to what they will need, to find the right solution for them that will accommodate not just what they used to be doing but what they expect to be doing over the next 10 years?” Portland’s Coonrod agreed
that a strong customer-vendor relationship is key. “Find a vendor you can partner with and trust and can meet your district’s needs,” he advised. “Know what you’re looking to get out of the product. We wanted a parent app and a robust GPS system that updated frequently. And we wanted tablets that drivers could use for pre-trip inspections and for student ridership.” Shahan in Delaware also
emphasized the provider partnership. “Be careful who
44 School Transportation News • MAY 2022
you select as your provider,” she urged. “Make sure they understand your needs, your organization, and will work for you and be a true partner with you. I cannot express enough how important that has been to make my job easier so that I can focus on getting students to and from school safely. Having a vendor partner with you that keeps you ahead of what’s happening in the in- dustry and understands your operation, so they can tell you what you need and what you don’t need and when you’re going to need it.” Twin River’s Shannon ad- vised student transporters to make sure their equipment can handle the upgrade. “I think you need to start looking at your existing hardware. Will it support the upgrade?” Shannon asked. “A lot of our units didn’t support the upgrade from 3G to 4G, so we had to buy new video DVIRs. The lesson learned is to make sure when you upgrade, your hardware can handle it.” ●
Read a special report at
stnonline.com/go/bv on why school districts
might not need to upgrade to 5G anytime soon.
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