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s yellow school buses have become rolling technology hubs with greater safety, function- ality and efficiency, the process of calculating life-cycle costs, upkeep and replacement
schedules is certain to demand more of transportation staffs and their support networks. But the tradeoffs are well worth the effort, explained
several transportation directors and an industry expert, who added that it’s important to take advantage of the increasing amount of technology that can keep vehicles rolling and deliver a solid return on investment. “We are always evaluating different types of technol- ogy that we can utilize to make things safer and more efficient. Many times, these improvements require sys- tem upgrades and each new system requires training,” said Jerad Castor, managing director of transportation of the Frisco Independent School District near Dallas. “There’s definitely a growing challenge to integrating more technology.” When it comes to helping districts determine what technology to acquire and how it will fit into the life cycles of existing equipment or planned purchases, Nick Grandy, general manager of vocational and industrial services with Zonar Systems, said answers should always begin with fleet health and passenger safety. “A question could be, ‘Do we have high vehicle main- tenance costs? The solution could be something as simple as [installing a tire pressure monitoring system] where the little light on the dashboard pops on when you have a low tire,” Grandy said. “That’s not something that’s in frequent use in the industry, but we’re starting to see a massive uptick because it’s not only unsafe, ob- viously, if you blow a tire with students onboard or you have a situation where the bus is stranded on the side of the road, but those tires are not cheap. There’s a cost tied
How important is connected technology in your fleet operations:
25% A moderate amount 24% A great deal 22% A lot 17% None at all
12% A little (Out of 88 responses to an STN magazine reader survey.)
38 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2022
to it, and it’s as simple as your fuel costs going up if your tires aren’t perfectly inflated.” While the mention of “vehicle technology” immedi-
ately conjures up images of onboard cameras, routing, student RIFD systems, and Wi-Fi for much of the indus- try, Castor agreed with Grandy that maintenance-related technology is playing a greater role in reducing costs and expending vehicle lifespans. “That other layer of technology that comes from our
shop and how our mechanics diagnose our engines and other mechanical issues is crucial to efficient opera- tions,” Castor said. “The technology is ever-changing with our fleet. Whenever we have a recall related to technology on one of our vehicles, it requires updates and changes to software and the computers we use to recover the codes and defects within the system.” To that end, the potential need for more intense train-
ing or even additional technicians is something that fleet managers should keep in mind when calculating both costs and benefits. “Vehicles are regularly increasing the amount of technology that is on board. There’s a need to invest in additional training for staff and to update recruitment strategies so that departments can be staffed with the most appropriate personnel to run the equipment,” said Castor, citing difficulty with hiring enough qualified technicians. The Hays (Texas) Consolidated Independent School
District’s transportation department hired a new employee to oversee technology, said Assistant Director Cassandra Behr. With experience rolling out technology at other dis- tricts, Behr said she has stepped in to help drivers and staff with the transition to a new student accountability system, while the new support staff member settles in. “When we start new programs, I tend to say, ‘OK, I
29% of transportation directors/
supervisors stated that their operation calculates the lifecycle cost of
technology used. (Out of 87 responses.)
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