How To Get The Most Out Of Your Transportation Coordinator

A transportation coordinator's job is a round the clock operation. The job entails many different duties and often times involves taking on the tasks of multiple positions. They have numerous responsibilities and must answer to their manager, school staff and parents when issues arise. Needless to say then that their job should not be taken lightly. Therefore, how do you get the most out of your transportation coordinator?

Show Your Appreciation

First and foremost, you should show the coordinator your appreciation for them and all that they do. If it were not for them doing their job properly, transportation would likely be utter chaos. Besides an abundance of duties and dealing with frantic parents and staff, coordinators are normally gone from dawn to dusk. Additionally, during the winter months, they must survey the roads in the middle of the night to decide if the buses are safe for travel the next morning. With that said, to keep the coordinator motivated, it is important to show them your appreciation.

Bus Routing Software

Before the start of each school year the transportation coordinator is responsible for creating bus routes, making schedules and assigning buses, drivers and students to those buses. This is a tough job, but a job that can be made much easier and with greater efficiency with the implementation of well designed bus routing software.

Routing Flexibility

Using route planning software provides the flexibility they need to not only make a standard route, but also create multiple routes for different schools and for different days. They will also be able to use current maps and update them whenever necessary.

Track Routes for Fuel and Time Efficiency

Because many districts have a limited budget, you will likely need to prove to them that by purchasing new routing software, you will be able to reduce costs for fuel and maintenance. Routing software with integrated maps enable you to do just that.

By using routing software you can keep track of every detail of each bus route to ensure that they are operating in the most time and fuel efficient manner possible. Then, if changes need to be made you can easily make them in the system and automatically notify your drivers. Additionally, software enables you to keep an updated log of student addresses so that the driver will know exactly where they are going at all times. This prevents backtracking, bus idling time and in turn reduces fuel consumption.

GPS Tracking

To get the most out of your routing software, consider adding GPS vechicle fleet tracking. With this tool the transportation coordinator will have the information they need to make the proper adjustments.

For instance, they can monitor the exact location of each bus and take note of driver habits, such as unscheduled breaks and unauthorized stops. Although, this monitoring should not be abused, it is an excellent tool for correcting driver behavior.

GPS also simplifies the process of fine tuning routes. As you monitor the daily course of each bus in the fleet, you can see roadways which may otherwise be overlooked. Therefore, you can successfully restructure the route to improve mileage and prevent time from being wasted.

Student Incidents

Reduce the number of stressed out drivers.  Keep records of all Incidents requiring disciplinary action for both students and drivers. Keep a record of employee/parent conflicts and students who break the rules. Have information at their fingertips for addressing student incidents and justification for bus riding suspensions.

There are several tools mentioned here that can help you get the most out of your transportation coordinator. Fortunately, you can obtain this easy to navigate software at a reasonable price, along with excellent online training to get you started and help you out along the way. Have you implemented any of this software into your transportation operation?