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School transportation management is a job that could take an entire career to properly learn - and that can be a problem for those who are early in their careers. From managing dozens, even hundreds, of buses and routes to ensuring safety for all your students, to negotiating budgets every year, there's a lot to learn and perfect in the role.
Fortunately, there are plenty of experts out there to listen to - like Alfred Karam, who published a fantastic and somewhat overlooked article last year talking about his 25-year career in transportation management.
What Should Transportation Managers Know About School Bus Systems?
1 - “I embrace solutions; I don’t embrace excuses.”
School bus management must be proactive. If something goes wrong, the results could be disastrous. A good transportation director should be constantly thinking about 'what-ifs' and looking for solutions that prevent a problem from happening in the first place.
Likewise, if someone truly messes up, assign blame as needed - but focus on crafting solutions which prevent that mistake from happening again.
2 - "Professional development ... was a vital component of our success."
Everyone who touches the school bus system - including your direct staff, the drivers, the monitors, and the administration - is part of a big team whose focus is delivering kids safely, day after day. Everyone involved should be encouraged to develop their skills, cross-train, or - in the case of administration - at least learn about the system, so they can all participate meaningfully.
3 - "Utilizing KPIs is essential for effective management."
Modern school bus management must be data-driven. Have a centralized reporting system, and feed it accurate data from as many sources as possible. Establish Key Performance Indicators for success such as on-time performance, fuel efficiency, and maintenance hours. Make your goals clear, and - again - focus on crafting solutions that make those goals obtainable.
4 - "Leaders must be willing to stand up for their convictions."
As transportation director, the buck stops with you. Always remember that student safety and effective routing are your most important goals, and don't let people get in the way of those goals. Stand up for your staff and your drivers, and show that you mean the ideals that you preach.
Like Alfred Karam, BusBoss also has over a quarter-century of experience helping school districts improve their transportation system! Our software suite combines routing, bus and student tracking, data reporting, and much more. Click here to request a free live demo.
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PRESIDENT
Sonia has been involved with BusBoss since the late 1990’s, and has personally overseen many projects for various customers ranging from large urban and suburban districts to smaller rural school districts from all over the country.
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