In many cities across the United States, morning and evening rush hour can be frustrating and a difficult undertaking. This issue is no different for school buses as they hit the same local traffic as other motorists. Through the use of modern technology that many drivers use on a daily basis, there is an efficient solution for slow traffic areas for school buses: school bus routing software with integrated GPS tracking. Essentially, it is software that automatically finds the best routes for your buses based on current local traffic conditions.

School buses are big.  Really big! Whenever a school bus needs to turn around, especially when backing up, the potential for an accident is a lot higher.  There are quite a few blind spots at the back of the bus that could prevent the driver from seeing a parked car or even a child.

School bus route optimization requires accurate map data.  Different map sources are available but there are several aspects of map data that determines its quality.

If you're in the business of planning a school's bus schedule, we don't have to tell you how demanding the job is.  Hundreds or thousands of children rely on you to get to and from school safely, and if any of them are even a few minutes late, you'll be hearing about it from panicked parents. 

With the latest in route optimization software, such as BusBoss, you can wring more efficiency and cost-savings out of your bus scheduling, while also helping ensure the children in your care always get where they need to be.

So, here are some tips for how to get the best use from top routing software packages!

Save Money and Lives With Modern Route Optimization Software:

•   Keeping your map current.  For far too long, route planners were locked into getting maps from payment-gated services, forcing them to keep paying or fall behind.  Current software packages allow you to update your own maps, at will, while keeping a log of changes for future audits.

When it comes to running a school's transportation system, your precious cargo truly does come first.

The use of in-bus GPS systems continues to spread, and for good reason. Geolocation tracking leads directly to better oversight, faster communication, shorter bus runs, and an overall safer experience for students on every ride.

There are few responsibilities facing a school district which are larger, more important, or more potentially hazardous than your need to transport hundreds or thousands of students safely, every day.

It might seem obvious, but there really is no benefit to having your buses on the road any longer than they need to be. Transportation budgets are a huge part of any business that maintains a bus fleet, and every extra minute they're on the road ultimately costs you real money.