Why Tracking School Transportation Is Really Important

In the old days, tracking school transportation and creating routes may have been done with pen and paper, but times have changed. Fortunately, this process has been revolutionized with the implementation of top notch software and GPS  tracking systems. This makes tracking more efficient and provides greater detail. But, why exactly is tracking schools transportation so important?

Budget Cuts

All too frequently you hear of budget cuts effecting schools. Unfortunately, these cuts do not remain solely within the school. The budget cuts trickle down into all aspects of the educational realm, including transportation. When transportation funding decreases, students can suffer and employees may lose a portion of their salary, if not their job entirely. This is why tracking school transportation with GPS software is crucial to both students and the transportation staff.

GPS tracking can drastically cut costs around the board. First of all, you can track the exact route the bus takes each day and possibly map out a more time efficient route. By doing so, you will increase fuel savings, which is a major benefit given the steady cost increase of fuel over the past few years.  Additionally, with a GPS system you can monitor driver habits such as speed, wait times and unscheduled breaks. With this information at your fingertips, you can effectively lower labor costs by improving driver habits and also by conquering time disputes with employees.

Student Safety

Rightfully so, child safety is a major concern among parents. This is especially true when the children are not at home. Parents want to know that their children are being taken care of and that all precautions are being met. For instance, when children are late coming home, parents will naturally want to know where they are.

Fortunately, you can ease parent concerns within moments by taking a look at the GPS tracking system. This will tell you exactly where the bus is and whether it has stopped for maintenance or is currently in route. With this information, you can then supply the parent with an approximate time of arrival.

Driver Safety

At times traffic accidents are unavoidable. However, in some situations the accidents are caused by a driver being reckless, distracted or in a hurry. With a little monitoring, these types of accidents can be greatly reduced.

In general when people are being watched, their behaviors tend to improve. The same goes for school bus driver. When the driver is aware that they are being monitored with a tracking system, they will be more apt to stay within the speed limit and pay closer attention to the road and the drivers around them. This will not only comfort parents, but also lessen the frequency and costs associated with traffic accidents.

Detailed Record Keeping

Businesses around the nation are becoming more proactive when it comes to their company's finances. They want to ensure that time is not being wasted and that the funds are being allocated accordingly. This stands true for school districts as well. They need to be assured that their transportation system is being properly managed. Therefore, detailed record keeping is vital for school transportation.

With GPS tracking, you are able to obtain an accurate report within minutes that details daily routes, exact mileage and the total hours accumulated by each driver. Therefore, for any questions or concerns that the district may have regarding billing or performance, you will have the information they need.

In the past, when schools had proper finances, parents and drivers had a good rapport, and gas prices were substantially lower, tracking school transportation was not such a great concern. However, now as the world is steadily changing, tracking is a crucial element which should be implemented throughout each district across the nation. If you currently use a tracking school transportation GPS system, what has proved to be the greatest benefit?