How It Works: Infographic

Posted by Patricia M on May 10, 2018 10:25:04 AM

When people think about bus tracking software, it can be difficult to imagine exactly what happens as the app inputs and outputs data for parents, transportation departments, and school officials. SafeStop produced an easy-to-read infographic that gives a snapshot of how routing and GPS data from local transportation departments create a reliable vehicle tracking system for everyone involved.

On the local side, transportation staff in the school district maintain their routing and scheduling systems on a regular basis, which feeds data into SafeStop’s system to create tracking updates, in-depth fleet analytics, and customer service information. Each night, SafeStop imports updates about routes and bus stops — the “planned” data — and pairs it with GPS data from devices on-board the school buses — the “actual” data — to continually update the app. At the same time, the SafeStop Analytics platform uses an application programming interface, or API, to mine both sets of data to inform transportation staff about its school bus fleet, including speed, location, and expected arrival times at bus stops.

Potential hiccups occur when the planned data and actual data conflict, and pick-up/drop-off times may vary based on what school buses are actually doing on the road. If students aren’t at a stop for instance, a bus may arrive early at the next stops. If a bus is out-of-service for repairs, a replacement bus goes on the road in its place and information about the replacement vehicle must be sent to SafeStop for the app to be updated.

When the planned versus actual routes correlate and run smoothly, parents can be assured about the correct pick-up/drop-off times, transportation staff can have more accurate and helpful reports, and administrators can keep an eye on their customer service, school fleet efficiency, and transportation budget.

Every day, if local transportation staff can ensure that buses are assigned to their correct routes, SafeStop is able to offer tracking capabilities on the parent-facing app, analytics on the administration backend, full customer service for parents and administrators alike, and report cards to show district leaders what to fix, where to look, and how to respond to improve school bus fleet operations.

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Topics: School Buses, Bus Tracking App, GPS, students, parents, school bus tracking

BLOG SERIES: What to Know When Considering a Tracking App // PART 4: Troubleshooting

Posted by Patricia M on Apr 27, 2018 10:15:22 AM

INTRODUCTION

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Topics: School Buses, Bus Tracking App, GPS, students, parents, school bus tracking

BLOG SERIES: What to Know When Considering a Tracking App // PART 3: How to Manage Parent Expectations

Posted by Patricia M on Apr 13, 2018 12:06:30 PM

INTRODUCTION

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Topics: School Buses, Bus Tracking App, GPS, students, parents, school bus tracking

BLOG SERIES: What to Know When Considering a Tracking App // PART 2: The Timeline You Can Expect

Posted by Patricia M on Mar 22, 2018 2:43:21 PM

INTRODUCTION

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Topics: School Buses, Bus Tracking App, GPS, students, parents, school bus tracking

BLOG SERIES: What to Know When Considering a Tracking App // PART 1: Taking Stock Before Roll Out

Posted by Patricia M on Mar 9, 2018 12:32:49 PM

INTRODUCTION

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Topics: School Buses, Bus Tracking App, GPS, students, parents, school bus tracking

5 Stats You Didn't Know About the School Bus Industry

Posted by Patricia M on Feb 9, 2018 9:11:16 AM

Yellow school buses are an everyday fixture in our neighborhoods and communities, yet there’s a more complex story behind the design, safety and routes that transport students to and from school. School bus carriers operate the largest mass transportation fleet in the country, and the industry itself is projected to grow even more during the next five years. This includes the traditional school transportation industry as we’ve known it for decades, as well as school bus-related technology including fleet telematics and school bus tracking apps.

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Topics: Bus Safety, School Buses, Bus Tracking App, Student Transportation, Child Safety, school bus tracking, transportation system, school bus routes, school bus

Don’t Get Stranded in the Cold: How SafeStop helped a Colorado school district navigate winter weather

Posted by Patricia M on Nov 22, 2017 10:03:00 AM

When the weather shifts to colder temperatures this time of year, school administrators and transportation directors must keep an eye on inclement weather and road conditions to keep students safe. Tracking dozens of school buses and thousands of students is difficult on an average day, and bad weather can make it even tougher. When School District 49 in Colorado needed a way to securely track students, keep parents informed and give school officials control, SafeStop had the solution.

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Topics: Bus Tracking App, Colorado, Weather, parents, reporting, school bus tracking, student tracking, phone calls

5 Ways to Reduce Complexity in Your Transportation System

Posted by Patrick Gallagher on Sep 27, 2017 10:17:00 AM

 

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Topics: school bus tracking, transportation system, data, student tracking, phone calls, bus routes, school bus routes, school bus, school bus driver

Get Back to School with 3 New Features Designed to Improve Your SafeStop Experience

Posted by Patricia M on Aug 30, 2017 12:57:07 PM

As the summer comes to a close and the kids head back to school, we are excited to reveal what SafeStop has been focusing on over the summer break. The SafeStop team has been hard at work on the development of these three functions that aim to improve your app experience.

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Topics: Back to School, google maps, reporting, school bus tracking