For school administrators, student transportation has always presented certain challenges: fuel costs, driver recruitment, and fleet management, to name just three. In their search for solutions, a growing number of school districts are considering partnership with school bus contractors who specializes in student transportation programs.
It makes sense. Delegating pupil transportation to a trusted, experienced partner can help educators manage costs and increase efficiency, while ensuring all students have safe, reliable access to education.
In this post, we’ll address the benefits of contracting with a transportation provider that can expertly partner with you to best serve your district’s student transportation needs.
Focus on drivers
In today’s tight job market, recruiting and retaining school bus drivers is more challenging than ever. Driving a school bus requires not just extensive training, but a special sense of commitment to the community.
School administrators may find themselves managing a transportation program that consumes their time and energy responding to a litany of problems, including driver shortages, schedule delays, or disruptions due to short staffing. A top-tier transportation provider will have a robust recruiting and retention program for drivers, designed to minimize staffing issues.
By sharing responsibility with a qualified school bus contractor, districts can focus on their educational mission, knowing student transport is in good hands.
Maintain reliability of transportation
The benefit of contracted services is improved student transportation reliability through operational and technical expertise of fleet management software and processes. Experienced technicians help keep inspections and maintenance programs running smoothly, while a knowledgeable dispatch team offers expertise in scheduling and routing. Both help manage costs and improve reliability. All of this helps build a school bus program that transports students safely and on time.
Maximize savings and efficiency
Given the financial constraints of most school districts, an in-house transportation program can have an outsized effect on a school budget. The right contracted student transportation service, however, can leverage economies of scale. Whether it’s for the people, processes, or technology your district needs, a contracted transportation partner often can glean savings and efficiencies that might otherwise be out of reach with an in-house program.
Adhere to strict safety standards
The most significant advantage of contracted student transportation services is safety. School bus operators are required to adhere to strict safety regulations set by state and federal legislative guidelines. This includes maintenance and inspections schedules and processes, as well as background checks and extensive, ongoing testing and training of drivers. By entrusting the transportation of students to an experienced, professional bus company, schools can ensure that the students are being transported safely.
The use of yellow buses can help reduce traffic congestion around schools, in turn reducing the opportunity for accidents. Not only is this a plus for traffic safety in your community, it can even improve air quality.
Adapt to changing industry regulations
Federal, state, and local laws and regulations in student transportation have been changing at an increasing pace over the past decade. New laws and regulations regarding emissions, route planning protocols, and driver standards are a lot to keep up with, especially for administrators with so much else on their plates.
Contracting with a specialized student transportation provider places the burden of compliance with trained professionals, helping to mitigate the risk of falling into legal non-compliance.
Remain cost-effective
In addition to addressing and resolving the above issues, a qualified school bus contractor helps districts to predict, manage, and perhaps even reduce school transportation costs. By entrusting the management of fleets, maintenance, technology, and staffing to an expert team, districts can realize significant savings. This is especially beneficial for smaller school districts with limited resources.
Work with the right team
Want to work with a student transportation team that specializes in safe, efficient, cost-effective programs? Reach out to us to learn more about how Krise Transportation can help. Contact us at info@krisetran.com.
