9
Jan
Transfinder in the News - Streamlining School Bus Fleet Management on the Go
- Posted By: Robb Snyder
- Category Featured, Company News
From School Bus Fleet
By Sadiah Thompson, Assistant Editor
Posted on January 7, 2019
For school transportation directors, efficient fleet tracking and monitoring means having constant, on-demand access to transportation data. Whether directors are utilizing data management platforms or route scheduling software, implementing technology into their daily routine further enhances their ability to conduct maintenance and performance operations.
“There’s a huge undertaking of people analyzing data in the real world and practical world of routing,” said Antonio Civitella, president and CEO of Transfinder, a transportation management systems supplier. “Having data accessible and mapping capabilities, for example, when there is an accident, being able to pull up that information quickly is really useful.”
A number of companies that offer fleet management tools have created and adapted software to help school transportation directors maintain their operations as well as the influx of data they receive. Technology from the companies listed below, such as real-time GPS tracking, telematics, and live video streaming, can potentially benefit transportation directors, especially while working offsite.
Transfinder
Transfinder’s Routefinder PLUS is a browser-based solution that provides fleet managers the ability to create safe and reliable bus routes. Using ESRI technology, managers can generate custom maps, directions, and boundary planning, as well as establish specific routing points.
“We have introduced the term ‘smart routing,’” Civitella says. “We let our clients do the route changes any time they want. Even before the school year is over, they can start planning and simulate what their bus routes will be for the next school year.”
Transfinder recently introduced Routefinder GO, an app-based solution that offers similar mapping capabilities as PLUS, but via a mobile device. Stakeholders can send instant messages as well as communicate directly with emergency responders and parents if there is an accident, bus delay, or any other serious event.
“Whenever I have a problem in the field or a student got on the wrong bus, [Routefinder GO] allows the driver to call their road supervisor, and they can look up where they are supposed to go and get a child home safely,” says Richard Gallagher, the director of transportation for Bay Shore (N.Y.) Schools.
Gallagher adds that because Routefinder GO is an app, it provides the “missing link” for his transportation department when accessing routing information remotely.
“When you’re at an outside scene during a chaotic situation, you don’t have to call the office back and forth, especially after hours,” Gallagher explains. “I can look up [on the app] what bus a student was on, their bus stop, and basically investigate where the student was if something were to happen.”
Routefinder GO also allows drivers to document actual events in real time by uploading photos or video footage of an incident and attaching it to the affected vehicle and/or student files. This feature can also notify designated emergency responders, parents, and district personnel.
