As schools, parents and students prep for the school year, so do school district and contractor bus fleets. Operational planning, vehicle maintenance, fleet technology implementation and driver training set the tone for the rest of the year. Clean out the cobwebs. Shake off the dust. And make sure your fleet is ready to roll.

Download Zonar’s complimentary white paper to learn more about:

• Cleaning up transportation data on the back-end
• Managing EV and ICE-powered buses side by side
• Enhancing on-time reliability and ensuring bus health
• Opening communications with parents—early
• Refreshing training for staff and drivers who use Zonar solutions

Fill out the form below and then check your email for the white paper download link.

The post (Free White Paper) Prep Your Bus Fleet for Rolling Back to School appeared first on School Transportation News.

As 9-year-old Luke sat idly on the school bus to his after-school activity, anger swelled in a seat not far away. The animosity soon boiled over, initiating a loud and intense struggle between Luke and an older student.

Hearing the altercation, the driver immediately tapped her event marker, triggering automated actions from her contractor’s fleet management software. These actions would ultimately help the bus contractor resolve Luke’s event within minutes.

What actions were triggered? How did they facilitate a speedy resolution?

For answers, let’s look at ARMOR Software Suite, the contractor’s wireless, cloud-based fleet management tool, and the integrated REI surveillance system.* While the suite offers many automated features, the two triggered by the event marker involved event alerts and video downloading.

Automated Event Alerts

Seconds after the event marker’s activation, ARMOR auto-generated an alert and sent it to the contractor’s cellphone. Anxious about the alert, the contractor accessed ARMOR’s live look-in feature to assess the situation.*

The real-time, high-definition view from the onboard camera system revealed the irate older student standing over a much smaller Luke. While the incident appeared to have ended, Luke still cowered as if injured. The contractor immediately called the driver’s two-way radio to notify her about Luke’s condition, then returned to ARMOR to watch video of the entire incident.

Automated Video Downloads

Because ARMOR was configured to auto-download all event videos from vehicle DVRs, the contractor didn’t have to wait long to view it. What’s more, the video included padding and showed all actions before and after the altercation.

Within minutes of its occurrence, the contractor obtained full event details. A misunderstanding between Luke and the older student resulted in repeated punches to Luke’s head, leaving him dazed and sore. Because of ARMOR’s automation and its ability to produce video quickly, the suite saved the contractor hours of research. More importantly, it showed the hits sustained by Luke, prompting an urgent concussion assessment.

Think how these automated tools would benefit your operation. Would your team like to forget about hard drive retrieval? Be more proactive in minimizing bullying?

How would they react to even more automated features, such as:

• Diagnostic warnings/updates about engines and REI surveillance systems*
• Daily activity reports about vehicles
• Status notifications about vehicle features/operations
• Stop-arm violation alerts*

Discover how ARMOR’s automated capabilities can enhance fleet safety, increase efficiency and reduce stress on your team. Visit radioeng.com to learn more, watch a demo or contact us.

*Requires additional hardware and/or specific cellular service plans. Ask for details.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

The post Automate to Elevate Safety & Fleet Management appeared first on School Transportation News.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Fleetio, the leading fleet optimization platform, today announced the launch of Advanced Analytics, an interactive reporting tool that uncovers cost savings and enhances fleet performance. Organizations can go beyond fundamental fleet cost management to uncover high-cost vehicles, compare trends over time and analyze average costs by asset type. With real-time threshold alerts highlighting issues like cost overruns or extended service times, teams can proactively address problems before they escalate.

Standard fleet reporting offers a helpful overview of asset health, but managing data sets in different places to drive business outcomes can be challenging. Advanced Analytics enhances data analysis by centralizing comprehensive, ready-to-use dashboards, clear visual representations and adaptable reports. This allows managers to gain a complete view of their data sets, readily identify trends, track performance with greater clarity and effectively communicate key findings to leadership. With improved visibility and analysis, fleets can prevent missed opportunities and reduce unnecessary spending, while saving up to 10 hours per week on extracting, consolidating and interpreting data.

“Using Fleetio’s Advanced Analytics is very easy for our warehouse managers out in the field. They have a lot on their plate, so having access to in-depth reporting that breaks everything down is great,” said Jessica DiLallo, Technical Fleet Operations Manager at Mohawk Carpet Transportation. “We also love the customization options that allow us to tailor the dashboard exactly to our needs.”

Fleetio’s Advanced Analytics enhances standard reporting with pre-built, customizable reports designed to adapt to a fleet’s evolving priorities, enabling faster, more informed decision-making. This tool functions like a built-in data analyst, allowing managers to easily evaluate and interpret data sets within the Fleetio platform by providing intuitive insights.

“The data visuals really help the business leaders see the big picture and understand the health of the fleet to make decisions,” said Richard Tran, Business Intelligence Manager at Daylight Transport.

Advanced Analytics helps with managing both daily tasks and long-term plans by empowering fleets to:

Track metrics that drive productivity – Uncover in-depth metrics around fuel costs, maintenance spending and service timelines

Spot issues before they escalate – Set thresholds and anomaly alerts to identify areas that need attention, such as falling inspection compliance rates and rising fuel costs

See what matters, fast – Build and customize data views for a true comparative analysis that matches operational goals

Pinpoint where to improve performance – Identify underperforming teams and target areas that need additional support by comparing fleet performance metrics across multiple locations

Ensure business alignment – Share fleet data visualization summaries with stakeholders to support business strategy and align the entire team around smarter, data-driven decisions

“Every industry has its own priorities, and Advanced Analytics was built to serve a wide range of fleets that face different challenges,” said Kayleigh O’Malley, Product Marketing Manager at Fleetio. “Companies can build custom dashboards and combine data sets to monitor trends in maintenance, utilization and fuel consumption. No matter the operation, the goal is the same: make smarter, faster decisions based on clear, accessible data.”

As technology evolves and demands shift, this enhancement reflects Fleetio’s ongoing commitment to the fleet industry, empowering fleets to operate more efficiently, strategically and confidently.

To learn more about the Advanced Analytics add-on and schedule a personalized demo that highlights fleet savings, visit www.fleetio.com/features/advanced-analytics

About Fleetio
Fleetio is the leading fleet optimization platform, helping fleets, repair shops and partners efficiently manage their assets by providing resources to gain control of daily operations while planning for the future. The company supports over 1 million vehicles, including more than 7,500 fleets across 100+ countries, and processes over 13 million repair orders through a network of 110,000 repair shops. Designed with data-driven recommendations and expert insights, Fleetio is setting the industry standard with its extensive fleet maintenance and management ecosystem. Fleetio equips fleet professionals with the tools they need to extend asset life, reduce downtime and confidently deliver results for their business. Learn more at www.fleetio.com.

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