One of the better arguments for buying a software-defined vehicle is that, theoretically, the ride sitting in your driveway can get meaningfully better years after you bought it. Rivian is putting that promise to the test with what it calls the biggest software transformation the R1 has received yet. Importantly, even first-gen models will get this big new shiny update.

The automaker has begun rolling out software update 2026.31, which moves every R1T and R1S onto RivianOS 2. Again, Rivian isn’t leaving early adopters behind. Both first- and second-generation R1 vehicles get the new operating system, putting them onto the same underlying software stack as the newer R2. The most obvious changes come in the form of layout adjustments.

Read: VW Owner Says A Free Over-The-Air Update Left Him With A $1,600 Repair Bill

Rivian redesigned the interface with configurable quick controls and a media player that can be positioned on either side of the center display. There’s also a new vertical status bar and a substantially reworked settings menu with universal search and context-sensitive controls.

Graphics get an overhaul, too, although this is where hardware differences start to matter. Gen 2 R1s and the R2 use Unreal Engine 5 for real-time 3D vehicle and surroundings visualizations. First-generation R1s stick with Unreal Engine 4, which Rivian says allows it to maintain responsiveness on the older display hardware. That seems like a reasonable compromise. Early R1 owners can’t automatically gain the hardware compute that newer ones have, and yet, they still get many new benefits.

Google Maps And Waze Data Come Along For The Ride

Perhaps more useful than prettier graphics are the new navigation alerts. Rivian is integrating Google Maps information about police presence and speed cameras directly into its navigation system. That information can come from local authorities and third-party sources, along with real-time reports submitted through Google Maps and Waze. On top of that, Connect+ subscribers get even more.

There’s now a dedicated weather app with current conditions, air-quality information, and a 10-day forecast. Subscribers can also create, view, and modify active vehicle trips through the Rivian mobile app. Underneath all of this is what Rivian calls its “Unified Intelligence” platform. Gen 2 R1s and R2s have enough onboard computing power for more local processing, while both generations of R1 receive expanded cloud-assisted voice functionality and refreshed driver-display layouts.

Privacy Settings Made The Cut

Privacy controls haven’t disappeared in the AI shuffle, either. Rivian says owners can disable hotword wake-word functionality, restrict location sharing, and change driver-profile data settings. Perhaps the most interesting part isn’t any individual feature, though. It’s that a first-generation R1 is getting essentially the same software design language as a brand-new R2.

That’s exactly what OTA updates were supposed to make possible, and it’s considerably more compelling than an update that merely moves a few icons around. The 2026.31 update is rolling out now to eligible R1 and R2 vehicles, though Rivian says availability can vary by vehicle.

Photos: Rivian

Many school transportation departments throughout the U.S. are currently engaged in software and hardware upgrades—from exploration to implementation—with goals to make the process as smooth as possible while reaping top-level returns on that investment.

Habersham County Schools in Clarkesville, Georgia transports some 4,000 of its approximately 7,000 students throughout the district’s 350 square miles. Stephanie Walker, director of transportation for the district, noted Habersham is in the final stage of a complete bus radio replacement, which entails all new equipment and installation.

“This upgrade was a result of our 911 emergency services upgrading their radio system, and we wanted to remain on the same system as we have always been,” she said. “This project has been a long process, and we are excited to see our radio coverage increase significantly throughout our school district.

“This has always been a safety concern because our existing coverage included portions of our district that had little or no coverage due to terrain and older equipment,” she continued. “We are thankful to be on the same radio network as our emergency services as it relates to safety and monitoring by our emergency management services.”

Walker noted the district is currently considering new software for routing to replace its existing program. “With this replacement, we are considering the addition of student tracking, parent app and live GPS,” she said. “We have evaluated several options and are moving forward with recommendations soon. I believe the additions of student tracking and live GPS will bolster our continuing efforts to maintain high levels of safety for our students.”

Meanwhile, Lamar Consolidated Independent School District in Rosenberg, Texas, which serves approximately 48,000 students, with an average of a little more than 22,000 students transported daily by school bus. Lamar CISD is also the home of the 2026 AASA Superintendent of the Year Roosevelt Nivens.

“Providing safe, reliable transportation at this scale requires a strong operational foundation supported by technology, communication and collaboration,” said Michelle Summers, the assistant director of transportation at the district’s Rosenberg location.

Regarding software and hardware updates, Summers noted the district currently utilizes student monitoring technology that allows students to scan on and off the bus. “This provides parents with visibility into where their student is and adds an additional layer of safety and accountability,” she added.

The district’s school buses also are equipped with tablets, enabling drivers to operate their routes in a hands-free environment, eliminating the need to handle paper route sheets while driving. “Additionally, we have a parent app that allows families to track their child’s bus in real time and view student scan activity,” said Summers. “Together, these tools enhance communication, situational awareness and overall safety for students, drivers and families.” Newport News Public Schools in Virginia recently completed the RFP process to purchase updated routing software.

“We are migrating to a new field trip software as our current software by App Garden is being absorbed by Pathwise,” said Sharon L. Moore, transportation operations manager for the district that transports 19,000 of its district’s 25,500 students via school bus. “There are plans to have our student referral process become digital. We are currently exploring different software to assist us in this goal.”

Addressing challenges and lessons learned, Moore noted it can be challenging during the RFP process to identify software that encompasses all district wish-list items.

“There must be concessions made by both sides to come to the point of making a purchasing decision,” she added. “In the past, we have had to understand that proposals put forth by vendors need to be looked at as a used car sales approach, where everything looks shiny and new. But when we get to implementation, that is where the dings and dents come to light and there is more work than anticipated to get the program up and running for the district.”

That has made district staff aware that they need to ask more in-depth questions during the proposal phase to ensure the product being presented will be adequate to meet its needs, she added.

“If we can weed out the programs that would not be able to do what we need them to do during the RFP process, it saves so much more time and energy during the implementation phase,” said Moore. “We had a situation where we had gotten to the implementation training for a major product and had to back out because it simply would not have worked for our district,” she added. “We found that had we asked more in-depth questions during the process, we could have saved both us and the vendor months of work.”

Walker said one of her biggest challenges is finding the best time to perform equipment replacement and/or installation of new software, including training of all staff and
verification of data transfer.

“We are just now reaching the equipment replacement portion of the new bus radio system and are scheduled as soon as we end our normal school year, for which I am thankful,” she continued. “The timing of the radio equipment will allow for a quicker, seamless installation. However, we were prepared to coordinate the best rotation possible if it were to occur during school days.”

Walker added that any upgrades to the routing software and the new addition of the student verification and parent app will likely occur during the next school year. “Part of our current discussions are planning for this to happen and how we feel is the best approach for the transition if we are able to move forward as we hope,” she noted.

Summers noted the challenges associated with implementation occurred prior to her start with the district. She was informed the process was “very rocky during the first few years.”

“As a district, we worked closely with Tyler Technologies to identify errors within the system and received much needed training. As a result of those efforts, the opening of the 2025–2026 school year was very smooth, showing significant improvement,” she continued,
adding some technology challenges remain, especially related to connectivity and RFID issues. “However, we have strong working relationships with Tyler Technologies and CI Solutions, our student badge provider.

Because of these partnerships, we are typically able to address issues before they become larger problems.” Addressing what a successful implementation looks like, Summers said that it can be challenging, as transportation has many moving parts. “Nothing will ever work perfectly 100 percent of the time,” she pointed out. “However, transportation must operate as close to 100 percent as possible because we have zero room for error when it comes to student safety.”

Summers noted a successful implementation includes strong support from district leadership, clear and consistent communication, healthy and responsive relationships with vendors, and systems that reduce stress rather than add to it.

“When these elements are in place, it creates a smoother, less stressful school year for everyone involved,” she said. Moore agreed a successful implementation should encompass a smooth transition from selection to implementation.

“There needs to be a strong implementation plan with a clear training schedule for all users,” she said. “Each user role and responsibility needs to be clearly defined and the training tailored for each user group needs.” There needs to be a realistic timeline between purchase, training and implementation when it goes live, Moore said.

“There may be a need to run dual programs for a period to ensure that as many bumps in the road with the new software can be handled without operational disruption because we still have the support of the old software,” she added.

Moore advised other districts to involve end-users in as much of the implementation process as possible to help with buy-in and comfort level with the new technology, so that when the software does go live, all users feel comfortable using the program.

To ensure a successful implementation, Moore said she makes all attempts to prepare for any scenario during an upgrade or installation of equipment and software. “I want to see the process as seamless as possible,” she shared. “However, I try to have plans B, C and D already laid out just in case. A successful implementation will come from preparing and planning not only at the school district level but with the vendor you are working with.”

Moore suggested that school districts looking to do upgrades should spend time researching and developing the right questions to ask. “Know what features you are looking for, even if some of them seem too outrageous,” she said. “Not all of the pie-in-the-sky features will be available or possible, but you may be surprised that some will be.

“These features will probably not be the shiny new car look that you see in the showroom but could be the hidden under the hood features that makes the software the right fit for your division,” she continued. Summers concurred that the best possible outcome is derived through research.

“Compare and contrast solutions, and seek direct feedback from your transportation team,” she said. “Ask what is working, what is not and what the software or program needs to accomplish. Every district has unique needs, and it is important to address those needs intentionally.

“It is also critical to take your time and avoid rushing implementation simply because of cost. Rushed implementations often result in greater costs later. Phasing in upgrades allows staff time to adapt and increase longterm success.”

Ensure the transportation team understands the why behind the upgrade and is willing to work with the new system, Summers said, adding buy-in from the people using the technology every day is essential.

“Prepare, prepare, prepare,” Walker noted. “Prepare for every possible situation and timing of installation or upgrades. Think about how that will affect the school day, or if it is during the summer, how will you prepare your staff when they return to new equipment or software?”

Prepare for ample training with staff, including the possibility of needing to do additional training based on the outcome of the initial training period, she added.

Logistics play a big part of planning for implementation, Walker pointed out. “Adding implementation and installation during a school day will take much longer and require some distinct phasing in, whether it be by school location, a specific department such as general education or special needs, and a truly thoughtful plan that walks through the school day [that] will serve you best,” she said. “It is very important to make sure your staff is aware of the changes and understand the plan and their role in such plans.”

Summer concluded that technology should support operations, not complicate.“With thoughtful planning, strong communication and realistic expectations, districts can implement solutions that truly improve safety and efficiency,” she said.

The post Planning the Perfect Rollout: Secrets for Successful Software, Hardware Upgrades appeared first on School Transportation News.

We are excited to announce that our RouteWise AI platform has identified over $100 million in cumulative savings for school districts to date. As districts nationwide face severe driver shortages and budget constraints, RouteWise AI has become an essential tool for returning millions of dollars to classrooms, capturing hundreds of thousands of hours of previously lost learning time, and supporting district staff and bus drivers.

The Design Canvas for Modern School Transportation
Unlike traditional software that simply rearranges vehicles and routes, RouteWise AI serves as a strategic design canvas. The software considers every possible vehicle, student locations and individual needs, district policies (bell times and boundaries), local dynamics (traffic and construction), and transportation team preferences (rider mixing and route preferences).

By analyzing billions of these data points, RouteWise AI is able to design the right routing solution, provide various scenarios, and iterate on that plan constantly as new information becomes available. The platform has allowed districts to “look before they route,” modeling complex scenarios in hours to uncover non-intuitive efficiencies.

By identifying over $100 million in savings to date, RouteWise AI has delivered high-value outcomes including:

Eliminating Underutilized Routes: Analyzing a district’s entire fleet of available vehicles to identify opportunities to eliminate underutilized routes. By identifying the right vehicle and the right stop pairings for every student, the platform enables districts to match low-occupancy routes with small-capacity vehicles, and high-capacity routes with large buses, thereby maximizing the utilization of CDL drivers.

Operating Cost Reduction: Reducing operating budgets by 10–12% by identifying efficiencies in routing and vehicle-to-student matching. These identified savings allow districts to bridge budget gaps and redirect millions of dollars back into the classroom to support teacher salaries, student programs, and competitive driver pay.

Capital Budget Optimization: Reducing the total number of routes required to serve the student population. For every nine routes reduced through RouteWise AI optimization, a district can eliminate 10 planned vehicle purchases, avoiding costs between $150,000 and $400,000+ per bus.

Efficiency Without Trade-Offs: Identifying improved routing and vehicle use while ensuring students experience no increase in transit time through custom student commute settings. This allows districts to set firm parameters on maximum ride times, ensuring efficiency never comes at the expense of the student experience.

Class Time Hours Added Back: Optimizing route efficiency and on-time performance to ensure students spend less time in transit and more time in the classroom. In Colorado Springs School District 11, RouteWise AI helped increase on-time arrivals, recovering over 17,000 hours of invaluable learning time for students in a single school year.

By automating modeling that previously took months, RouteWise AI serves as a force multiplier, giving transportation teams the tools to solve challenges without compromising service.

Real-World Impact
The financial efficiencies identified by RouteWise AI are being used by districts to solve their most pressing human resource challenges.

“RouteWise AI provides the clarity essential to maximizing our resources. As we navigate a district-wide bell time transition, the platform delivers sophisticated analyses on route design, service windows, and deadhead miles in a fraction of the time it once took to compile manually. This agility allows us to simultaneously optimize our network and resolve operational pain points, ensuring our transportation system more effectively supports student achievement.”

—Oz Flores, Director of Transportation , Aurora Public Schools in Colorado

“RouteWise AI helps us think outside the box to find solutions that were previously not possible with existing tools. By leveraging RouteWise AI optimization, we’ve effectively integrated complex schedules and substantially reduced overloads, which has helped us maintain an average of two uncovered routes per day, a significant reduction from last year. RouteWise AI isn’t about replacing our staff — it’s an essential enhancement that helps our team find creative solutions to eliminate route overlaps and drive efficiency. RouteWise AI effectively positions us to better accommodate the diverse needs of our young scholars while ensuring that each one gets to school and home safely and on time.”

—Dr. Stacey Benson Taylor, Associate Business Manager of Dayton Public Schools in Ohio

Transforming the Industry Through Multimodal “Right-Sizing”
RouteWise AI has empowered districts to embrace a multimodal transportation model — the practice of using the right vehicle for the right student at the right time. By right-sizing school bus fleets, districts have been able to allocate expensive 72+ passenger buses to high-density routes while using smaller buses, vans, and even small vehicles for low-occupancy or geographically dispersed routes — ultimately reducing the immense strain on bus drivers and transportation staff.

The post RouteWise AI Hits $100M in School Transportation Savings appeared first on School Transportation News.

Shelly had three buses down on a Monday morning.

Two were waiting on parts. One had been sitting in the bay for four days. Her one certified technician was working hard, but too much of that work had nothing to do with fixing buses. He was printing work orders. Writing notes by hand. Checking on parts. Tracking people down. Moving paper from one step to the next.

When the transportation director asked what was slowing the shop down, Shelly didn’t have a clean answer. She knew the buses were down. She knew the team was stretched. What she couldn’t see was where the hours were actually going.

Does that story feel familiar? The technician shortage is real. Every fleet leader knows that. Hiring is hard. Keeping good people is hard. Finding enough time in the day is even harder.

Still, hiring is only part of the challenge.

The rest hides in the blind spots. It hides in the paper trail, the missing status updates, the parts questions, and the work that pulls skilled technicians away from the buses that need them most.

That is why the technician shortage is a data problem, not just a hiring problem.

A short-staffed shop can feel even shorter when the day is packed with manual work. Paperwork slows everything down. Missing information slows it down more. By the time a fleet leader realizes where the delay is, the delay has already done its damage.

That’s the real cost of fleet blind spots. They steal time from the people who can least afford to lose it.

The hours are there. Too many shops just can’t see where they go.

Most school transportation leaders don’t need another reminder that technicians are hard to find. They live that reality every day. What they need is a clearer view of the capacity they already have.

A technician in a paper-based shop does not just repair buses. They wait on work orders. They check for parts. They stop for updates. They write down what they did. They hand off paper. Then they do it again.

That time adds up fast.

The problem here is visibility, not effort. When leaders can’t see where time is being spent, they can’t protect it.

That leaves good people working inside a system that makes every day harder than it should be.

Fleet leaders deserve better than that. So do their teams.

Better visibility gives technicians more time to do the work only they can do.

A technician should be working on buses, not chasing paperwork.

A fleet leader should be able to see what’s open, what’s waiting, and what needs attention next. They shouldn’t have to piece the story together from paper forms, hallway conversations, and scattered systems.

That is where RTA Fleet360 helps.

RTA Fleet360 brings work orders, PM scheduling, labor tracking, parts visibility, and reporting into one clear place. It helps school transportation leaders see what is happening in the shop while the work is happening. That means fewer fleet blind spots, faster answers, and a steadier day for the whole team.

When leaders can see where the hours are going, they can start giving those hours back to the shop.

That changes the pace of the work.

Jobs move faster. Delays are easier to spot. Technicians spend less time on admin drag and more time on the work that keeps buses ready.

Explore Fleet360 for K-12 fleets, or book a meeting with an RTA Fleet Expert to see how better shop visibility can help your team get more from the capacity you already have.

Real fleet leaders are already proving what better systems can do.

At Kern High School District in California, better visibility and tighter control led to a result any fleet leader would notice. Fleet Manager Adrian Corral put it simply: “As soon as we took on RTA … we got our shrink down to about $500.”

Before RTA, the district was dealing with a manual process that took too much time and too much effort to manage. With stronger systems in place, the team gained control, cut waste, and made the operation easier to run from top to bottom.

That matters in a school bus shop.

It means fewer things slipping through the cracks. It means better stewardship of public dollars. It means a leader can speak clearly about what is happening and what is improving.

Read the Kern High School District case study here, then book a meeting with an RTA Fleet Expert to see how those gains could translate to your fleet.

Better visibility helps school transportation leaders make stronger decisions.

A fleet leader shouldn’t feel like they have fleet blinders on.

They should be able to see what work is open, what’s behind schedule, and where the pressure is building. When that visibility is clear, it gets easier to set priorities, explain decisions, and back up the team with real numbers.

That kind of clarity changes the job.

Instead of reacting to every new problem, leaders can get ahead of them. Instead of walking into tough conversations with partial answers, they can walk in with proof. Instead of feeling buried by blind spots, they can lead with a steadier hand.

The next step for school bus fleets that want more control –

School bus fleets don’t need bigger blind spots. They need cleaner information, stronger workflows, sharper planning, and a better way to turn daily effort into measurable progress.

RTA Fleet360 helps make that happen. It brings maintenance, PM, labor tracking, parts visibility, and reporting into one clear place. Transportation directors can see more clearly, parts managers can respond faster, and buses can get back on the road safely. With RTA Fleet360, fleet leaders can lead with confidence.

Explore Fleet360 for K-12 fleets. Book a meeting with an RTA Fleet Expert. See how better shop visibility can help your team get more from the capacity you already have.

The post The Technician Shortage Is a Data Problem, Not Just a Hiring Problem appeared first on School Transportation News.