When East Noble School District’s transportation operation needed to make security updates, the district found itself in urgent need to move to Transfinder’s cloud-based Routefinder PLUS platform.

The move to PLUS was a game-changer for the Kendallville, Ind. District that serves some 4,000 students. Josh Buhro, the Kendallville, Ind district’s transportation director, set out to not only restore the district’s transportation operation but also significantly enhance its efficiency.

He accomplished both by implementing Transfinder’s Routefinder PLUS routing solution.

“We jumped in full steam ahead,” Buhro said.

A History of Transportation Technology at East Noble

Buhro has been in transportation for nearly a decade. When he first joined East Noble, the district was using (another company), a routing software he described as clunky and not user-friendly. Looking for an upgrade, East Noble had switched to Transfinder’s Routefinder Pro solution five years ago, which had been recommended by neighboring districts.

Then in 2024, the district moved to the award-winning Routefinder PLUS.

“There are districts around us who had moved to PLUS and had nothing but good things to say,” Buhro recalled. “They were implementing is and moving forward and I was maybe a little stubborn.”

He added, it was more of an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it kind of thing. But looking back, I was scared of stuff. I shouldn’t have been scared. Ultimately, I think we’re in a better place now.”

During the move to Routefinder PLUS, Buhro and his team, including a newly hired transportation secretary who attended Transfinder University Livestream. This training proved invaluable, allowing them to quickly adapt to the new platform. The secretary, with no prior experience with Transfinder’s solutions, found PLUS to be highly intuitive, taking to it “like a fish to water,” Buhro said. “They said, ‘Josh, don’t be scared of it!’”

The Advantages of PLUS

One of the biggest surprises for Buhro and his team was how seamlessly PLUS integrated with other Transfinder tools the district uses, such as Tripfinder, the district’s field trip management solution, and Viewfinder, a solution that provides an overview of the district’s operation and student rider data.

“We love Tripfinder,” he said. “It allows us to manage our buses, our resources and our drivers. We’ve got some custom reports set up. Quite frankly, I don’t know how we would manage our extracurricular activity trips without the use of Tripfinder. It cuts out so much of that cumbersome sort of communication piece that used to have to take place by phone or email,” Buhro said.

He noted that one morning he had 36 extracurricular and field trips requests that he was able to quickly assign.

“It does it all for us, other than drive the bus,” Buhro said, “and that’s the part that’s easy for us to manage.”

Regarding the PLUS platform, Buhro described it as more user-friendly, efficient and responsive. He highlighted:

• Ease of Use: Editing routes is easy. PLUS allows for simple, drag-and-drop modifications. “You just right-click and edit,” Buhro noted, highlighting how much more intuitive the system is.
• Streamlined Communication: Tripfinder revolutionized how East Noble manages field trips, athletics and extracurricular activities. Requests are processed digitally, eliminating the cumbersome back-and-forth that used to take place via phone and email.
• Transfinder Community: The online Transfinder Community portal provides a wealth of resources, including video tutorials and guides, which allows Buhro and his team to troubleshoot issues independently. “Anytime we’ve got a question, that’s the first place we go and there are usually videos in the library or trainings that have been done. Rarely, if ever, do we actually reach out to support.”
• Enhanced Support: When direct support is needed, Transfinder’s response times were “obscenely fast,” often returning calls within minutes.

Buhro said the Transfinder team understands the need for speedy response times.

“Even three days before school started they need it was critical for us to have things up and running,” he said. ‘They put in the time to help us make things happen. We’re very grateful for all that support and input.”

A New Era for East Noble’s Transportation

In a district serving multiple schools, including a high school, middle school and five elementary schools, an efficient transportation system is crucial. The ability to quickly assign drivers, manage routes, and coordinate field trips is no small feat.

Thanks to Transfinder’s PLUS platform, East Noble has improved its transportation operation. What began as an urgent need has ultimately led to a stronger, more resilient system that better serves students, staff and the community.

“There are so many pieces of it that are just intuitive,” Buhro said.

As Buhro reflected on the transition, he expressed gratitude for the support and partnership from Transfinder. “We were very fortunate with the trainer we were assigned. They let us work at our own pace and answered every question we had.”

With a solid foundation in place and considering new tools in the future, East Noble School District is well-positioned for what’s around the bend.

Future Plans with Transfinder

With the great results from the move to PLUS, East Noble is now exploring additional Transfinder tools, such as the driver app Wayfinder, which offers turn-by-turn navigation and attendance, and the parent app Stopfinder, which provides information on bus location and two-way communication between parents and the transportation department. These tools could further assist the transportation operation in dealing with issues such as substitute drivers and last-minute route changes.

“Based on the success with that [PLUS] implementation, that’s what’s been the impetus for us to investigate Wayfinder and Stopfinder solutions for turn-by-turn directions and fleet tracking,” Buhro said.

Buhro emphasized the importance of ensuring these tools integrate smoothly with their existing processes.

“I need to make sure it’ll do everything we’re doing now—and do it better,” he said.

Buhro said he knows the Transfinder team will be there to help along the way.

“You guys did a beautiful job of easing concerns and getting us rolling with the new stuff,” he said.

To learn more about Routefinder PLUS or Transfinder’s suite of solutions, visit Transfinder.com, email getplus@transfinder.com or call 800-373-3609.

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

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CONCORD, N.C. – A lunch and learn session shared Transfinder’s integrated software and hardware tools and resources to help transportation departments efficiently deal with both daily routines and intermittent challenges.

Zachary Moren, manager of enablement and engineering for session sponsor Transfinder, noted that technology isn’t a magical solution apart from careful integration, process and workflows. “Our company helps one in three students get to school safer every day,” he stated.

He shared that Transfinder focuses on a unified platform and instantaneous information updates. This, he said helps districts serve their stakeholders — families and district administration — in a more efficient way.

The process begins with onboarding student registrations, which he said he’s seen starts with Google forms at many districts. Transfinder’s integrated registration process allows parental input, feeds the information into a student record, and adds it into the routing software, if applicable.

The anchor of it all is a robust routing application, which for Transfinder is its Routefinder Plus. Moren explained that marrying this with bus GPS and student ridership data tightens things up and builds trust in the system. That information can then be confidently shared through parent apps to reduce calls to the office.

For their part, parent apps should be more than a GPS bus tracker, Moren said. They should provide transparent information on their child’s journey to and from school every day.

School bus driver input is a crucial piece of the puzzle, Moren declared. To eliminate handwritten notes on route sheets, automatically updating data accessed via tablets helps make drivers’ jobs easier and improve on-time performance. Tablets also allow drivers to easily create alerts on road hazards or routing errors.

Moren said he’s seen many districts start implementing student ridership data on special needs buses before rolling it out fleet-wide. They may first implement manual student check-in before RFID cards. Either way, he said, with Transfinder, this information is instantly shared with district administrators who can give parents answers on student location.

“Worse than sharing no information is sharing bad information,” he remarked.

When a bus breaks down, Moren said, dispatch can use Transfinder software to see exactly who is on the bus at the time and send notifications to impacted families.

For bus or driver replacements, he said Transfinder’s integrated resource substitution systems tie bus inspections to parent apps for more accurate information on things like bus numbers, also eliminating the need for staff to enter data twice.

Moren noted that field trips and fleet maintenance are other areas he’s observing which districts want to bring together into the larger technology stack to improve information sharing and resource utilization.

With data dashboards being important to transportation departments to share with district administration, Moren confirmed that Transfinder’s platform allows customizable comparisons and analysis to be made.

Related: Transfinder Scores Hat Trick with STN EXPO Innovation Choice Awards
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Related: WATCH: STN EXPO Reno 2024 Live Stream – Top Transportation Teams
Related: TSD Panelists Empower Student Transportation with Technology

He shared the story of Springfield Public Schools in Oregon, which had to fire 11 drivers and still cover all 55 routes. Staff used Transfinder’s Trip Absorption feature to consolidate routes and less than a week later sent updated information to parents.

Bo Bowman, the new transportation director for Benton Community Schools in Indiana, said he wouldn’t have been able to open the 2024-2025 school year without Transfinder. Instead of making 1,100 phone calls, he pushed relevant information out to parents via the app.

Sharing accurate information builds trust with parents while inaccurate information negatively affects that trust, Moren noted. School bus drivers should also be able to safely be rerouted back on track after a wrong turn or road obstruction. Laramie County School District #1 in Wyoming uses parent app Stopfinder paired with driver app Wayfinder to help solve these issues.

Customer service is crucial as well. “Technology [implementation] is a partnership with a company that is either able to be there for you or not,” Moren noted.

During the Q&A portion of the session, Moren clarified that Transfinder’s tablets aren’t required for use of its bus inspection software Servicefinder, which can be accessed via a QR code scanned by a driver’s personal cellphone or other device.

Transfinder’s systems can accommodate split custody or other multiple-home family situations, he confirmed.

Scenario-based routing is available so distinctions can be made for am vs. pm routes, yellow buses vs. activity buses, areas that can flood, and more. Moren established that zones and reports can be set up to track buses that are driven into places they are not supposed to go.

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Photos by Vince Rios Creative

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Weld County RE-3J School District in Colorado has been actively enhancing their transportation services to ensure safety, efficiency and reliability for their students. A significant aspect of this improvement involves the adoption of advanced routing and transportation management solutions provided by Transfinder, the leader in the industry.

Implementing Advanced Routing Solutions

Leading the effort is Nate Forbes, the transportation supervisor who has been with the district five years, following 16 years as a dispatch supervisor at UPS. Forbes, who’d worked overnights at UPS, made the move to school transportation so he could spend more time with his children.

Weld County RE-3J is one of the largest school districts in the state geographically, located in the largest county in the state, just 35 miles northeast of Denver. Transportation covers about 500 square miles and Forbes’ team transports 1,050 students on 14 large buses and three smaller buses.

Forbes’ move to school transportation was far from smooth.

“It was a mess of a department,” Forbes said. He wasn’t pleased with the transportation software the district was using.

At UPS, he was used to dispatching 75 drivers delivering 24,000 packages a day. When he logged into the product the Weld County district was using, it was sluggish.

“I couldn’t do it,” he said. “It was slow. The technology just wasn’t there. It took so long to zoom in on a map, to move a kid and route a kid or route that bus. I mean, it was taking me days to do what should have taken 10 to 15 minutes.”

That set him on his own journey about two years ago to find something better. He watched webinars, did some trainings, heard sales pitches, spoke with others in the industry. In total, he looked at five different companies and their products.

When he saw Transfinder’s award-winning Routefinder PLUS technology in action. One demonstration showed all the functions he was trying to do with his legacy product but couldn’t.

“You could grab a group of kids in a geographical area and it automatically routed them. You weren’t having to pick each individual student,” he said. “It was, in my opinion, very, very user friendly.”

The pieces of the puzzle then began to come together.

Standout

Asked what made Transfinder stand out from the pack, Forbes talked about the Transfinder sales team that was also “user” friendly. He didn’t feel the pressure that other companies he was dealing with were applying by overloading his inbox.

“I get turned off by that,” he said. And what Transfinder was providing was better than what he was seeing. After speaking to colleagues in the industry, reading online reviews and watching videos, it became apparent that Transfinder’s advanced routing technology was significantly better than the others.

“Just looking at map routing students, it’s just super easy,” he said. “I had a driver come in on a Wednesday and tell me that his last day was on Thursday. I cut out the route and moved those kids around and made sure parents were communicated with.” He was out of town and checked in with his team who confirmed things went smoothly.

Last year, when he hired a new secretary, Ashley Diller, he found himself out of the office during her first two weeks on the job. He encouraged Diller to look at the Transfinder Community site, to look at Routefinder 101. Between the great DIY tools in Community and the intuitiveness of PLUS, Forbes said she picked it up very quickly and could be a backup router when he wasn’t available.

The Need for Responsiveness

After turning to Routefinder PLUS, Forbes set his sights on Transfinder’s other award-winning solutions, the driver app Wayfinder and parent app Stopfinder.

“I just got everything I could get,” he said.

His previous experience with a different vendor was not so positive. “The customer service was horrible” at the district’s previous vendor, he said. On top of that, the product wasn’t reliable. Not helping things was the vendor’s constant employee turnover.

“I’d be talking to this guy and then two weeks later it’s this guy and it was just constant movement within their company. They weren’t very quick and responsive.”

He said in some cases it would take as many as eight business days before getting a call back from a previous vendor.

“When it’s a technical issue that’s too long,” he said.

Forbes said he needs responsiveness as he deals with challenges within the district. He said that, for a period of time, the district experienced dwindling enrollment but there are pockets in the district that are growing.

“That’s probably our biggest challenge,” he said.

When changing or consolidating routes, using Stopfinder to communicate with parents is extremely helpful and his staff loves the solution.

Stopfinder ‘Super Easy’ To Use

“They said, ‘This is super easy, especially with Stopfinder,’” he said, referring to informing parents of route changes. “We really have pushed that this year. They’re like, ‘This is super nice, seeing where the buses are at and getting the notifications.’”

The way to get more buy-in on the parent app was informing parents that they could find their student’s routing information through Stopfinder. He said the district constantly promoted this with parents in various communications.

“They would call the office and we would not give them their student riding information until they downloaded the app,” Forbes said. “We spent a lot of time on the phone and walking people though it. But in the long run it has made it so much better.” He estimates about 90 percent of parents are now using the app.

Forbes said Stopfinder has been a huge help keeping parents informed.

“We had a pretty big construction project that was supposed to be done in the middle of July and it didn’t wrap up until the end of September. Our buses were running late because there was no way to go,” Forbes said. “So I just sent out a quick notification saying we’re going to pick up 10 minutes early at magnet stops (subdivisions). I can see who’s reading it. I love that ability.”

He sent the notifications only to the families impacted by the construction rather than blasting to an entire route.

“Parents will tell you that they didn’t see anything and I can say, ‘You opened it at this time,’” Forbes said. “You opened it. If you didn’t read it, that’s on you.”

Parents are also good at providing feedback through the app, though sometimes, they tell him more than he needs to know.

“I think when I roll it out next year I’ll put a blurb in there saying you do not need to let me know little Johnny’s going to be out sick next Tuesday,’ Forbes said.

Viewfinder a time-saver

The district also has Viewfinder, which gives a customizable view of a district’s transportation operation. It also provides reader-only student ridership information to unlimited users, which district personnel can access to answer parent questions.

“I like it. We have a few of our secretaries who are very proficient in it and can go in and see what they need to see,” he said. “It’s saved quite a few phone calls on my end.”

Customer service

After dealing with subpar customer service from other vendors, Forbes has been amazed by the white-glove treatment he receives from Transfinder.

“The training was outstanding,” he said. “I was very, very surprised with the training. It was very, very good, very detailed. And when I had a question, even after the training, I could email the trainer and they were very responsive, very quickly.”

He said the trainer knew how to put him at ease at a stressful time planning for the new school year. He hit a “wrong” button and thought he lost two to three weeks’ worth of work just days before school starting.

“I had a moment where I thought I was going to cry. I’d panicked a little bit,” he said, laughing. “The trainer said, ‘Calm down. It’s archived.”

She brought up everything where they’d just left off. And when he has a question, he still gets responses quickly and Transfinder team members will hop on a call to walk him through something.

“My experience has been great,” he said. “I don’t know if there’s anything I would even suggest changing. It’s worked out well.”

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

The post Routefinder PLUS, Stopfinder Key Pieces of Puzzle for Colorado District appeared first on School Transportation News.

Hunter Eddy’s decade-long career in transportation reflects a profound commitment to improving mobility systems for communities. His journey began nearly 12 years ago as a driver for Green Mountain Transit (GMT) before advancing to supervisory roles and ultimately becoming a training supervisor.

After 10 years at GMT, Eddy transitioned to serving as Director of Transportation at Essex Westford School District in Essex, Vt. His career trajectory highlights a dedication to understanding and optimizing transportation systems to better serve communities.

In Transfinder he found a similarly dedicated partner passionate about improving the transportation of students and putting parents’ and transportation leaders’ minds at ease.

Building Expertise in Transportation

Eddy said during his tenure at GMT, he acquired a deep understanding of route design and management. Initially, routes were developed manually without advanced software solutions. By the time he left GMT, the organization was beginning to adopt apps for bus tracking—a precursor to the more sophisticated tools he would encounter later. Eddy’s exposure to these evolving systems laid the groundwork for his bringing innovations into school transportation.

“We did build routes at Green Mountain Transit but we didn’t use software to do it,” he said. “So Transfinder and Routefinder PLUS is all brand new to me.”

Upon assuming his role in Essex, Eddy identified inefficiencies in the district’s routing processes and early on advocated for adopting the move to Routefinder PLUS, Transfinder’s award-winning, browser-based routing solution to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

The Shift to Routefinder PLUS

The transition to Routefinder PLUS proved transformative. Eddy recalls how tasks that were cumbersome before the move and are now more intuitive. Features like drag-and-drop functionality for stops, easy map editing and the ability to create custom routes significantly reduced the time required for planning.

“It was a game changer,” Eddy said, noting how PLUS allowed him to recreate all district routes within a few weeks—a task that would have been daunting under the previous system.

Eddy also emphasized the benefits of enhanced map editing capabilities in Routefinder PLUS. Issues such as inaccurate road designations—for example, roads marked as one-way when they were two-way—were resolved with ease. The system’s intuitive interface enabled Eddy to identify and correct these discrepancies, ensuring that routes were accurate and efficient.

Serving a Diverse District

The Essex district’s transportation network is extensive, covering nine schools and approximately 1,200 active students, with around 1,800 signed up for bus services. The district’s rural nature introduces unique challenges, such as navigating dirt roads and adapting routes for mud season.

The team manages 37 primary routes, picking up elementary students first, then doubling back to pick up the remaining students, an approach they added last year. Eddy’s implementation of PLUS streamlined these complex logistics, enabling more effective route management and improved service delivery.

Training and Community Engagement

Eddy’s success with PLUS was bolstered by comprehensive training sessions. He highlighted the value of recorded classes and the supportive Transfinder Community platform, which provided resources and answers to specific challenges. What also stood out were the classes’ emphasis on foundational setup. By establishing clear parameters—such as curb approaches, stop positioning, and school-specific defaults—Eddy was able to troubleshoot routing issues quickly and efficiently.

Another key aspect of Eddy’s approach was engaging with school administrators. Through surveys and feedback sessions, he tailored the system to meet their needs. For instance, administrators now have easy access to reports detailing which students are assigned to specific buses, pickup and drop-off times, and route details. This autonomy has reduced reliance on the transportation office, fostering greater independence and efficiency within schools.

Key Features of Routefinder PLUS

Eddy highlighted several standout features of Routefinder PLUS:

1. Drag-and-Drop Functionality: Simplifies the process of adjusting stops and routes, saving significant time.
2. Map Editing: Allows quick resolution of road inaccuracies and route adjustments, enhancing overall accuracy.
3. Customizable Reporting: Empowers administrators to generate tailored reports, reducing communication bottlenecks.
4. Route Comparison Tools: Facilitates alignment of AM and PM routes, ensuring consistency and efficiency.

“Being able to compare two routes on top of each other was a huge help,” he said.

And seeing the impact of a decision before finalizing it was also helpful.

“I can change a lot of things pretty easily, like locking in certain times and see what that would affect,” Eddy said. “That helped quite a bit.”
These features not only streamline operations but also provide Eddy with a comprehensive view of the district’s transportation network, enabling data-driven decision-making.

Looking Ahead

Eddy sees immense potential in fully leveraging Routefinder PLUS. Beyond routing, he envisions using the system for staffing analysis, maintenance planning, and district-wide optimization. The platform’s ability to provide a holistic view of transportation operations—from walking zones to district-wide route maps—positions it as a vital tool for strategic planning.

For those considering a transition to Transfinder’s advanced transportation management platform, Eddy’s advice is clear: “Don’t wait. It has saved us and made us a lot more efficient. For me, it’s like the tip of the iceberg. I think there’s so much that we haven’t even touched on.”

Eddy’s experience underscores the substantial time savings, efficiency gains and enhanced service delivery achievable with Transfinder. By adopting PLUS and Transfinder’s award-winning suite of solutions, districts are revolutionizing their transportation operations, ultimately benefiting students, staff and the broader community.

To learn more visit Transfinder.com, email getplus@transfinder.com or call 800-373-3609.

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

The post The Transfinder Transformation: Efficient Transportation Management appeared first on School Transportation News.

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. and AUSTIN, Texas– Transfinder Corp. reported another record-breaking year, with annual revenue of $42.2 million, up from $35.4 million in 2023. The 20 percent increase represents Transfinder’s 27th consecutive year of annual growth.

Transfinder, which provides school transportation management and logistics solutions as well as policing software, also added 168 new clients, with 50 percent leaving competitors for Transfinder and 41 percent still routing manually.

There were a number of factors driving Transfinder’s growth, including hardware sales, which grew 117 percent to $9.5 million in 2024. Transfinder Hardware includes mounts and tablets for school buses running Wayfinder, Transfinder’s driver app, which provides turn-by-turn directions and the ability to take student attendance. Wayfinder sales alone jumped 67 percent in 2024 compared with the previous year. Servicefinder, the company’s fleet maintenance solution, saw sales increase 47 percent from the previous year. Sales in Transfinder Marketplace, which includes Transfinder’s partners, increased 134 percent year-over-year.

In addition to revenue growth, last year also marked a return of Transfinder’s premier Annual Client Summit, which had stopped in 2019 as a result of COVID. Transfinder’s Summit, held in April 2024 in San Antonio, Texas, sold out, with more than 300 attendees, its largest to date. In terms of attending conferences, Transfinder employees attended 49 conferences in 26 states, returning to some states multiple times. Transfinder’s experts recorded 147 days on district sites, up 29 percent from 2023.

Transfinder Community, an online resource created in 2020 that provides how-to videos, guides, webinars and live chat exclusively for Transfinder clients, has played a key role in the company’s success as more clients are receiving that Gold Standard customer service on their own time. Community’s homepage alone received 162,373 visits in 2024, up 237 percent from the previous year.

“We are running on all cylinders,” said Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella. “Last year demonstrated just how deep Transfinder’s team is, launching new products –

like Patrolfinder and Servicefinder – to new markets and hosting our largest Annual Client Summit in the history of the company in a new location for us. There’s a sense around here that there’s nothing we can’t do when we work together.”

Civitella said because of that he is setting even loftier goals, anticipating the company will hit $50 million in revenue in 2025. To that end, he is creating two divisions for Transfinder, the Pupil Logistics Division, focused on school transportation, and the Safety and Security Division, focused on police, municipalities and entities needing security-related solutions.

“While Transfinder is at an inflection point, we remain laser focused on the industries we serve and are devoted to making each and every one of our clients successful,” Civitella said. “There are synergies between the two divisions, but each industry will benefit from the Navy Seal approach we will provide.”

Civitella spoke about his vision for the company during a daylong kickoff at Transfinder’s headquarters in Schenectady, New York, on Jan. 13.

“We need to continue to innovate,” he told the Transfinder team. “We have done a good job and it’s going to get harder and harder to do this. But we are building on all the synergy we’ve created all these years.”

Proof of Transfinder’s continual innovation has been demonstrated by its solutions being named Best Hardware and Best Hardware for the second straight year at School Transportation News’ STN Expo in Reno, Nevada in 2024. (It’s the third year Transfinder received the Best Software designation). This year, Transfinder took home even more “hardware,” winning Best Safety Technology as well.

Backing the technology is Transfinder’s support teams. Trainings increased 2.9 percent to 8,930 in 2024 from 8,677 the year before, with trainings in Wayfinder increasing 144 percent, in Servicefinder increasing 125 percent and in Stopfinder increasing 46 percent.

Transfinder technology is more and more becoming “mission critical” technology for districts. Civitella said Transfinder’s award-winning Routefinder PLUS software was used to route students along 100,984,684 miles. That’s the equivalent of 212 round trips to the moon. Parents received more than 58 million notifications about their child’s bus via Transfinder’s award-winning Stopfinder parent app.

“The numbers in so many categories, from sales to notifications to miles routed keep climbing exponentially,” Civitella said. “It is extremely rewarding but it comes with an awesome sense of responsibility: Millions and millions of parents and students are counting on our clients to get it right day after day. We are partners with them in this mission.”

To bolster that partnership, Transfinder continues to add to its headcount. Currently, the tech company has 195 employees globally, up from 182 last year. Of the 5,903 candidates seeking a position at Transfinder, just 22 were hired in 2024.

“We basically have never stopped hiring,” Civitella said. “We are adding new roles, new teams and new divisions. We are looking for the best of the best.” He noted that 2024 demonstrated once again that Transfinder has become a destination for those wanting to do their best work with a meaningful purpose. Transfinder was once again named a Top Workplace by the Times Union and a Best Place to Work by the Albany Business Review in 2024.

“That success is the result of finding the right people who fit into the Transfinder culture,” Civitella said.

Highlights in 2024 include:

· 27th consecutive year of annual revenue growth

· 168 new clients

· Hardware sales up 117 percent from 2022

· Received Best Software, Best Hardware, Best Safety Technology awards from School Transportation News

· Made Inc.’s fastest-growing companies list (12th time)

· Made The Business Review’s fastest-growing companies list

· Named a Best Place to Work, Top Workplace

· Attended 49 conferences

· Received 5,903 applications (hired 22)

· Secured the location in Nashville, Tennessee for the Annual Client Summit

“We fought hard in 2024. There is no resting on our laurels. Every client call, every outreach, every conference mattered. The result is more clients trusting us for more of their solutions to run their operations,” Civitella said. “I said last year would be transformational for Transfinder and it was. Somehow, we will top even that in 2025!”

About Transfinder:
Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Schenectady, New York, Transfinder is a national leader in intelligent transportation systems, providing transportation management systems and services to municipalities, school districts, adult care facilities and police agencies. Transfinder develops and supports its proprietary routing and scheduling solutions and apps for optimal transportation logistics. Transfinder has been an Inc. magazine “fastest-growing company,” 12 times, at one time holding a streak for 11 consecutive years on the list. The company has offices in Austin, Texas; Shanghai, China and Mumbai, India. The company provides both software and hardware, receiving Best Software, Best Hardware and Best Safety Technology awards by industry leaders. Transfinder also has been named a Best Place to Work, Top Workplace and Best Company to Work for in New York State multiple times, For more information, visit www.transfinder.com.

The post Transfinder Records $42.2M in Revenue, up 20% appeared first on School Transportation News.

White Township Consolidated School District, a rural pre-K through 8th-grade school district located in Belvidere, New Jersey, a small town dating back to 1825 with a current population of 2,532.

The district has long grappled with the challenges of managing transportation across a geographically expansive and sparsely populated district. With approximately 400 students, the school requires efficient systems to ensure that every child is safely transported to and from school.

Most students are transported because the roads are too dangerous for walkers.

“They can’t walk to our school and usually all our buses need to pick them up door side,” said Ingrid Scott, the district’s transportation coordinator.

Recently, the district upgraded their routing solution to Transfinder’s award-winning Routefinder PLUS solution. Scott, who’s been in her position since 2018, describes the move to Routefinder PLUS as being transformative for the district’s transportation management noting how user-friendly PLUS is.

Adapting Technology for Rural Needs

In a district characterized by winding roads and dispersed households, transportation logistics are particularly demanding. Many students live in areas without precise address points, making it difficult to accurately place them on bus routes. Prior to the move to Routefinder PLUS, Scott relied heavily on manual adjustments, often cross-referencing maps to pinpoint student locations.

Going with Routefinder PLUS introduced new mapping tools that significantly enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of route planning. PLUS, with new maps, made all the difference. The upgraded system has streamlined the process, reducing the reliance on manual corrections.

Streamlining Processes with Routefinder PLUS

One of the most notable strengths of Routefinder PLUS has been the system’s ability to handle student transitions seamlessly. When 8th graders rollover to Belvidere High School, located in a neighboring town about five miles away, they are easily assigned to new routes.

“I didn’t have to redo stuff, which was a big help,” Scott said. “They show up on the high school buses as long as they’re geocoded in the right spot,” Scott noted. This automation saves valuable time and ensures greater accuracy, particularly during the busy school opening season.

“Everything worked great,” Scott said, regarding using PLUS for the first time at the start of the school year. “I had a smooth opening. Everything worked well.”

The enhanced functionality of Routefinder PLUS has also reduced manual labor in other areas. Previously, Scott would send parents postcards with their children’s bus stop and pickup times—a process that was both time-consuming and prone to delays. Now, she can email this information in a matter of seconds. “It was probably a three-second task to let them all know what their bus time was for their child,” Scott said. “It was great.”

Overcoming Initial Hesitations

Although the migration to Routefinder PLUS was initially daunting, the transition was well-supported by the company’s customer service and training resources. Scott described the training sessions as thorough and easy to follow, with the added benefit of recorded sessions for future reference. “I was scared to death when I first did it,” she admitted, but praised the support she received throughout the process.

For districts considering a similar upgrade, Scott advises against delaying the decision. “It was a great transition,” she said. “I probably should have done it sooner.”

Simplifying State Reporting (DRTRS)

In New Jersey, school districts are required to submit detailed transportation data for state reporting, the District Report of Transported Resident Students, known simply as DRTRS. It is a critical report for receiving state aid.

“We can’t have mistakes,” she said. Scott said the migration to Routefinder PLUS has made the DRTRS process significantly more efficient for White Township Consolidated School District.

“Transfinder knows all the information that’s required for the report,” Scott explained. “Transfinder’s been doing this for a long time, so they know.” By ensuring that the necessary data is correctly entered into the system, Scott can generate the required reports with just the touch of a button. This automation has eliminated much of the manual data entry previously required, allowing Scott to focus on other responsibilities.

Supporting a Multi-Role Administrator

Scott’s role extends far beyond transportation management. As the superintendent’s secretary, she juggles numerous administrative tasks, leaving little time for extensive system management. The simplicity and efficiency of Routefinder PLUS have been essential in enabling her to manage transportation effectively while balancing her other duties.

The district also benefits from the collaborative approach between Scott and their contracted bus company. Once routes are created, the company reviews them and provides feedback based on their on-the-ground knowledge, ensuring optimal routes for safety and efficiency.

The Rural Advantage

White Township Consolidated School District’s rural setting presents unique challenges, from long bus routes to winding, narrow roads. Transfinder’s Routefinder PLUS has proven to be a critical tool in addressing these challenges, particularly with features that prevent students from having to cross dangerous roads.

By ensuring door-side pickups and accommodating the region’s topography, the system enhances safety while maintaining efficiency. “Some of our roads are curvy, and you can’t see,” Scott explained. “To have somebody crossing is sometimes dangerous, especially for the little kids.”

Looking Ahead

With a successful migration behind her and a smooth school opening in place, Scott is optimistic about the future of transportation management in her district. While she acknowledges that there is always room for improvement, she is confident in the tools and support provided by Transfinder.

For other districts considering the transition to Transfinder’s Routefinder PLUS, Scott’s experience serves as a compelling case study.

“I was scared to death when I first did it,” she said. Then, when attending her trainings, her comfort level increased. “It was wonderful. Everyone has been so helpful.”

Scott raved about the support and training she has received.

“It was a great transition,” she said. “It’s totally worth my not having to spend as much time on certain things. The sooner you make the move, the sooner you’ll see the benefits.”

Learn more at transfinder.com.

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

The post Rural NJ School District Leverages Transfinder Technology for Efficiency appeared first on School Transportation News.

Josh Nease never imagined that pen and paper could feel like an artifact of the past, but in his 24th year in transportation, it did.

During his career in transportation, he would go through “a lot of forms, one at a time” and receive “a lot of input from the drivers,” he recalled.

“They would sit down with us and go over their routes and we’d make adjustments,” Nease said.

For years, it worked well enough, but “well enough” had begun to fray at the edges.

This year marked a turning point at Pleasant Local School District: a bold leap from analog to digital. A new routing software – something the district had flirted with for years but never quite embraced—was now fully implemented.

Transfinder’s award-winning Routefinder PLUS has been a game changer.

Pleasant Local School District is located in Marion, Ohio, a city of about 36,000 located about 50 miles north of Columbus. The district has 1,300 students and transports 700 of them via a two-tier system. Nease had inherited the role of Transportation Supervisor from Tom Haley, his predecessor of 15 years. It was Haley who had planted the seeds of change.

“We’d been talking about doing something like this for two or three years,” Nease said. “We just couldn’t find something that was really the right fit for what we needed that we could afford in our budget.”

It wasn’t until a new superintendent, Tom McDonald, entered the scene that those seeds began to sprout. McDonald, who had come from a larger district equipped with routing software, quickly recognized inefficiencies. Personally overhearing dispatchers and staff converse over the radio to determine routes and stops for students, McDonald was even more on board to find a software solution.

The district looked at three or so companies before deciding Transfinder was the best choice.

“The others didn’t seem to flow,” Nease said. “The ease of use just didn’t seem to be there.” Helping to confirm the decision was the fact that several neighboring districts were happy Transfinder clients.

By the time Nease officially took the reins, the plan was already in motion. Last year his team spent time training, building, and beta-testing Transfinder’s award-winning Routefinder PLUS routing system. Now, for the first time, they had a tool that could streamline transportation for the district’s 1,300 students, about 700 of whom relied on the buses daily.

Beyond Routefinder PLUS, the district added Transfinder’s award-winning Stopfinder parent app and Viewfinder, a tool to monitor day-to-day operations and access student ridership information, such as student bus information.

As Nease settled into the new system, the changes were immediate. The 2024-2025 school year was the first school year utilizing the Transfinder technology.

“It’s given the buildings easier access to things. They’re not constantly calling over to the garage for bus stop information,” he said. “The secretaries can get on and look at it. It’s been very, very helpful.”

Routefinder PLUS led to one smoothest openings in recent memory.

“It’s just made things run a lot smoother than they did in the past,” Nease said.

What made this school year’s opening so smooth? Learn more here. 

The post Routes of Change – Ohio District Travels on the Safe Side with Transfinder appeared first on School Transportation News.

Christopher Faust said, “Do what you can,” The words Christopher Faust lives by everyday are, “Do what you can.” He started his career in transportation through the public transit industry with the City of Sheboygan, Shoreline Metro. He explained that Sheboygan Area School District has parented with the Shoreline Metro since 2018 to provide free transportation for all students and staff, and the transit agency transports many students who are not eligible for yellow bus transportation.

Faust noted that he started as a transit coordinator with Shoreline Metro before accepting the transportation supervisor position with the Sheboygan Area School District in June of 2022. Two years later, his title was changed to coordinator of transportation.

“Chris is a highly dedicated, driven and success-oriented individual,” Derek Muench, director of transit and parking for the City of Sheboygan, wrote in his nomination. “He genuinely cares for students, families and customers. He is focused on making services more reliable, safer and easier to use. He has demonstrated this during his tenure with SASD and will continue to demonstrate and progress this mission in the years ahead. He is definitely a superstar and rising star and deserves the recognition.”

Muench added that Faust remains a part-time transit coordinator for Shoreline Metro. “He dispatches and coordinates transit services, including service for students utilizing public transit,” he continued. “Chris is an instrumental link between the Sheboygan Area School District and Shoreline Metro, which has an agreement to provide free student and staff transportation on the public transit system.”

Faust said his day-to-day goal during the school year is to be an engaged partner between their school bus contractor Prigge School Bus Service (a contract that’s been in place since 1970), the schools, administration and parents, while ensuring a seamless transportation experience. He added that his day consists of following up on student behaviors on the bus and patterning with principals when incidents arise.

Each year, School Transportation News chooses 10 Rising Stars based on nominations submitted by school districts and companies around the industry. These individuals have shown exemplary commitment and dedication in the student transportation industry and continue to demonstrate innovation in their roles. This year’s Rising Stars are featured in the November magazine issue.

One of those principals, Kathryn McKillip, nominated him for the award. “Christopher has been an invaluable member of our team over the past year at Sheboygan Area School District,” she wrote. “Christopher has played a crucial role in reshaping student transportation within our district and has significantly improved our relations with our contractor and families.”

She noted that during challenging times with the school bus driver shortage and long bus ride times, Faust’s “dedication and innovative thinking have been instrumental in enhancing the technology aspect of student transportation,” she continued.

Taking on Technology

Faust said when he first came to Sheboygan Area School District, school buses were equipped with little technology. He said cameras were installed for the time in 2017, but by 2022 it was clear that the systems were outdated.

“Technology changes were needed and that was clearly defined as a goal for transportation,” Faust said. “We felt that it was critical to take advantage of some of these technology solutions for safety, efficiency, and a better driver experience.”

The first change, he said, was to implement GPS on all buses to be able to know where buses were and when they would arrive at their destination. “Within weeks of that being implemented we realized what [a] game changer that was for us and our contractor,” he said. “To go back and confirm that the drivers were making their stops and waited for students that were not present changed the conversation when calls and emails would come in saying that the bus never came.”

He said that being able to validate those instances, that drivers were doing their job, alleviated the push back from drivers on the GPS systems. As they, too, saw the value in the technology.

After implementing GPS, Faust said the district launched parent app Stopfinder through their routing software, Transfinder. “Stopfinder has been an amazing resource for our parents and is another great product that Transfinder offers,” he said.

Zach Moren, sales engineer at Transfinder who submitted a Rising Star nomination, said Faust is always dedicated in finding ways to improve student transportation and safety.

The district’s latest tech adoption has been school bus Wi-Fi. He said Sheboygan Area School District applied for and received the first round of E-Rate funding for school bus Wi-Fi hotpots. Installation took place in August and service went live at the first day of school.

“Over the past year, Mr. Faust has positively restructured the district’s student transportation while improving the relationship with our contractor,” Clarissa Ramos, principal and mentorship coordinator at the district wrote in her nomination of Faust. “I have witnessed better communication and effective partnerships with principals and administration. Technology-wise GPS has been added on all buses, a parent app with live bus tracking. The SASD application for the FCC E-Rate Bus WI-FI was approved. … This is a huge win for our district the goal is to have reduced unwanted behaviors on the bus.”

Next for technology, Faust said the district is installing driver tablets with Transfinder’s Wayfinder, with the first one going live in October. “I’m very excited about that! Lastly next summer we will be upgrading our camera system on all bus to enhance safety and security,” he added. “We are looking at a camera that [we] will be able to view live and has a wide angle lens that we are able to see into the seats on the bus.”

City of Sheboygan’s Muench said Faust is focused on addressing the school bus driver shortage by implementing strategies that make the job more efficient and safer for drivers. “He is hopeful these changes as well as more forthcoming will lead to reliable staffing, more accountability by students and safer operations,” he wrote. “He is also focused on the parent experience giving them the opportunity to interact with school bus service and trust transportation is safe and reliable.”

Principal McKillip added that his technology implementations have not only transformed the school bus into an extension of the classroom but hold the promise of reducing behavioral issues which will create a more conducive learning environment.

“Christoper is so dedicated to our students, he will drive routes on top of all his other job duties, just to ensure they are able to get to school and engage in learning,” she wrote.

Faust confirmed that he drives part-time for their contractor. Like most, Faust said his ongoing challenge has been navigating the school bus driver shortage. “We simply don’t have enough drivers to cover all routes and get our students to and from school within the time frames we would like,” he said, adding they have tired advertising on social media, via direct mailings, billboards, the school district newsletter and even incentivizing coaches to obtain their CDL’s.

Going Forward

Faust said his favorite part of his job is knowing that he’s contributing to student success. “Making sure by what I am doing that they are getting to and from safely, that is the most important to me,” he said.

He noted that at some point in his professional career, he would like to become a director of transportation for a district that runs their own buses. “The goals I have within my current role are to keep incorporating technology into transportation, as well as using it to improve processes and procedures,” he said. “Five years from now I want the Sheboygan Area School District to be known with[in] the state of Wisconsin as a leader with technology on our buses.”

He noted that while the profession is difficult and has many challenges, it’s rewarding. “I wish more people could experience it in one [way] or another,” he said. “When I get the opportunity to be behind the wheel of a bus, it’s like everything I do comes full circle, and I appreciate what drivers do day in and day out so much more.”

Outside of work, Faust said he spends time with his two boys, 5 and 8, both who have special needs. He also has a 10-month-old daughter.

Related: Texas Student Transporter Utilizes Technology to Improve Operations
Related: Missouri Director of Transportation Furthers Safety and Sustainability
Related: Washington Law Provides Contracted Bus Drivers Same Benefits as District Employees

The post Transportation Coordinator Uses Technology to Drive Student and District Success appeared first on School Transportation News.

John Daniels, vice president of marketing at Transfinder, talked with Tony Corpin at the 2024 Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference about how Transfinder’s technology offerings can help streamline operations for student transporters, specifically when transporting students with special needs.

Related: TSD Panelists Empower Student Transportation with Technology
Related: WATCH: TSD 2024 Recap
Related: WATCH: First Student at TSD 2024

The post WATCH: Transfinder at TSD 2024 appeared first on School Transportation News.