Route Planners Can Help with Bus Driver Shortage
May 12, 2022
It’s no secret that a national driver shortage is lingering in the US which will cause plenty of problems for all involved. Staff and teachers will have to fill in to keep buses running, with some routes having no drivers and others combining two routes in one drive. In fact, in some states, National Guard troops are helping to ease the pain. Thankfully, we have a solution that can help you make efficient use of what you’ve got to work with!
How can a route planner help?
A route planning app helps organizing the right sequence of stops, with even the smallest of changes making a big difference to how well the schedule works. Our planner calculates the time and distance between all stops and creates the shortest route. Say you need to get back to the school at 8:00 am on the dot for classes to start, our route planner will provide you with the fastest and most efficient route possible!
Because of this, bus drivers will be able to communicate any kind of changes to the bus schedule. This could be new or modified routes or explaining to parents why a new driver has come to pick up their child. These are all scenarios that are more likely to happen during a driver shortage, with our route planner making it a whole lot easier!
Organization is key
Problems will occur if your bus driver or whoever has taken over isn’t organized. This is why we’ve made it so all you need to do is input your data and we’ll do the rest of the work. We’ll automatically select the fastest route connecting all destinations and prioritize saving time – further ensuring the children get to school when they’re supposed to.
Addresses are imported from an Excel sheet onto the software and we’ll do the rest. If you have a smartphone with an internet connection, you’ll be able to access the most convenient route and be stress-free during these hard times!
Worried about traffic? There’s also an option to reroute you from any traffic you might encounter on the original route!
Time efficiency
The system can plan hundreds of addresses per run so you can optimize multiple routes at once, for any number of drivers. Set a default service time for a specific stop and each occasion. You will also be able to set optimization goals, review your routes, and manually move stops.
Saving routes
Save an unlimited number of routes online, export routes to Excel, and save them to your computer. On top of this, you can send routes to any Email address, and export routes to TomTom, Garmin, and Google Maps.
Increase the safety of drivers
Sending your school bus drivers on a route but providing them with no means of direction is likely to lead to stress. Faced with unfamiliar roads, road closures, bad traffic, and more – it’s a recipe for disaster. Situations like these lead to drivers becoming anxious and put them at high-risk on the road. Plan a smart route and provide your drivers with voice driving directions using MyRoute app navigation capabilities.
Save money
No route, more money costs. Why is that?
If you have no plans when it comes to the route to/from the school you’re going to spend a lot more money on fuel costs. Your driver is likely to be going back and forth, stopping and starting the engine, and taking the wrong route at times. This is all going to add up over time. Not to mention, running the bus more will increase the likelihood of vehicle maintenance happening more frequently. An optimized route stops drivers from having to backtrack, they allow them to drive less, and get to their destinations in a timely manner. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.
