Route optimization software helps Transportation Departments plan their routes more effectively and efficiently, potentially reducing annual costs by $500,000. Although saving time and money are major incentives when choosing a software system, finding a solution that can assist with safe student transportation is a top priority for school districts.
With EZRouting, students can easily scan on and off the bus, assuring parents and staff of their location. School bus drivers can also reroute buses due to emergencies and select a safer route. The system was built with safe student transportation in mind, which is why over 75 districts nationwide use EZRouting as their preferred routing software.
For context, EZRouting is cloud-based route optimization software with numerous features that help school districts transport students safely and effectively.
Before we dive into the benefits of our one-of-a-kind transportation software and why a combined solution is the most effective way to ensure safe student transportation and save on costs, let’s explore the basics of route optimization software.
What Is Route Optimization Software?
For those unaware, route optimization software—for fleet-based school districts—supports scheduling and routing decisions by generating the most optimal route for any number of school buses.
All school districts can benefit from routing software. The more optimized your route, the less time school bus drivers spend on the road, and the more money schools save (in fuel and labor costs).
The level of sophistication you need from your route optimization software varies. While some school districts are more interested in tablets with turn-by-turn directions, others are looking for a system that includes a live video feed of their buses. Being able to see what's happening on each bus at any given time is essential if safe student transportation is your top priority.
Using EZRouting as Your Preferred Route Optimization Software
EZRouting provides over 75 districts with the tools to determine and communicate the most fuel-efficient bus routes. This leads to cost savings and ensures administrators, faculty, and parents have the most up-to-date information. The cloud-based solution also equips staff with the resources needed to manage bus fleets and streamline operations on a centralized platform.
Route optimization software systems like EZRouting enable simple, automated communication with parents. Through the Parent Portal, transportation staff can reach parents faster to explain:
- Any potential changes to the bus schedule
- New or modified routes
- Why a new or different driver picks up their student
Useful EZRouting Features:
- Route consolidation: update the system of a missing driver and other drivers will be disbursed to the area.
- Auto-generate routes: build the most efficient bus routes (i.e., avoiding route hazards or designating the fastest course possible).
- Online parent portal: allow parents to register their child and access updated information, such as an address or fluctuating schedules.
- Calendar-based scheduling: empower staff with flexibility in pick-up and drop-off locations with a few clicks of a button.
- Driver bidding: allow drivers to electronically bid on trips for upcoming bid periods.
- Auto-generated board reports: increase compliance thanks to auto-generated board reports and gain more control over bus routes with all-inclusive data collection.
- Tablets: enable administration to create new routes, check-in and check-out students, and more.
Although EZRouting has many valuable features and resources, it does not include live video feed and bus intercoms. This is where Transportation Departments can benefit from a combination of multiple systems.
How EZRouting and Transportant Provide an Integrated Solution
Transportant, a transportation management software provider, works with hundreds of schools across the USA. The Kansas-based company offers a complete suite of student safety products for schools, including:
- High-definition cameras
- GPS fleet management
- Turn-by-turn directions
- Student ridership
- Reporting
Notably, routing software is not included in Transportant’s suite of products. Routes—an essential component of Transportation—must be manually entered or connected through an API (application programming interface) to an existing routing software. This is where EZRouting comes into play.
EZRouting is a critical factor in providing a fully integrated solution to Transportation Departments. All the information related to routes, like individual stop times, can be imported straight from the system.
The Cost and Labor-Saving Benefits of a Fully Integrated Solution
With a fully integrated solution, users can create more efficient routes, therefore reducing fuel costs, labor hours, and more.
