PLANO, Texas — Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: TYL) today announced at the School Transportation News (STN) EXPO in Reno, Nevada, the introduction of Tyler Drive, an innovative software and hardware solution that turns the school bus into a mobile transportation management terminal.
Tyler Drive is the first solution to provide school bus drivers with turn-by-turn directions that keep the driver on the planned route; it ensures the driver services each stop along the route even if a turn or stop is missed. Tyler Drive also manages student ridership, employee timekeeping, and mandated pre- and post- trip vehicle inspections. All of this is integrated in real time with the Tyler transportation solution at use in the district, Versatrans Routing & Planning® or Tyler Traversa®.
This on-board solution closes the gaps in student transportation, making it easy to acclimate new or substitute drivers to unfamiliar routes, helping to provide complete documentation for Affordable Care Act reporting and state reimbursement, and stemming the losses caused by outdated timekeeping software. The system comes loaded on a semi- rugged tablet with 4G LTE connectivity specifically designed to withstand the rigors of the school bus environment.
“Tyler Drive helps districts deal with some of the major issues challenging transportation departments today like driver shortages and reporting compliance,” said Ted Thien, senior vice president and general manager for Tyler’s transportation group. “We’re excited to officially debut our solution at the STN Expo, alongside other revolutionary technology from Tyler for the school transportation space.”
Through integration with Tyler’s student transportation routing and planning solutions, Tyler Drive is able to provide the most comprehensive and reliable route navigation available, including:
- Accurate navigation: The detailed map shows the highlighted route and provides audio and visual step-by-step instructions to reach the next scheduled stop. Route data can be imported directly from either Versatrans or Traversa. Tyler Drive’s navigation feature reduces the effort of training new drivers and processing route changes. Routes changes can be processed at the transportation office then pushed over the air to the tablet in real time.
- Rerouting capabilities: The device helps drivers handle unanticipated road closures or missed stops by providing alternate, real time routing to the planned destination, while maintaining route integrity with safety policies such as right-side routing and walk-to-stop distances.
- Student identification and support: As the bus arrives at the scheduled stop, Tyler Drive displays the students boarding or disembarking, as well as any special student support information, along with their photo, address, grade and school name. Drivers can use the built-in touch screen or the system can be integrated with scan technology creating a digital record of when and where the student entered or exited the vehicle.
- Fewer driver distractions: Tyler Drive eliminates the need for paper maps and student lists. The “Mobile Lock” option allows the screen to be blocked while the bus is in motion. Drivers can rely on the audio instructions to reach the next stop.
In addition, Tyler Drive prompts drivers to take state-mandated breaks and requires drivers to document them, which helps districts track full-time and part-time employees for Affordable Care Act reporting and state reimbursement.
STN EXPO attendees can see Tyler Drive demonstrations at booth #254 in the exhibit hall at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno. Additionally, Tyler will be demonstrating the product at the STN “Ride and Drive” events on Tuesday, July 26 (7 a.m.–10:30 a.m. PT) and Wednesday, July 27 (8 a.m.–1 p.m. PT). To schedule a meeting, contact sara.mcgrath@tylertech.com. For information about the STN EXPO, please visit https://stnonline.com/expo/. Tyler serves more than 5,000 school districts nationwide with its software solutions for student information, analytics, transportation and integrated school financials.
About Tyler Technologies, Inc.
Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) is a leading provider of end-to-end information management solutions and services for local governments. Tyler partners with clients to empower the public sector — cities, counties, schools and other government entities — to become more efficient, more accessible and more responsive to the needs of their constituents. Tyler’s client base includes more than 14,000 local government offices in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and other international locations. In 2016, Forbes ranked Tyler on their “Most Innovative Growth Companies” list, and it has also named Tyler one of “America’s Best Small Companies” eight times. The company has been included six times on the Barron’s 400 Index, a measure of the most promising companies in America. More information about Tyler Technologies, headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at www.tylertech.com.
