Zonar, the leader in smart fleet management technology, and the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), announced on Oct. 29, the recipients of the Don Carnahan Grant.
Recipients of the grant are eligible to receive up to $50,000 in industry, leading Zonar hardware, including: Electronic Verified Inspection Reporting (EVIR), Global Position System (GPS) and Real Time Engine Diagnostic Reporting (V3), Student Tracking (Z Pass), and Ground Traffic Control web-based software.
Grant Recipients
- Brazosport Independent School District, Texas
- Caroline County Public Schools, Virginia
- Howell Township Public Schools, New Jersey
- Montgomery County Public Schools, Virginia
- Sayreville Public Schools, New Jersey
- Socorro Consolidated Schools, New Mexico
- Solano County Office of Education, California
- Thompson School District R2-J, Colorado
- Whittier Union High School District, California
This technology will allow school districts to:
- Improve safety and peace of mind: With the addition of GPS tracking on buses and the use of Z Pass, districts gain visibility into when, where and how buses are operated, as well as when and where students are getting on and off the bus.
- Streamline pre- and post-trip inspection: With EVIR, districts can eliminate paperwork for inspections and repairs.
- Ensure compliance with regulations: EVIR delivers digitally verifiable records of pre- and post-trip inspections which ensure schools are complying with commercial driver’s license (CDL) trip inspection regulations.
- Receive real-time route optimization: With Zonar GPS and Ground Traffic Control, school transportation officials can reroute buses around accidents and traffic, resulting in more efficient times of arrival and reduced fuel usage and idle times.
- Improve maintenance: Zonar’s V4 delivers insights back to Ground Traffic Control for engine diagnostic and management, which cuts down on repair costs.
According to Zonar’s internal data, there are an estimated 480 million school buses on the road in the U.S. Solutions like these can help prevent the over 109 bus accidents that occur annually. From 2013 to 2015, there were an estimated 328 bus-related accidents, but only one involved a Zonar vehicle (0.3 percent).
“With 24 million students riding a school bus each day, we want to provide school districts with the technology to give parents peace of mind when their child steps on a bus,” said H. Kevin Mest, senior vice president & general manager of passenger services at Zonar. “This grant allows school districts to reduce the upfront cost of acquiring and implementing leading-edge technology systems, and start realizing the benefits of reducing costs and improving student safety.”
Recipients of this year’s grant will be recognized at the NAPT’s Annual Conference & Trade Show in Kansas City, Mo. on Oct. 27-30.
In addition to the Don Carnahan Memorial Grant, Zonar recognized the value of NAPT’s annual Conference and Trade Show, and in an effort to encourage its customers to attend, Zonar awards eligible Zonar customers with a scholarship to offset the cost of registration. For information on next year’s scholarship opportunity visit http://www.napt.org when the 2019 NAPT Conference registration opens.
Don Carnahan Memorial Grant
For more information on the Don Carnahan Memorial Grant, visit: http://www.zonarsystems.com/grant-program
About Zonar
Founded in 2001, Zonar has pioneered smart fleet management solutions throughout vocational, pupil, mass transit and commercial trucking industries. Zonar helps fleets of all sizes maximize the use of their assets with solutions dedicated to improving compliance, efficiency, maintenance, ridership visibility, safety and tracking.
Cloud-based services with open API’s drive Zonar’s smart fleet solutions by making it easy for fleet owners and managers to stay connected to their fleets, and drivers and operators to dispatch. Headquartered in Seattle and majority-owned by technology company Continental, Zonar also has a Technology Development Center in downtown Seattle, a regional office in Cincinnati, and a distribution center outside of Atlanta. http://www.zonarsystems.com
About NAPT
NAPT is the school transportation industry’s largest and most diverse membership organization with members throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as several countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. NAPT is headquartered in Albany, N.Y. http://www.napt.org
