Using School Bus Routing to Improve Workplace Culture, Retain Drivers

November 5, 2024

Two seasoned student transportation directors shared how utilizing routing technology can help build a positive workplace culture and reduce school bus driver shortages plaguing student transporters today.

Adrian Frierson, director of transportation for Hanover County Public Schools in Virginia, has been in student transportation since 2007, including serving as transportation specialist for the Virginia Department of Education for eight years.

Duane Peterson, transportation director for Jackson County Schools and past president of the Georgia Association for Pupil Transportation, started his career driving a school bus in 1986.

Both transportation directors agreed during a Tuesday webinar presented by School Transportation News that efforts like providing healthy wages, social media praise for one bus driver a week, and a Bus Driver of the Year program can boost the team culture.

They both utilize banners, social media, signup referrals, and bonuses to recruit drivers.

“It all comes down to the culture of people saying, “I want to work here,’” Peterson declared.

“Everyone loves encouragement,” agreed Tammy Cook, senior transportation advisor for webinar sponsor and school bus technology provider TransAct Communications.

Frierson noted that it’s important to have adequate staff and equipment to deal with a routine day’s work as well as unexpected events.

Why Route Building is Important

Operationally, Peterson shared that route building was crucial. He said using two- or three-tiered routing and building routes that could easily be taken on by another school bus driver were effective ways to deal with unexpected staff callouts.

“We cut about 30 routes, which gained 30 drivers for other routes,” he related.

Furthermore, he said switching from door-to-door transportation to assigned stops helps improve efficiencies and provide enough drivers for regular and field trip routes. Making sure routes are full but not overloaded helps keep driver stress low and satisfaction up.

“It all comes back to the culture in your department, that you’re supporting your drivers while staying efficient,” he stated.

Frierson agreed that smart and efficient routing helps drivers feel safe and unrushed, contributing to a good workplace culture.

How Technology Can Help

Having tablets loaded with turn-by-turn directions was initially met with apprehension but has become a favorite with his school bus drivers, Peterson said. It helps the drivers confidently take over a route that needs to be covered, since the information is right at their fingertips. It also provides support for his school bus drivers if a parent claims their stop was skipped and proves that administration has the employee’s back.

With students being added to routes throughout the school year, Peterson noted the importance of families notifying the transportation department that their child needs service before sending them to the bus stop on their first day, which contributes to overcrowding and driver stress. Use the technology to everyone’s benefit, he advised.

Reevaluating routes annually can help uncover new efficiencies, Frierson said, a tactic he learned from his previous school district experience.

Cook underscored the importance of taking a step back and being creative to discover new efficiencies. TransAct’s Sandbox feature, for example, allows users to experiment with and preview changes before making them live, which Frierson said he finds helpful.

“You have to figure out a way to utilize your resources within the time you have,” he said.

Cook also advised using software-created stop consolidation and walk zones along with review and insight from transportation staff to ensure the stops are safe. Peterson confirmed that this technique helped cut down route times and free up a driver for another route.

TransAct has multiple ways to build or upload routes, Cook affirmed, including capturing them while being driven.

Having one integrated technology platform has been helpful, Peterson added. This way, a new student can be added in the morning and show up on the parent app and bus route immediately.

Tips and Techniques

“Seconds add up to minutes, and minutes add up to being on time or being late,” quipped Frierson. He advised opening dialogue with stakeholders, including parents, teachers and coaches, to make sure any routing changes work well for them too.

In answering an attendee question about how to incentivize drivers to accept new routes, Frierson confirmed that he offers them bonuses to do so.

Cook stated that using technology to quickly determine which students are eligible for transportation makes it easier for staff to include them on bus routes.

Monthly headcounts help purge students who are signed up to ride but never do, Peterson said. That process changes to weekly after a sports season ends, as the transportation department works to avoid both bus overcrowding and overlong routes.

To deal with callouts, both transportation directors said they have implemented “floaters” to act as substitute drivers. Peterson shared that monitors are primarily on special needs routes, and several of them have their CDLs as well.

Both directors said sports team coaches are looking to drive school buses while drivers are being recruited to also work kitchen and custodial roles. But getting teachers to drive buses can interfere with their contracts and hours.

Watch the webinar on demand.