Transportation Assessment - The Key to Increasing Safety and Saving Money
By: Paul Overbaugh
In today’s world, the frustration of constant change is burdensome. This is especially true of school transportation for the Christian school administrator. Threats of terrorism, hate crimes, aggressive driving and societal deterioration are signs of the times, which demonstrate the need for preparedness. If part of being prepared is living by faith, which is foundational for all of life and practice, then the need for transportation assessment and better stewardship of resources should be expected in today’s uncertain world.
Today’s Challenges
1. School transportation providers are experiencing shrinking budgets coupled with increased parental and community expectations.
2. Emergency preparation requirements need to be practical and practiced due to increased threats of terrorism and the heightened acts of student violence such as bullying and harassment.
3. Professional development and subsequent cost and staffing are required for transportation personnel to raise the level of safety awareness.
4. Transporters are experiencing intensified traffic congestion and incidents of aggressive driving, impacting the placement of our bus stops.
5. The special needs and disability conditions of students are increasing in frequency with our rapidly growing population.
6. The Christian school administrator needs to stay current and in compliance with federal, state, local laws, regulations and school policy.
How to Make Informed Decisions
In the midst of the frustration and challenge of student transportation, what is a Christian school administrator to do? Many answers can be found by conducting an assessment of your transportation system. These assessments should include every aspect of transportation, from your vehicles and their prescribed maintenance to the transportation of children with special needs.
Assessments are valuable tools. They are essential in the identification of potential safety-related issues. After all, you can only fix a problem if you know it exists. Assessments can help you learn more about your local transportation operation, which is the first step in addressing specific issues and concerns.
Because pupil transportation is complex, it is difficult, even for those involved on a day-to-day basis, to grasp every aspect of the current transportation system. After conducting the assessment and identifying the issues, the next step is to prioritize them based upon student safety. Create an action plan to correct the issues in a timely manner. Some issues may need urgent attention with immediate corrective measures while others can be approached proactively.
The Assessment Process
Assessments should begin with school district administration because the guidance and support they give for the transportation staff is crucial to student safety. The emphasis on safety must be visible at this level. It is the top of the organization that sets the tone and tempo for others to exemplify.
Self assessments can be performed within your school by the individual in charge of transportation. It is recommended that you establish a self-assessment team consisting of the transportation director; bus driver and bus attendant representatives; head mechanic; safety director; trainer; and the individual responsible for routing. One benefit to using the team approach to complete the assessment is it reduces the overall evaluation time by dividing up the work.
Another option for school administrators is to hire the services of a transportation consultant. These individuals or companies can perform assessments from a neutral point of view to insure a true and unbiased observation.
The two guiding principles in assessment are excellence and realism. Striving for excellence in student safety and going above the mandated minimum are critical. Many transporters have a high moral commitment towards excellence as they protect the children entrusted to them for safe transportation.
Realism must be balanced with excellence. This is especially true in our economic-driven society. Diminishing resources make the transportation provider’s job more difficult. In reviewing the assessment results, jot down the safety-related areas of concern for your operation. This list will enable you to prioritize your highest safety-sensitive needs based on your budget. You may find as you review your list of concerns that some safety changes can be made with little budgetary expense, while others must be planned.
Things to Examine
Included in an assessment is the transportation department management. Careful examination of the management qualifications, leadership style and staffing will assist in shaping what is most efficient for your operation. Reviewing all the equipment used in the department should include everything, even the radio communication system. An important piece of equipment often overlooked is the technology used with routing, maintenance and computer operating systems.
Daily operations make the connection between administrative management and budgeting, accounting, and procurement. Address the need for professional budgeting and accounting methods to help ensure reliable transportation and adequate funding of safety measures. Pay careful attention to any need for an external audit or agency inquiry. Assessment in this area should include vehicle replacement plans, accident investigations and compliance issues. This is the cornerstone of the operation. These issues must be the ones looked at the most when a new safety concern is raised that requires funding or additional staff.
Employees are a big part of assessment. A good assessment will go into detail, including their staff handbooks, job descriptions, duties and even evaluations. Drivers and monitors qualifications should be addressed along with hiring and retentions techniques. A large part of using assessment includes the identification of the training required for employees in safety-sensitive positions. This training is important in a safety culture.
A safety culture is one where the thread of safety is woven through all departments from the top down. A safety and health committee can also support this environment, where people enjoy coming to work. Staff input is appreciated and welcome. Employee recognition is a critical part of a safety culture.
The transportation facility is an area of an assessment that examines the physical surroundings. This includes their repair and maintenance work space, along with training facilities, employee work stations and break rooms. The bus yard and bus fueling station are also included in this specific area of assessment.
Student training is very important topic when it comes to assessing your operation. Time needs to be dedicated toward safety training both on the bus and in the classroom. Bus safety training is of the utmost importance for all students--not just those riding buses but all students who might one day find themselves on a school activity or sports trip.
As safe as we think we can be, accidents still do happen. Crisis response teams need to think about transportation. Transportation is not only the vehicle to move people from a potential treat of danger; it can also be the target. It is suggested to get two to three alternate plans of evacuation for this very purpose.
Activity trips and sport trips raise specific concerns regarding safety. Check the trip rosters to see if the student contact information is current and correct. Is there parental or guardian permission for the student to participate?
Special attention should be given to trips that are chartered. Is the charter company in compliance with your state and local laws and regulations? Have the drivers been approved to transport school-age children? Are their vehicles in compliance?
Out-of-state trips are also addressed in this area. Has the route of travel been discussed and known by the administration? Does the school provide cell phones for emergency situations and communication? If the trip includes an overnight stay, are the chaperones checked and cleared by the school administration? These are just a few questions to consider when students travel on activity and sports trips.
Operation assessments must be a thorough overview of every aspect of your transportation operation. It is designed with the mindset of leaving no stone unturned and no operation left out. In the midst of these changing times and diminishing recourses, the use of a free assessment tool can be of great assistance for your operation. Assessments can be used as the measuring rod of set standards when it comes to transportation.
Many assessments follow a broad spectrum of criteria for a model pupil transportation system operation from a national perspective. Your Christian school may have additional state and local safety requirements, laws and regulations, which may be found by contacting your local state director of pupil transportation.
The safety record of school buses is excellent (but not perfect), and only constant vigilance will ensure the future safety of our children.Good operation assessments will assist you to provide a safe and efficient transportation system as you strive to reach excellence for your children.
Paul Overbaugh is a curriculum development specialist with The Pupil Transportation Safety Institute (PTSI), which provides resources to organizations in support of their goal--safe, efficient transportation of children. The 2006 School Transportation Safety Assessment Checklist is available as a free download from www.ptsi.org to assist you in the assessment of your school’s transportation operation.
Sidebar
Case Study
School Avoids Roadblocks with Trip Management System
By Erin Tucker
For Jeff Jacot, the facilities director who takes the wheel for trip planning and management at Western Reserve Academy, work used to involve many roadblocks. But using SchoolDude’s TripDirect system has allowed Jacot the freedom to drive down Easy Street, set the cruise control and enjoy the ride.
Drive Down Easy Street
With gas prices continually on the rise, an affordably priced Web-native system with a low total cost of ownership is much appreciated by officials at the 400-student Ohio-based school.
“Initially, I was looking for a preventive maintenance program and a better way to manage work orders,” Jacot said. “Other packages required us to buy a server and have an IT staff manage it, resulting in a very high cost. When SchoolDude added TripDirect to their suite of products, it fit perfectly.”
For Jacot and Western Reserve Academy, implementation was a breeze. Jacot was skeptical at first but volunteered to input the user and vehicle data into the system.
“It took me only half a day to have it up and running,” Jacot said. “Other schools have asked if they have a huge task in front of them, and I tell them they really don’t.”
Set the Cruise Control
Using a Web-native tool allows Western Reserve Academy to effortlessly manage field trips at record speed by streamlining the entire process from request and approval to vehicle and driver scheduling.
“People can easily submit a request online, whether at home or at work, rather than calling a number and hoping to get someone,” Jacot said. “Plus, it takes no effort to schedule vehicles. You simply see what’s available through the system.”
Raising the productivity of the department is another advantage of using a Web-native trip scheduling and management system.
“Before, all we had was a paper trail,” Jacot said.“But now, I can manage costs, see at any point and time which resources are available and which are tied up, and get cost and usage reports. Now there’s a lot of information available that I didn’t have in the past unless I paid someone to do hours of research on the paper trail.”
Enjoy the Ride
For Jacot and his department, TripDirect has provided a welcomed bonus — extra resources and time.
“Most of the money we have saved is deferring increased utility and fuel costs on vehicles,” Jacot said. “TripDirect has also made us more aware of what we’re working on and what we’re not working on. Because of that, we have been allocating more time to preventive maintenance work orders.”
Less tangable than cash, Jacot also mentioned the additional benefit of an improved image of his department.
“People think much more highly of us now because we are responding to their problems and requests,” he said. “Now, people tell us their problems, and we’re able to get on it right away.”
Erin Tucker is marketing communications coordinator for SchoolDude.com.
Product Roundup
Freedom/Freedom XL from ChurchBus.com
Freedom and Freedom XL models from ChurchBus.com offer safety, comfort, reliability and affordability. Features include dual rear wheels for stability, steel cage construction, 158-inch wheel base, 22-foot body, reclining seats, overhead reading lights and a Ford chassis. Churchbus.com selects top bus manufacturers to build the shell of the vehicles.
www.churchbus.com
Master’s Transportation
Master’s Transportation specializes in sales, leasing and servicing of new and late-model Van Terras (15-passenger van replacement), people movers, shuttles, coaches, and school buses. Schools can choose from more than 100 new/late-model buses in stock, or Master’s can customize a new vehicle to meet a school’s needs from one of the company’s five bus manufacturers.
www.busesbymasters.com
Titan by Glaval
Glaval’s Titan payload is a quiet, comfortable, durable steel-frame ride. With a full range of floor plans for up to 45 passengers, the Titan is versatile, economical and flexible enough to suit a wide variety of applications. The Titan has a Duramax Diesel, 6.6-liter engine and Allison Transmission; either a 198-inch or 272-inch wheelbase; and “Steel-Safe” construction. A wide selection of interior designs and seating choices are available. The Titan is built to last and complements the reputation and image of its owner and operator.
www.glavalbus.com
Allied Bus Sales
Allied Bus Sales is a division of Laidlaw Education Services, which operates more than 38,000 in its fleet and sells more than 2,000 excess buses a year through Allied. As the industry leader, Laidlaw has the most comprehensive maintenance program in the country so you can be assured that any bus you purchase from Allied/Laidlaw is in above-average mechanical condition.
www.alliedbussales.com
SPIRIT/MFSAB by Turtle Top
Turtle Top’s Multi-Function School Activity Bus, aptly named SPIRIT, is a great way to move people safely and in style. The SPIRIT features superior passenger comfort, outstanding handling, and a design that exceeds government standards for passenger safety. Before the first SPRIT rolled out of the Turtle Top plant, the company conducted a grueling 12-month product development program, in conjunction with tough safety testing guidelines.
www.turtletop.com
Carpenter Bus Sales
One impression some people will have of a school may be formed by that school’s mode of transportation. The 25-Passenger, Ford 450 ElDorado National from Carpenter Bus Sales will let them know that the school leaders are taking their responsibilities seriously. The Ford 450 ElDorado features a 6.8L, V-10 gas engine, 25-foot construction, many options, like TV/DVD. Carpenter Bus Sales has many other models from which to choose.
www.carpenterbus.com
Collins Multi-Function School Activity Bus
Available in a variety of models and floorplans, all of the Collins MFSABs (Multi-Function School Activity Buses) feature a reinforced, galvanized steel body for protection in both head-on and side-impact collisions. Collins MFSABs also offer a smooth, sturdy ride for added comfort and safety.
www.collinsbus.com
