Making the Most of School Buses

Making the most of school buses in your fleet also means making the most of your time and budget

By Denise Brown

As a transportation director of a school district or an owner of a fleet of school buses, you know you have a lot of responsibilities and very little time to devote to them all. Each yellow school bus you’re responsible for must safely transport children to and from school on a daily basis. On top of child safety issues, you also must maintain each bus and determine when to offer any given school bus for sale so you can upgrade your fleet.

Lucky for you there are a number of ways you can approach the task of making the most of school buses in your fleet. Depending on the size of your budget you can address issues that confront you daily in a variety of ways. These daily issues include:

1. Planning efficient routes for your school buses that use the least amount of fuel and cause the least amount of wear and tear on the buses.

2. Hiring trained school bus drivers.

3. Performing daily safety and maintenance checks.

Use school bus maintenance software to keep track of your school buses

This software not only tracks daily maintenance checks but it can also track mileage. This can help you plan more efficient bus routes that can save money in the long run. Most bus maintenance software is easy enough for even a computer-phobic mechanic or bus driver to use.
Try: Dolphin SoftSense Incorporated offers its Dolphin Fleet Management bus maintenance software. Not only does this allow you to track your daily maintenance needs, but the software also lets you keep track of miles on each bus so you are better able to track when it’s time to get rid of your used school buses. Bus Master Software tracks a number of maintenance items for each bus in your schoolbus fleet.

Lease school buses for your fleet

If your school district doesn't have the money to buy new or used school buses, look into the leasing options available. You may find this to be a good alternative to save your district money.
Try: Consider leasing your school buses from Durham School Services. Multiple Asset Management can help you with making the most of school buses by offering affordable leases.

Use the services of a school bus broker to purchase school buses

If time is a premium commodity for you, let an expert school bus broker help you. Whether you have school buses for sale or are looking to buy new school buses, a school bus broker can match you with the right sales partner without taking a lot of your time. This is an excellent way to stretch your transportation budget.
Try: Use the services of Bus Broker for your used school bus sales, as well as to help you find school bus vendors with school buses you want to add to your fleet. Central States Bus Sales can help you quickly find new or used school buses for sale.

Keep your fleet of school buses clean on the inside and out. Not only does it reflect pride in the school district, a well-cared for used school buses can be an asset when it's time to trade them in for new buses. Used school buses for sale sell quickly if the interior and exterior have no major cosmetic problems.

Making the Most of School Buses