There are numerous challenges that school bus drivers face in today’s environment, such as staff shortages, crowded buses, and complicated routes. To help school districts entice and retain drivers, Zonar introduced OnRoute, a new turn-by-turn navigation solution that can help drivers operate their buses more efficiently.
This solution is designed to help drivers follow their routes with ease and improve on-time arrivals. OnRoute is routing-provider agnostic, making it accessible to districts without a routing provider.
OnRoute allows for capturing and recording every detail of a route as drivers navigate it, including private driveways and construction zones, in order to generate accurate turn-by-turn directions for future trips. The system involves recording on a tablet using an app called On Route Record, and then uploading the recorded data to Zonar’s fleet management platform called Ground Traffic Control, where dispatchers can review and approve the route.
The system is customizable based on fleet needs and state regulations. The benefits of the system include capturing new roads and U-turns, and allowing for simple editing and submission of route information.
The process is simple. The driver enters the name of the route they will take and once the recording process starts, the driver can add each stop along the route as they go and edit the stop names later if needed. When the driver reaches the end of the route, the recording can then be submitted for approval by dispatch. OnRoute can work with any vehicle equipped with GPS and the app.
Dispatchers can view pending routes that need approval, see information about the route, such as the total distance, total stops, date and time recorded, and the driver who recorded it. The routing provider-agnostic solution makes it easy for dispatchers to manage routes from a user-friendly back-end portal.
The portal shows all the routing information in one place, and dispatchers can search for specific routes or browse by status. They can also view routes on a map and make adjustments to the route, such as adding or removing stops or changing the route’s direction. The waypoint feature allows dispatchers to choose an alternative route for certain parts of the route.
As for bus drivers, they are provided with audible turn-by-turn directions and displays information about upcoming stops, and even if it is necessary to skip stops.
Driver retention and recruitment amidst historic shortages is more critical than ever. Offering school bus drivers a turn-by-turn navigation system like OnRoute is no longer a “nice to have” feature, but a “must-have” feature.
