School bus operators are using new software and technology in three main areas:

• Route management and tracking;
• Safety and security; and
• Fuel cost and operational savings.

Indeed, skyrocketing fuel prices are hitting school transportation directors and coordinators right where it hurts most--in their pocketbooks. Transportation specialists are fighting back by using sophisticated routing and tracking software to achieve optimal efficiencies.

State-of-the-art software enables route planners to adjust schedules immediately when students move in or out of an area and to determine if the sizes of the buses in the fleet are properly matched to meet routing needs, notes Cindy Herrmann, a spokeswoman for Transfinder, a MapInfo partner. "Our software enables routers to put on smaller buses that use less fuel and to conduct maintenance at the right time to improve fuel efficiency," she explains.

In other cases, transportation coordinators are turning to existing software programs and expecting vendors to provide greater functionality, says Terri Fallon, marketing director at VersaTrans Solutions in Latham, N.Y. The issue of fuel economy is not really new, she notes, but gets more emphasis today because of runaway gas prices. And that's translated into unprecedented sales boosts for many computer software providers, she adds.

Meanwhile, on the routing and operations management front, the use of global positioning systems (GPS) technology to track school buses continues to expand exponentially. For example, IC Corp., one of the nation's largest school bus manufacturers, has just introduced a pilot program with 10 New York school districts that integrates a GPS--or telematics--solution into their buses. The AWARE Vehicle Intelligence program, developed by IC's parent company, International Truck and Engine, helps improve overall school transportation operations though better maintenance efficiencies and immediate knowledge of vehicle location, IC officials say. In addition to tracking buses' real-time locations and indicating when particular stops were made, the program provides remote vehicle performance monitoring, diagnostics, and service information, according to IC officials.

To slash long-term costs and reduce pollution, transportation directors also are turning to new emissions technologies. The issue received even greater attention in May with the release of a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists. The group's study graded each state in terms of its school bus pollution and clean-up efforts. Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington all received "D" rankings. Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Nevada, and New York received the highest marks, a "B" ranking.