Your February Routing Checklist: A Resource for Transportation Departments
Meet The Route Report — SBL’s monthly recommendations to keep your routing department on track. This month: staffing and budgeting.
Welcome to the first installment of The Route Report, a new resource series from School Bus Logistics. Each month, our experts will curate their recommendations for what your routing department should be focusing on. This guidance is tailored to the time of year as well as the latest in industry news and best practices.
During the quieter month of February, it’s a great time to get granular. Focusing in on the small details can help you find efficiencies with ripple effects that make your school year smoother. Our team put together recommendations on how to find efficiencies in both your staffing and budgeting — two great topics to focus on for the rest of the month.
Staffing: Fine-Tune Your Team for a Smoother Year
February is the perfect time to step back and assess your team — who’s excelling, where are the gaps, and how can you keep operations running efficiently. Strong staffing isn’t just about having enough people; it’s about ensuring your team is well-supported, engaged, and operating at its best. Here’s how to make the most of this month:
Identify Your Top Performers: Take stock of your most reliable and efficient staff. Recognizing them now can help with retention and motivation heading into the busiest months.
Address Gaps Early: If there are consistent pain points in scheduling or attendance, now is the time to make adjustments before spring and summer planning ramps up.
Fine-Tune Training: Invest in skill-building for both drivers and routing staff. Consider refresher courses on safety, efficiency, and route optimization to keep performance high.
Optimize Staffing Levels: Balance is key. Assess whether you’re running lean or if inefficiencies are creeping in due to overstaffing. Small shifts in scheduling could improve overall operations.
Motivate with Incentives: Attendance bonuses, safe-driving rewards, and professional development opportunities can boost morale and keep your team engaged.
Budgeting: Stay on Track and Maximize Your Dollars
Budgeting is always a priority, but February is a good time to take a closer look. Are you staying on track with your goals? Are there opportunities to maximize your dollars you haven’t considered? Small adjustments now can pay off big later. Here’s how to make the most of this month:
Refine Your Budget Strategy: Ensure your annual transportation budget aligns with district goals and evolving needs. If priorities have shifted, now is the time to adjust accordingly.
Track Spending Trends: Keep a close eye on fuel costs, maintenance expenses, and unexpected repairs. Identifying patterns early helps prevent budget overruns later in the year.
Find Cost-Saving Opportunities: Review routes for inefficiencies, reduce idle times, and explore strategic scheduling adjustments that could cut costs without disrupting service. Learn more about route optimization in our case study.
Make Smart Investments: Prioritize expenses that offer long-term savings, such as fuel-efficient buses, software upgrades, or maintenance initiatives that extend vehicle lifespan.
Engage Key Stakeholders: Work with administrators and finance teams to ensure transportation needs align with available resources. A proactive conversation now can prevent financial headaches later.
Plan for Surplus Funds: Review your budget surplus to make the most of your budget and give staff — and students — the safe, organized outcomes they deserve. Remember, if the dollars aren’t used by the end of the fiscal year, they are lost. Read more on surplus budgets below.
Surplus Budgets: Invest in Smarter, More Efficient Operations
If your department has the luxury of a budgetary surplus, now’s the time to maximize your dollars before funds revert on June 30. Strategic investments can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and set your transportation team up for long-term success. One of the most impactful ways to maximize your budget is by investing in expert routing support through SBL. Our team specializes in optimizing operations, minimizing inefficiencies, and ensuring students get to school safely and on time.
Some of our most useful services include:
Route Analysis and Optimization: Comprehensive route reviews using data-driven strategies
Driver Shortage Solutions: Fleet optimization and minimizing overload and unscheduled routes
Budget and Cost Analysis: Identifying cost-saving opportunities and providing forecasting models for improved financial planning
Data Cleanup and Evaluation: Verifying accurate student data and boundaries while eliminating redundant or obsolete information
Bell Time Change Support: Analyzing the logistics to study impacts on routes and resources using multiple schedule scenarios so you can see the pros and cons or different options
Software Training and Support: Customized training virtually or onsite and ongoing assistance to ensure your staff remains up-to-date as district needs evolve.
Project Management and Implementation: Through a tailored approach we will support your specific challenges, culture, and goals along with a step-by-step roadmap.
We hope this information helps you make the most of the rest of February. Stay tuned for next month’s Route Report, where we’ll dive into route forecasting and software training to keep your transportation operations running smoothly.