With occurrences like bus accidents and child kidnapping on the rise, several government agencies are now requiring school buses to have GPS trackers, which is great for dealing with any form of emergency and allows school administration and parents to use a GPS tracker to see the real-time location of a school bus at any given time, track trip progress, and get an estimated time of arrival at a bus stop.
A GPS device can help by immediately alerting school officials to the position of the school bus when an emergency occurs.
Let us first define a GPS tracker and how it functions. After that, we’ll go through the many variables to consider when choosing a GPS tracker for schools.
Why Bother Using a GPS Tracker for School Bus?
There are specialist services that can provide real-time tracking of school buses in addition to GPS tracker devices and applications for students.
Instead of only providing information to parents, these apps and services assist school officials in keeping track of their pupils, and bus operators may utilize them to improve safety and service.
For starters, there are companies that provide school bus fleets. They are in charge of the buses’ safety as well as the running of their fleet.
They can put GPS trackers on each bus they own and track them to know where their buses are, what routes they travel, how much fuel they use (and save fuel costs by optimizing routes), and monitor drivers.
Some fuel level sensor comes with a built-in GPS tracker, which enables the measuring of fuel level and GPS location tracking for bus, trucks, and other on- or off-road vehicles. The sensor is also utilized for stationary cisterns and tanks and diesel generator fuel monitoring.
Parents can call bus dispatchers for specific information on arrival timings, but fleet tracking solutions cannot give parents and school administrators real-time coverage. Specialized school bus location-sharing services enter the equation at this point.
School districts can purchase several school bus location-sharing applications and services if their bus fleets are equipped with GPS sensors.
They function by linking to GPS devices installed inside automobiles to give real-time GPS tracking and other benefits.
Most systems include email and push alerts, smartphone applications for parents to know when the bus will arrive, and RFID and barcode scanners to track students as they enter and exit the bus.
In addition, all services have computer capabilities for tracking buses, and both computers and mobile apps can display bus locations on maps in real-time.
What Is the Purpose of a GPS Tracker?
A GPS, or Global Positioning System, comprises 24 satellites in orbit above the planet that receive signals to pinpoint and monitor a device’s location.
GPS trackers employ numerous satellites to pinpoint their device’s exact location. The device’s location accuracy is highly relative to the number of satellites.
A GPS tracker may be used to find people, animals, automobiles, or other objects very quickly. You may get their current GPS position on any computer or smartphone using maps.
Apart from real-time data, GPS trackers may also offer you historical asset position data, so that whatever you need to track can be found quickly, and its route can be traced using a GPS tracking device.
How Does a School Bus GPS Tracker Work?
Schools use GPS trackers to locate their whole school bus fleet in seconds. GPS gadgets are straightforward to install on school buses for real-time tracking and monitoring, all signals from the bus are directed to an integrated central server.
Information about a bus’s current location can be sent from the server through SMS and email notifications so you can keep track of the time your kid leaves school and comes home if you are a parent.
As a result, schools can provide safe and secure transportation to children at all times and provide total peace of mind to their parents by employing a GPS tracker.
How to Choose a GPS Tracker for School Buses?
There are several different types of GPS tracking systems for vehicles on the market today. However, not all of them are acceptable for a school bus.
The difference between a high-quality GPS tracker and a low-quality GPS tracker is in how the data is transmitted to the server and how and what sort of data is delivered to end-users.
Thus, when selecting the GPS monitoring device for school buses, there are a few things to consider.
Positioning Mode
The data recorded by a GPS tracker is transferred to a server, where it may be accessed by smartphones and PCs. The majority of GPS trackers transmit data via mobile phones. It’s important to know which cellular network a GPS tracker will use before making a purchase.
Also, make certain you figure out:
- Whether there are any network coverage problems in the user’s location.
- The time it took the GPS device to report its position (in minutes, hours, or days).
- Make sure the GPS tracker you select has various network coverage options.
User Requirement
The best way to find out what you really need is to ask yourself a few questions. Do you need to track only one or more school vehicles?
Do you need to keep track of your complete fleet of school buses? Do you need to keep track of your students’ movements? When you have answers to particular questions, you can determine what feature a GPS tracker should have in order to match your requirements.
GPS Tracking System and Service
You should ensure that the GPS tracker offers a full system to meet your requirements. Big schools with large bus fleets should invest in full GPS fleet management software, which offers complete service, including device, application, and connectivity.
Make sure that the GPS tracking system is simple to set up and use so that you can get started right away. An end-to-end GPS tracking system will not only track the position of vehicles but will also monitor the performance and behavior of school bus drivers.
Cost
Although many GPS devices with similar features are available on the market, some are more expensive than others. If you don’t want to break the bank, you should ensure that the GPS trackers’ cost justifies the advantages it provides.
Cutting corners on GPS gadget quality to save money is a terrible idea since it jeopardizes the safety and security of schoolchildren due to technical glitches or poor performance. A low-quality device may also end up providing you with useless information.
Although we all heard that the higher the price tag a GPS tracker has, the better quality it is. It’s not always true. As a bus fleet manager, it would be better to consider the cost-effectiveness of the GPS tracking devices. And it is the consistent aim of Seeworld to provide users with premium-quality GPS tracking products and services.
Useful Features
- SOS feature: The SOS button, often known as the distress button, is an important function in a GPS tracker for school buses since it may save lives. With this feature, the driver can push this button to notify the school authorities of the bus’ present location and directions during an emergency. That’s why it is a good idea to choose a GPS tracker that comes with an emergency/panic button.
- GEO-Fence: A GPS tracker with a GEO-fence feature will notify you immediately if the school bus leaves a safe zone, goes beyond the set time, changes position, or exceeds speed limits, which is a plus functional for monitoring your bus fleet consistently.
- Anti-theft function: A GPS tracker with anti-theft function and real-time tracking is ideal for preventing vehicle theft since it constantly notifies authorities of the bus’s locations, which protects vehicles from theft and ensures their safety.
Mapping Quality
Mapping quality is crucial since it allows you to zoom down to street level and provides several perspectives, including satellite, bird’s eye/aerial, and street maps.
Scalability/Upgrades
A decent GPS tracking system has to be scalable and upgradeable automatically. The school must have access to services that are scalable and future-proof, decreasing the need for upfront investment.
Conclusion
When choosing a GPS tracking system for school buses, there are several variables to consider. Our WhatsGPS GPS tracking system provides a full, end-to-end solution for schools. It makes school bus surveillance simple and effective, ensuring the safety and security of schoolchildren at all times.
