Samsara Case Studies Birmingham City Schools

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	Birmingham City Schools Samsara

Birmingham City Schools

Samsara

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics Functional Applications - Fleet Management Systems (FMS) Networks & Connectivity - Cellular
Applicable Industries	Education
Applicable Functions	Logistics & Transportation Maintenance
Use Cases	Driver Performance Monitoring Fleet Management Predictive Maintenance
Services	System Integration Training
Challenge	With over 20,000 students to transport every day, Birmingham City Schools (BCS) faced significant challenges in managing their large fleet of 158 school buses and 135-vehicle white fleet. The primary issues included improving on-time performance, reducing unsafe driving behavior, and optimizing vehicle maintenance. The previous telematics provider took over 5 months to install devices on new buses, leaving the fleet without real-time data and insights. Additionally, the vehicle-based safety score system was inadequate for tracking individual driver performance, leading to inaccurate assessments and difficulties in driver accountability. Foster, the Director of Transportation, needed a more efficient and reliable telematics solution to address these challenges and improve overall fleet safety and efficiency. Read More
About Customer	Birmingham City Schools (BCS) is the fourth-largest school system in Alabama, responsible for transporting over 20,000 students daily. The school district operates a large fleet consisting of 158 school buses and 135 white fleet vehicles, covering over 1.3 million miles annually. Each department within BCS functions as a business with its own goals and KPIs, emphasizing the importance of quality and safety in their operations. Casey Foster, the Director of Transportation, sought a telematics solution to enhance fleet management, improve driver safety, and optimize maintenance processes. BCS's unique approach to departmental operations and their commitment to safety and efficiency set them apart from other school districts. Read More
Solution	BCS implemented Samsara's plug-and-play Vehicle Gateways to quickly integrate with their fleet, saving months of installation time compared to their previous provider. The Samsara solution provided real-time data on vehicle locations, driver safety scores, and fuel usage. The driver-based safety score system allowed for accurate tracking of individual driver performance, enabling Foster to address unsafe driving behaviors and celebrate safety achievements. The Samsara Driver App facilitated electronic DVIRs, streamlining the maintenance process by automatically creating work orders and reducing communication delays. Additionally, the Samsara Idle Time Report helped BCS comply with state-mandated idling laws and improve fuel efficiency. The integration with Transfinder allowed BCS to track on-time performance and optimize routes, further enhancing fleet efficiency. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics

Functional Applications - Fleet Management Systems (FMS)

Networks & Connectivity - Cellular

Applicable Industries

Education

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Maintenance

Use Cases

Driver Performance Monitoring

Fleet Management

Predictive Maintenance

Services

System Integration

Training

Challenge

With over 20,000 students to transport every day, Birmingham City Schools (BCS) faced significant challenges in managing their large fleet of 158 school buses and 135-vehicle white fleet. The primary issues included improving on-time performance, reducing unsafe driving behavior, and optimizing vehicle maintenance. The previous telematics provider took over 5 months to install devices on new buses, leaving the fleet without real-time data and insights. Additionally, the vehicle-based safety score system was inadequate for tracking individual driver performance, leading to inaccurate assessments and difficulties in driver accountability. Foster, the Director of Transportation, needed a more efficient and reliable telematics solution to address these challenges and improve overall fleet safety and efficiency.

About Customer

Birmingham City Schools (BCS) is the fourth-largest school system in Alabama, responsible for transporting over 20,000 students daily. The school district operates a large fleet consisting of 158 school buses and 135 white fleet vehicles, covering over 1.3 million miles annually. Each department within BCS functions as a business with its own goals and KPIs, emphasizing the importance of quality and safety in their operations. Casey Foster, the Director of Transportation, sought a telematics solution to enhance fleet management, improve driver safety, and optimize maintenance processes. BCS's unique approach to departmental operations and their commitment to safety and efficiency set them apart from other school districts.

Solution

BCS implemented Samsara's plug-and-play Vehicle Gateways to quickly integrate with their fleet, saving months of installation time compared to their previous provider. The Samsara solution provided real-time data on vehicle locations, driver safety scores, and fuel usage. The driver-based safety score system allowed for accurate tracking of individual driver performance, enabling Foster to address unsafe driving behaviors and celebrate safety achievements. The Samsara Driver App facilitated electronic DVIRs, streamlining the maintenance process by automatically creating work orders and reducing communication delays. Additionally, the Samsara Idle Time Report helped BCS comply with state-mandated idling laws and improve fuel efficiency. The integration with Transfinder allowed BCS to track on-time performance and optimize routes, further enhancing fleet efficiency.

Impact #1	The implementation of Samsara's telematics solution enabled BCS to track and improve driver safety, leading to a positive change in driver behavior. Foster used the data to coach drivers on safe driving practices, resulting in a significant reduction in unsafe driving incidents.
Impact #2	The electronic DVIRs streamlined the maintenance process, reducing the time and effort required for pre- and post-trip inspections. This allowed drivers to spend more time on the road and less time dealing with paperwork, improving overall fleet efficiency.
Impact #3	The Samsara dashboard provided real-time insights into driver performance, enabling Foster to create a driver rewards program that motivated drivers to compete for safety awards. This initiative led to a noticeable reduction in driver turnover and increased driver engagement.

Impact #1

The implementation of Samsara's telematics solution enabled BCS to track and improve driver safety, leading to a positive change in driver behavior. Foster used the data to coach drivers on safe driving practices, resulting in a significant reduction in unsafe driving incidents.

Impact #2

The electronic DVIRs streamlined the maintenance process, reducing the time and effort required for pre- and post-trip inspections. This allowed drivers to spend more time on the road and less time dealing with paperwork, improving overall fleet efficiency.

Impact #3

The Samsara dashboard provided real-time insights into driver performance, enabling Foster to create a driver rewards program that motivated drivers to compete for safety awards. This initiative led to a noticeable reduction in driver turnover and increased driver engagement.

Benefit #1	BCS's fleet drove over 119,500 miles since their last preventable accident, which is more than 1.5x the Council of the Great City Schools' average.
Benefit #2	In December 2019, BCS's team of 80 drivers achieved an overall safety score of 90, with 25% of drivers having a perfect score of 100.
Benefit #3	The Samsara plug-and-play Vehicle Gateways saved the school district months of installation time compared to their previous provider.

Benefit #1

BCS's fleet drove over 119,500 miles since their last preventable accident, which is more than 1.5x the Council of the Great City Schools' average.

Benefit #2

In December 2019, BCS's team of 80 drivers achieved an overall safety score of 90, with 25% of drivers having a perfect score of 100.

Benefit #3

The Samsara plug-and-play Vehicle Gateways saved the school district months of installation time compared to their previous provider.

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Overview

Birmingham City Schools

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit