ASBC releases school bus stats, fuel calculator
As a result of the 480,000 school buses currently in operation in the U.S., more than 2.3 billion gallons of fuel are spared each year, resulting in a net savings of more than $8 billion in fuel costs.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As a result of the 480,000 school buses currently in operation in the U.S., more than 2.3 billion gallons of fuel are spared each year, resulting in a net savings of more than $8 billion in fuel costs, according to new statistics released by the American School Bus Council (ASBC).
Among the other statistics released by the ASBC:
17.3 million: Total number of private vehicles that would be needed to transport students currently riding on all school buses.
822 million gallons per year: Total fuel used by school buses.
$3.4 billion per year: Total cost of fuel used by school buses.
$131 per year: Cost of fuel per child transported by school bus.
3.1 billion gallons per year: Total fuel for cars replaced by buses
$11.4 billion per year: Cost of fuel for cars replaced by school buses
62.4 billion: Total annual car mileage saved by students riding school buses.
346.6 million: Total daily car mileage saved by students riding school buses.
36: Average number of cars needed to transport students currently riding one school bus.
To help school districts better understand the impact of school buses on their local community, the ASBC also unveiled a new online fuel calculator on its Website at www.americanschoolbuscouncil.com.
The online tool offers districts the ability to calculate the anticipated economic and environmental impacts of local school bus service.
More Management
5 Questions: How CharterUP Brought a Marketplace to Student Transportation
What does it take to bring a transportation marketplace into K-12? Hear firsthand what CharterUP has learned about the unique needs of schools and bus operators.
Read More →
EverDriven Expands TripCentral Transportation Management Platform to All Partner Districts
The platform provides school districts with real-time trip tracking, student transportation scheduling tools, and pickup and drop-off management capabilities.
Read More →
6 School Transportation Trends to Watch: 2026 District Survey Results
School bus buying is up, fuel choices are shifting, and driver shortages persist. This and more in the latest K-12 public school survey, plus the largest fleets in the U.S.
Read More →
The 100 Largest School Bus Fleets in America: 2026 Rankings
Which public K-12 school districts are the largest in the nation in terms of bus fleet size? Here are the new standings of the top 100 district fleets.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches Route Consolidation Calculator to Estimate Diesel Savings
As diesel prices hit record highs, the largest alternative transportation provider says a 10% route consolidation could save a 120-route district more than $78,000 a year in fuel alone.
Read More →
Zum Secures Continued Financing Support for School Bus Expansion
Generate Private Credit has financed approximately $75 million in school bus deployments across three states, supporting more than 500 buses as Zum expands across the county.
Read More →
Beyond Discipline: A Different Approach to Student Behavior on the Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements. Here’s how it worked. The Route is brought to you by IC Bus.
Read More →
A Dean of Transportation's Different Approach to Student Behavior on the School Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements on the bus. Here’s how it worked.
Read More →
Inside NAPT ACTS 2026: Highlights from Louisville
From federal updates and student behavior strategies to new school bus technology and industry awards, see highlights from NAPT ACTS 2026 in Louisville.
Read More →
Meet the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Winner: Annette Brown
We caught up with Wa-Nee Community Schools' Annette Brown on site at SBFX, where she was named the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Award winner. Hear about her reaction, what she loves most about being a school bus driver, and more!
Read More →