GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Blue Bird Corp. and Synovia Solutions have partnered to offer Blue Bird Connect, a GPS fleet management system.

Officials said customers can now order new Blue Bird school buses from the factory with Blue Bird Connect. They have the option to activate, at no upfront cost, any or all components of Blue Bird Connect. Blue Bird dealers can also upfit an existing fleet of buses with the technology, regardless of brand. 

In addition, if a customer isn’t ready to order Blue Bird Connect as an option at the time of the bus purchase, Blue Bird will be pre-wiring all school buses to ease field installation at a later date, officials said.

The company debuted the system, which it says has proven to reduce total cost of ownership, at the National Association for Pupil Transportation’s trade show on Tuesday and will continue to showcase it on Wednesday.

Tippecanoe School Corp. (TSC) is one of the largest geographical school districts in Indiana. Synovia Solutions’ technology has provided TSC with substantial annual savings.

“We estimate a savings of around $10,000 to $15,000 each year just with our field and athletic trips alone,” said Kevin Neafie, transportation director.

This GPS fleet management system offers core functionality including GPS capabilities, comparative analysis, student tracking, a parent portal, safety reporting as well as engine diagnostics and fuel economy tracking. Blue Bird Connect also includes unique features, such as integrated driver time and attendance with planned-versus-actual comparisons, dashboards of key performance indicators, the ability to schedule the delivery of reports to management and the all-inclusive monthly fee per vehicle with no upfront costs.

“Blue Bird is pleased to offer this exciting school bus innovation that provides customers with the ability to maximize their fleet’s efficiency and deliver significant operational savings,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corp. “Blue Bird Connect allows districts and contractors to save thousands of dollars each year. It is truly a smart choice for efficiency and savings.”

“Synovia Solutions is excited about broadening our reach into the school market with an OEM solution and teaming with Blue Bird,” added Jon King, CEO of Synovia Solutions. “Their vision for providing value-add to their customers with an OEM GPS fleet management solution fits strategically with the Synovia Solutions strategy of reaching into the market directly and with partners who place the same value on quality, service, safety and savings.”

For more information on Blue Bird Connect, visit a local Blue Bird dealer or go to www.blue-bird.com.