As diesel prices reached a record high this fall, it put a squeeze on many school districts that built their budgets around last year’s fuel costs. Now, alternative transportation provider EverDriven has launched a new tool to help districts calculate what savings they could see on diesel by consolidating routes.

EverDriven believes a routine route review can turn fuel volatility into a measurable budget opportunity for districts. Consider its example of a district operating 120 daily bus routes with an average route length of 35 miles per day round trip. This calculation uses the following baseline:

• Bus fuel economy of 6 miles per gallon, typical for a diesel school bus
• Diesel at $6.199 per gallon, the EIA national average for the week of Oct. 5, 2026
• A 10% reduction in routes by right-sizing service to actual daily ridership

Consolidating routes by 10% alone could reduce annual diesel fuel costs by more than $78,000 annually, EverDriven said, considering:

• 10% of 120 routes = 12 routes consolidated
• 12 routes x 35 miles = 420 fewer miles driven per day
• 420 miles / 6 mpg = 70 gallons of diesel saved per day
• 70 gallons x $6.199 = $433.93 saved per school day
• $433.93 x 180 school days = $78,107.40 in annual diesel savings

“This scenario counts fuel only. Running fewer routes also reduces tire wear, maintenance, and driver salary and overtime, so the full return for a district would likely be higher,” said Greg Jackson, general manager of Consolidated Routing Services at EverDriven. “Because each mile removed saves a fixed amount of fuel, the value of a leaner route plan rises with fuel prices. When prices ease, the efficiency carries forward into every future budget cycle.”

Route consolidation matches the number of routes a district runs to the number of students riding each day, the company said, and many routes are not reviewed as often as they should be.

Districts that have consolidated have seen route costs decrease by up to 15%, along with measurable improvements in on-time performance and reduced ride times for students with additional needs, the company noted in its announcement.

Explore the diesel savings from route consolidation using the new calculator online here.