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The Route2025Episode 96

Beyond the Yellow Bus: Exploring Alternative Student Transportation

Sponsored by
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September 15, 2025

What happens when a traditional school bus isn’t the best fit for a student’s needs? In this episode of The Route, SBF editor Amanda Huggett sits down with EverDriven CEO Mitch Bowling to discuss the growth of alternative student transportation.

From serving students with disabilities and housing challenges to tackling driver shortages and out-of-district trips, Bowling explains how smaller vehicles and tech-enabled solutions are complementing — not replacing — the yellow bus. He also shares insights on safety standards, new legislation like California’s SB 88, and how districts can pilot alternative options with confidence.

Key topics discussed:

  • Why Alternative Transportation 
  • Growth & Demand 
  • Safety Standards & Regulations
  • Challenges in Alternative Transportation 
  • Technology & Communication 
  • Turning Skepticism Into Trust

This episode is sponsored by IC Bus.

About The Route

The Route is a monthly video and podcast series hosted by School Bus Fleet and sponsored by IC Bus, proudly offering vehicles and solutions that are ahead of their class.

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The Route podcast from SCHOOL BUS FLEET covers news and issues related to pupil transportation through expert interviews, covering topics such as new technology, safety, driver staffing, and industry trends.
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Inside IC Bus: Electrification, Technology & What Lies Ahead

December 15, 2025

Check in with IC Bus with us! We unpack the company’s standout wins from 2025 and reveal what transportation leaders should prepare for in 2026. From next-gen CE updates, expanding EV options, and customer-driven upgrades, this is the inside scoop. Sponsored by IC Bus.

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When Seconds Save Lives: Active Threat Response & The School Bus

October 15, 2025

Bus drivers are essentially first responders on wheels. Find out how active threat training equips them to protect students when it matters most as we talk to S.T.A.R.T. CEO Jim Levine about emergency preparedness and response. Sponsored by IC Bus.

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Lessons Learned from School Bus Accidents

August 15, 2025

How do we make the safest ride even safer? Hear from Meg Sweeney, NTSB investigator, about what we’ve learned as an industry from school bus crashes. The Route is sponsored by IC Bus.

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Human Trafficking & The School Bus

July 15, 2025

You might not think human trafficking is tied to school buses, but the unfortunate reality is that it is. Let's talk with an expert from TAT and a former transportation director about how this crime shows up in school transportation — and how drivers can play a life-saving role in spotting and stopping it. Sponsored by IC Bus.

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ESOPs & School Bus Contracting

May 15, 2025

Let's talk trends in school bus contracting! Get to know the fascinating story of SBF’s 2025 Contractor of the Year, Michael Brown of Michael’s Transportation Service, an ESOP company. The Route is sponsored by IC Bus.