The Petermann Promise®
Petermann Bus provides safe and efficient transportation solutions to meet your district’s individual needs. With more than 100 years of experience, Petermann/National Express School is able to provide your district, community and students with the following benefits:There are many reasons to partner with an external provider for your student transportation needs. With more than 100 years of experience, Petermann/National Express School is able to provide your district, community, parents and students with the following benefits:
- An unmatched suite of safety technology products and services
- Safe and highly trained drivers
- Exceptional local customer service
- Operational efficiency, reporting and recommendations
- Financial efficiencies and cost savings
- Eco-friendly practices
Learn more about why our customers choose to outsource their student transportation program with Petermann:
Industry Leading Technology
Petermann Bus has assembled the most highly trained team of experts encompassing the best processes and protocols in the industry in order to deliver the results your specific school district needs. We play the role of consultant and provider, ensuring each client maintains control of the overall policies of their transportation program. We can, and do, advise customers on how their particular parameters and decisions affect their program and its success, but ultimately the school district decides what works for them.
We know that managing a transportation program is difficult, which is why we provide the services that we do. A transportation director manages customer service issues, vehicle maintenance and inspections, accidents and insurance, routing, hiring, training and retention of staff, cost management, and the list goes on. Let us partner with you to develop a successful transportation program that allows you to oversee the day-to-day operations, giving you the space you need to make improvements. You’ll gain access to our data analytics dashboard and be able to make recommendations to your organization in order to drive change at your district. Your stakeholders deserve only the best.
Know the Facts
Petermann Bus must adhere to the same rules and regulations governing the operation of school buses as your school district. As a private company, there are additional requirements we must meet that a school district does not have to worry about. For example, state inspectors and state authorities are more rigorous in their examination of our employees and in the inspection of our buses. We must meet higher standards than most school districts.
Current transportation employees are an important concern for us too. It is in our best interest to retain as many of these employees, who meet our employment standards, as possible. Because they are familiar with the community, parents and students, it’s a win-win scenario to be able to hire current staff. These employees receive first consideration for all available positions. The drivers who come to work for Petermann will receive a competitive wage package as agreed to by the school district.
All drivers will be required to pass a drug and alcohol screening, a criminal background check, and a driving evaluation. This will ensure they meet the high standards both the school district and Petermann agree are necessary to run a safe and efficient school transportation program.
We provide a competitive benefits package, customized for each client.
Student discipline is a critical issue for both the company and the school district. Keeping this in mind, we strongly believe that a partnership approach regarding student management is key to enhancing the transportation experience for all students. We customize a student management plan that is based on the school district’s discipline policy, while incorporating best practices we’ve identified over the years through our experience. We rely on close cooperation between the school’s staff and the driver for effective implementation. Our experience also tells us that this formula is highly successful in keeping discipline issues that might cross your desk to a minimum.
There are three principal reasons for this:
First, the public sector operates in a monopolistic environment, while the private sector functions in a competitive environment. In other words, a company like Petermann has competition; a school district has no one to compete with but itself. Private company managers are constantly faced with the challenge of providing quality service at a competitive price. We must compete for your business not only within our own industry, but also with you.
Second, Petermann Bus’ general managers—the people responsible for operating the day-to-day transportation program —are backed by a corporate staff of individuals with expertise in each area of the operations, i.e., safety, training, maintenance, operations and cost control. When a Petermann manager is confronted with a new or unique issue, they are not in it alone or in the position of having to “reinvent the wheel” to find a solution. Petermann’s years of experience provide a wealth of information. This allows our corporate staff to provide the local manager with solutions and support that will be safe and cost effective.
Third, capital costs (buses and equipment) are spread over the entire useful life of the equipment. The school district pays only a proportional share of these costs on an annual basis, rather than the total cost for replacement. This leveling of equipment costs plus accelerated tax deductions available to the private sector creates lower costs for the customer.
In summary, there are multiple ways our managers work every day to ensure the safest, most cost-effective transportation program. It’s all of the big and little efficiencies combined that result in a highly efficient, low-cost operation that can improve safety, quality, and service to your school district.