Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about partnering with RLB for transportation services. Click on the questions that are of interest to you. Please contact us if you have additional questions.
- Why do school districts and organizations contract their bus service?
- How can RLB help a small or rural district or board?
- Can I contract with RLB for only part of our transportation services?
- In what areas can RLB help school districts and organizations save money?
- Does contract transportation service need to be competitively bid?
- How can RLB reduce our costs and still earn a profit?
- How do I maintain control and enhance quality by partnering with RLB?
- If I contract with RLB, what happens to our current employees?
- If I contract with RLB, what happens to our current fleet of buses?
- If I contract with RLB, what happens to our existing transportation facility?
- Why would I want to partner with RLB if our transportation system already runs well?
- How do I determine how much our district or board really spends on transportation?
- Will our district or board state reimbursement change if we partner with RLB?
Why do school districts and organizations contract their bus service?
School districts and organizations who contract with RLB often can realize substantial cost savings, reduced administrative time, enhancements in safety and training programs, and greater efficiency. Other benefits include an updated bus fleet and an improved maintenance programs, as well as increased control and flexibility to respond to the changing needs of their communities. Additionally, contracting provides excellent cost containment and more consistent longer term budgeting.
How can RLB help a small or rural district or board?
Often small districts can benefit the most from using RLB. We provide these districts and boards with many advantages, including comprehensive preventive maintenance, excellent safety programs, additional liability insurance, and much more. By using RLB, the cost savings alone can be considerable, not to mention the gains in efficiency and community satisfaction.
Can I contract with RLB for only part of our transportation services?
Yes. Many larger districts and organizations contract a portion of their transportation services in order to have a yardstick by which to measure their own costs. Because RLB has extensive experience in transportation of special needs passengers, pre-school children, and the developmentally challenged, we have been chosen to provide only the special needs transportation for some of our clients.
In what areas can RLB help school districts and organizations save money?
With RLB, school districts and organizations can realize savings in many areas of operation. For example, RLB provides an extensive preventive vehicle maintenance program, operates newer, more efficient vehicles, provides outstanding safety training, and conducts ongoing route review to assure optimal responsiveness and efficiency. Our expertise, including the services of our management staff and drivers, often can be shared among several districts or organizations, thus further reducing costs. Also, RLB often can help districts increase their state reimbursement through efficiency improvements in routing.
Does contract transportation service need to be competitively bid?
Whether contract transportation services require a competitive bidding process varies from state to state and even from region to region. In many areas however, a competitive bid is not required. Rather, the board may solicit one or more proposals and decide which provider offers the best service package, taking into consideration price, past performance, experience, quality and customer references. The proposal process allows the board the maximum discretion in choosing a transportation provider with cost being only one of several factors to be considered. As in many cases, services provided at the lowest cost are not usually provided with the highest quality.
How can RLB reduce our costs and still earn a profit?
Student transportation has been our primary focus for over 65 years. Through years of experience, economies of scale, comprehensive preventive maintenance, the use of newer buses, and constant innovation in operating methods, RLB can reduce transportation costs and still remain profitable. RLB manages our transportation operations with the same enthusiasm and care with which your district educates students and provides for its consumers.
How do I maintain control and enhance quality by partnering with RLB?
It all comes down to the rules of the marketplace. Competition keeps RLB continuously responding to your needs, because if we don’t, you will find another provider who will. This has been our business for over 65 years and we are highly motivated to ensure that our customers are completely satisfied. RLB is very agile and can deal quickly and fairly with the challenging operating issues that transportation offices encounter. RLB also can quickly add or modify routes, as well as provide extracurricular transportation to respond to the changing needs of your district or board.
If I contract with RLB, what happens to our current employees?
In most cases, most if not all existing employees (based on board recommendation) are offered employment at comparable wages and benefits.
If I contract with RLB, what happens to our current fleet of buses?
There are a number of options available. In most cases, RLB would purchase the existing fleet, providing you with additional funds to invest elsewhere. Another option would be when a school district or organization contracts with RLB, the board continues ownership of the existing buses and RLB provides the new ones. One of the advantages of contracting with RLB is that we can update your fleet immediately, eliminating the need of the district to make the large capital investment in equipment.. Any buses placed into service by RLB will always be made available to the board for repurchase at the depreciated value should it wish to resume providing its own service.
If I contract with RLB, what happens to our existing transportation facility?
Most often, RLB will continue to operate from the board’s facility and lease it from the board. If the facility needs to be upgraded or expanded, this can be included in the RLB proposal. Also, RLB usually purchases the existing inventory.
Why would I want to partner with RLB if our transportation system already runs well?
You may want to consider partnering with RLB in order to reduce costs, increase flexibility, and reduce the fragmented priorities of your district or board’s administrative staff. When your district or board partners with RLB, the administrative staff can concentrate on education and employment options, and know that transportation is well taken care of.
How do I determine how much our district or board really spends on transportation?
Determining your real transportation expense is not as easy as examining your district transportation budget. Most districts do not account for depreciation of their buses and facilities or the costs of shared administrative positions or utilities. In addition, there are the capital and repair expenses of facilities, computers, radios, and other equipment, plus expenses associated with pool-based benefits, such as worker’s compensation, healthcare coverage, and liability insurance. RLB has a thorough process by which we work with the district or board to identify its total current transportation cost. Our study also examines the district or board’s transportation reimbursement.
Will our district or board state reimbursement change if we partner with RLB?
In most states, the reimbursement your district or board receives will not decrease under any circumstances. RLB will review the current reimbursement application and work to maximize the revenue to the district or board through efficient routing. Typically, districts and boards who contract for their transportation services receive their special needs and parochial capital assistance in a different, more advantageous form. Reimbursement received can be applied to RLB invoices.