Student Transportation Leaders Outline Key Bus Industry Trends for 2026

Student transportation leaders are heading into 2026 facing familiar challenges that now come with new layers of technology, labor pressure, and regulatory complexity. During the first School Transportation News webinar of the year, two veteran transportation directors shared how districts are adapting to those realities, offering a practical look at what is shaping the school bus industry right now.

The discussion featured Keba Baldwin, director of transportation and central garage for Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland and the current STN Transportation Director of the Year, alongside Alfred Karam, interim director of transportation for Shenendehowa Central School District in New York. Their conversation focused on four major trends already influencing day-to-day operations.

Technology Works Best When Systems Are Unified

Both directors agreed that technology delivers the most value when systems are unified instead of layered independently. Baldwin explained that a connected technology environment allows transportation teams to identify risks earlier rather than responding after problems occur. While getting staff comfortable with new tools takes time, he said, adoption improves once employees understand the benefits.

“Having disparate platforms can cause tension,” Karam said, noting that disconnected systems often slow communication and create unnecessary friction.

Data integration, they explained, leads to clearer reporting and better insight into driver performance. Karam emphasized that time savings alone make the effort worthwhile.
“All these tools help us be more efficient and save time,” he said.

When rolling out new systems, Karam advised districts to move gradually and pair each implementation step with proper training. Baldwin shared that Prince George’s County followed that approach by introducing its technology stack depot by depot, ensuring it functioned as intended before expanding further. He also stressed that involving transportation, administrative, and school staff early helped build internal support.

Recruitment and Retention Remain Central Challenges

Labor shortages continue to affect student transportation nationwide, and both districts described hands-on recruitment strategies. Shenendehowa does not have a centralized hiring department, which led Karam to lean on districtwide outreach, email campaigns, and public engagement events like “test drive a bus” days to keep recruitment visible.

At Prince George’s County, Baldwin works closely with an internal hiring team and offers paid training and bonuses. He noted that onboard tablets can simplify work for new drivers, though veteran drivers may take longer to adjust. With an average driver age of 50 at PGCPS and 56 at Shenendehowa, comfort with technology remains an important factor.

Craig Berndt, business segment manager of people transportation for webinar sponsor Geotab, added that framing technology as a support tool rather than a monitoring tool can improve acceptance.

Both directors agreed that retention improves significantly once a recruit completes training. In their experience, drivers who stay through onboarding are more likely to remain with the district long term.

Electric Bus Mandates Add Planning and Infrastructure Pressure

Electric bus adoption continues to raise operational questions, particularly around infrastructure and cost. Baldwin said Prince George’s County inherited electric buses and mobile propane-powered chargers, but later canceled planned on-site infrastructure after evaluating expenses. He advised districts to confirm that local utilities can support charging demand and to train staff for emergency scenarios. Baldwin also pointed to guidance from the World Resources Institute’s Electric Bus Initiative.

“We do have areas where EVs can be beneficial and other areas where they won’t be beneficial,” he said.

In New York, Karam described how the state’s 2035 electrification mandate forced rapid learning. He cautioned that purchasing buses is only the final step in a long planning process that includes infrastructure and utility coordination. Chargers, he added, require ongoing maintenance just like vehicles.

Karam noted that Shenendehowa currently operates four of its six electric buses due to electricity capacity limits, illustrating how infrastructure constraints can directly affect service.

Artificial Intelligence Is Shifting Safety and Operations

The webinar also explored how artificial intelligence is moving student transportation away from reactive safety practices. Berndt explained that AI tools are increasingly used to analyze data and predict collision risks or maintenance issues, allowing human decision makers to act earlier.

“Everything we do has an AI component,” Baldwin said. “What we have to do is embrace it and break it down into areas where we can apply it.”

Baldwin shared that AI-driven driver scorecards help drivers see specific areas for improvement. Karam added that AI has allowed his team to analyze large data sets quickly, uncovering patterns that would have been missed manually.

“AI is in our hands already,” Karam said. “Safety is going to shift from being incident-driven and reactive to being pattern-driven and predictive.”

He also described how AI analysis revealed that some fatigue-related incidents were connected to sleep apnea, underscoring how data can guide targeted interventions.

Rather than viewing AI as a threat to jobs, Karam described it as a tool that amplifies human capability.
“I see AI as a game changer and force multiplier as it matures and is adopted within the transportation system,” he said.

Berndt closed by reminding attendees to prioritize data security when training AI models, ensuring sensitive information remains protected.

Source: School Transportation News