Route Optimization
Turn student enrollment data into efficient routes, stop assignments, rosters, and printable route sheets that transportation teams can actually use day to day.
Learn More →Expert School Bus Route Optimization & Planning Software
UniteGPS helps K-12 transportation teams replace paper maps, spreadsheets, Google Maps, and institutional memory with practical school bus route optimization and planning software. Build efficient routes from student enrollment data, sync SIS changes, print clear route sheets, and get expert setup support so your district can improve safety, reduce wasted miles, and run transportation with confidence.
Our School Bus Route Optimization & Planning Software Services
A complete routing platform for planning routes, syncing student data, tracking buses, and supporting daily transportation operations.
Routing Essentials
Entry-level routing bundle for districts replacing paper maps, spreadsheets, Google Maps, or institutional memory with a structured planning system.
Learn More →Optimization Study
Hands-on optimization study from UniteGPS that analyzes existing routes and produces a documented savings plan for leadership or board review.
Learn More →SIS Integration
Sync student enrollment data directly into routing and ridership tools, reducing manual uploads when students move or change schools.
GPS Tracking
Add live vehicle location, mileage tracking, speeding or idle alerts, geofences, analytics, and a basic real-time parent app.
Learn More →Driver Tablet Tools
Equip buses with driver tablets for turn-by-turn navigation, student scan-on and scan-off records, inspections, and special-education documentation.
Learn More →Our Guided Routing Setup Process
Review Your Transportation Data
UniteGPS starts by learning your fleet size, current routing process, SIS environment, bell schedules, and operational pain points. The team identifies where manual work, duplicate data entry, or inefficient routing is costing time and miles.
Sync Students And Stops
Student enrollment information is brought into the Crosswalk platform through SIS integration or structured data import. Routes, stop assignments, rosters, and eligibility details are organized so the system reflects the district’s current transportation reality.
Build Optimized Bus Routes
The UniteGPS team helps build efficient bus routes during the free 90-day setup. Routes can replace paper maps, Google Maps, spreadsheets, or legacy knowledge with practical rosters, route sheets, and planning tools.
Launch Daily Operations
Transportation teams receive printable route sheets, clear rosters, and parent communication tools. Districts can also add GPS tracking, driver tablets, turn-by-turn directions, student ridership tracking, and performance analytics as operational needs expand.
Improve With Live Support
After launch, UniteGPS provides unlimited live support without ticket queues. The founder-led team continues improving the platform from real district feedback, helping transportation departments refine routes, reduce calls, and document service over time.
District Success
Districts nationwide use UniteGPS to simplify routing, improve visibility, and support safer student transportation operations.
Why Choose UniteGPS?
UniteGPS combines practical software, hands-on setup, and long-term support for K-12 transportation teams.
Built over 12 years from real district feedback, not investor-driven product roadmaps.
Founder-Led
Built over 12 years from real district feedback, not investor-driven product roadmaps.
FERPA Compliant
UniteGPS protects student transportation data with FERPA-compliant workflows and secure district-controlled access.
Integrated Platform
Routing, SIS sync, GPS tracking, tablets, ridership, inspections, and invoicing work together.
Live Support
Get unlimited live support without ticket queues, plus free 90-day setup assistance.
Meet The UniteGPS Team
Founder-led transportation technology built from real district needs.
Christopher Bunnell
Co-Founder
Christopher Bunnell is a Co-Founder of UniteGPS, the company he helped launch in 2014 after watching his own children wait in the freezing Maine winter for a school bus with no arrival information. Driven by that firsthand frustration, Chris partnered with Steve C. Lanning and Steven J. Lanning to build a real-time GPS tracking solution that gave families the visibility they deserved. Before UniteGPS, Chris served as the on-site client representative in Baltimore for a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project, while the technical team operated remotely from California. At UniteGPS, Chris has led client relationships and stakeholder engagement since day one, ensuring the platform continues to solve real problems for school districts and transit agencies nationwide.
Steve C. Lanning
Co-Founder
Steve C. Lanning is a Co-Founder of UniteGPS, bringing deep database architecture and enterprise-level technical expertise to the platform since its founding in 2014. Steve previously served as an Oracle database administrator on a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project at the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego, where he first collaborated with Chris Bunnell. In the early years of UniteGPS, Steve balanced the project alongside other professional commitments until growing client traction made it a full-time pursuit. His database expertise has been instrumental in building a reliable, scalable platform that now serves over 100 school districts nationwide, supporting everything from route optimization to student ridership tracking and SIS data integration.
Steven J. Lanning
Co-Founder
Steven J. Lanning is a Co-Founder of UniteGPS and the primary architect behind the Crosswalk platform, which he has built and continuously refined since the company's founding in 2014. Steven began his career on the same Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project as his co-founders, focusing on solution quality assurance and software testing for production readiness while simultaneously pursuing formal software development training. When UniteGPS launched, Steven committed full-time to product development, translating real feedback from transportation directors and drivers into practical platform features. His customer-driven approach to engineering has helped UniteGPS grow into a fully integrated transportation management solution trusted by K-12 districts and transit agencies across the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does school bus route optimization software do?
School bus route optimization software turns student addresses, school assignments, bell times, and fleet information into efficient bus routes. UniteGPS builds route rosters, stop assignments, and printable route sheets while replacing manual maps or one person’s memory. It also supports SIS integration, so enrollment changes can keep routes aligned with the district’s authoritative student data source.
How long does it take to set up UniteGPS routing?
UniteGPS includes a free 90-day setup period where the team helps build your routes for you. Districts provide student enrollment and transportation data, then UniteGPS configures routing, route sheets, rosters, and related workflows. This hands-on setup reduces the burden on transportation staff and helps districts move from paper or spreadsheets to a working routing system faster.
How much does school bus routing software cost?
Pricing for Routing Essentials is tiered by fleet size: 1–5 buses is $49 per month, 6–15 buses is $98 per month, and 16+ buses is $196 per month, billed annually. GPS Tracking & Routing is $25 per bus per month, and Tablet Suite is $39 per bus per month plus tablet-related costs.
Can UniteGPS integrate with our student information system?
Yes. SIS integration is included in every UniteGPS tier at no additional charge, with configuration handled during onboarding. The integration syncs student enrollment data into routing and ridership tools, reducing manual roster uploads and helping routes, stop assignments, and ridership records stay current when students move, change schools, or update transportation eligibility.
Is this software useful for small school districts?
Yes. UniteGPS is built for K-12 districts of many sizes, including small districts with only a few buses. The entry-level Routing Essentials tier starts at 1–5 buses and still includes core routing, route optimization, SIS integration, parent communication, field trips, and support. Districts can later upgrade to GPS tracking or tablets as needs grow.
What is included in the free Route Optimizer service?
The free Route Optimizer professional service is a hands-on optimization study from the UniteGPS team. They analyze your existing routes and provide a documented savings plan, including an independent outside assessment that can be shared with your board. It is especially helpful during budget reviews, bid cycles, or when a district needs evidence for route changes.
What is the difference between the UniteGPS tiers?
Routing Essentials focuses on building efficient routes, rosters, route sheets, SIS integration, field trips, and parent communication. GPS Tracking & Routing adds live bus tracking that updates every 5 seconds, mileage tracking, alerts, analytics, and a basic parent app. Tablet Suite adds driver tablets, turn-by-turn navigation, student ridership scanning, inspections, and IEP or Medicaid invoicing support.
Is UniteGPS FERPA compliant?
UniteGPS is FERPA compliant and designed to protect student transportation information. The platform supports secure student data workflows, SIS synchronization, timestamped ridership records, and parent visibility features controlled through district activation. These safeguards help districts improve communication and documentation while maintaining appropriate handling of sensitive student and transportation records.
Still Have Routing Questions?
Get clear answers from a live team, not a ticket queue.
Awards and Recognition
Protects student transportation data and privacy.
Trusted by districts across the United States.
FERPA Compliant
Protects student transportation data and privacy.
100+ Districts Served
Trusted by districts across the United States.
Founder-Led Platform
Built without private equity pressure.
