Find answers fast: Ask a question, search for keywords, or explore articles below.
Search
Configuring the Locations Table
The locations table is used to enter all school-based locations and departments that will serve as a requester’s location (such as schools, transportation, or bus locations). This table indicates who approves trips for that location and who the contacts are for things like Child Nutrition notifications, bookkeepers, etc. It also shows the order of locations to use for assigning vehicles.
During implementation, your specialist will configure the initial locations. Use caution when adding additional locations.
Configuring Existing Locations
To edit existing locations, click in the top right-hand corner of your webpage, where you see the half-person icon. From the dropdown menu, select Setup Tables.
This will automatically load the Locations table. If you are already on another table in the Setup Tables pages, use the dropdown menu to select Locations.
To edit an existing location, click on the Location name and make your edits.
See below for an explanation of all settings.
Creating a New Location
To create a new location, click the + button at the top left of the screen.
General Section
The first section of the Location setup covers general information like the School Code, Name, and Abbreviation.
Location Code:Each location must have a unique location code that is a 3 to 6-character number or indicator for this location. The location code is used to prefix invoice summaries and match budget codes if you use the budget code setup table.
Location Name:The location name is the full name of the location.
Location Abbreviation:This is used on the trip calendar, so it should be filled in for every location – for example, for South Brunswick High School, it would probably be “SBHS.”
You can also set the location type to one or more of the following:
Active:This location is in use and will appear on the trip request form.
School:This is a school location and will show up on the trip request form unless marked as “inactive.”
Vehicle Location:This is only a location for storing vehicles and will not show on the trip request form.
Include in Common Destinations:This location should be included in the “Common Destinations” list on the trip request form.
Zone:
Optionally, you can select the Zone for this location. This setting is used if you want to have a Zone Supervisor who assigns drivers for this Zone. This location will not appear on the trip request but is typically used as the location to assign drivers.
Example: You have 20 schools, 10 in the East and 10 in the West. A supervisor assigns buses by zone. Create locations named East Zone and West Zone, assign buses and vehicle owners to the respective zones. Schools then use these zones in routing to select buses.
Vehicle Order of Assignment:
Only one vehicle location is required for the Vehicle Order of Assignment, but you can enter more.
This section shows the default Vehicle Order of Assignment for trips starting here. All locations must be set up first. If your location owns vehicles, select it as Location 1. If not, Location 1 is where you first check for a vehicle. If no vehicles are available at Location 1, check Location 2, then Location 3 if needed.
The last location should always be transportation to handle cases where buses weren’t assigned in the first three locations. Some settings allow vehicle owners to choose the next assignment location instead of using the default order.
Address:
Be sure to fill out the Address, City, State, and Zip Code. This requires a physical street address—no P.O. Boxes. Once you click “save,” the system will auto-populate the Longitude and Latitude fields. However, you can input your own.
Site Level Authority:
This section of the Location table displays designated school contacts that have access to the school's trips and assignments.
Site Admins:
The site administrator is the person with the authority to do any approval for the first approver and visibility of the trips and finance information for that location. You can have up to four site administrators at each location. Individuals listed as Site Administrators have full access to their location.
Pays Invoices:
This is the bookkeeper responsible for paying invoices for their school. This person will have visibility into invoice information and exports for all trips at this location.
Schedules Vehicles (Owner):
This is the individual responsible for assigning the vehicle to trips when vehicles from this location are used. They have authority only over the vehicles assigned to their location.
Schedules Special Needs Vehicles:
For trips with a trip type of “Special Needs,” the person listed here is the vehicle owner and is responsible for scheduling vehicles for this trip.
The Special Needs trip type must be active in the setup table to use this option.
School Nurse:
Up to four individuals may receive email notifications for trips. School Nurses will have access to the Support Services Tab to see upcoming trips and/or trips with health concerns.
A setting in the Configuration Tab, Other Setup Decisions (Notifications), will determine if the school nurses get notifications for either All Trips or only trips with health concerns. Notifications will be sent only after trips are approved.
Child Nutrition Notification Lunch Trips
Up to four individuals may receive email notifications for trips where students are out over lunch. This is usually the school cafeteria manager and possibly the District Child Nutrition Director.
Notifications will be sent only after trips are approved and if the trip indicates that students will be out over lunch.
Site Level Approvers:
This section indicates the site-level approvers for trips originating at this site. The trip will have approvers listed in this order based on the settings for each level.
An X means the level doesn’t apply to this trip type. A blank means an approver is needed. Without an approver, the level auto-approves to proceed, and transportation admin is notified. To assign approvers, go to half-person and click users.
For each level, the Source indicates where the level is defined. The ones that indicate the Location Table indicate that each location table's settings define who the approvers are at these levels.
Once you’ve made all the necessary adjustments to your new or existing location, click “save.”