GPS Shuttle Tracking

LiveViewGPS Case Study

Organization: Seton Hill University

Industry: Education

Devices Used: Live Trac G5 Vehicle Tracking

Abstract: Seton Hill University uses the LiveViewGPS G5 tracker and a smartphone app to provide students, faculty and staff with real-time updates on the location of campus shuttles.

The Problem

Located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Seton Hill University is a small college of about 2,500 students that has faced a problem typical to many small schools: a shortage of on-campus parking. One way in which the school manages the shortage of spaces is by employing a pair of shuttle buses. One shuttle is dedicated to on-campus transportation, traveling to and from parking lots and buildings on the campus, and the other shuttle travels between the school administration building and locations in downtown Greensburg.

However, a frequent problem the university found was people would complain that the shuttles did not always follow their routes, that shuttles were taking too long to arrive, or that they didn’t want to wait around in the hopes that a shuttle was running that day.

The school briefly experimented with cellular-equipped iPads installed in the shuttles but found it to be a system with too many limitations, said Benn Linger, Seton Hill’s Director of Cloud and Application Development.

Linger said they also found that other fleet tracking systems they considered didn’t have an API (application program interface) for developing a companion smartphone app, were too expensive or didn’t have a reporting interval rate as low as five seconds.

The Solution

Enter LiveViewGPS.

Seton Hill initially chose LiveViewGPS because they wanted a system with no long-term contract, plus reasonable monthly data rates and trackers that could be installed in vehicles permanently without shuttle drivers having to do anything to operate them. Linger also said it was critical for the system to have an API for using the trackers with a smartphone app he developed.

With a 5-second refresh rate, the Live Trac system allows Seton Hill – and users of the companion smartphone app – to see where tracker-equipped vehicles are in nearly real time. After just six months of using the system, LiveViewGPS provided everything for which the school was searching, Linger said.

“Using the Live Trac system really helps make everyone’s daily trips back and forth between their vehicle and the classroom or office much less stressful,” Linger said. “Their software allows us insight into exactly where our vehicles are, and the companion app we created allows a user to see exactly where the shuttle is so they know when to expect it.”

In addition, the tracking system has helped Seton Hill ensure that its shuttles are adhering to their designated routes, by both being able to track movement in the moment and prepare detailed reports.

“I would absolutely recommend LiveViewGPS to anyone who’s on the fence about whether or not to invest in a GPS system,” Linger said. “Seton Hill prioritizes incorporating technology that helps make people’s lives more efficient. The Live Trac system is an investment that has paid for itself by helping us accomplish that mission.”