The Roadmap to Organization Success

GPS Trackers Can Potentially Help Save Millions for Public Schools

GPS Tracking Systems Good for Public School Buses

The public school bus system in Cobb County, Georgia, has been utilizing GPS tracking systems to monitor and track its fleet of school buses. Prior to implementing the new GPS tracking technology, the county received numerous calls each day from flustered parents whose children were not picked up by the bus that day.

Whether the child overslept and missed the bus or the driver actually pass by the stop, school administrators had no way of confirming which reason it was. As a result the district paid for the additional gas, and sometimes overtime, to send a bus driver back out to pick up the child.

Since installing the GPS trackers, those so-called “courtesy runs” have been drastically reduced, as have parent complaints. And Cobb County school officials are crediting a device that’s no bigger than a cell phone.

The GPS tracking system monitors the current location of each school bus in its fleet, if and when a bus is stopping to pick up children and the speed limit. School administrators say the GPS devices provide crucial data to help create a better, safer service to and from school. However, driver advocates argue that they are an unnecessary expense, coming at a time when the school system can least afford it. They also argue that the devices are being unfairly used against the bus drivers.

“This system provides a level of safety equal to a supervisor on every bus,” said Lynn Simpson, the director of Fulton County Schools’ transportation department.

Although the GPS system costs about $600,000 a year, school officials say it saves $1.2 million annually by cutting down on gas mileage and driver overtime.

Bus GPS Fleet Tracking Provides More Than Cost-Savings

Administrators have used the GPS system to track how long bus drivers are on the road, which they say has effectively lowered overtime costs by cutting down on the timesheet exaggerations or inaccuracies that sometimes happen when they rely on drivers memories. This not only allows them to keep more accurate times on their drivers, they also provide a greater degree of accountability for both drivers and administrators.

The GPS devices also help the school system map more efficient routes. This allows drivers the ability arrive at their designated stops on time in the case of detours or accidents.

More importantly, administrators say the complaints made by parents have gone down since using the GPS tracking system.

“Now we know, for a fact, if buses are stopping on time,” said Rick Grisham, the director of Cobb’s transportation department. “Before, we were relying on bus driver and parent testimony.”

However, bus driver advocates say managers are using the data obtained from the tracking technology and using them against bus drivers, accusing them of speeding, driving recklessly, getting lost and dropping students off at school late.

“Employees don’t feel, as a whole, that the technology is being used to work together but as another tool to isolate individuals and go after them for termination,” said Mark Perez, a field representative for the Georgia Association of Educators, which advocates for bus drivers.

Perez said the costs are extraordinary at a time of state austerity cuts.

“Districts are reducing bus routes they offer to parents and reducing salary and benefits to employees to make up for the budget shortfalls,” Perez said. “And yet they’re spending a large amount of money for a new system that seems to be nice, but are they the most prudent expenditures inside the current economic situation? It’s like you would like to put in a nice deck or build a new pool but your house is upside down in mortgage. It’s not good math.”

Grisham, however, stands in full support for the new tracking system, as well as for the other tools that the administration has implemented to provide a safer, more efficient and cost-effective service for its students.

“It’s a non-stop battle to come up with ways to keep students safe,” Grisham said. “Minutes and seconds matter a lot in our business.”

Real-time GPS tracking systems, such as Tracking System Direct’s Connect GPS, can potentially help public school systems like Cobb County save millions in wasted time and fuel costs. It allows dispatchers and fleet managers the ability to monitor and track each bus in real-time from an internet-enabled computer, laptop or even a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet, without having to contact the drivers and asking where they are.

And with the ShareSpot® feature, parents will be able to see precisely where their buses are in real-time from the school district’s website. This is especially helpful during inclement weather conditions. Parents can track where their buses are along its route and have their children at their stops right when the bus arrives instead of having to wait around and guess.

For more information about Tracking System Direct and the companies’ real-time GPS fleet management solutions, please visit them online at:

https://www.trackingsystemdirect.com

If you want to improve your table tennis game, you should know how to play against your opponent. Learn how to identify your opponent’s weakness and take advantage of it. Here are 10 key tips to advance your game:

Know what spin is on the ball

Knowing what spin is on the ball is a fundamental skill for advanced table tennis players. Most expert players can tell exactly what kind of spin their opponent is applying, but a newbie will have trouble figuring it out. Expert players didn’t suddenly develop superhuman powers to “read” the spins of serve. Instead, they developed their ability through years of exposure. This article explains how to read the spins on your opponents’ serve.

The game of table tennis is dominated by spin. In fact, a 2009 study in Japan showed that players reaching the top speed at the World Table Tennis Championships were generating 62.5 rps of spin on their serves. Knowing what spin is on the ball can help you maximize your potential. You can also use the spin on your side of the ball to your advantage. The best way to learn more about spin in table tennis is to practice with a ball that has backspin on it.

The first step in improving your table tennis game is learning to read your opponents’ serves. The more you understand your opponent’s serve, the better your chances of winning. Experts are also able to read the advanced visual cues and react subconsciously to what their opponents are doing to the ball. A new player may simply focus on the motion of the ball to determine what type of spin an opponent is using.

Compensate for the spin with your racket angle

When playing table tennis, you should be aware of your opponent’s serve spin. The ball will curve and dip due to differences in air pressure. This is where your racket angle comes into play. Learn to compensate for the spin with your racket angle and advance your table tennis game. To achieve this, you should use your entire body when using the forehand stroke. In addition, it is important to use your own table tennis racket.

As the lead face of your racket comes in contact with the ball, angle the racket slightly downward to compensate for the spin. The aim is to make contact above the ball’s center. Start off by brushing gently against the ball. Then, use more force if you want to perform back or top spin. Aside from the spin angle, you should also make contact with the ball as lightly as possible.

Use your whole body when you stroke your forehand

If you want to improve your forehand game, you need to learn to use your whole body when you stroke your forearm. Most amateur players tend to use only their arms to stroke the ball. However, using your entire body to strike the ball will help you create more power and generate more speed. The key to mastering the forehand is learning the proper timing, and there are a number of methods you can use to learn how to time your stroke perfectly. ittf ping pong set

The forehand drive is one of the four basic table tennis strokes. The other two strokes are the backhand push and the backhand drive. The forehand drive is an attacking stroke, and can only be used when the ball is medium or long. Avoid playing this shot if the ball is too low, as it could collide with the table tennis net. The backhand drive is a counterstroke, and you can use it when you want to control the rally.

Maintain a good ready position

In order to be successful at table tennis, you need to maintain a good ready position at all times. Maintaining a good ready position will allow you to move quickly and catch your opponent off guard. Learn to maintain a good ready position by watching your opponent’s paddle. It is possible to hit the ball with much more spin when you move half a step back. Learn to maintain a good ready position by following Stephen Foster’s video.

A good ready position is essential to every stroke and movement in a point sequence. A bad ready position will limit your athletic movements and affect your strokes. Maintain a good ready position by keeping your body balanced and aligned. When you are in the ready position, you will be able to move quickly in any direction. This is extremely important when you are returning a serve and preparing for a stroke. Try drawing a line from your forehead to your toes to maintain a center of gravity.

Train your strokes until they are automatic

Training your strokes until they are automatic will help you improve your game. In order to achieve this, you will need to focus on each stroke individually until you can play it automatically. Playing on automatic mode will enable you to execute the best shots without having to analyze your technique. Besides, you will be more focused during a game if you can predict your opponent’s action and hit them with accuracy.

During your first few sessions, you should concentrate on improving the most basic strokes. Focus on the backswing and forward swing for about five to ten minutes. Once you are used to these, you should focus on the ball-drop movement. Practicing ball-drops and juggling will also improve your hand-eye coordination. You should focus on improving your coordination through various methods, including playing video games, zinc intake, and relaxation techniques.

Use your own table tennis racket

There are numerous benefits to using your own table tennis racket to improve your game. First of all, you can improve your table tennis game by identifying your opponent’s weak points. Once you identify these weak points, you can practice these skills until they become automatic. That’s when you’ll achieve your best performance. Here are some of the most important benefits of using your own table tennis racket to improve your game. better balls for ping pong

Purchasing your own table tennis racket will make the game more fun. Unlike traditional tennis games, table tennis is a sport that requires dexterity and precision to excel. You’ll want to break the rally to force your opponent to return the ball to you. If you’re struggling to break the rally, you can do so by practicing the proper footwork. Sidestepping, for example, allows you to move quickly lateral. Swinging, on the other hand, allows the ball to reach the backhand spot on a forehand drive. Swinging can be used to break a rally or to attack the opponent’s backhand. Swings can also help you change the rhythm of the game.

The next benefit of using your own table tennis racket is that you’ll know exactly how it feels to hit the ball. Different types of rackets have different playing characteristics and feel, so it’s important to use one that’s comfortable and suits your style of play. To prolong the life of your racket, you should clean it after each training session. It’s important to clean your racket after every game to keep its pristine condition.

Develop sidespin serves

A good side spin serve is one that moves at a fast ball speed. It has a large angle and momentum, a low landing point and a solid right-side topspin. This serve is an effective weapon against opponents who are good at attacking. The sidespin serve can also be useful for attacking shots. Here are some tactics to improve your side spin serve:

The first tip to improve your serves is to practice changing them often. You should switch up your serve as often as possible to keep your opponent off balance. By varying your serve, you can score more points and keep your opponent off balance. It’s important to be versatile with your shots. For example, a good side spin serve will force your opponent to make an error and try harder, resulting in quick points.

The next tip to improve your serve is to practice a high toss. This serve is very difficult for the average player to hit. Asian players first made it popular in the 1980s, but it has since lost popularity. A good high toss serves with an upswing will be difficult to return. Moreover, it’s difficult to control the spin when hitting the ball with this serve. Practice the high toss serve frequently and you’ll have a more effective service than ever.

Keep your returns low over the net

In addition to alternating the type of shot you hit, you can also use deception to your advantage. Depending on the type of serve you receive, you can disguise your spin by changing direction during contact. You can also exaggerate the follow-through direction of the serve, either downward or to the side. The trickiest part of table tennis is serving. Learn how to deceive your opponent with good spin and make your serve look like you’re playing a different ball.

To increase your success with table tennis, you should try to keep your returns low over the net. This will give you more angles over the net and make it difficult for your opponent to hit the ball with significant power. This rule does not apply to lobs, which you should place on the edge of the table. Instead, you should try to read your opponent’s serve location and angle. By utilizing your strategy, you’ll be able to exploit the weaknesses of your opponent and make them feel uncomfortable.