Optimizing carpool requires a lot of creativity and flexibility. This post will try to answer some of your questions about how setting up your Beeline carpool pickup spot can help you create different carpool configurations.
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You can customize all the settings mentioned below inside the Beeline Administrator app.
Understanding the variables of the Pickup Spot:
In Beeline, four variables work together to pinpoint where on earth your school carpool happens, when a driver might be checked in to it and who has the ability to check a driver in.
Pick up spot geolocation The pick up spot is usually the exact geolocation where kids are transferred into cars or handed off to parents. Depending on the Beeline features you use and how you want to run your carpool, some Beeline implementations can benefit from locations that differ slightly from this spot (See below).
Check in distance The check in distance is a circular geofence that can check drivers in automatically as they enter the geofenced area. You will set the radius based on how big you need the circle to be, but it will always be centered on the pick up spot.
Early alert distance The early alert is a second geofence designed to give an earlier warning to teachers when a driver of one of the kids is nearby the school during carpool, potentially giving the kids more time to get ready to leave without signaling a dismissal.
Beeline driver app access/restriction Parents can't log in or use the Beeline driver app at your school until you invite them to do so, as a result you control when or if you incorporate this feature. For some schools, such as those who might need the list of drivers inside the Beeline app to match the order in which the cars physically located outside, restricting the use of the driver app can actually make Beeline a more powerful solution. Here's why: The Beeline driver app automatically checks drivers in, but due to unpredictable variables present on all cell phones such as cellular coverage, processor speed and what location permissions the user grants to Beeline, this means the list of drivers shown in Beeline might not exactly match the order in which the cars outside are sitting in.
Example Beeline configurations:
While every Beeline subscription includes access to all Beeline apps for your location, you can choose which ones to implement and how in order to help you meet your goals.
Here are some examples of how you can set up different types of carpools:
Automated check in - This solution allows for the most automated carpool. Drivers will be automatically checked in when they cross over a check in geofence or come close to a staff member using Curbside, but the order in which cars are checked in may not match the order in which they are sitting in line.
To set Beeline up for this type of carpool, do the following:
Set your pickup spot to the exact location where your carpool line starts.
Set your check in circle to a size just bigger than the size of the area where kids can be loaded into cars. If kids are loaded into multiple cars, the circle should cover all cars into which kids can be loaded.
Set your early alert circle as large as possible for early warning that cars are nearby, giving the kids more time to get ready to leave without signaling a dismissal.
Automated early alerts with manual check in by staff or drivers - This solution maintains a list of cars inside the Beeline app that more closely, but not exactly, matches those in the carpool line outside, while also allowing parents to have access to the Beeline driver app and still providing early warnings of arrivals. A staff member or parent must manually indicate they are checked in via a button in the Curbside or Driver app in order for a driver to be checked in.
To set Beeline up for this type of carpool, do the following:
Set the check in circle to 1 meter and place it where driver phones will not cross into it, such as inside your school lobby. This will prevent automatic check in from happening, but drivers can still manually check themselves in.
Have teachers disable bluetooth in any Curbside app they use. This prevents drivers from being automatically checked in when coming within Bluetooth range of staff members. Staff will still be able to manually enter and check in drivers.
Set your early alert circle as large as possible for early warning when cars are nearby, giving the kids more time to get ready to leave without signaling a dismissal.
No automation, only staff can check drivers in - This solution maintains a list of cars inside the Beeline app that should exactly match that found in the carpool line outside, but restricts parents from using the driver app.
To set Beeline up for this type of carpool, do the following:
Don't invite parents to use the Beeline driver app. This will limit Beeline so that only your carpool staff can check a driver in, which ensures the order drivers appear in the app is the order in which your staff check them in.
Have your staff use the Administrator or Curbside apps to check drivers in
Regardless of how you need carpool to work, we are always willing to help you figure out the best way to implement Beeline at your location. Just ask, consultation is free.
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