HopSkipDrive: Misconception vs. Reality

Change is tough, especially change in an industry long dominated by few players. 

HopSkipDrive is a new kind of non-routine student transportation solution and that can breed market misconceptions. We’ve been hearing a lot of inaccurate information about what we do and how we operate. 

We want to clear that all up so you can make the most informed choices. Here are some common HopSkipDrive ‘myths’… and the truth.

Download Misconceptions v. Reality!

 

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

HopSkipDrive is solely intended for parent-initiated trips.

THE TRUTH: 

We adapted the solution we created for families, built with safety at its core, into a dedicated solution for schools, districts and counties.

Today, these organizations account for the vast majority of the daily trips on our platform, and we have designed tools, resources and services to meet their needs.

Our flexible, dynamic solution is perfect for alternative student transportation needs, including students who are designated McKinney-Vento, in foster care, who have IEPs with transportation requirements, in continuing technical education programs, and more.

Our enterprise platform enables student transportation staff to book one-time or repeating rides within minutes, while our Customer Success team is specifically trained to work with student transportation officials.

We haven’t lost our focus on the parent experience: Parents love when districts use HopSkipDrive to book student rides because they get unparalleled visibility to their child’s ride information, ETAs and ride location.

“Not only [does HopSkipDrive] reduce the district’s overall transportation costs, but offering this service to students with specialized transportation needs will help to shorten commute times – meaning less time in transit and more time learning.”

— Director of Federal Programs & Academic Compliance at Keller Independent School District.

 

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

HopSkipDrive Riders get a different driver every day; other companies can promise the same driver every day.

THE TRUTH: 

We guarantee every ride booked will be fulfilled by a qualified and experienced CareDriver with a minimum of five years of caregiving experience.

HopSkipDrive’s flexibility means we can often arrange rides for the very next day! School transportation personnel never have to scramble to find last-minute drivers or replacements.

Even with this flexibility, HopSkipDrive Riders still only experience an average of 1-3 CareDrivers over 90 days… far from a different driver every day.

HopSkipDrive also recognizes that there is more consistency to rides than just the CareDriver — our ride policies and procedures ensure Riders have a consistent experience.

And given the well-known industry challenges around driver shortages, it’s hard for anyone to promise that the same driver will pick up your student 180 days a year.

Do the companies that guarantee the same driver every single day deliver on that commitment in reality? Or are they over-promising and under-delivering?

We do exactly what we say we do — can other transportation solutions say the same?

 

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: 

HopSkipDrive can only arrange routes and numbers of students based on driver supply. We can’t accommodate any repeating rides.

THE TRUTH: 

We guarantee all student rides booked will be fulfilled. 

The beauty of a flexible driver supply is that you can always fill rides, even on eight hours notice, and driver supply will increase and decrease with your needs.

HopSkipDrive offers the option to easily schedule repeating rides and many of the student rides arranged on our platform are repeating.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:  

HopSkipDrive is a PUC-licensed company with no specific student transportation credentials.

THE TRUTH: 

As a Transportation Network Company (TNC), HopSkipDrive is licensed in each state and highly regulated by either public utilities or state transportation commissions (dependent on the state). HopSkipDrive meets the state Department of Education requirements in service areas where applicable.

In contrast, many alternative student transportation solutions, including broker services, aren’t strictly regulated or licensed by the state.

We always recommend checking if your alternative transportation solution is in fact licensed or regulated. If so, by who and what was the process to become approved? The answers might surprise you…

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

We have personal, not commercial, insurance coverage.

THE TRUTH:

HopSkipDrive provides commercial insurance for all rides conducted on the HopSkipDrive platform, in fact exceeding state-required minimums in each market.  We maintain comprehensive commercial liability coverage that far exceeds regulatory requirements.  In addition, all drivers are required to maintain personal automobile insurance coverage consistent with state laws, and must submit proof of coverage on an ongoing basis.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Contracting directly with individual drivers is risky.

THE TRUTH:   

Both you and HopSkipDrive have a direct line to drivers, which creates unparalleled transparency, visibility and communication between us, CareDrivers, Ride Organizers and users associated with a Rider’s account.

Ride Organizers and CareDrivers can communicate with each other through phone calls or chats within the app; we ensure phone numbers are masked to protect privacy. They can also communicate with us directly — we’re always a phone call or chat away.

Compare this to a broker model, where communication has to trickle down from the broker company, to the actual transportation provider, to the driver. How can parents, families, student transportation staff and drivers communicate effectively? How much visibility do brokers actually provide into rides and the Rider experience?

We challenge the notion that W2 employees are somehow safer than qualified and background checked independent contractors. We also challenge the idea that the broker model, when the broker itself doesn’t have employees providing transportation, could be safer.

Worker classification in itself doesn’t make an operation safer; it takes an organizational focus on safety through technology and procedures.

Safety must come from the top of the organization down and our safety features, including the Safe Ride Support system and 15-Point Driver Certification Process, are best in class.

In order to access the platform, CareDrivers must have five years of caregiving experience, pass fingerprint-based and third-party background checks, including child abuse and neglect (CANs) checks, pass a vehicle inspection (repeated annually), and more. HopSkipDrive is alerted  of changes to DMV or criminal records and can promptly respond as that information is received.

The HopSkipDrive Safe Ride Support system provides end-to-end ride visibility in real-time to all parties involved in a ride, and proactively addresses any issues that may arise during a ride, such as helping a CareDriver locate a Rider.

No other alternative transportation solution utilizes powerful safety technology and AI.

Bonus: Because we’ve cut out the layers of individuals or entities involved in each ride, you won’t have to pay all the fees, overhead costs, and expenses broker companies charge.