Daily Bus Route Cost Calculator
Use this calculator to see the full cost of a bus route and if HopSkipDrive can save you money.
Trip Parameters
Select a state above to calculate your bus cost and see how HopSkipDrive compares.
Assumptions: Bus cost is estimated using CGCS (Council of Great City Schools) 2022–23 cost per mile, decomposed into $0.78 fuel and $7.37 non-fuel (top-quartile) or $5.64 non-fuel (median). The CGCS benchmark is auto-selected based on your state's cost profile — 14 high-cost states use the top-quartile benchmark; all others use the median. Non-fuel costs are inflated 24.5% to reflect 2026–27 conditions based on BLS wage data (SOC 53-3051, ~17% increase), insurance market trends (~55% increase, School Bus Fleet / RWR Insurance), and maintenance estimates. Fuel cost uses current state diesel price ÷ 6 mpg (EPA/APTA school bus assumption). Loaded mileage reflects miles driven with students aboard; deadhead mileage covers empty miles yard-to-pickup and dropoff-to-yard. Daily bus cost multiplies total one-way miles × 2 for AM and PM runs. Aide or monitor cost (bus): BLS OEWS SOC 25-9045 (Teaching Assistants) 2026 estimated wage of $18.22/hr plus 35% benefits, applied to drive time at 25 mph average. Aide or monitor cost (HopSkipDrive): $70 flat fee per trip direction (assumes one student on the route requires an aide — one fee applies regardless of number of vehicles). HopSkipDrive assumes 3 students per ride (sedan front-seat safety regulations). Per-ride pricing estimated from student distance at 26-27 metro rates averaged by state. Diesel prices sourced from AAA state fuel price averages, 10/07/26. HopSkipDrive pricing based on 26-27 metro rates averaged by state; national average applied where no metro data exists.