School Bus Transportation – Industry Research, Analysis, Statistics, and Forecasts

SIC 4151 | NAICS 485410

This free online guide to industry research and analysis provides sources for industry statistics, trends, and forecasts, financial ratios, salary surveys, and more.

See the following sections listed below to view available resources by category:

Industry Analysis, Statistics, Trends, and Forecasts

Financial Statements and Financial Ratios

Compensation and Salary Surveys

BV Guides and Databases

For guides to other industries, see our index of over 400 industries.

Industry Analysis, Statistics, Trends, and Forecasts

Industry Research Reports
Public School Bus Services (view report)
Scheduled & Charter Bus Services (view report)

Comprehensive industry research reports provide in-depth industry analysis and five-year forecasts, with special focus on the underlying structure and external forces and relationships that affect industries and their performance. Topics addressed in the reports include:

Market size and major product and service segments
Key industry statistics, trends, and financial ratios
Operating conditions and current performance
Competitive landscape and environment
Major company profiles and market shares
Five-year outlook and growth forecasts

Sample report and selected industry statistics including market size, five-year average growth rate, number of businesses, and total employment are available free online.

STN Media
School Transportation News
https://stnonline.com/

Monthly trade magazine features news and information for transportation professionals, with topics covered in this publication including including fleet operations, private fleets and contractors, safety and security, special needs, maintenance, technology, regulatory environment, and industry events and conferences. Current and archived digital editions of the publication can be viewed free online.

Bobit Business Media
Publications available from this organization include:

School Bus Fleet Magazine
https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/
Monthly trade magazine features news, information, and analysis for fleet operators and managers, with special features including the annual "Top 100 School District Fleets" issue (October), "Top 50 Contractors" issue (July), "Maintenance Survey" issue (March), and "Fact Book" issue (December). Digital editions are available free online, with a free subscription available to qualified professionals.

Top 100 District Fleets
https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/
Annual report ranks the top 100 school district bus systems by number of route buses, and includes data on the number of route buses in the prior year and the net change from prior year, total number of buses, number of buses by type (e.g., small, large, contractor), students transported daily, annual route mileage, starting hourly pay for drivers, driver shortage conditions, and union/nonunion status.

Top 50 Contractors
https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/
Annual contractor report ranks the top 50 fleet operators by total fleet size, and also provides data on the fleet size in the prior year and the net change from prior year, number of buses by gross vehicle weight (e.g., small - gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) ranging from 9,000 - 14,000 pounds, large - GVWR up to 36,000 pounds), number of students transported daily, and number of district contracts.

Maintenance Survey
https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/
Maintenance survey provides information on fleet operations and characteristics, with data provided in the report including average fleet age, typical bus retirement age by type (e.g., A/B, C/D), average annual mileage per vehicle, fleet composition (buses; maintenance trucks, vans, tractors), average hourly wage rates for technicians, and average number of buses per technician and per service bay.

School Transportation Statistics
https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/
Annual statistical summary provides data on student transportation by state for the most recent year, with data provided in the study including total K-12 public students and percentage transported daily, private K-12 students transported daily, total buses by owner (e.g., district-owned, contractor-owned, and state-owned), total annual route mileage, and total state funding aid for pupil transport services.

Bus Sales Report
https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/
Annual sales report provides data on North American bus sales for the last 10 years, with sales data provided in the report including sales by vehicle type (e.g., Type A - which are built on a van chassis, Type C - conventional vehicle with a hood in front and an entrance door behind the front wheels, and Type D - large flat-front transit-style vehicles) and geographic market (e.g., United States, Canada).

BizMiner Market Analysis Reports
School Bus Transportation Services
https://www.bizminer.com Search for "485410" to see available reports

Market analysis reports provide industry statistics for a user-defined area on a national, state, county, metro area, or zip code level, with data provided including number of companies, market volume and sales trends, average company sales, sales per employee, staffing and employment trends, average employee wage, and business start up activity and failure rates. Sample report can be viewed online.

More industry research reports »

Financial Statements and Financial Ratios

BizMiner Industry Financial Ratios
School Bus Transportation Services

https://www.bizminer.com Search for "485410" to see available reports

Five-year financial statement analysis reports provide income statements, balance sheets, and key industry financial ratios for companies of all sizes, with financial data available by sales size range on a national, state, and metropolitan area level including:

Income and expenses in dollars and percentages
Balance sheets in dollars and percentages
Profitability and return on investment ratios
Liquidity and working capital ratios
Asset turnover and efficiency ratios
Capital structure and debt service ratios

Sample financial statement and ratio analysis report is available free online.

Industry Research Reports
Public School Bus Services

(see links for individual reports) (sample spreadsheet)

Key statistics section of these reports provides detailed income statements and balance sheets on a common-size basis and over twenty-five industry financial ratios, with financial ratios provided for the each of the four most recent calendar years and on a historical average basis for 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year time periods. Sample spreadsheet with breakdowns by asset size can be viewed free online.

More financial benchmarking data »

Compensation and Salary Surveys

PayScale, Inc.
School Bus Service
https://www.payscale.com/

Free online service provides median salary, bonus, and hourly wage rate data for job positions in this transportation sector such as bus transportation manager, safety supervisor, monitor, attendant, and driver, with employers for which salary or hourly wage rate data is provided including Durham School Services, LP, Student Transportation of America, Inc., First Student, Inc., and National Express, LLC.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
School and Employee Bus Transportation
https://www.bls.gov/oes/

Annual wage survey provides hourly and annual wage data on a national, state, and metro area basis for personnel employed by companies that transport pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school students to and from schools on a regularly scheduled basis and may also provide transport services for related activities such as field trips, sports events, and other educational or extracurricular events.

More compensation surveys »

BV Guides and Databases

BVMarketData
Private Company Sales Transaction Databases
https://www.bvresources.com/

Free "Visitor Search" allows users to search the DealStats, BIZCOMPS, and FactSet/BVR databases for private company sales transaction data by SIC or NAICS Code using the following codes:

– SIC Code 4151 - School Buses

– NAICS Code 485410 - School and Employee Bus Transportation

Types of establishments included in these codes

School bus owner/operators - establishments consisting of individual school bus owners that have contractual agreements with public or private schools to transport students to and from schools and school-related activities, such as field trips and sports events.

School bus fleet operators - establishments that own and operate a fleet of school buses and have contractual agreements with public or private schools to transport students to and from schools and school-related activities, such as sports events and field trips.

School district-operated bus services - establishments that are part of the school district that own and operate school buses used to transport students within the district to and from schools and school-related activities, such as class field trips and sports events.

Special needs school buses - establishments with a focus on transportation services for students with disabilities or other special needs who may require additional assistance or accommodations to travel to and from their schools and school-related activities.

School employee commuter bus operators - establishments that are primarily involved in providing commuter transportation services for school employees using buses or vans that offer scheduled transportation options tailored to school employees' work hours.

Contracted employee commuter bus services - establishments providing transportation services for employees of companies or other organizations that transport employees between designated pickup locations and their workplaces and return them back.

Employer-provided employee commuter operations - establishments within companies or organizations that operate commuter transportation services for their employees, transporting them from designated pickup locations to the workplace and back.

Special needs employee commuter buses - establishments that specialize in providing transportation services for employees with special needs or disabilities who require additional assistance or accommodations to commute between home and work.

Sample reports with detailed sales transaction data and valuation multiples are available free online.

More valuation data »

Related Industries:
Bus Services
Charter and Tour Bus Services
Special Needs Transportation Services
Elementary and Secondary Schools

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