Safe, reliable transportation is one of the most critical components of student success. For school districts supporting students with complex transportation needs, consistency and safety are essential to ensuring students can access education every day. Today, EverDriven released its 2026 Safety and Operations Report, offering a transparent look into the safety systems, operational standards, and technology that support millions of student rides each year.
The report covers EverDriven’s operations from March 1, 2025 through February 28, 2026, and provides a comprehensive view of how the company delivers safe, student-centered transportation at national scale. More than a collection of metrics, the report reflects EverDriven’s belief that districts and families deserve clear visibility into the systems responsible for transporting students.
Publishing this report each year is part of EverDriven’s broader commitment to transparency and accountability. When transportation providers openly share their performance data, it helps districts better understand how safety, reliability, and oversight come together behind every ride.
A Look at the Numbers
The 2026 report illustrates the scale of EverDriven’s operations and the growing demand for flexible transportation solutions that complement traditional yellow bus fleets.
During the reporting period, EverDriven:
- Served 30,622 students nationwide
- Completed 2,620,956 trips
- Drove 27,677,766 passenger miles
- Expanded operations to 37 states
These figures reflect the continued evolution of what EverDriven calls modern student transportation, an approach designed to help districts serve students whose needs cannot always be met through traditional bus routes alone.
Students supported through these services often include those with disabilities, students experiencing housing instability, or students whose routes require more individualized support. For districts managing complex transportation challenges, flexible ride options can make the difference between a missed day of school and a successful one. This year, EverDriven supported 16,250 students experiencing housing instability and 10,333 students in special education programs.
Safety at the Core of Every Ride
Safety remains the foundation of EverDriven’s operations. Even as the company continues to grow nationally, its safety performance remains exceptionally strong.
The report shows that 99.99% of trips were completed without an accident, a metric that reflects the layered safety systems used across the network. To put that in further context, EverDriven recorded zero critical incidents, zero motor vehicle fatalities, zero fatal assaults, and zero incidents of sexual misconduct during the reporting period.
Those outcomes are supported by rigorous driver screening, ongoing driver and monitor education, and strict vehicle safety standards. Every driver operating in the network must complete comprehensive vetting procedures, including pre-service drug testing, multi-layered background checks, National Sex Offender Registry screening, and motor vehicle record reviews. Drivers also participate in ongoing education focused on defensive driving, safety protocol adherence, sensitivity practices for students with additional needs, and English language proficiency.
This year, EverDriven also introduced SafeOps, a dedicated safety excellence council focused on standardizing proven safety protocols, expanding technology integration, and delivering comprehensive safety education across the network. SafeOps represents an added layer of accountability designed to strengthen standards across all 37 states where EverDriven operates.
Together, these measures create a safety framework designed to protect students and give districts confidence in the service they rely on.
Consistency That Supports Students
Beyond safety, the report highlights the importance of consistency for students who depend on specialized transportation.
For many students, particularly those with disabilities, predictability plays a central role in helping them start their day calm and ready to learn. The report found that 83.62% of rides for students with disabilities were completed by the same driver, strengthening trust and familiarity between drivers and students. Additionally, 41.87% of districts selected to support students with monitors or specialized safety equipment in vehicles.
This type of consistency helps reduce stress and supports a smoother transition from home to school. For students who rely on structure and routine, even small details like a familiar driver or a predictable ride experience can have a meaningful impact on their day and on their readiness to learn.
Technology Improves Visibility and Accountability
As student transportation becomes more complex, districts increasingly rely on technology to maintain visibility and accountability across their transportation networks.
EverDriven’s platform combines real-time tracking with operational oversight tools that allow districts to monitor rides as they happen. Caregivers and school staff can see trip progress, view driver information, and receive updates throughout a student’s ride. EverDriven’s Student Monitoring Team operates as a centralized command center with live visibility into every trip, proactively identifying delays, route deviations, or missed pickups and coordinating a response before small issues become disruptions.
Some key technology insights highlighted in the report include:
- 100% of rides tracked in real time
- 1 in 2 vehicles now equipped with AI-powered in-ride cameras, a 32.85% increase year over year
- 90.36% of trips arriving within five minutes of scheduled drop-off
These tools help districts maintain situational awareness while reducing the administrative burden often associated with managing complex transportation programs.
A Commitment to Transparency
The 2026 Safety and Operations Report reflects EverDriven’s ongoing commitment to raising the bar for accountability in student transportation.
By sharing operational performance data, safety metrics, and insights into how rides are monitored and managed, EverDriven aims to provide districts and families with a clearer understanding of the systems behind every trip.
Transportation may begin with a ride to school, but its impact extends far beyond that first mile. Reliable transportation helps students maintain consistent attendance, reduces stress for families, and ensures students arrive at school calm and ready to learn.
As the largest national provider of student transportation, operating across 37 states with more than 17 million rides completed since 2015, EverDriven continues to invest in the people, processes, and technology that make every ride count.
Download the Full Report
The full 2026 EverDriven Safety and Operations Report offers a deeper look at driver vetting, vehicle safety standards, incident management, and operational performance across EverDriven’s nationwide network.
Download the report to explore the complete data and insights behind EverDriven’s approach to modern student transportation.
Courtney Pallotta is an energetic, customer-driven marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience leading go-to-market strategy, branding, product marketing, demand generation, and customer advocacy for startup and growth-stage companies. As CMO at EverDriven, she leads the GTM team in delivering modern, student-centered transportation solutions that meet every student’s unique needs.
Courtney has built and scaled marketing functions across some of the most dynamic enterprise technology categories, from data warehousing and analytics to cloud infrastructure, data privacy, and SaaS. She has taken companies from stealth through IPO, led acquisitions, launched open-source platforms, and consistently built marketing engines that drive pipeline and market position. Along the way, she has developed a deep belief that the best marketing is both simple and authentic, and that listening to customers is the foundation for great products and lasting communities.
Outside of EverDriven, Courtney serves as a Board Member at the Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship, where she mentors the next generation of business leaders.
