Transportation
Use Transportation in CampiumDB to manage buses and riders, view live tracking, and review pickup privileges for safe, organized dismissal.
Overview
Use Transportation in CampiumDB to manage bus routes, assign campers as riders, track buses on a map, and review pickup privileges for dismissal.
Transportation has two main parts:
- Buses / Vehicles: manage bus lists, assign riders, order riders, view a live map, and optionally send messages to riders.
- Pickup Privileges: see who is allowed to pick up a camper and run a pickup privileges report.
Transportation is available in the admin portal. Your access depends on your user role and Transportation or Bus permissions.
Who uses this
Transportation typically involves three groups:
- Transportation coordinators / office staff: set up buses and riders; monitor routes.
- Bus staff: check riders in, see rider lists, and communicate updates from the Riders page (if Email Riders is enabled).
- Admins / super users: configure which profile field or fields represent buses and control who can access Transportation.
Getting to Transportation
Access Transportation features from the admin portal:
- Buses / Transportation: open this area to work with the Bus list, Riders pages, and Map tab. This is commonly labeled Bus in the navigation.
- Reports: open the Pickup Privileges report when you need a printable or exportable list of authorized pickup people.
Buses: basics
What is a bus in CampiumDB
A bus (or vehicle/route) is a named item you assign campers to as riders and, optionally, track in real time on a map.
You use buses to:
- Assign campers as riders for transportation.
- Order riders in the sequence they will be picked up or dropped off.
- Optionally track the bus in real time on a map when tracking is enabled.
The Bus list page
The Bus list shows a summary of each bus so you can see the day at a glance.
On the Bus list you typically see:
- Vehicle name
- Number of riders
- Arrival time (optional)
- Destination (optional)
- Tracking status (on or off) and a link to open the bus on the Map tab when tracking is on
Use the Bus list to confirm buses exist, review rider counts, and jump into Riders or Map views.
The map refreshes every 30 seconds, so location updates may lag slightly behind the bus's exact position.
When tracking is on, families can view their child's assigned bus in the Campium mobile app or parent portal.
The Riders page
The Riders page is where staff manage the riders assigned to one bus for a selected date.
On the Riders page, staff can typically:
- Review the rider list for that bus.
- Check riders in as they board.
- Mark a rider as Passed when the bus has already gone by that rider's stop.
- Mark a rider as Absent when that rider is not present for that bus run.
- Reorder riders.
- Add stop times and addresses.
- Send bus-specific messages with Email Riders when that option is enabled.
Use these rider statuses for different purposes: Check-in confirms the rider boarded, Passed shows the bus has gone past that stop, and Absent shows the rider was not present for that run.
Day-to-day workflow
Use this workflow on a typical season and bus day, from setup through communication.
Set up buses for the season
Open the Bus list to confirm your buses for the season.
- Check that each expected bus or vehicle appears.
- Confirm the Vehicle name matches what staff expect to see on their lists.
- For each bus, optionally set:
- Arrival time
- Destination
If you do not see the buses you expect, go to the Troubleshooting section at the end of this page.
Add riders to a bus
From the Bus list, click a bus to manage its riders on the Riders page.
- Click Add Riders.
- Select the campers who should be on this bus.
- Save your changes.
After you save, the Riders list shows each camper assigned to that bus as a rider.
Order riders by pickup or dropoff sequence
Use the Riders page to put riders in the order the bus will serve them.
- Drag the sort or reorder handle next to each rider.
- Arrange riders so the list matches your planned pickup or dropoff sequence.
The order you set here guides staff and can improve coordination with your schedule and map view.
Add stop times and addresses (recommended)
Still on the Riders page, click into fields to fill out per-rider details.
- Enter the Pickup/Dropoff time (the stop time) for each rider.
- Add the Address for each stop.
Tips:
- Use a consistent time format for all riders on a route.
- Enter full addresses (street, city, state) for best map accuracy and clearer directions for staff.
Turn tracking on before the route starts
Turn tracking on when the bus is ready to begin the route.
- Confirm you are working with the correct bus.
- Turn Tracking On.
- Open the Map tab to watch location updates.
Once tracking is on, the map updates every 30 seconds with the bus's current location.
Check riders in and update rider status on bus day
On the day of transportation, open the Riders page with the correct date selected.
- Find each camper as they arrive or board.
- Click Check-in for each rider as they get on the bus.
- Mark Absent for riders who are not present for that bus run.
- Mark Passed when the bus has already gone by a rider's stop.
- If you select the wrong rider by mistake, use undo when available to reverse the check-in.
The Riders page then reflects who is on the bus for that date and which riders were absent or already passed.
View the map for live tracking
Use the Map tab to see live location for buses with tracking enabled.
- From the Bus list, open the bus and switch to the Map tab, or open the Map tab directly from Bus list if available.
- Confirm that tracking is on for the bus you want to monitor.
When tracking is enabled, the map shows the bus location and refreshes every 30 seconds. Only buses with tracking enabled show as live on the map.
Email riders for a bus (optional)
Use Email Riders to send optional updates or reminders to riders and their families for a specific bus.
- On the Riders page, click Email Riders.
- Fill in:
- From email
- Subject
- Email body
- Click Save Email first.
- Use Preview to confirm the content and formatting.
- Click Send Test Email to send a trial message to yourself or a staff address.
- When everything looks correct, click Send to All Riders.
The editor supports simple placeholders like {first_name}, {last_name}, and {email} when those placeholders are enabled in your template.
Pickup Privileges (Dismissal): basics
What are pickup privileges
Pickup privileges define which people are authorized to pick up a camper.
Use pickup privileges for:
- End-of-day dismissal verification.
- Front desk and security confirmation when adults arrive.
- Reporting and audit trails for who is allowed to pick up each camper.
Add or update pickup people
Pickup people are usually managed from the camper profile or through your organization’s pickup workflow.
When you add or update a pickup person, you normally enter:
- Name
- Relationship to the camper
- Phone number
Keep these fields accurate so staff can quickly confirm identity and contact information during dismissal.
When you remove a pickup person, CampiumDB keeps or deletes that record based on whether it has been used before. If the person is tied to past attendance activity, the system hides them from normal use but keeps the record for history. If the person has never been used in that way, the system removes them completely.
Pickup Privileges report
Run the Pickup Privileges report when you need a list of campers and their approved pickup people.
You can typically use the report to:
- View each camper with their authorized pickup people.
- Filter by season or product when filters are available.
- Export or print the report, depending on your reporting tools.
Use printed or exported copies at dismissal points where live access to the admin portal is limited.
Troubleshooting
If you do not see Buses, Transportation, or Bus in the admin navigation, your user role may not include Transportation or Bus permissions.
Ask an admin to review your role and grant Transportation or Bus access if appropriate.
When a bus you expect is missing from the Bus list, common causes include:
- The bus or vehicle field is not configured for your agency.
- The bus exists in profiles or settings but is not marked as a bus field.
Ask a super user or admin to review Bus settings and confirm which profile fields represent buses.
If a camper does not show on the Riders page for a bus, check:
- The camper is actually assigned to that bus.
- The camper is active in your system.
- The camper has an active session on that date. Some views hide riders who are not scheduled for the selected day.
Update the camper’s bus assignment or session dates as needed, then refresh the Riders page.
When the Map tab is blank or does not show the bus you expect, consider:
- Tracking may not be enabled for that bus.
- The bus may not be sending location updates currently.
- Network or browser restrictions, such as ad blockers, can interfere with map tiles.
Try these steps:
- Confirm tracking is enabled and the bus shows Tracking On on the Bus list.
- Refresh the page and reopen the Map tab.
- If the issue persists, check with your IT team about browser extensions or network filters.
If Email Riders messages do not send or look incorrect:
- Click Save Email before you preview or send.
- Use Send Test Email first to see exactly what families will receive.
- Avoid pasting content directly from Word or other rich editors. Paste as plain text if formatting becomes messy, then reapply simple formatting in the editor.
When a test email looks good and sends successfully, try sending again to all riders.
Glossary
- Bus / Vehicle: a route or vehicle you assign riders to for transportation.
- Rider: a camper assigned to a bus.
- Stop time: the planned pickup or dropoff time for a rider.
- Tracking: live location sharing for a bus, displayed on the Map tab.
- ETA: estimated time of arrival for a bus at a stop, calculated when tracking is on.
- Passed: a per-rider status showing the bus has already gone by that rider's stop.
- Absent: a per-rider bus status showing the rider is not present for that bus run.
- Pickup privileges: the list of authorized pickup people for a camper.