How RAM® Mounts and BusRight Help Sevier County Schools Build a More Connected School Bus

Sevier County Schools transports approximately 9,500 students across more than 100 routes each day. With 173 buses covering over 6,000 daily miles throughout eastern Tennessee, the district needed a better way to support bus drivers, manage routes, and keep track of student ridership.

Sevier County Schools turned to BusRight for digital routing, navigation, and NFC-enabled student ridership management. RAM® Mounts provided the mounting hardware needed to keep devices secured, powered, and accessible throughout daily routes.

A Powered Solution for Drivers

Each bus is equipped with a Samsung Tab Active5 protected by a RAM® Skin™, secured in a RAM® USB-C Powered Dock that is then installed on the driver-side dashboard using a RAM® Double Ball Mount. Our ball-and-socket mounting system allows drivers to quickly adjust the tablet position to improve visibility and support safer driving by helping keep their eyes on the road. 

RAM® provides a solution that keeps the tablet powered in a dedicated location, within reach of the driver for quick access to BusRight for navigation and route information. This eliminates reliance on paper maps, making it easier for substitute drivers to take on unfamiliar routes through a mix of neighborhood streets and winding mountain roads.

Images courtesy of BusRight, Inc. Used with permission. © 2026 BusRight, Inc. All rights reserved.

Supporting Student Ridership at the Door

Near the bus entrance, a RAM® NFC Extender with Drill-Down Double Ball Mount supports BusRight Safety Pass, an NFC-enabled system that allows students to tap their badges as they board and exit the bus.

Placing the NFC Extender near the door creates a natural scanning point for boarding students while allowing the Tab Active5 to remain in an optimal position for the driver.

When a student taps onto the bus, their ride is recorded through Safety Pass, and relevant information is available through the driver's tablet. The system can also alert drivers when a student boards the wrong bus, helping address potential issues as they happen.

Images courtesy of BusRight, Inc. Used with permission. © 2026 BusRight, Inc. All rights reserved.

Connecting Hardware and Software

BusRight provides the digital tools for navigation, routing, and student ridership management, while RAM® Mounts provides the physical hardware needed to integrate tablets and NFC Extenders into school buses. 

Together, this creates a connected workflow inside each school bus. With greater visibility into daily routes and student ridership, Sevier County Schools was able to completely replace their paper-based processes to better support the demands of student transportation for their drivers and students.