Frequently Asked
Questions

The Bus Buddy is a free web app that lets school bus drivers and transportation staff create and manage seating charts for their routes. You get an interactive bus seating map — choose from Type A (30 seats), Type B (42 seats), Type C (72 seats), or Type D (84 seats) — where you can assign students by name, grade, and gender.

It runs entirely in your browser — no installation needed. Open thebusbuddy.com/seatingchart/bus-seating-chart.html, create a free account, and you're up in minutes.

The Bus Buddy is designed for:

• School bus drivers managing daily seating assignments
• Transportation coordinators overseeing multiple routes
• School office staff who need a quick substitute-driver reference
• Small districts that want a lightweight tool without expensive fleet software

Yes. The Bus Buddy is designed mobile-first. It works on iPhone, Android phones, iPads, and any desktop browser. The layout adapts to fit any screen size, with a bottom navigation bar for easy one-handed use on mobile.

Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge all work. The app must be opened over HTTP — not as a local file — for Firebase login and cloud sync to function. Use the hosted version at thebusbuddy.com, or if self-hosting, serve it with python3 -m http.server 8080 and open localhost:8080.

The Bus Buddy supports four bus types matching real school bus classifications — each with 3 seats on each side of a center aisle:

• Type A — Small Bus: up to 30 seats (5 rows). Great for special ed routes, small districts, or shuttles.
• Type B — Mid-Size: up to 42 seats (7 rows). Common for smaller suburban or activity routes.
• Type C — Full-Size: 72 seats (12 rows). The standard full-size school bus — the default for new routes.
• Type D — Extended: 84 seats (14 rows). For large extended buses or activity coaches.

You choose the bus type when creating a route. For Type A and B you can also use a row slider to fine-tune the exact seat count. The chart updates in real time as you adjust.

Tap the route name at the top of the app to open Route Info, then tap Edit Route Info. You'll see the bus type selector (A / B / C / D) and the row slider. Change the type and tap Save — the seat map updates immediately. Any students already assigned to seats that still exist are preserved.

Yes. Free accounts can save up to 5 separate routes, each with its own complete seating chart, destination, school name, and route number. Switch between them instantly from the header bar. Pro accounts get unlimited routes.

Auto-fill populates all remaining empty seats with randomly generated student names assigned to a grade range you pick — K–5, 6–8, or 9–12. It's useful for testing the layout or quickly demoing the app. You can then edit individual seats manually.

On the Map tab, tap one or more empty seats to select them (they turn green with a checkmark). Then go to the Student tab, enter the student's name, pick their grade and gender, and tap Add Student. The seats are filled instantly and you're taken back to the map.

If you select multiple seats before going to Student, the same student name will be assigned to all of them — useful if a student has a designated "zone" of seats.

Go to the List tab and tap the Clear button next to the student's name. The seat immediately becomes available again. You can also tap an occupied seat on the Map tab to see a toast with the student's name and grade.

Yes — a free account is required for your seating charts to save and sync across devices. Sign-up takes just an email address and password. No credit card, no personal information beyond that.

Each user's data is stored in a private Firestore document that is only accessible by their authenticated account. Database security rules prevent any other user from reading or writing your data. The app does not collect analytics, sell data, or share it with third parties.

Yes. Sign in with the same email on any device and your routes and seat assignments are loaded automatically. Changes save to the cloud within a couple of seconds of being made — you'll see a brief "saving…" indicator in the header.

On the sign-in screen, enter your email address then click Forgot password?. A reset email will be sent to your inbox. Click the link in the email to set a new password, then sign back in.

Pro accounts can import students from a CSV file. The file needs at minimum a Seat column (e.g. A1, B3) and a Name column. Optionally include Gender (Male/Female) and Grade (K, 1–12).

Go to the List tab → Upload CSV, paste your CSV text into the box, and hit Import Students. The app reads each row and assigns the student to the specified seat instantly.

Example format:
Seat,Row,Name,Gender,Grade
A1,1,Jane Smith,Female,5
B3,3,Tom Lee,Male,K

⬇ Download Example CSV — 30 students, ready to edit in Excel or Google Sheets.

Pro accounts have two export options on the List tab:

• Export CSV — downloads a spreadsheet with every assigned student's seat, row, name, gender, and grade. Useful for office records or printing a roster.
• Save as PDF — generates a PDF with the full visual seat map (color-coded) and the complete student manifest below it. Ideal for substitute drivers.

Yes — the core app is completely free with no time limit. You can manage up to 5 routes, assign students to seats across any bus type (30–84 seats), view the manifest, and use auto-fill. Free accounts display small ads.

Pro ($2.99/mo or $19.99/yr) removes all ads and unlocks unlimited routes plus CSV/PDF export and import. For school districts needing multi-driver access and fleet management, contact us about Bus Buddy Enterprise.

Tap the Upgrade button in the top-right corner of the app, or tap any locked feature (like Export CSV). Choose your plan and billing period, then complete checkout through Stripe. Your account upgrades immediately after payment.

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time and you will not be billed again. You can also downgrade back to the Free plan from the plan selector inside the app — your data is preserved, though you'll lose access to Pro features.

The Seat Label Printer is a free companion tool that lets you print physical labels to hang above each seat on your bus. Upload your exported seating chart CSV and it generates a card for every assigned seat showing the seat position and student's name.

Labels use the bus's L/R notation — L1, L2, L3 for the left side and R1, R2, R3 for the right — so students can immediately find their assigned seat without help.

Three steps:

• Export your CSV — go to the List tab in the Bus Buddy app and tap Export CSV
• Upload to the printer — open the Seat Label Printer, drag your CSV onto the page or paste the text. Labels generate instantly.
• Print & hang — click Print Labels, print on cardstock, cut out, and tape above each seat

🏷 Open Seat Label Printer

Yes — before printing you can:

• Set an accent color for the stripe at the top of each label (great for color-coding routes)
• Add a route name that prints as a header at the top of the page
• Choose 2 or 3 labels per row to fit letter or A4 paper
• Switch between light, dark, or outline label styles