The Bus Log System is a web-based tool for drivers and administrators to record daily operations and student behavior. Here's how to get up and running.
Open the App in a Web Browser
Open the bus_combined.html file in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari. For the app to connect to the database, it must be opened from a hosted URL — not by double-clicking the file on your desktop.
Sign In with Your Username and Password
Enter your username and password on the login screen and click Open Log System. Your administrator will provide your credentials. The default accounts are:
Choose a Tab — Log Book or Behavior Log
After signing in you'll see two tabs at the top: 📖 Log Book for daily trip records and general notes, and 🚨 Behavior Log for student incident reports. Click either tab to switch between them.
Fill In and Save Your Entry
No fields are mandatory — fill in whatever information is relevant and click Save Log Entry or Submit Incident Report. Your entry is immediately saved to the shared cloud database and visible to all staff on any device.
Export Reports as PDF When Needed
Go to All Entries (Log Book) or Records (Behavior Log) and click the ⬇ PDF button on any entry to download a formatted report. Use Export All PDF to download every visible record in one file.
The Log Book is your daily operations journal. Use it to record every trip run, maintenance issue, general observation, or behavior note in one place.
Choosing an Entry Type
The first dropdown on the New Entry page lets you pick what kind of entry you're making. The form automatically shows only the relevant fields for your choice:
🧑🎓 Student Behavior Incident — log a behavior event from within the logbook
🔧 Maintenance / Vehicle Note — record a vehicle issue or inspection finding
📝 General Note — freeform note for anything else
Recording a Trip Log
Select Trip Log from the Entry Type dropdown. Fill in the trip type (morning run, field trip, etc.), number of students, departure and arrival times, odometer readings, and route stops. Add any trip notes at the bottom. Date and time are pre-filled automatically.
Recording Weather & Road Conditions
The Weather & Road Conditions section appears for Trip, Behavior, and Maintenance entries. Select the weather and road conditions from the dropdowns and optionally enter the street or location where the entry applies. This information is included in all PDF reports.
Viewing and Searching All Entries
Click All Entries in the sidebar. Use the search bar to find entries by any keyword. Filter by entry type (Trip, Behavior, Maintenance, Note) and by date range (Today, This Week, This Month). Each entry card shows a summary with weather tags and can be exported to PDF or deleted.
The Behavior Log tab is dedicated to student incident reporting. Every report includes student info, incident details, weather and road conditions, and produces a printable PDF with signature lines.
Logging a New Incident
Click the 🚨 Behavior Log tab at the top, then select Log Incident in the sidebar. Fill in as much or as little information as you have. No fields are mandatory. Click Submit Incident Report when done.
Setting Severity Levels
The Severity dropdown helps administrators prioritize follow-up:
🟡 Medium — warning issued, may need follow-up
🟠 High — parent or guardian contact needed
🔴 Critical — immediate administrative action required
Searching and Filtering Records
Click Records in the sidebar to see all incidents. Search by student name using the search bar. Filter by severity (Low, Medium, High, Critical) or by incident type (Verbal misconduct, Bullying, etc.) using the dropdown menus.
Viewing the Summary Dashboard
Click Summary in the sidebar to see a statistical overview: total incidents, breakdown by severity with bar charts, top incident types, and incidents by bus route. Click ⬇ Export Summary PDF to download a clean summary report for administration.
The system has three user roles. Only administrators can add, edit, or remove user accounts. Accounts are shared across both the Log Book and Behavior Log.
Permissions
Permissions
Permissions
Adding a New User (Admin Only)
Sign in as admin, then click Manage Users in the sidebar (visible on either tab). Click + Add New User. Enter the display name, username (letters, numbers, underscores only — no spaces), a password, and select the role. Click Save User. The account is active immediately.
Editing a User
In Manage Users, click the Edit button on any user card. You can update their display name and role. To change the password, type a new one in the Password field. Leave it blank to keep the existing password. Click Save User.
Removing a User
In Manage Users, click Remove on any user card. You will be asked to confirm. Note: you cannot remove your own account while signed in.
All records can be exported as professionally formatted PDF files ready to attach to an email, print, or file with administration.
⬇ Single Entry PDF
Click the green PDF button on any entry or incident card in the Records or All Entries page. Downloads a one-page formatted report for that entry only.
⬇ Export All PDF
Click Export All PDF in the toolbar on the Records or All Entries page. Downloads every visible record (respecting your current search and filters) as a multi-page PDF.
⬇ Summary PDF
Click Export Summary PDF on the Summary page of either tab. Downloads a clean statistical overview report with totals and breakdowns by severity and type.
📧 Emailing a Report
After downloading a PDF, open your email app, create a new email, and attach the PDF file just as you would any other attachment. The file is saved to your Downloads folder.
Behavior Incident PDFs include signature lines
Every behavior incident PDF includes spaces at the bottom for a Driver/Reporter signature and an Administrator signature — making them ready to print and sign for official records.
Get the most out of the Bus Log System with these practical tips.
Common questions from drivers and administrators.
This almost always means one of three things:
- You opened the file directly — double-clicking the HTML file doesn't work. The app must be opened from a web address (URL starting with https://). Contact your admin for the correct link.
- No internet connection — the app needs internet to reach the database. Check your WiFi or mobile data.
- Firebase not configured — if your admin set up the system, they need to make sure the Firestore database rules allow access and Anonymous Authentication is enabled.
Only an administrator can reset passwords. Contact your admin and ask them to sign in, go to Manage Users, click Edit on your account, type a new password, and click Save. You can then sign in with the new password immediately.
No — every field in both the Log Book and the Behavior Log is optional. Fill in whatever information is relevant to the situation. Even a blank entry with just a date and entry type is valid. You can always add entries quickly with minimal information and come back to add details later if needed.
Currently the system does not have an edit button for saved entries. If you need to correct an entry, the recommended approach is to delete the incorrect entry from the Records page and create a new one with the correct information. Your admin may do this on your behalf if needed.
All signed-in users can see all entries — there is no private mode. Every driver, staff member, and administrator with an account can view the full log. This is by design so that administration has a complete picture at all times. Only users with a valid account can access the system at all.
Yes — multiple users can be logged in and submitting entries simultaneously from different devices. The cloud database handles all of this automatically. However, if two people are viewing the Records page at the same time, they will need to refresh the page to see each other's new entries.
If you lose connection while filling out a form, your typed text stays on screen — the form doesn't reset. However, when you click Save, the entry will fail to reach the database. You'll see an error. Try again once your connection is restored. Do not close the browser tab or your unsaved data will be lost.
Click the green ⬇ PDF button on any record. The PDF downloads to your device's Downloads folder. Then:
- On a computer: Open your email, create a new message, and attach the PDF file from your Downloads folder.
- On a phone/tablet: The PDF saves to your Files or Downloads app. Open your email app, tap Attach, and select the PDF.
Log Book is the general daily operations journal. Use it to record trip runs, odometer readings, maintenance issues, and general observations. It can also log behavior incidents as one of its entry types.
Behavior Log is a dedicated tool specifically for student incident reports. It has more focused fields (student name, seat location, witnesses, action taken) and generates PDF reports with official signature lines for administrative use.
Only administrators can add new users. Sign in as an admin, click Manage Users in the sidebar (available on both tabs), then click + Add New User. You'll need to provide:
- A display name (shown throughout the app)
- A username (lowercase letters, numbers, underscores — no spaces)
- A password (share this with the user securely)
- A role: Driver, Staff/Monitor, or Admin
The new account is active immediately — the user can sign in right away.
Data is stored in Google Firebase Firestore, a secure cloud database. Only users with a valid username and password can access the app. When the system is configured with Anonymous Authentication and proper Firestore security rules, the database rejects any access that doesn't come through the app.
Passwords are stored in Firestore as plain text — for a school transportation system this is typically acceptable, but if your district requires stronger security, contact your IT department about upgrading to a backend-based auth system.
This can happen if the previous entries were saved while the date filter was set differently. Check the date filter dropdown in All Entries or Records — make sure it's set to All dates to see everything. Also try refreshing the page, as the database sometimes needs a moment to fully load all records.
Important: Always use a hosted URL
The app will not connect to the database if opened as a local file (e.g. file:///C:/Downloads/bus_combined.html). It must be accessed from a web address. Ask your administrator for the correct URL.
Data is automatically backed up
All entries are stored in Google Firebase — a professional cloud database used by millions of organizations. Your data is automatically backed up and is not stored on any single device.
Need more help?
Contact your system administrator for account issues, login problems, or questions about accessing the system. For technical issues with the app itself, your admin can reach out to the system developer.