What is Sheprd?
As the newly hired intern for Sheprd, I’ve had the opportunity over the past few weeks to interact with a lot of parents who are interested in using Sheprd to get their kids to-and-from activities in Newton. I frequently get a lot of the same questions about the new Sheprd service (how it works, how can we trust it, etc.). In this piece, I want to share both how I answer those questions and encourage more question asking! As a former child, I can understand how trusting a new service with child’s safety and well-being is a huge decision, so hopefully my account can provide some perspectives on just how “on-top-of-it” the team is here at Sheprd so you can get back to being a parent, instead of a chauffeur.
Before we launch into the Q&A and experience though — here’s a little more about me, how I got here, and why I, an undergrad, choose to spend my summer working on student logistics.
I’m originally from Sarasota, Florida, but have lived in Boston for the past few years while attending Boston University. I have two older sisters and am now a proud uncle to my beautiful young niece. Currently, I study Philosophy and Sustainable Energy with a focus on human-centered design. After participating in Sheprd’s Make-A-Thon Challenge in May, I was selected to join the Sheprd team and help as they redesign child transportation.
Part of the internship includes being a member of the “Sheprd Street Team,” attending local community events around Newton like the Newton Arts Festival Spring Showcase, last month, or one of the village day events, like Nonantum and Newton Highlands this month. This is where I have met parents who are hearing about Sheprd for the first time and have lots of questions!
Families passing by our booth start with questions like, “What is this thing?” and “What do you guys do?” while staring at the giant yellow School Bus sign securely fastened to the top of our Land Rover SUV. I usually default to something like;
“Sheprd is a new child transportation service, think ‘UBER’ meets the ‘School Bus’”
Once the initial questions about what the service is are addressed, many parents then want to find out how safe these rides are for their children. This is an easy one to answer because Sheprd is so serious about safety. For more on this topic, check out our COO Chris Kobran’s blog post here. We find it useful to think about safety in three parts: Who is driving? What are they driving? And how do kids get to-and-from the vehicle?
Who is driving? Sheprd drivers have gone through the same screening process as 7D School Bus Drivers administered by the State of Massachusetts. This includes CORI/SORI background checks, an RMV administered written exam and driving record check, and a medical exam to ensure the driver’s ability to safely operate a 7D vehicle. But Sheprd then goes beyond these 7D state requirements and administers its own national background check, drug testing, and in-person interview and driving test to ensure our drivers meet the highest level of service for children. Before every shift, drivers also need to pass a breathalyzer test, and check in with Sheprd’s fleet manager by video call to verify their identity — after 2-factor authentication access to Sheprd’s app to get the day’s routes. Oh, and did I mention they’ve gone through first-aid training too.
What are they driving? By maintaining a specialized fleet of recent model Land Rover SUVs, Sheprd ensures children riding in the vehicle are protected with modern vehicle safety features, such as side airbags and sophisticated crash detection and prevention systems. As approved school pupil transport vehicles, the fleet receives bi-annual Massachusetts Department of Transportation inspections and undergoes a daily 23-point vehicle equipment and safety inspection check. The vehicle is also equipped with onboard telematic devices to provide real-time GPS and video monitoring for Sheprd.
How do kids get to-and-from the vehicle? Sheprd works with a network of partner activities and organizations to ensure children make it from their activity into the vehicle or safely to their activity once they are dropped off. Drivers are provided with drop-off/pick-up instructions unique to each location that have been worked out with the organization in advance. Sheprd is also in daily communication with each facility as well, letting them know which students will be picked-up/dropped-off. We will also directly contact the facility if there is a problem with the child finding the vehicle. If you do not see an activity currently listed as an approved partner location in the app yet, let us know! We can usually add new partners in just a few days.
The next question is generally, “Wow, you guys have thought of everything; we could definitely use this! But, how do I book a ride?” With the Sheprd app on Apple’s App Store, parents are pleasantly surprised to learn how easy this service would be for them to use. Similar to ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft, after setting up an account, parents select pick-up and drop-off points for their child’s ride, then are given the option of setting a specific pick-up time or a drop-off time. Sheprd may pick-up or drop-off other students along the route, therefore ride times will vary and that will be reflected in the range of time given. If you have any trouble, I worked on the production of a fun how-to-video here, to guide you through the process.
At this point, most of the parents had determined their confidence in Sheprd’s safety and usability, but is it for them? Here are some additional questions we frequently get from parents.
How old does my kid have to be?
Sheprd provides service for school aged K-12 riders (5–18 years old). Many parents are pleased to hear that their older and younger children can ride together on their way from school to their activities. Sheprd has child restraint/booster seats available for our younger passengers.
Where is Sheprd?
Sheprd service is currently available in Newton, Massachusetts. We hope to increase our operating area in the very near future! We want to recommend staying updated as our company grows and to sign up for our email list here.
How much does it cost?
We charge a flat rate of just $17 per ride per person. Discounts for multiple children and booking a full season’s worth of rides are available as well.
All of these questions are valuable and our careful attention to those answers and solutions give parents the comfort and confidence to use Sheprd to help them get their children where they need to go. As an uncle, brother, and son, I’ve lived through the need for this service. Hopefully I have answered your questions, but if not, reach out and ask us by emailing hello@sheprd.us or call us at 617–564–0725.
Will we see you at our next Newton Community Event?
