Request a Quote

Hall County Schools

Hall County Schools
Interviewee Name & Title: Clay Hobbs, Transportation Director
Date of Interview: 10/29/2025
Overview:

One of two school districts in fast-growing Hall County, GA, Hall County Schools maintains an expansive fleet of buses responsible for transporting more than 25,000 students every day.

Overseeing the maintenance, operations, and fueling needs of such a large vehicle fleet is no small task. State regulatory compliance and fuel systems maintenance demand constant attention; the consequences of things falling through the cracks—missed tank leaks, pump failures, incomplete inspection documentation, or fuel outages—can range from delays in bus operations to costly fines.

In response to the district’s need for a fuel system expansion and improved operational efficiency, Hall County Schools transportation department partnered with United Pump. Since it started using United Pump’s Sitewatch service four years ago, equipment issue detection has improved with monthly inspections, fuel outages are a thing of the past, and state compliance audits are handled with ease.

Background:

Throughout the school year, approximately 450 buses and white fleet vehicles hit the roads of Hall County, GA, every day to transport 25,000+ students to 34 different schools across the county. 

Thanks to a robust economy, thriving industry, and the excellent quality of life it offers its residents, Hall County has seen tremendous population growth over the past three decades. That growth has spurred the need for more school buildings, an expanded vehicle fleet, and associated fuel system infrastructure upgrades.

Challenge

Before coming to Hall County Schools, Transportation Director Clay Hobbs worked for a much more rural district with only one diesel pump and one underground tank. Now a 10-year veteran of Hall County Schools, Hobbs oversaw the recent fuel system expansion, including adding a second fueling station and additional underground storage tanks at the main bus shop.

He cites difficulties with fuel management software working correctly with the hardware (i.e., the pumps) across multiple fueling locations and keeping up with inspection documentation as big challenges. But the biggest challenge of all is making sure the tanks stay full.

“Here, we’ve got so many more [pumps and tanks],” he says. “It’s a major job to keep up with.”

“The number one cardinal sin for a transportation director is running out of fuel. If you run out of fuel, then the buses become anchor weights.”

Challenges:

  • Fuel outages
  • Tank and pump maintenance
  • Recordkeeping/documentation for compliance inspections

Solution

In 2022, Hobbs contracted with United Pump to construct Hall County Schools’ second fueling station and install the new fuel tanks. Happy with the equipment and installation process, Hobbs decided to try United Pump’s SiteWatch service for fuel monitoring and regulatory compliance management.

Before SiteWatch, Hobbs would have to manually track the individual fuel tank levels and call the district’s fuel provider to schedule deliveries—a time-consuming daily task.

Now, the SiteWatch system automatically gathers fuel level data from every tank, every day, and emails the compiled report directly to the fuel supplier.

“The automated monitoring of fuel levels and the fact that we can directly share that with the supplier is a big time saver.”

United Pump also provides monthly fuel system inspections to make sure all of the district’s pumps and tanks are in tip-top shape, offering timely maintenance suggestions and repairs. This is especially helpful when it comes to maintaining older tanks nearing the end of their life, which Hobbs says United Pump keeps an extra close eye on.

“When they suggest a cleaning or part replacement, I don’t doubt them. I just go ahead and schedule it. That speaks to a good amount of trust.”

When it comes time for state regulatory compliance inspections, Hobbs simply tells United Pump the date, and they handle everything. Recalling a recent inspection, Hobbs said United Pump pulled together all of the necessary paperwork and put it neatly into a three-ring binder so everything was ready to go.

“I hardly lifted a finger. In fact, I had a meeting away from my office and left the binder on my desk. The inspector came in and looked through the paperwork, and said, ‘Everything looks great!’”

Results

In the three years since Hall County Schools began using United Pump’s SiteWatch service, Clay Hobbs’ job has become much more manageable, even with the expansion of the transportation department’s facilities.

Administrative tasks like reporting, compliance, and scheduling have become faster and less labor-intensive.

“State inspections are much smoother. In the past, I would have 85-90% of the documents necessary, and then I’d have to go back and find the ones that were missing and send them in at a later date.

That hasn’t happened now since we’ve been involved with United Pump. Their job is to take care of it, and they do it. 100% done.”

Quick response times from United Pump’s service team have minimized equipment downtime. If a pump needs to be repaired, it gets done fast and right.

Best of all, Hobbs knows SiteWatch has fuel monitoring under control, meaning his buses and fleet vehicles keep moving.

“I haven’t had a tank run out of fuel since we started with SiteWatch.”

Future Outlook

Hall County Schools has seen enrollment increase steadily for thirty years, creating a need for additional schools, facilities, and faculty. To ensure the continued safe and reliable transport of thousands of students each day, the district’s transportation department partnered with a company equipped to meet its expanding operational needs.

A 20-year veteran in fleet management and transportation, Clay Hobbs knows he has found the right partner in United Pump.

When asked if he would recommend United Pump and SiteWatch to other school districts, he said, “Yes, I have done so, as a matter of fact.”

“I can’t see any level of service that could be any better than this.”

Over the span of five decades and three generations, United Pump has worked hand-in-hand with customers to deliver services and products that exceed expectations. Today, SiteWatch® proudly protects over 100 sites, a milestone that stands as a testament to our proven reliability and unwavering dedication to continued partnership. If you are a UST owner looking for a comprehensive compliance management program to ensure regulatory compliance, we are ready to partner with you. Contact us today to learn more or for a free quote!