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Jackson County Schools

Jackson County Schools
Interviewee Name & Title: Duane Peterson, Transportation Director
Date of Interview: 10/28/2025
Overview:

Jackson County School System (JCSS), one of the fastest-growing school districts in Georgia, was struggling to keep pace with the administrative and logistical challenges of fueling and maintaining its large fleet of vehicles. By partnering with United Pump to implement an automated tracking system and their SiteWatch regulatory compliance management services, JCSS has streamlined its fuel management operations, ensured regulatory compliance, and saved the district money by significantly reducing administrative time and proactively addressing equipment maintenance.

Background:

Located sixty miles northeast of Atlanta, Jackson County, Georgia, is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. The Jackson County School System is one of three public school districts in the county, serving more than 11,000 students. Every day, the district’s fleet of 186 buses safely transport students to thirteen different schools across the county. In response to the area’s record-breaking population growth, three new schools are under construction. JCSS’s buses log more than 1.5 million miles every year.

Challenge

Keeping such a large fleet on the move requires constant tracking of fuel consumption and equipment maintenance, not to mention a significant amount of fuel: the district’s 10,000-gallon underground fuel tanks need to be refilled approximately every three days. Historically, the physical logistics involved in monitoring fuel levels were time-consuming and imprecise and maintenance of the district’s 30-year-old tanks and pumps was difficult to manage.

Beyond the day-to-day logistics of fuel management and system maintenance, JCSS’s transportation department was burdened by the state’s onerous administrative requirements of regulatory compliance, including annual inspections, recordkeeping, and managing operator certifications.

Solution

Thinking back on his years of experience, Peterson recalls, “In the old days, you went out there with a nice long stick to measure tank levels.” However, when he joined JCSS in 2023, he knew there was a better way to track the district’s fuel usage.

While working for a previous district, Peterson had contracted United Pump to install new fuel pumps; they recommended he implement an automated tracking system to better monitor and manage fuel usage across his fleet. It would send daily reports and alert staff when tank levels were getting low.

It was a no-brainer. When he came to the Jackson County School System, one of the first things he did was partner with United Pump to set up the Fuel Master system. “That made our life a whole lot easier than going out with a stick.”

To keep up with system repairs and maintenance and lessen the administrative burden that comes with compliance management, Peterson turned to United Pump’s comprehensive compliance management program, SiteWatch.

Results

The implementation of the fuel tracking system has enabled Peterson’s team to better manage fuel usage and helped reduce unnecessary “run around” by maintenance staff.

The SiteWatch program has delivered significant time, cost, and administrative savings in a variety of ways:

  • The SiteWatch software allows Peterson to perform daily walk-throughs of the district’s fueling station(s) remotely and keeps valuable electronic records.
  • As part of SiteWatch, United Pump performs regular system inspections, helping Peterson catch little things before they become major problems. This is an essential service, given that JCSS’s tanks are nearing the end of their lifespan.
  • When emergency repairs are needed, United Pump can respond within a matter of hours. Non-emergency issues are addressed within 24 hours, and scheduled carefully so as not to disrupt the daily bus schedules.
  • Crucially, Peterson no longer needs to worry about his staff maintaining A/B operator certifications or state registration and certification of JCSS’s storage tanks. United Pump handles all compliance-related matters, including all record-keeping and triennial on-site audits.
  • Peterson calls the virtual training for SiteWatch “spot on”, remarking on its intuitive user interface that allows for quick staff adoption.

Future Outlook

It’s an exciting time for the growing Jackson County School System, with expansion happening on multiple levels. Safe, reliable transportation is more important than ever for the district’s thousands of students, and no one feels the weight of that responsibility more than Transportation Director Duane Peterson.

Whatever the need—whether it’s quick repairs, installation of new tanks, fuel tracking, or compliance-related issues—he knows he can rely on United Pump as a trusted partner to keep his fuel systems running smoothly. In fact, he says he recommends their services every chance he gets.

“United Pump’s services are a lifesaver! I encourage everyone I can to look into them.”

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!