Know what demand is coming before it arrives
TDS Forecasting uses years of booking history, seasonality and events to predict ridership by route and departure, so pricing, capacity and staffing are ready for it.
What forecasting covers
Demand by departure
Expected riders for every upcoming trip, updated as bookings come in.
Seasons and events
Holidays, school terms and local events built into every forecast.
Capacity planning
Spot the trips that will need an extra bus or a bigger one, days ahead.
Revenue outlook
Expected revenue by route and week, for budgets and pricing decisions.
See next week's riders before they book
TDS forecasts riders for every upcoming departure from booking history, the time of year and events, then points to the departures that need a second bus or a different fare while there's still time to act.
Riders per day, next 14 days
Forecast for Route 340, against the same weekdays last year. The holiday moves riders to the days around it.
ForecastLikely rangeSame days last year
Departures to act on
| Departure | Booked now | Forecast | Seats | TDS suggests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 7:00 AM | 9 | 18 | 56 | Keep the lowest fares on sale |
| Wed 5:30 PM | 31 | 62 | 56 | Add a second bus |
| Fri 5:30 PM | 44 | 54 | 56 | Open the next fare level sooner |
| Sun 3:00 PM | 22 | 61 | 56 | Add a second bus |
TDS insightTwo departures next week are forecast to sell out more than a day early. A second bus on each would carry about 11 more riders.
Sample data: a fictional route and invented forecasts.
Holidays and school breaks, planned weeks ahead
Weekly forecasts sit next to the same weeks last year, with the holidays, school breaks and local events that move demand marked on the calendar.
- Holidays and school terms built in
- Local events added by your team
- Every week compared with last year
Riders per week, next 8 weeks
Forecast against the same weeks last year, with the holidays and school breaks that drive the peaks.
ForecastSame weeks last year
| Week | Forecast | Same weeks last year |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 2.6k | 2.5k |
| Week 2 | 2.7k | 2.6k |
| Week 3 | 3.4k | 3.1k |
| Week 4 | 2.6k | 2.5k |
| Week 5 | 2.7k | 2.5k |
| Week 6 | 3.1k | 2.9k |
| Week 7 | 3.3k | 3.0k |
| Week 8 | 2.7k | 2.6k |
- Week 3 Holiday week
- Week 6 School break
- Week 7 School break
TDS insightThe holiday week is forecast 8% above last year. Open extra departures and set fares for it now, while most seats are still unsold.
Sample data: a fictional route and invented forecasts.
A forecast you can check
Every forecast is scored against the riders who actually travelled, so your team can see how far ahead it can be trusted and where it's improving.
- Forecast against actual, week by week
- Accuracy this year against last year
- Sell-outs spotted a week or more ahead
Forecast against actual, last 8 weeks
Weekly riders on Route 340. Accuracy is the average weekly error, this year against last year.
Actual ridersForecast, made 3 weeks ahead
TDS insightThe forecast was furthest off in the holiday week, by 8%. It now weights the days around holidays more heavily.
Sample data: a fictional route and invented forecasts.
What carriers get
- Fewer sold-out and empty trips
- Pricing set ahead of demand
- Drivers and buses planned where they're needed
Related products
Revenue Management
Yield & revenue strategy
Route Analysis
Route performance
Dispatch Management
Dispatch Control Center
See TDS in action.
A demo with our team, focused on the products you need, with time for your questions.