Drivers are required through State and Federal law to have their commercial
driver’s license (CDL). Fortunately, many employers are willing to provide
training for new employees to obtain their CDL.
Education and training.
School
bus drivers generally receive around 1 to 4 weeks of driving training and classroom
instruction on State and local laws, regulations, and policies. Drivers are also instructed about school code
on safe driving practices, driver-pupil relations, first aid, emergency
evacuation procedures, and the special needs of students that are disabled. Bus
drivers must also learn the school’s rules for discipline and conduct for
bus drivers and the students they transport.
During
driving training, bus drivers may practice on set courses. This may include
turns, zigzag maneuvers, reversing, and driving in narrow lanes. After these
courses drivers are aloud to drive in light traffic and, eventually, in heavier
trafficked areas. Drivers will also make practice runs without passengers to
learn and memorize their routes. New school bus drivers will often drive a
regularly scheduled route with passengers, under the guidance of an
experienced driver.
Licensure.
Qualifications
and standards for bus driving are established through State and Federal
regulations. Drivers must comply with Federal regulations and also with any
State regulations that exceed Federal requirements. Federal regulations require
drivers who operate vehicles in excess of 26,000 pounds or designed to
transport 16 or more people, to have a CDL with appropriate endorsements from
the State they live in.
To obtain a CDL, drivers must pass a written test on knowledge of rules and
regulations and then demonstrate in a performance test that they can actually
operate a bus safely. A national database keeps records of all driving
violations incurred by people with CDL’s, and a State can not issue a CDL to a
person who has already had a license suspended or revoked by another State. To
obtain a CDL, a driver must surrender all other driver’s licenses. Bus drivers
must also have a passenger endorsement for their license, which requires
passing a written test and demonstrating the necessary ability in a vehicle that
they would be driving on the job. All of the information on how to apply for a
commercial driver’s license and each type of endorsement can be obtained from
State motor vehicle administrations.
While many States allow a person 18 years of age and older to drive buses
within State borders, the U.S. Department of Transportation requires drivers to
be at least 21 years old and to pass a physical examination every 2 years to
engage in interstate commerce. Physical requirements include but are not
limited too; 20/40 vision with or without sight aid, 70 degree field of vision
in each eye, cannot be colorblind, must be able to hear a forced whisper at not
less than 5 feet with or with out hearing aid, normal blood pressure, normal
use of arms and legs, and may not use controlled substances unless prescribe by
a physician. Due to Federal regulations, bus drivers might also be randomly
tested for alcohol or substance abuse. In addition, a driver must not have been
convicted of a felony involving the use of a motor vehicle or a crime involving
drugs, driving under the influence, refusing to submit to an alcohol test
required by a State, leaving the scene of a crime, or causing a fatality
through negligent operation of a vehicle.
Drivers must speak and read English well enough to understand and obey road
signs and communicate with law enforcement and the public. Drivers must also
take a written examination on the Motor Carrier Safety Regulations of the U.S.
Department of Transportation.
School bus drivers are also required to have a CDL with a school bus
endorsement from the State in which they live. To obtain the endorsement, the
driver must pass a written test as well as demonstrate the ability to correctly
operate a vehicle of the same type that they would be driving on their route.
Both of these tests are specific to school buses and are in addition to tests
required to obtain a CDL and the passenger endorsement.
Other qualifications.
Because school bus drivers deal with pupils, they must have a level head and
be courteous. They should have an even temperament and be emotionally stable
because driving in heavy or stop-and-go traffic and dealing with students at
the same time can be extremely stressful. Drivers should also be able to handle
large groups of people as, in the case of an emergency, a driver might be
required to oversee pupils off of the bus. In many States, school bus drivers
must also pass a background check in case of a criminal record
involving children or a history of mental illness.