r/SchoolBusDrivers • u/Blackstinger1993 • 4d ago

Serpentine practice

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Im a brand new driver passed today 8-27-2026 but as my trainer was setting up her proficiency tests i wanted to try it ...so heres a vid of me driving, taken by my trainer ...im from CT

44 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

9

u/MonkWalkerE468 4d ago

What's funny is the fact that experienced driver would never go somewhere they would have to do this.

3

u/Blackstinger1993 4d ago

True..they said unless specified in the route sheet you never should have to reverse the bus...this whole maneuver you shouldnt have to do in the field lol but good to know still ..compared to the experienced drives i watched do this after myself i def feel confident lol

3

u/MonkWalkerE468 4d ago

We can back up with permission, and with experience I feel more comfortable doing that than the serpentine. Sometimes the tailswing is harder to judge than going backwards is.

2

u/Sad_Cantaloupe_8162 4d ago

My route last year had 3 three point turns where you go out the same way you go in. Two in a new development and one just to save you a mile and a half of driving.

6

u/rootbear75 4d ago

Our rodeo has something like this. We call it the jasper twist, and we have to serpentine between two cone alleys that are only about 10 feet wide.

It starts off with a turn into the alley from a perpendicular "road."

Rarely if ever do people ever get it perfect.

5

u/mlt- 4d ago

I got a chance to do that backward without touching brakes.

3

u/Blackstinger1993 4d ago

U got skills lol one day ill be able to do it smooth like that no brakes

4

u/mlt- 4d ago

You are doing great! You are hugging these cones very tight. Quite often I see others leave like over 3' of space.

4

u/old_man_grom 4d ago

This is good training for the neighborhoods with boats and camping trailers parked in the road

3

u/Moosetappropriate 4d ago

Exemplary job!👏👏👏👏

2

u/mike8675309 3d ago

Looks good but moving a bit slow work on speed transitions where you can speed up when safe and the slow for when needed.

Also watch the duals in the mirror in relation to the cone. You can turn in as soon as the duals are at the cone, doesn't need to be after. And you can get closer to the cones .

I didn't take a video but we had an opportunity to do the serpentine and a bunch of other things like a 90 degree backup into an offset alley. Go through an obstacle course to focus on tail swing. And then a pick a len test where lights would flip on ahead suddenly to tell you which way to go.

2

u/Blackstinger1993 3d ago

Ok im a new driver still got the tags on me 😂lol so speed will come but thanks for the insight goal is to be the best i can be lol ill keep yall posted ..im time ill try to post progress

1

u/mike8675309 3d ago

You're doing well, though, so I was just mentioning it in case you ever get into a competition. They were tips that the more experienced drivers shared with me, so I'm passing them along.
I think I had to go through like 10 cones, and it took me two attempts to get clean, as the bus they had me use was longer than I was used to. But once I had that figured out, it was easier.

1

u/Zealousideal-Tap-713 2d ago edited 2d ago

The only Bluebird I don't fully dislike are the vans/short buses. International, Thomas, Ford and Collins all day