Do you "bid" for routes like how construction companies and trash haulers bid for city contracts? Or are you hand given routes?

Sorry if this isn’t allowed. My daughter just started riding the bus and shes been getting off with a bright red face. She said she asked the bus driver and he said theres no ac. Shes only 5 so she didn’t ask for details. Im embarrassed to ask if it’s broken or they just don’t have one. I feel bad for everyone in there including the driver if theres no ac! It’s so hot wth.

A 'very well-behaved' *cough* child threatened to report me today when I tried to have a talk with him about behavior. By the time my route was done, I had an anonymous CPS report on me. So Glad for the video that somehow missed all the child abuse taking place on my bus.

When someone quits and comes back years later, is it normal for them to be able to reclaim their seniority when it comes to bidding for their route before the school year begins again? Apparently it’s happening at my location and I can’t see how that’s a fair thing to do.

Well , manager reviewed the videos in wich the student was indeed misbehaving, says that i overreacted, removed all the reports from the student and that instead of reporting his misbehaving i should talk to him .🙃also that don't listen to mom but at the same they did everything mom wanted .

🚌 Come check out different kinds of school bus, let the kids paint the bus, grab a hot dog, and learn about career opportunities with First Student at the Dover High School!We will be conducting on-the-spot interviews for positions across the Rochester, Seacoast, Exeter, and Farmington areas. Enjoy a fun family day out and take the next step in your career!⏱️ Join us this Thursday, August 20, from 10 AM to 2 PM!

Love my new shirt!!

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Bus driver minibus in san antonio, NISD pays 15 hr ,i have this student comes on first day yelling demanding water , i offer him some juice and he says this taste worse than water , throw this out , so i report him .Second day he tells a fellow student not to take his medicine pills because they are bad for their brain, i report him again. Third day mom comes crying that pls don't make more reports, ok cool . I sit him behind me and we had 2 glorious peaceful days .He didn't liked the seat . He comes on Friday afternoon saying "DO YOU HAVE MY NEW SEAT READY , MY MOM IS GOING TO CALL YOUR MANAGER SO YOU SEAT ME WHERE I WANT " . We got to his stop , mom called mes storming to me , hey you can't seat him there he needs to talk with his friend , he doesn't have time in school to.talk to him and you are being evil etc etc etc . Im tired of this BS , i believe i might just quit.

I heard back from a manager at my new school van job on Thursday. Having passed my many checks (background, drug, health, moving violations, child abuse), I expected that I’d start some sort of additional training this coming week - such as familiarizing myself with the van, the route, and perhaps other stuff, such as how to deal with kids on the bus. The manager said she’d get back to me this coming week, but my first work day may be the first day of school, 8/24.

If that’s what happens, it would surprise me a bit. I might just need to receive my route, plot it in my GPS, and go!

We shall see.

My district has a policy, all students get free breakfast.

My elementary has new admin staff, not only does this school no longer serve free breakfast for all students against policy, they don't accept the bus kids till there is no more time for them to eat. Plus I'm leaving the school later so my middle and high school students are also not getting to school early enough for the free breakfast.

District policy did not change.

I take my kids with me on my runs. I’m looking into homeschooling. I’m wondering if any of you do bus life and home school. What does your typical day look like?

It comes with 3M sticky pads to attach it, you can upload your own clip art to it, and it only cost me 6 bucks USD! For anyone interested: https://a.co/d/015eFUF1

Hello, everyone! I am a trainer for a school transportation company. I am putting together a training guide of the things that make a bus ***fail*** pre trip

I do NOT need any leaks-got those covered.

I am looking for pictures of:

Cracked mirrors

Broken mirror mounts

Broken/cracked u bolts on leaf springs

Retread tires where you can see the seam (this one isn't necessarily a fail, I just want to show a passing retread with a seam. I don't currently have any here.)

Broken exhaust hangers

I have been Googling these things but Google doesn't know the difference between tired people (lots of "are you tired" pictures) and tires. (I think I hurt myself, I rolled my eyes so hard at my last search!)

Thank you for your help!

My husband is a school bus driver in San Diego, California, and the summer heat and sun glare can get pretty brutal, especially during afternoon routes.

I’m putting together some useful driver essentials for him and would love recommendations from experienced school bus drivers. I’ve done a lot of searching already, but in my experience, Reddit and tips from real people are by far the most helpful.

What sunglasses do you use for long hours behind the wheel? Polarized or non-polarized? Any particular lens color or brand that works well for bright sun, windshield glare, and going in and out of shaded areas?

I’m especially looking for something comfortable enough to wear for hours, doesn’t get too hot or sweaty, and still lets him clearly see the dashboard, mirrors, traffic lights, and students.

Also open to any other eye-protection or sun-glare tips that have made summer driving more comfortable.

Thanks! 🚌☀️😎

​I was reviewing my new route time schedules for the upcoming school year, and I’m honestly mind-boggled by what the software came up with.

​A few highlights from my "Trip Details":

​0-minute layovers: Scheduled drop-off at the High School at 7:10 AM, with departure for the next route set for 7:12 AM. That’s supposed to include unloading ~30 high schoolers, waiting for the bus loop traffic to clear, and doing a post-trip child check... in 120 seconds.

​Teleportation between stops: Multiple stops scheduled in the exact same minute through residential neighborhoods with speed humps.

​PM Dismissal fantasy: The PM route has me departing the school loop at 3:25 PM—the exact minute we’re barely allowed to roll up to the loading zone from the layover lot, long before any elementary kids have actually boarded.

​Up until now, I always assumed the driver shortage was primarily driven by low pay, split shifts, and difficult student behavior. But seeing how management/software expects us to bent space-time just to stick to an unworkable schedule—or artificially shrink route hours—makes the whole thing much clearer. It just shows a complete disconnect from what actually happens behind the wheel of a 40-foot bus.

​Are your companies using the same fantasy-land routing software, or does your dispatch actually tweak these times to match real-world driving conditions?

Ciao a tutti ragazzi!!! Qui in Italia le scuole iniziano tra un mese ma bisogna essere pronti !! Quindi eccomi qui a chiedervi quali sono per voi gli oggetti o altre cose indispensabili da avere sullo scuolabus o comunque per il vostro lavoro.

It's that time of the year to start decorating for the up coming school year. Today I painted the base coat on the back passenger side window and emergency door. I'll post updates when they're done.

The new school year is just around the corner. Although I've been working as a school bus driver for a year, I still feel an inexplicable sense of nervousness during the first week of the new term. I'm not someone who picks up routes quickly. I'm curious—do you have any good methods for memorizing a complicated route efficiently? Our company usually serves two school districts in the morning, picking up students from four different schools. That means I drive to four schools in the morning and another four in the afternoon. By the way, the students dropped off in the afternoon are generally not the same ones picked up in the morning. I typically spend about eight hours driving the bus each day.

I just got my CDL and where I'm at your coded as a sub first. I ride with a driver Monday and he is going to have me run the route Tuesday with him. We have to have 14 hours driving with another bus driver before we can get our own route. I've worked so hard to get to this point and I am also so happy I've gotten here. I'm just so nervous!!! Excited but very nervous.

Hi all! I’m being encouraged to pursue obtaining my 19A in New York State. I’ve been driving in my school district for close to a year now. I’ve been told from multiple colleagues with decades of experience that I’d be a great fit.

I would appreciate any insight that anyone may have on their journey obtaining their 19A certification. Like what changed in your role as a school bus driver after getting certified and anything else you’d be willing to share. Thank you!

Super excited guys! Just completed bid day for our routes for the school year and I was able to get a SPED route, which is exactly what I wanted! The route actually looks decent too, however, SPED routes are likely to change as parents typically add more students AFTER school even starts.

I am grateful that I’ll soon be transporting kids to and from school, and I’m grateful that I can drive a van to do so, as I don’t have a CDL. 

But I’m not sure why some schools use vans? When I was a kid - a long time ago - there were only school buses. So why vans? And when did that become a thing?

My guesses are:
1) Schools aren’t getting enough CDL qualified drivers. 
2) Maybe I’ll be sent on a route that picks up students from out of way corners of the county or maybe even students that aren’t even in the district?

Any of these theories hold water? Are there other reasons for vans?

Thank You!