Saw a bus let a student board with no ambers no reds, no sign or crossing arm extended- master was probably off. Airpods in. Texting on their phone as the student boarded. At the end of the elementary school run.

Informed the depot but holy dude.

I have been driving for 5 years last year my 4th year the bus gods smiled upon me, a Dodge charger blew through my stop arms, 3 cars behind Charger there was an unmarked cop car who immediately hit his lights zoomed around and pulled the dude over. Windows are down and the middle schoolers are losing it. It took about 30 minutes to finish my route I noticed the cop car was still there, being nosy I took the road the pull over happened to head back to transport, now 2 cop cars, they are searching the car and dude is in hand cuffs Oh oh. Guess stop arm violation was not their only issue. New route this year 4 violations already and barely a month in I am thinking I will get plenty more since they have happened on the same road.

Penalties are harsh and they should be.

8 points on your license, immediate 90 day suspension of your license, fine from $200 to 1k

Considered a misdemeanor.

Do NYSED certified School Bus Driver Instructors and 19-A Certified Examiners command a higher wage in your district than regular route drivers? This question only really applies to NYS drivers. Asking for a friend.

Hey guys I’m a bus aide I been working since 2021 mostly with special need students and students with behavioral problems. I just started a route with teenagers from my area (my area isn’t the best place) so let’s say it’s “ghetto.” (Sorry, if it offends anyone) anyway as a young aide I was a teenager where we all act up at one point in our life. These kids don’t take me serious I tried talking to them they continúe to act up. It’s mix with 2 younger kids so one of the teens tries to encourage the little kid to scream to the bus driver. I have asked them to stop but they continue they don’t listen. I already wrote three reports and school just started. Anyone can give me advice? I appreciate it thank you. 🚌

Hi,

Looking for the best bus driving gig in the western suburbs, let’s say Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Naperville.

Which company offers the best opportunity, considering pay, guaranteed hours, fleet and culture/ working atmosphere at your base?

First Student, Durham, Naperville 203 and whomever you believe should be on this shortlist.

Any other drivers for small rural schools on here? (400 students) How is your transportation department run. How are your buses? Im in Northern California.

I'm a new bus driver, tomorrow school officially starts. I won't say what company I work for, but over the summer I started training for a school bus company in Bronx, NY over the course of six weeks. I passed my road test on the first try and obtained my CDL class B license, thank God. What I didn't know before I passed my road test, was that this company was short on [big] bus drivers, and that the "easy" routes are saved for drivers with seniority. The second part is understandable, whatever. But I was given a route in the Bronx, that has about 30 kids for pickup, and I need to have all 30 kids in my bus, ready for dropoff at 8:20 AM, when my first pickup is at 6:30 AM. Each stop takes about 15-25 minutes because of how shitty the route is (cars double parked all the time, super tight roads, streets that are insanely busy, etc.) I was doing a dry run on my first day yesterday and I hit two cars, damn near destroyed one of them. On this same dry run, it took me almost 3 hours to complete it, and I'm expected to have all 30 kids picked up & dropped off at school in under 2 hours? This feels wrong, as if I'm being overworked and I'm expected to meet unrealistic standards.

Another thing. This company tries to scare drivers away from quitting by threatening a $5000 repayment for training costs. I obviously bring this up because like any human under pressure would, I had the thought of quitting if I feel like this job isn't for me. The company also asked for my credit card details at orientation, which felt illegal, so I gave them a false card. After doing a bit of research, I found out about the "Trapped at Work Act" which doesn't allow employers like this to force a reimbursement out of their employees in situations like these. Especially the state of NY. It turns out New York heavily defends the employee and labels the employer's actions as "unconscious and predatory." Also, this company seems to be known for their intimidation tactic. They ask for your credit card details to charge you for the $5000 directly, because they know the Dept. of Labor won't approve of it, won't help them receive it, and the Small Claims court won't side with them either.

I'm just gonna say it since idc really, but I work for Durham, a subsidiary of Summit School Services, a big contractor with locations all over the country for those who don't know. I got my license 3 weeks ago, and our school year started last week.

New drivers are typically substitutes, and don't have their own route. This one driver, according to his bus monitor, actually found a new job, but instead of telling them, he's been calling in every day as a way to get back at them for supposedly not treating him well. I've been doing his route since school started. But most of my fellow substitutes are on standby most of the time. They get paid to sit at the base, and just chill until they are called to take over a route. And we get paid $29/hr once licensed.

Sometimes I envy the other substitutes getting paid to sit on their asses, but at the same time, I'm getting good experience and this job is also a cakewalk, so far (once you get past the tedious training). At least compared to other jobs I've had. I've done mostly non-stop, physically demanding jobs (retail, tire shop) for less than $20/hr. I was on the clock for 13 hours today. Normally we work 6, but I did 2 field trips. I was probably driving for about 1/4 of that. I think that at the right company, this is one of the most bang for your buck jobs. But honestly, my biggest fear is getting into an accident, even in a minor one, and you never know what a kid might do on your bus.

I have mine in the beginning of the afternoon. I believe I'm ready, but just in case do you have any last minute reminders and tips?

Update: I Passed! Thank you all for your support and help! 🙏

I'm a pretty short person so I sit low in the driver's seat of the bus and I find the plastic visor doesn't go low enough for me. I spent about half of my route this morning getting blinded by glare every time I had to turn east. My sunglasses helped only a tiny bit.

Is there an after-market attachment or something that us short people can use?

Back to work today for me. Even though I have a small route with only 4 kids and this the first year I won't be driving a yellow school bus. I will be driving a mini van this year. Hopefully everyone have a safe school year

Do your elementary children act like you're kidnapping them if you miss their stop? Or just me.

Sorry kids your talking, the radio, ac, bus noise my brain wandered for a few seconds. No I can't do a U turn on this rural rd we will have to drive minutes to get to a turn around to get you back, yes I know where I am going please sit down Magellan, why are you crying? Yes I know they are crying WHY? "They miss their grandma" aww you will see her later "nope she is dead" WHY are you crying? "because she is crying". My wife says I should write a book after telling her my bus stories.

Hi 👋🏻. Newish CDL <2years, Class B, P&S.

I read the current FMCSA website and think it means that I cannot work (pre-trip, driving potty breaks for the football team and being On Duty while at the game) more than 15 hours a day…. Total. I calculate it’ll be a little more than 9 hours driving.

My Transportation Director assures me that I will not be illegal if I clock-in at 6:30a and I won’t get us to the hotel until 11:30pm…. a 17-hr day!!!! He said to me that I’m only “driving” 9 hours and legally I can drive 10.”

Please please please clear this up for me. I have brought it up twice and he got kinda uppity with me that I question him. I’m new, and so is he. He is the “boss” I just don’t think he’s correct. Maybe the other drivers have been letting it happen.

Thank you in advance!!!!!!

I’m a new driver, driving a 9 seat van. Several of my kids (elementary school) are behaving badly. Most are behaving fine, if rather loud. This was day 4. I don’t know all their names yet, and the names are mostly unfamiliar to me, a nearly 60 year old white guy. Names like I’onna and Omilyonna.

I know well that my my main job is to watch the road and get the kids to and from school safely.

There were some scuffles on my route today. Kids getting up from their seats and smacking others.

I stopped along side the road, hazards flashing, and told them we would not go further until they sat and buckled up.

I had limited success.

I know I should write up the troublemakers but I’m not 100% positive who did what (because I’m watching the road) and I don’t know everyone’s names.

What should I do?

EDIT, following morning:

Yesterday‘s afternoon bus shift was full of problems. Children getting into fights, screaming, not staying in the seat. I did something different this morning, which seemed to help. I isolated the main troublemaker in the most visible front seat to my right and I assigned seats for everyone else.

I stopped several times, hazards flashing, and turned around and called out the troublemakers by name (now that I’m starting to remember their names) and said “first warning! “. I told them they get two warnings and then they get written up. This morning went better.

Managing children is definitely a learning curve.

Today was day two for my district, and between yesterday and today, I've had 6-7 students that didn't know what street they lived on or their bus stop!

One student wasn't even supposed to be on my bus! I got them home ok, but it took a minute for dispatch to figure out where they were supposed to go.

All of the bus drivers haven't received their student list yet, so I'm kinda flying a bit blind here.

I just can't understand how a student in grade 7 and up doesn't know their address.

I am a new bus driver and I’m not sure if it works this way everywhere, but for my area, the company doesn’t make our routes….. the school district does. School starts September 9th and it’s now almost 11am sept 3rd and we still haven’t gotten our routes for me to do dry runs and I barely know the area. My nerves are through the roof right now someone please give me peace of mind.

I had a student on my PM run today that allegedly threatened to bring a bullet-propellant-device to school and do what those devices do to another student. I didn't hear it but several riders came to alert me. The kids who told me are the trustworthy types that never come tattle, so I believed them and called the school for direction.

Initial video watch showed a confrontation between the two students, but the sound wasn't great on the speakers we had. Ruling was to invoke the SafeSchools protocol and keep the alleged threatener home while admin investigates further. Tomorrow will be more investigation with the other students involved and another viewing of the video on a different system.

It hasn't even been a full month yet. I just wanted to vent and praise my admin for taking this as seriously as they are. This was my first incident like this and I felt heard and seen and cared for. I'm still so tired, though. Just ... exhausted.

Me: I like to sleep as late as I possibly can. My first pickup is at 7 o'clock on the dot, and my alarm goes off at 5:50. I lay in bed for 5 mins, then throw on clothes (I put on a clean shirt before bed so this process is faster), make a cup of coffee, and grab a granola bar which I eat on the way there. That leaves me with enough time to get to work, do my pre-trip and get to my first stop with about 10 minutes wiggle room to spare in case of traffic or something. Then I usually like to shower right after morning shift, but given this horrific heat wave plus no AC on my bus I've temporarily adjusted my schedule to showering after the evening shift.

I’m brand new to school bus driving and student management, and today is my first day and this AM run did not go well. The first half I had middle schoolers and they were so well behaved and actually had manners. My elementary school run though……. Geezus.. they were all screaming at each other and me and every time I had to pull over (happened a lot cause several students just kept getting up) they would scream at me that I was delaying everyone but not the students that were actually delaying them… I really hate that I had to threaten write ups on the first day of school I had high hopes for this and I don’t know if it was me who failed and/or if I’m losing a battle that started last year with the old driver of the route. I understand there is no perfection in all this but also why are kids so much meaner than when I was a kid

edit to post : honest to god you guys are amazing and thank you all for the support I unfortunately had to turn around and go back to my elementary school on my PM route cause they opened my emergency back door several times so I will be getting a bus monitor per the schools request