5 Things You Didn’t Know About School Vehicle Drivers
School Bus and Van Drivers are all around us in our communities, but unless you are close to a driver or you are one yourself, there might be some misconceptions you have about them. Undoubtedly, there are things you don’t know, and might even surprise you, about school vehicle drivers, so keep on reading to hopefully discover something new!
There’s no “typical” kind of driver
School vehicle drivers come in all ages, shapes, and sizes! We see drivers in all different stages of life: retired men, retired women, young moms with small children, young dads, middle-aged people, grandparents, married people, single people, you name it. Regardless of factors like age, race, gender, or anything else, anybody can become a great school bus or van driver if they put their mind to it!
Drivers come from all different career fields
Similar to our last point, drivers come from all different career fields and walks of life! Just as an example, we have drivers who have experience in childcare, finance, retail, trucking, manufacturing, policing, and many more fields! Of course, we have some teammates who came to us with previous experience in school transportation, but we provide all the necessary training for qualified applicants from ANY career background who are willing to learn!
They are highly trained and educated to do their job
There’s a misconception that just anybody can be a school bus or van driver, but it takes a special person who has a drive to learn. School vehicle drivers are trained professionals who put a lot of effort and passion into their careers. All school bus drivers undergo 4 different background checks, take part in at least 20 hours of school bus-specific instruction, pass four extensive knowledge tests, and pass on the road driving tests. Drivers must also refresh their knowledge every 4 years with at least 10 hours of training to ensure that their students are always in good hands! Van drivers go through a different training process, but nonetheless, they spend days learning every detail of how to get their job done right!
School bus and van drivers aren’t slackers
Everybody knows that school vehicle drivers take kids to and from school, but there’s much more to the job than what you see! At the beginning of EVERY route, bus drivers complete full inspections of their vehicles. This includes checking the lights, tire pressure, doors, windshield wipers, fluid levels, and brakes. On top of that, their routes consist of much more than “just driving;” they need to follow their route, arrive to their stops at the correct time, safely operate a larger-than-average vehicle, and keep watch over their students, among other things. Not to mention the paperwork that often needs to be filled out at the end of the day. Be mindful when sharing the road with school vehicles; their drivers have a lot on their plates!
The kids on their bus/van become “their kids”
We mentioned earlier that there is no “typical” bus or van driver, but with all the diversity within the school transportation industry, there’s one thing that they all have in common: the love they have for their students! Just as you’d expect a teacher to get to know and appreciate all of their students over the course of the school year, school vehicle drivers do too. In fact, most bus and van drivers eventually start to refer to the children they transport as “their kids!” Drivers will almost unanimously say that interacting with their students is the most rewarding part of the job. You can rest assured that your kid’s driver will keep them happy and safe!
In conclusion, driving a school vehicle is an often misunderstood profession, and we think that bus and van drivers deserve more recognition by society! Thanks for reading through this article and taking the time to understand bus and van drivers a bit better. If you’re interested in becoming one yourself, you can learn more on our career page or give us a call at (717) 957-3811!
As always, let us know in the comments if you saw anything that surprised you. Also, if you are a bus or van driver, feel free to contribute anything you think we missed!
