School Bus Driver Jobs | Bus Driving Jobs | Bus Driver Employment
Bus Driver Jobs - What is the Job of a School Bus Driver? What does a Bus Driver Job Involve?
Bus drivers are responsible for transporting people, whether they be schoolchildren, commuters, or travelers from one location to the next. There are two types of bus driver jobs, which include transit bus drivers and intercity bus drivers, which transit drivers transferring individuals across states and inner city drivers transporting individuals across a metropolitan community.
Bus drivers are responsible for picking up passengers at bus stops on a regular schedule, traveling from one stop to the next. Bus driver jobs may involve driving small 15 passenger minibuses to long busses such as school buses that can carry over 100 persons. Intercity bus drivers must prepare their daily trip routine, which may vary depending on the particular day of the week.
Before starting out on their daily route, a bus driver will check the lights, fuel, brakes, and tires of a bus in order to make sure that the commercial vehicle is in proper working order. Upon arriving at their first bus stop, a city bus driver will collect a bus fare in addition to answering any questions about routes and bus scheduling. Bus drivers may travel the same route many times a day across a few miles or they may travel longer distances across hundreds of miles.
Local bus drivers will also have the responsibility of making records of any delays or incidences that occur during their daily job. Vacation bus drivers may act as customer service representatives for a tour guide company, with much less routine involved in their trip, as the travel bus driver transports individuals across the country or across state lines.
School bus driver jobs involve following the same route each day, stopping to pick up students in early morning, taking them to school, and returning them to their homes in the afternoon. School bus driver jobs also involve taking students and teachers on field trips, and many of these individuals will work part time in another capacity at a school as classroom assistants.
School bus drivers must always be on the alert for hazards such as accidents or bad weather, and they must follow all of the school system’s rules regarding student behavior while children are on their bus. Most school bus drivers will leave their busses at home so that they do not have to travel using their own vehicle transportation.
Working Conditions for Bus Driving Jobs - How is the Working Environment for School Bus Driver Jobs?
Following the same bus route every day can quickly become boring and stressful. In addition, having to meet bus deadlines can become taxing during heavy traffic, although most bus companies now use global positioning systems in order to help bus drivers manage their routes.
Bus driving work schedules will vary depending on whether they are inner city or chartered bus workers. City bus workers will frequently work nights and holidays with a fairly regular work week, while charter bus workers will frequently have to work for long stretches of time in order to transport travelers from one vacation destination to another.
School bus drivers only work when school is in session, and many work part time 20 hours or less weekly, although bus drivers will also have to take students to field and athletic trips.
Bus Driver Education - How to Become a School Bus Driver - How to Receive Your School Bus Driver Training
Bus driver training involves acquiring a commercial driver’s license and complying with any state and Federal restrictions on commercial vehicle travel. Most public transit bus companies will require years of experience in order to learn how to drive a bus properly.
Bus driver students must learn the Department of Transportation’s regulations, as well as city or county commercial vehicle rules. Bus drivers will also learn how to deal effectively with passengers and students, how to keep fares, and how to keep appropriate records of their daily bus routes.
School bus drivers will typically receive four weeks of instruction on state and local laws, as well as school policies, additionally covering how to deal with special needs students if one is operating a special needs bus. School bus drivers usually only require a commercial driver’s license in addition to a minimal amount of classroom training.
When a bus driver starts training, they will usually start out on set routes, practicing various bus maneuvers in light traffic, eventually graduating to learning how to drive on highways and city streets. Oftentimes, bus driver training will involve being assigned to an established bus driver in order to learn an assigned route. Bus drivers may receive sporadic training in order to update their knowledge and maintain their commercial drivers license.
Bus Driving Training Requirements - How to Become a School Driver
Bus driver licensing is set at the state and Federal level, with any individual operating a motor vehicle over 18 tons or carrying over 16 people required to hold a commercial drivers license. In addition, those bus drivers driving across state lines must comply with the United States Department of Transportation regulations and interstate regulations governing commercial vehicles.
In order to obtain a commercial drivers license, a bus driver applicant must have a good knowledge of rules and regulations that deal with commercial driving. The United States Department of Transportation requires that individuals operating commercial motor vehicles are 21 years of age and have at least 20/40 vision. Bus drivers can also not be colorblind, and they must be able to hear whisper at five feet.
Bus drivers must be in top physical shape and not have epilepsy or diabetes, and Federal regulations also require bus drivers to be tested for alcohol and drugs regularly. All bus drivers must also be able to speak English and to read road signs effectively, in addition to completing a written examination on motor carrier safety.
Other skills that a commercial bus driver job requires include good communication skills in order to deal with passengers and a calm temperament in order to be able to deal with troublesome passengers.
In order to advance as a transit driver, a bus driver will usually need seniority in order to receive the best bus routes. Opportunities for bus operator promotion can be fairly limited, although bus drivers can become supervisors or bus dispatchers over time.
Some bus drivers may decide to start up their own busing companies, typically as a commercial business carrying tour groups from one location to another.
School Bus Driver Employment - What Are the Future Employment Prospects for Bus Driver Jobs?
Over the next decade, bus driver jobs should grow by about 10%, keeping pace with the average population growth. Intercity bus drivers are expected to have slightly faster growth at 13%, as more passengers decide to use transit services in growing major metropolitan locations.
School bus driver jobs should grow by about 9%, as school enrollment slows down due to population growth, but job prospects over all are fairly good. Turnover in the field of bus driving employment is fairly high, and some drivers will leave the profession in order to become commercial truckers.
School Bus Driver Pay Scale - How Much Do Bus Driver Jobs Earn?
In 2006, intercity bus driver jobs had median hourly earnings of $15.43, with those working in urban centers having the highest rate of pay at $17.16, and those bus drivers working for charter buses having the lowest median pay at $11.50 an hour.
School bus driver jobs had median hourly earnings of $11.93 in the same year, and most bus drivers will use receive some benefits, which can include health insurance, sick leave, and vacation leave, especially for those who work for a city or county.
About 40% of all bus driver jobs are covered by union contracts as of 2006. Most city bus drivers are covered by the Amalgamated Transit Union and the United Transportation Union or the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.