Bus Drivers, School

Overview Nature of Work Knowledge Areas Skills Utilized Job Activities Abilities Job Conditions Work Satisfaction Education/Training

Educational Attainment Breakdown for Bus Drivers, School College or Higher 5.9% Some College 32.7% High School or Less 61.4%

Most Significant Source of Postsecondary Education or Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: U.S. Department of Labor

State and Federal governments establish bus driver qualifications and standards, which include a commercial driver's license (CDL) with the proper endorsements. Many employers provide several weeks of training and help new employees obtain their CDL.

Education and training. Some employers prefer high school graduates and require a written test of ability to follow complex bus schedules, but the ability to drive and a clean license are usually more important.

Most companies give driver trainees 2 to 8 weeks of classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction. In the classroom, trainees learn Department of Transportation and company work rules, safety regulations, State and municipal driving regulations, and safe driving practices. They also learn to read schedules, determine fares, keep records, and deal courteously with passengers.

During training, all bus drivers practice driving on set courses. They practice turns and zigzag maneuvers, backing up, and driving in narrow lanes. Then, they drive in light traffic and, eventually, on congested highways and city streets. They also make trial runs without passengers to improve their driving skills and learn the routes. Local transit trainees memorize and drive each of the runs operating out of their assigned garage. New drivers make regularly scheduled trips with passengers, accompanied by an experienced driver who gives helpful tips, answers questions, and evaluates the new driver's performance. Most bus drivers get brief supplemental training periodically to stay informed of safety issues and regulatory changes.

Licensure. All bus drivers must obtain commercial driver's licenses (CDL) with the proper endorsements. Qualifications and standards for drivers are established by State and Federal regulations. Bus drivers are responsible for complying with regulations within their own States, as well as those of other States (or countries) where they operate.

To qualify for a commercial driver's license, applicants must pass a knowledge test on rules and regulations and then demonstrate in a skills test that they can operate a bus safely. The Department of Transportation keeps a national database of all driving violations incurred by CDL holders, and a State may not issue a license to a person who has already had a license suspended or revoked in another State. Drivers may only hold one license at a time, and must surrender all other driver's licenses upon receiving their new CDLs.

Bus drivers must also have passenger endorsements for their licenses. Transit, intercity, and motor coach operators must have a passenger vehicle (P) endorsement, while school bus drivers must have both a passenger (P) and a school bus (S) endorsement. Both of these endorsements require a passing score on knowledge and skills tests administered by the State licensing agency or partner institution. The knowledge test is a written exam that covers laws of the road, whereas the skills test is administered by a certified examiner in the appropriate commercial vehicle. Information on how to apply for a commercial driver's license and each type of endorsement can be obtained from State motor vehicle administrations and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Although many States allow those who are 18 years of age and older to drive buses within State borders, the U.S. Department of Transportation establishes minimum qualifications for bus drivers engaged in interstate commerce. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require drivers to be at least 21 years old and to pass a physical examination once every 2 years. All drivers also must be able to read and speak English well enough to read road signs, prepare reports, and communicate with law enforcement officers and the public.

The main physical requirements include good hearing, at least 20/40 vision with or without glasses or corrective lenses, and a 70-degree field of vision in each eye. Drivers must also be able to distinguish the colors on a traffic light and hear a forced whisper in one ear at not less than 5 feet (with a hearing aid, if necessary). Drivers must have normal blood pressure and normal use of their arms and legs. They may not use any controlled substances, unless prescribed by a licensed physician. People with epilepsy or with diabetes controlled by insulin are not permitted to be interstate bus drivers.

Federal regulations also require employers to test their drivers for alcohol and drug use as a condition of employment and require periodic random tests of the drivers while they are on duty. In addition, a driver must not have been convicted of a felony involving the use of a motor vehicle or a crime involving drugs, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, refusing to submit to an alcohol test required by a State or its implied consent laws or regulations, leaving the scene of a crime, or causing a fatality through negligent operation of a commercial vehicle.

Other qualifications. Many employers prefer applicants who are at least 24 years old. Because bus drivers deal with passengers, they must be courteous. They need an even temperament and emotional stability because driving in heavy, fast-moving, or stop-and-go traffic and dealing with passengers can be stressful. Drivers must have strong customer service skills, including communication skills and the ability to coordinate and manage large groups of people. In some States, school bus drivers must pass a background investigation to uncover any criminal record or history of mental problems.

Advancement. New intercity and local transit drivers usually are placed on an "extra" list to drive chartered runs, extra buses on regular runs, and special runs, such as those during morning and evening rush hours and to sports events. New drivers also substitute for regular drivers who are ill or on vacation. New drivers remain on the extra list and may work only part time, perhaps for several years, until they have enough seniority to get a regular run.

Senior drivers may bid for the runs that they prefer, such as those with more work hours, lighter traffic, weekends off, or—in the case of intercity bus drivers—higher earnings or fewer workdays per week.

Opportunities for promotion are generally limited, but experienced drivers may become supervisors or dispatchers. In transit agencies with rail systems, drivers may become train operators or station attendants. Some bus drivers become either instructors of new bus drivers or master-instructors, who train new instructors. Few drivers become managers. Promotion in publicly owned bus systems is often determined by competitive civil service examination. Some motor coach drivers purchase their own equipment and open their own business.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook

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