Borrowing/Renting a School Bus

[Matt Davidson]

Does anyone know anyone who owns a school bus or anyone who would rent a school bus to a bunch of us going to MN from MA? I just got a quote from Greyhound. They want $24,000 to charter a bus out there and back! Outrageous!

Matt

[Mahkato]

The big expense is paying a driver's wages and expenses. In addition to finding a bus, you'll need to find someone with an endorsement on their license to be able to drive it.

[angelatc]

The big expense is paying a driver's wages and expenses. In addition to finding a bus, you'll need to find someone with an endorsement on their license to be able to drive it.

Couldn't a person just take the test and get the endorsement on their license to drive it?

[amy31416]

Couldn't a person just take the test and get the endorsement on their license to drive it?

From http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos242.htm

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement [About this section] Back to Top


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. Other employers prefer those with truck or other driving experience.

Education and training. Many employers prefer high school graduates and require a written test of ability to follow complex bus schedules. Some intercity and public transit bus companies require several years of experience driving a bus or truck. Most intercity bus companies and local transit systems 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.

School bus drivers receive between 1 and 4 weeks of driving instruction and classroom training on State and local laws, regulations, and policies; safe driving practices; driver-pupil relations; first aid; emergency evacuation procedures; and the special needs of students who are disabled or emotionally troubled. School bus drivers also must be aware of the school system’s rules for discipline and conduct for bus drivers and the students they transport. Many people who become school bus drivers have never driven any vehicle larger than an automobile.

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. Bus driver qualifications and standards are established by State and Federal regulations. All drivers must comply with Federal regulations and with any State regulations that exceed Federal requirements. Federal regulations require drivers who operate commercial motor vehicles in excess of 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating or designed to carry 16 or more people, including the driver, to hold a commercial driver’s license with the appropriate endorsements from the State in which they live. As with all commercial drivers, bus drivers who drive across State or national boundaries, as motor coach drivers frequently do, must comply with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, State regulations, and the regulations of other countries.

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. A national database records all driving violations incurred by people who hold commercial licenses, and a State may not issue a license to a person who has already had a license suspended or revoked in another State. To be issued a commercial license, a driver must surrender all other driver’s licenses. All bus drivers must also have a passenger endorsement for their license, which requires passing a knowledge test and demonstrating the necessary skills in a vehicle of the same type as the one they would be driving on the job. Information on how to apply for a commercial driver’s license and each type of endorsement can be obtained from State motor vehicle administrations.

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. 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 cannot be colorblind. They must be able to hear a forced whisper in one ear at not less than 5 feet, with or without a hearing aide. 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.

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. In addition, drivers must take a written examination on the Motor Carrier Safety Regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

School bus drivers are required to obtain a commercial driver’s license with a school bus endorsement from the State in which they live. To receive this endorsement, they must pass a written test and demonstrate necessary skills in a bus of the same type that they would be driving on their route. Both of these tests are specific to school buses and are in addition to the testing required to receive a commercial license and the passenger endorsement.

Other qualifications. Many intercity and public transit bus companies 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. However, experienced drivers may become supervisors or dispatchers—assigning buses to drivers, checking whether drivers are on schedule, rerouting buses to avoid blocked streets or other problems, and dispatching extra vehicles and service crews to scenes of accidents and breakdowns. 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.

[angelatc]

I don't see any Federal requirement for training. So, if the person can pass a physical and a test, they can get the endorsement. The state level might be different though.

[amy31416]

I don't see any Federal requirement for training. So, if the person can pass a physical and a test, they can get the endorsement. The state level might be different though.

Yep. I'm sure there's a supporter somewhere who has a CDL and is closer to being certified than your average joe on the street.

[Mahkato]

Yep. I'm sure there's a supporter somewhere who has a CDL and is closer to being certified than your average joe on the street.

http://www.truckers4ronpaul.org/

[crazyfingers]

You might be better off renting a transport van of some sort, since it likely wouldn't require a special license. They normally only hold 12-15 people, but you could always reserve more than one.

[Mahkato]

I wonder if Amtrak is running any extra trains to their MSP station for the convention.

[rodo1776]

yeah good idea check the trains. You could probably get a group rate.

Also with the nosedive in the market for Winnebago's or the like you could probably find those pretty cheap to rent from private parties or dealers. Gas hogs for sure but sharing expenses and having a place to sleep adds value.

And i don't think you need any special drivers license for them?

[Mahkato]

Also with the nosedive in the market for Winnebago's or the like you could probably find those pretty cheap to rent from private parties or dealers. Gas hogs for sure but sharing expenses and having a place to sleep adds value.

Good idea. Pack 10 people in, split the gas/diesel and you're good to go. There's even a fridge for your beer. See this page (http://www.out2rv.com/help/FAQ_Owners.aspx) for tips on renting an RV from a private party.

[asgardshill]

The big expense is paying a driver's wages and expenses. In addition to finding a bus, you'll need to find someone with an endorsement on their license to be able to drive it.

A good place to start would be a bus driver for a school district. They have to have this endorsement to do their job, their pay is usually ridiculously low and I'm sure they'd jump at the chance to pick up a few bucks this way.

[yaz]

Ask the campaign, we had a school bus (painted to say constitution bus) in Iowa for the student thing.