r/SchoolBusDrivers

One of my pet peeves is when kids get on the bus and don't acknowledge their driver at all when being greeted. I always greet kids with a smile and cheerful hello and some of these kids act as if I'm a peasant 😅 And I'm NOT talking about genuinely shy or sped kids.

I rode with one driver during training and he said a couple of his kids never acknowledge or say a word to him (grade school age) but always want to perk up when there's treats being given out. Which figures, lol.

I have children of my own and before any fieldtrip I remind them to always say hello to their driver and thank them before getting off. As a driver, I personally don't expect any thanks but just plain acknowledgement and common curiosity goes a long way. I don't take it personally, just a little annoying is all.

Also when there's zero respect for other's time all together... whether from parent or child. We pickup just about same time every day and they're not ready, traffic starts to back up, walking like a snail and dragging their feet as if there's all the time in the world. Drives me crazy 🤪😅

4.5 days left after today! haha

I have no idea why, but sometimes my bus randomly honks the horn once after cranking the engine over?

Never happens during morning pre trip. Only after I go back for the afternoon run/once school bell rings and I start the engine. It also doesn't do it every time. I can't figure out what causes it. Does anyone know why/experience this before?

As stated there's 2 questions.

First. I'm 32 and work a part time job in SW pennsylvania waiting to start my training. I guess the company I'm going through will only be for substitute driving. My question here is should I seek out a full time route and is it a job I can live on with 2 daughters and normal expenses.

Secondly question

I see these job postings for these bus companies hiring monitors. Are there now bus monitors to aid drivers with kids today ? When I was in school that wasn't a thing.

But work grounded me for a TRACE of sugar in my urine.

Even my primary care (PA) seemed bewildered that they pulled me off duty for that.

The DOT doctor didn't even mention it to me or suggest I follow up with my primary care "doc."

Is this normal? Has this happened to anyone else?

Hi guys, I recently started CDL B training with Durham School Services. I came in with my CLP already. Durham provides the training and testing here locally. My question, how difficult is the pre inspection and skills exam? Do a lot of people fail? Thanks.

Hello everyone, I’ve been driving a school bus since September, and my lead driver informed me that I need to clean underneath the seats. On Friday, I lifted them up and saw grime caked onto the metal. I tried cleaning it with a broom and a handheld vacuum, but it wasn't easy. What methods do you recommend for cleaning the seats? Thanks in advance!

A student got glitter all over the back of the bus. I was able to sweep some of it up but it seems like a certain amount is just stuck to the rubber floor. Any advice for cleaning up this mess?

SUPER new driver here and finishing up the remainder of the school year on a route for someone who's out on medical. I'll then get my own route in the fall.

I have a student on my bus (around junior high age) that smells like body odor just about every single day... it's pretty bad. Sometimes in the morning, but nearly every single afternoon. It doesn't help that they almost always wear a hoodie even when it's 70+ degrees (I don't have reason to believe they are wearing it to hide SH marks or anything as they sometimes take it off). They sometimes wear the same hoodie for 2-3 days in a row which doesn't help the situation.

I literally have to bring scented hand sanitizer every day to help make it somewhat bearable in a discrete way. The monitor said the driver I took over for used to blast the fans even when it was chilly to help get the smell away.

My only thing is, there's only 7 or 8 school days left for the year. How would you handle this? Or would you just ignore it?

So apparently there was a middle schooler throwing skittles at another middle schooler, and I hadn’t quite realized it yet cause I was out on a highway on an extremely difficult winter icy road in Alaska. What caught my attention was a student suddenly shout to the student who was throwing skittles at him, “I’m gonna shove these skittles up my ass and fart in your face and make you smell the rainbow!!!!” 🌈 Low key told them they can’t talk like that to each other and they needed to help me clean the bus up tomorrow. But secretly I went back to the barn and told every single person I could meet and for years have repeated that story. Slow clap only in my head.

I signed some paperwork and i have an orientation zoom soon. But in my state i heard i need to buy a $50 CLP learning permit. But i heard first student helps with it? I dunno. Or is it like online studies first?

today there was a bus with flashing yellow lights on for a good while and many cars were passing the bus then as another car reached the drivers side window the bus driver flipped on red lights and began to turn the stop sign on. the driver of the car continued to go because from my perspective(car who witnessed this)the driver was at the point of no return. should the driver have stopped along side of the bus or kept driving? what would the penalty be? this is the first time I’ve witnessed something like this.

I just got my cdl class b with passenger and school endorsement 3 weeks ago, I’ve applied to 5 different school districts in my area and not a single call back or email. I’ve been told that a lot of schools are looking for drivers. I’m not sure if being close to the of the school year has something to do with it.

My question is, how long did it take you to find your first school bus job?