r/SchoolBusDrivers

I will be riding the bus to school for the first time since elementary. I am expecting mostly freshmen like me and sophomores on the bus, as juniors and seniors are allowed to drive to school. I wanted to know if driving high schoolers is hard, or do they go on their phones/listen to music and be quiet the entire way home.

Six years driving, always regular ed. Dispatch called Thursday and said I’ve got a sped route Monday because the guy who had it last year didn’t come back.

Asked what I need to know about the kids. Got told the monitor will fill me in. Fine, except I looked at the sheet and there’s no monitor on it Tuesday or Thursday. What’s bugging me is that this information obviously exists. It just never makes it to the person actually putting them in the vehicle.
Is this everywhere? Asking seriously.

Do you "bid" for routes like how construction companies and trash haulers bid for city contracts? Or are you hand given routes?

Sorry if this isn’t allowed. My daughter just started riding the bus and shes been getting off with a bright red face. She said she asked the bus driver and he said theres no ac. Shes only 5 so she didn’t ask for details. Im embarrassed to ask if it’s broken or they just don’t have one. I feel bad for everyone in there including the driver if theres no ac! It’s so hot wth.

A 'very well-behaved' *cough* child threatened to report me today when I tried to have a talk with him about behavior. By the time my route was done, I had an anonymous CPS report on me. So Glad for the video that somehow missed all the child abuse taking place on my bus.

When someone quits and comes back years later, is it normal for them to be able to reclaim their seniority when it comes to bidding for their route before the school year begins again? Apparently it’s happening at my location and I can’t see how that’s a fair thing to do.

I have a dilemma I applied for Mta for bus operator a few months ago you were new cdl A driver they recently called me for me to do my pre-employment too small children and one on the way also I have a interview to be a school bus driver as well school bus driver fits my schedule for when my youngest daughter gets out of school and I’m hearing that the MTA Bus Operator requires a lot of time at the beginning of the career. Just wanted to get an opinion from people with experience ?

Well , manager reviewed the videos in wich the student was indeed misbehaving, says that i overreacted, removed all the reports from the student and that instead of reporting his misbehaving i should talk to him .🙃also that don't listen to mom but at the same they did everything mom wanted .

Bus driver minibus in san antonio, NISD pays 15 hr ,i have this student comes on first day yelling demanding water , i offer him some juice and he says this taste worse than water , throw this out , so i report him .Second day he tells a fellow student not to take his medicine pills because they are bad for their brain, i report him again. Third day mom comes crying that pls don't make more reports, ok cool . I sit him behind me and we had 2 glorious peaceful days .He didn't liked the seat . He comes on Friday afternoon saying "DO YOU HAVE MY NEW SEAT READY , MY MOM IS GOING TO CALL YOUR MANAGER SO YOU SEAT ME WHERE I WANT " . We got to his stop , mom called mes storming to me , hey you can't seat him there he needs to talk with his friend , he doesn't have time in school to.talk to him and you are being evil etc etc etc . Im tired of this BS , i believe i might just quit.

I heard back from a manager at my new school van job on Thursday. Having passed my many checks (background, drug, health, moving violations, child abuse), I expected that I’d start some sort of additional training this coming week - such as familiarizing myself with the van, the route, and perhaps other stuff, such as how to deal with kids on the bus. The manager said she’d get back to me this coming week, but my first work day may be the first day of school, 8/24.

If that’s what happens, it would surprise me a bit. I might just need to receive my route, plot it in my GPS, and go!

We shall see.

I take my kids with me on my runs. I’m looking into homeschooling. I’m wondering if any of you do bus life and home school. What does your typical day look like?

My district has a policy, all students get free breakfast.

My elementary has new admin staff, not only does this school no longer serve free breakfast for all students against policy, they don't accept the bus kids till there is no more time for them to eat. Plus I'm leaving the school later so my middle and high school students are also not getting to school early enough for the free breakfast.

District policy did not change.

Hello, everyone! I am a trainer for a school transportation company. I am putting together a training guide of the things that make a bus ***fail*** pre trip

I do NOT need any leaks-got those covered.

I am looking for pictures of:

Cracked mirrors

Broken mirror mounts

Broken/cracked u bolts on leaf springs

Retread tires where you can see the seam (this one isn't necessarily a fail, I just want to show a passing retread with a seam. I don't currently have any here.)

Broken exhaust hangers

I have been Googling these things but Google doesn't know the difference between tired people (lots of "are you tired" pictures) and tires. (I think I hurt myself, I rolled my eyes so hard at my last search!)

Thank you for your help!

My husband is a school bus driver in San Diego, California, and the summer heat and sun glare can get pretty brutal, especially during afternoon routes.

I’m putting together some useful driver essentials for him and would love recommendations from experienced school bus drivers. I’ve done a lot of searching already, but in my experience, Reddit and tips from real people are by far the most helpful.

What sunglasses do you use for long hours behind the wheel? Polarized or non-polarized? Any particular lens color or brand that works well for bright sun, windshield glare, and going in and out of shaded areas?

I’m especially looking for something comfortable enough to wear for hours, doesn’t get too hot or sweaty, and still lets him clearly see the dashboard, mirrors, traffic lights, and students.

Also open to any other eye-protection or sun-glare tips that have made summer driving more comfortable.

Thanks! 🚌☀️😎

​I was reviewing my new route time schedules for the upcoming school year, and I’m honestly mind-boggled by what the software came up with.

​A few highlights from my "Trip Details":

​0-minute layovers: Scheduled drop-off at the High School at 7:10 AM, with departure for the next route set for 7:12 AM. That’s supposed to include unloading ~30 high schoolers, waiting for the bus loop traffic to clear, and doing a post-trip child check... in 120 seconds.

​Teleportation between stops: Multiple stops scheduled in the exact same minute through residential neighborhoods with speed humps.

​PM Dismissal fantasy: The PM route has me departing the school loop at 3:25 PM—the exact minute we’re barely allowed to roll up to the loading zone from the layover lot, long before any elementary kids have actually boarded.

​Up until now, I always assumed the driver shortage was primarily driven by low pay, split shifts, and difficult student behavior. But seeing how management/software expects us to bent space-time just to stick to an unworkable schedule—or artificially shrink route hours—makes the whole thing much clearer. It just shows a complete disconnect from what actually happens behind the wheel of a 40-foot bus.

​Are your companies using the same fantasy-land routing software, or does your dispatch actually tweak these times to match real-world driving conditions?