Driving busses

[Zephod]

I've pretty much completed my own bus. I've not bothered registering it as a motorhome despite it being 27,500lbs and a class D car license topping out at 26,000lbs.

In the meantime I found a friendly school district, took a job with them as a bus aide while they trained me free as a bus driver. Since the. I passed my CDL B and can and have driven just about every style of bus. Mid engine (ward), front engine, rear engine, transit style, conventional style, long, short, air brakes, hydraulic brakes.

Daily I drive whatever bus is given to me. Mostly it's a 2 year old conventional Thomas special needs bus. Sometimes it's a 1992 clunker.

So... you name it, I can drive it. If anybody in SC needs a bus delivered to them from anywhere or somebody outside SC that needs a bus from SC delivered to them then I can do it provided insurance, expenses and a gratuity.

Anybody wants to ask questions about bus driving, ask away.

[gumpy]

I'm good on the driving part, but I do have a question about your conversion. Since it's registered as a commercial vehicle, are you maintaining a driver's log book? 
You have your CDL, and I assume medical card. That's a good thing regardless if it's registered commercial or RV. Do you also have commercial insurance on it?

[Zephod]

I'm good on the driving part, but I do have a question about your conversion. Since it's registered as a commercial vehicle, are you maintaining a driver's log book? 
You have your CDL, and I assume medical card. That's a good thing regardless if it's registered commercial or RV. Do you also have commercial insurance on it?

Yes on commercial insurance. It's costly but it works for me. No log book as I barely move the bus at the moment. No real need for a log book either. We don't keep log books on the school busses. I keep lists of who travels but that's for Medicaid.

Yes, I have a CDL B and a medical card.

[B_K]

OH no you don't Craig you ain't bait'n me on this one! 
  BK 

[gumpy]

No log book as I barely move the bus at the moment. No real need for a log book either. We don't keep log books on the school busses. I keep lists of who travels but that's for Medicaid.

Do you think a DOT inspector would agree with your assessment of that?  Clearly your commercial bus is not a school bus. 

I'm just curious. I've not driven a school bus, and don't know what the law says regarding school bus and charter bus (B.K., you wanna chime in on that one? 

[Zephod]

All I know is that at work, we don't keep logs. We have specified routes that change according to where the children live that we pick up. Bear in mind I don't drive a regular route. I drive a special needs bus. This means I drop children off at their door and pick them up from their door. The kids jokingly call it a chauffeur service. It's kinda like a school taxi but I have an aide to keep the kids under control, tie downs and a lift for wheelchairs, restraint vests fir unruly children and restraints for small children.

I've never seen any log books other than a check sheet for Medicaid where we check off who rides. I fill in fault repair sheets occasionally but these are mostly sticky return valve issues.

Unless I'm asked fir a log book for my own bus, I won't keep one. It has commercial insurance but is titled as a personal vehicle.

And a photo from one of the busses I drive, just before the midday run.

[Jon]

If you are paid by the hour and if you depart and return to the shop at the end of the shift you don't need a log book. Over the road you do.

[luvrbus]

Only difference in Commercial and Personal insurance is higher limits and no assigned driver on a commercial policy. I have the commercial policy on everything because it is so much cheaper with better coverage and you don't have renew every 6 months.
School buses may be different but my drivers had to keep a log book they drove local and were paid by the hour lol I paid a $20,000 fine for the lack of log books because we crossed over into AR which was a 3 hr return trip there are some gray areas on log books   

[bigred]

When it comes to skoolies and farm trucks,there are a lot of gray areas .When I drove school buses years ago ,you could drive one if you were sixteen years old (and we had an excellent safety record ).The main test was ,the instructor would set a drink bottle on the floor beside the driver and head for a steep hill .If you could take off in 1'st gear on a steep hill without turning the bottle over(no sissy sticks back then}you were pretty much assured of getting a license which was a small card with our name and the instructors signature.Funny thing was when they started getting sissy sticks back in '56 ,you had to get re certified in order to drive one of these .They were the old forward control GMC Hydramatics like the one Willie had in the movie "On The Road Again"

[Zephod]

When it comes to skoolies and farm trucks,there are a lot of gray areas .When I drove school buses years ago ,you could drive one if you were sixteen years old (and we had an excellent safety record ).The main test was ,the instructor would set a drink bottle on the floor beside the driver and head for a steep hill .If you could take off in 1'st gear on a steep hill without turning the bottle over(no sissy sticks back then}you were pretty much assured of getting a license which was a small card with our name and the instructors signature.Funny thing was when they started getting sissy sticks back in '56 ,you had to get re certified in order to drive one of these .They were the old forward control GMC Hydramatics like the one Willie had in the movie "On The Road Again"

I'd never keep that bottle upright on my routes. Too many potholes and dirt tracks. Mind, in one place I have to come from a side road, cross a 4 lane road and do a right hand pickup about 200 feet down the road from the side road which is so conveniently angled against the direction of the turn.  Yesterday, faced with that, darkness and thick fog in which I could see only 50 feet or so I said nope, left the route and made a detour so I could go through a traffic light. It was a shade safer. In order to keep to my tight schedule my only recourse is fast takeiffs from stops and believe me, my work bus drives like a rocket. No governor and a high revving engine. My braking by comparison is very gentle. I have known students incorrectly seated to fall off the seats on railroad crossings.

[brmax]

I believe the standard thing in this being the paid to drive a commercial and or size, one.
Second would be having the license to do this, and follows with driving/operating in a certain rule. I mean like to and from field to mill or barge, and within state or local (sometimes state determined).
Three having the license and if required yearly med cards to do this operating, this is clear actually that's being (private non gov you need yearly med card).
And four would be doing and passing the testing in the Classifications so to be listed on your card giving proof of license.
Finally all the things one has to do in this licensed ability, as it has a few things one needs to do.
1st is really this ( operator is responsible ) that means everything in the book is your duty to find know read and carry out under the given opportunity to drive in these commercial restriction classes.
That word sure puts a stick in thee ole spoke eh!  Its suppose to get a second and third look for regular commercial operators.
The whole idea of driving passengers and to raise it to kids well, ya best do a re-read.

have a good day there
Floyd

[blue_goose]

I am surprised that a school bus driver doesn't have to fill out a DVIR.  I am a part time driver for WDW and every bus has to have a pre trip inspection lodged into the DVIR and a post trip every day.  Also if there is a change in drivers on the bus the old driver logs out and the new driver logs in and checks the bus before he or she starts to drive. Every day that I work I drive at least 2 and most of the time three different buses.  Most days I am the last driver of my last bus so I have to do the post trip.  There aren't as many things to check on the post as the pre trip.  Our buses don't go off Disney property ( unless by mistake )   
Jack

[buswarrior]

Muddy waters...

EVERY jurisdiction in North America has different rules, and different exemptions, or not, for school bus drivers and the school purposes vehicles.

BEWARE, that there are MANY school bus companies who BREAK THE LAW in regards to proper hours of service and vehicle inspection matters.

On purpose or through ignorance.

What are the fines in your jurisdiction for being found out of compliance? And who is going to pay?

For your own vehicle, beware that there is an underworld of commercial operators who try to masquerade as private conversions/ recreational vehicles. The authorities are well versed in the profile, and you may unwittingly fit the mold...

Online forums are not the best source of legislative compliance for your jurisdiction.

Takes your chances, pay the tickets?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[chessie4905]

I've noticed, over the years that some here desire or are pulling pretty large trailers behind their coaches. I'm sure at least some are in some type of business with them, and some probably don't use or maybe don't need a CDL. Just sayin....

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

When I drove school buses years ago ,you could drive one if you were sixteen years old (and we had an excellent safety record ).

16 years old with an excellent safety record?  At 16 years old, you don't really have enuf seat time to have a bad safety record unless you were really on the wild side do you?