Bus driversEvery day, millions of Americans every day leave the driving to bus drivers. Bus drivers are essential in providing passengers with an alternative to their automobiles or other forms of transportation. Intercity bus drivers transport people between regions of a State or of the country; local-transit bus drivers do so within a metropolitan area or county; motor coach drivers take customers on charter excursions and tours; and schoolbus drivers take children to and from schools and related events. Drivers pick up and drop off passengers at bus stops, stations, or, in the case of students, at regularly scheduled neighborhood locations based on strict time schedules. Drivers must operate vehicles safely, especially when traffic is heavier than normal. However, they cannot let light traffic put them ahead of schedule so that they miss passengers. Local-transit and intercity bus drivers report to their assigned terminal or garage, where they stock up on tickets or transfers and prepare trip report forms. In some transportation firms, maintenance departments are responsible for keeping vehicles in good condition. In others, drivers may check their vehicle�s tires, brakes, windshield wipers, lights, oil, fuel, and water supply before beginning their routes. Drivers usually verify that the bus has safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and emergency reflectors in case of an emergency. During the course of their shift, local-transit and intercity bus drivers collect fares; answer questions about schedules, routes, and transfer points; and sometimes announce stops. Intercity bus drivers may make only a single one-way trip to a distant city or a round trip each day. They may stop at towns just a few miles apart or only at large cities hundreds of miles apart. Local-transit bus drivers may make several trips each day over the same city and suburban streets, stopping as frequently as every few blocks. Local-transit bus drivers submit daily trip reports with a record of trips, significant schedule delays, and mechanical problems. Intercity drivers who drive across State or national boundaries must comply with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. These include completing vehicle inspection reports and recording distances traveled and the periods they spend driving, performing other duties, and off duty. Motorcoach drivers transport passengers on charter trips and sightseeing tours. Drivers routinely interact with customers and tour guides to make the trip as comfortable and informative as possible. They are directly responsible for keeping to strict schedules, adhering to the guidelines of the tours� itinerary, and ensuring the overall success of the trip. These drivers act as customer service representative, tour guide, program director, and safety guide. Trips frequently last more than 1 day. The driver may be away for more than a week if assigned to an extended tour. As with all drivers who drive across State or national boundaries, motorcoach drivers must comply with Department of Transportation regulations. Schoolbus drivers usually drive the same routes each day, stopping to pick up pupils in the morning and return them to their homes in the afternoon. Some schoolbus drivers also transport students and teachers on field trips or to sporting events. In addition to driving, some schoolbus drivers work part time in the school system as janitors, mechanics, or classroom assistants when not driving buses. Bus drivers must be alert in order to prevent accidents, especially in heavy traffic or in bad weather, and to avoid sudden stops or swerves that jar passengers. Schoolbus drivers must exercise particular caution when children are getting on or off the bus. They must maintain order on their bus and enforce school safety standards by allowing only students to board. In addition, they must know and enforce rules regarding student conduct used throughout the school system. Schoolbus drivers do not always have to report to an assigned terminal or garage. In some cases, they have the choice of taking their bus home, or parking it in a more convenient area. Schoolbus drivers do not collect fares. Instead, they prepare weekly reports on the number of students, trips or �runs,� work hours, miles, and fuel consumption. Their supervisors set time schedules and routes for the day or week. Related news articles A BUS driver who claimed he was robbed at knifepoint yesterday ... - 16 Oct 2006 Glasgow Daily Record,Ian Gammie, 22, told police a man in an SAS-style ski mask pressed a knife against his face and demanded money before fleeing. But ... Chartered Bus Driver Killed In Crash - 16 Oct 2006 WCCO,The school staffer tried to grab the steering wheel after Speiker fell ill, authorities said. Speiker had been a bus driver for Benjamin for about three years. ... Driver cited for crash with school bus - 16 Oct 2006 WKRC 12,The district's transportation director is praising bus driver Hollie Boyuk for keeping the bus from going over a guard rail and down a 15-foot bank along the ... Driver of bus carrying Carleton College students dies in crash - 16 Oct 2006 Pioneer Press,...safe stop, officials said. Speiker had been a bus driver for Benjamin for about three years. His wife also drives for the company. Hale County Teen Remains In Jail For Assaulting Bus Driver - 16 Oct 2006 KLBK CBS 13,Police say 17-year-old Nicholas Medina stabbed a school bus driver around 7:30 am Wednesday. It happened at the intersection of ... Bus driver made up masked robbery - 16 Oct 2006 BBC News,A bus driver who claimed he had been robbed at knifepoint by a masked man later confessed he had made up the story after losing £50 of takings. ... Bus Driver Appreciation Day - Oct 15, 2006 Brampton News,October 13, 2006 - The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board will pay tribute to its school bus drivers by holding a Bus Driver Appreciation Day on ... Bus driver to receive award for fiery rescue - Oct 14, 2006 Waco Tribune Herald,By Mike Anderson. CRANFILLS GAP — People in this Bosque County community call Abraham Martinez a hero for saving a student from a burning school bus. ... Police: Bus driver may face traffic charge - Oct 13, 2006 Gwinnett Daily Post,LAWRENCEVILLE - A school bus driver involved in a Wednesday accident on Club Drive that injured two children on the bus could face a misdemeanor traffic charge ... Slow-moving driver rear-ends bus - Oct 14, 2006 Wilmington Morning Star,Seven students, a teacher and a bus driver were on the bus, which was returning from a field trip to a local bakery, said Steve Sullivan, Hoggard assistant ... School bus driver cited after wreck, trucker injured - Oct 14, 2006 The Times-Herald,By ELIZABETH RICHARDSON. A school bus driver received a citation from police for a wreck Friday morning that sent one man to the hospital. ... Alert taxi driver saves bus passengers from fiery death - Oct 10, 2006 Malaysia Star,JOHOR BARU: An alert taxi driver saved a bus driver and his two passengers from a fiery death when he noticed the back tyre of the bus in flames. ... Bus driver arrested after fatal accident - Oct 11, 2006 SABC News,A bus driver has been arrested after two Putco bus inspectors were killed in an accident on the notorious Moloto Road, outside Tshwane. ... Bus driver probed after two die in accident - Oct 11, 2006 SABC News,Police are investigating a charge of culpable homicide against a bus driver after two bus inspectors were killed this morning on the Moloto road east of ... Bus driver jailed for crash death - Oct 11, 2006 BBC News,A Polish bus driver who caused a road crash in Devon in which a teenage girl died has been jailed for two years. Robert Botur hit ... Bus Driver Returns Unruly Kids - Oct 9, 2006 KATC,The Lafayette Parish school system is investigating whether a bus driver acted properly while dealing with what he calls a bus load of uncontrollable kids. ... German court's offer to bus crash driver - Oct 11, 2006 Norwich Evening News,A bus driver was yesterday offered a bizarre cut-price penalty deal by a German court hearing the circumstances of a tragic autobahn crash that claimed the ... More information on Bus drivers from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Overview of Bus drivers occupation Number of Bus drivers in the U.S. Salary and earnings for Bus drivers Working conditions for Bus drivers Significant points for Bus drivers Training requirements for Bus drivers Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new |