All across America there is a large demand for school bus drivers. The shortage is widespread throughout every district in the U.S. Here in New Jersey we are no stranger to the demands put on us. There is good reason for the shortage. The requirements to become a school bus driver has become more stringent in the past years. We would like to explain the process below.
Type of License
In New Jersey a school bus driver must hold a commercial driver license (CDL). Along with the CDL you must have certain endorsements.
S Endorsement
All drivers must have a S(School Bus) Endorsement. Along with a written test administered by the NJMVC, a driver must work for a school bus company as well as pass a fingerprint background check by the NJ Dept of Education. All drivers with an S Endorsement are constantly monitored by the state’s Criminal History Review Unit for any criminal activity. If a driver is involved in criminal activity the company they work for is immediately notified and the driver is removed from duty.
P Endorsement
The P(Passenger) endorsement is a written test for transporting passengers. Anyone who drives a bus In the state must have thia endorsement whether it is a school bus or other bus transporting passengers.
Road Test
After passing all written tests form CDL and the desperate endorsements a driver will undergo an extensive road test. This test is comprised of completing a comprehensive pre-trip of the vehicle to ensure the vehicle is safe for operations. After the pre trip they will be given maneuvering tests which include, backing up, parallel parking, alley docking and whatever else the instructor deems necessary. Completion of this will then proceed to an on the road exam where a driver must successfully demonstrate he knows all the rules of the road as well as rules pertaining to loading and unloading students.
The Delay
The delay in the process is obtaining a date for the road test. The NJMVC is experiencing a large amount of applicants for CDL licenses and road tests sometimes are scheduled 2 to 3 months away.
Training
Once a driver has passed all written tests we offer in house training and usage of our buses to take the road test. We offer this with a contingency of employment for a minimum of one year. We currently do not offer outside training for a fee.