Expired Credentials on the Road: Safeguarding School Bus Transportation

There's a lot to keep track of when managing a school district's bus fleet - but don't allow basic licensing and other credentials to go overlooked! Your drivers' licenses and insurance must be maintained, and your buses will also require regular inspections and certifications as well.

Allowing any of these to lapse could lead to significant fines, other legal problems, and potentially even child-endangerment lawsuits. BusBoss can help you stay on top of your bureaucratic requirements. Here are the most important things to keep in mind.

1 - Know your local state requirements and processing times

Every state has different specific requirements for licensing school bus drivers and certifying their vehicles. Holding a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) is a requirement across the nation, but other specifics will vary. For example, some states like California require school bus drivers to pass medical/physical exams, but not all states have that requirement. Likewise, specifics for inspecting and certifying the buses will also vary from state to state.

Besides knowing the requirements, it's also important to keep track of required renewal dates and processing times. Know how long it will take for a license or other permit to be renewed, and you can avoid any lapses.

2 - Track all required credentials in a database

We strongly recommend against trying to track these certifications by hand. You're going to have many drivers and buses, and most of them will have different expiration dates for their various credentials. This is exactly the sort of task that database software excels at.

The software should be 'smart' enough to monitor expiration dates and other critical due dates, and send alerts to you with plenty of time to handle upcoming renewals. 

3 - Proactively send reminders

While it is technically your drivers' responsibility to ensure their licenses and other certs stay up-to-date, there's no good reason to be hands-off on this issue. When a driver is nearing a critical expiration date, go ahead and send them a notification. Drivers have a lot to keep track of as well, and this reminder is an easy way to potentially prevent a lot of unnecessary drama from a simple mistake.

4 - Never allow non-certified drivers on the road

No matter the circumstances, never allow a driver to take a school bus unless you know they are legal to drive that bus. Both the driver and your district could be facing steep and severe legal penalties if they ever drive on expired credentials. Again, there have even been child-endangerment cases launched due to bus drivers who lack proper licensing, which is something no district can afford to deal with.

BusBoss Centralizes Your Transportation System

BusBoss can be your all-in-one solution for creating bus routes, tracking students and drivers, and offering centralized access to all necessary data. If you're struggling to keep up with bureaucratic requirements, contact us to learn more!

Until then, how does your district keep up with state paperwork? Please share your tips in the comments!