What Can We Do About the School Bus Driver Shortage in 2024?

School district years are August-May or September-June. But for many districts, planning for the 2024-2025 school year begins before January. One of the top priorities this year will be student transportation and how to get kids to and from school without hours-long commutes that begin before sunrise and end after sunset.

School bus transportation is the only option for many students. Low-income families and kids in foster care are the hardest hit when a district has school transportation issues. The driver shortage takes the blame, but why do we have a school bus driver shortage crisis?

Reasons for fewer school bus drivers include:

• Driver licensing requirements
• Driving large vehicles difficult
• Driving school buses is rigid/hours inflexible
• Intimidated by background check/drug screening
• Low pay
• Low/no benefits
• Responsibility for children stressful
• Retirement surge as Baby Boomers leave the workforce

One solution, says a Sacramento television station, is “under the hood.” School bus driver-applicants must pass an under-the-hood test to qualify for a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Test-takers must lift the hood of the bus – which can be physically challenging for many – then identify the vehicle’s engine components. The process can be intimidating enough to prevent possible bus drivers from even taking the CDL test.

The under-the-hood portion of the test also directly conflicts with the mandate that drivers never leave their school buses. If there’s a breakdown, they are instructed to call dispatch for a mechanic and/or backup.

In 2022, the Dept. of Transportation, Dept. of Education, and the FMCSA granted a federal exemption for school bus drivers from taking the under-the-hood portion of the test. Only Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin opted to use the waiver.

Many school districts said they didn’t adopt the waiver because updating their software systems was too complicated. There is a movement to make the waiver mandatory in all 50 states.

BusBoss Transportation Solutions

Software systems for your organization should be effective for what you do and scalable for future changes and growth. Updating your software systems won’t be “too complicated” when you partner with the right service provider.

BusBoss transportation solutions are designed for:

• IT professionals – Built-in capabilities, fast data conversion for turnkey implementation, easy installation, and training backed by a great support team will have you operating efficiently 24/7.
• School administrators – You need the right tools for knowledge-based decision-making: budget analyses, safety reports, and executive summaries give you real-time data at a glance.
• School bus contractors – Managing customer satisfaction is made easier with BusBoss optimization.
• Transportation coordinators – You’ll appreciate our affordable solutions to multi-school or multi-district transportation management.
• …and more. BusBoss is the leader in transportation software for people like you.

To learn more, check our transportation and school bus routing FAQs (frequently asked questions). If you have additional questions, call 866-740-8994 or contact BusBoss.

Do you think waiving the under-the-hood test will help end the school bus driver shortage? What solutions are your state or district exploring? Share your ideas!