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DMiller 
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 33503
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 Topic: School Bus Driver Shortage
Posted: 26 Oct 2020 at 4:54pm |
Seems is on the News EVERYWHERE, signs on a bus in Every major and many Minor city rural is seeing the issue where some drivers are running multiple routes.
Had a Epiphany on this. Cannot Scold a Child on the bus, Cannot discipline a child on a bus, Cannot yell Across the bus to get the little Monsters OOOPS!, I mean the Little Children to behave and cannot stop the bus due to unruly children. There comes to mind SEVERAL reasons NOT to drive.
So fix the Buses, make them Bus Trailers!! Driver sits Impersonal, DETACHED and well away from ANY conflagration, can build these Lower to the ground so easier to access debark, Place a School Teacher inside the trailer as Chaperone over the children and use it for their Carpool ride to 'Save Money'!!
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allischalmerguy
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Deep River, IA
Points: 2893
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Posted: 26 Oct 2020 at 5:06pm |
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I have thought about driving a school bus. I am retired. I think most people don't want to do it with the same reasons as me. The kids don't mind you and don't respect you. That is why I don't want to drive.
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It is great being a disciple of Jesus! 1950 WD, 1957 D17...retired in Iowa,
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plummerscarin
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Joined: 22 Jun 2015
Location: ia
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Posted: 26 Oct 2020 at 5:59pm |
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Guilty as charged. We never had a driver last more than a year. Yes we could have been better but I don't think was as bad as now. Several districts here are looking also and no I have no desire to be one.
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john(MI)
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: SE MI
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Posted: 26 Oct 2020 at 7:35pm |
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All around here are begging for drivers. Maybe they could just put in a sound proof cockpit? They are putting in an enclosure in the city busses due to the Covid, maybe could do something like that for school busses.
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D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446
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jiminnd
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Joined: 16 Sep 2009
Location: Rutland ND
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Posted: 26 Oct 2020 at 8:53pm |
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Same here. I drove 40+ years ago ,was different then, you could discipline the kids then.
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1945 C, 1949 WF and WD, 1981 185, 1982 8030, unknown D14(nonrunner)
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 24480
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Posted: 26 Oct 2020 at 9:08pm |
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same up here... HUGE responsiblity and LOUSY pay, 2$ more than min,no benefits, split shifts and oh yeah 30-40 'holy terrors' each trip...
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
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Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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shameless dude
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Posted: 26 Oct 2020 at 11:26pm |
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around here they have cameras on the buses, anyone that's unruly just gets banned from the bus. that's when the parents take over like they are supposed to. our schools are also considering not having the buses anymore because of driver shortages.
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Coke
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Joined: 30 Sep 2018
Location: MIdwest
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Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 7:54am |
The early UK buses had the right idea, where the drivers cab is not part of the passenger compartment. Come to think of it, maybe the old driver / ticket collector is the way to go on school buses. Keep the driver away from the nonsense and employ a security guard of some kind to monitor the passenger compartment, even better, make the parents take turns at it.
I'm the same as the rest of you, I'd do it, if it weren't for the kids.
Edited by Coke - 27 Oct 2020 at 7:55am
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1957 D17 Diesel w/ M&W Pistons
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Hubert (Ga)engine7
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Jackson Cnty,GA
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Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 12:02pm |
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Won't say that there is NO WAY I would drive a school bus but it is highly unlikely. If one of the little brats gets hurt or anything else happens it is the driver's fault but yet he/she can not discipline the little crumb crunchers. And the parents know their little darling would never misbehave. When I was riding the bus the driver would take care of matters if I got out of line and then I would get my rear end tore up again when I got home.
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Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God.
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Thad in AR.
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Location: Arkansas
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Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 3:49pm |
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The bus drivers always made me ride on the entrance steps so they could keep an eye on me. Can they not do that anymore?
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Hubert (Ga)engine7
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Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 7:12pm |
 Thad in AR. wrote:
The bus drivers always made me ride on the entrance steps so they could keep an eye on me. Can they not do that anymore? |
Not anymore. No one ahead of the yellow line. That way if a kid is standing in the aisle he/she gets a running start before going through the windshield if the bus driver has to slam on the brakes.
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Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God.
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Kansas99
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Location: W Kansas
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Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 8:36pm |
Hubert (Ga)engine7 wrote:
Thad in AR. wrote:
The bus drivers always made me ride on the entrance steps so they could keep an eye on me. Can they not do that anymore? |
Not anymore. No one ahead of the yellow line. That way if a kid is standing in the aisle he/she gets a running start before going through the windshield if the bus driver has to slam on the brakes. |
"That way if a kid is standing in the aisle he/she gets a running start
before going through the windshield if the bus driver has to slam on the
brakes."
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"Thank you for your service Joe & the Ho"-----Joseph Stalin
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ac fleet
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Location: Arrowsmith, ILL
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Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 12:50pm |
good way to get sued by some dumb azzed parent for something you didnt do! -- saw it happen before! I did at one time consider the bus job,--school begged me to drive because they knew my driving record and how I drove in all kinds of weather BUT then came up the subject of the big monsters! ---- turned down the offer many times. They still bug me every year to drive, so I gave them a list of needs they would have to provide on the bus they wanted me to drive!--- that got them to slow down a bit, but not completely stop asking ---- they did agree to a few of my demands, one being a guard with authority riding, cameras on the bus, and 1 parent every day taking turns riding to see how radical these big kids are in todays world. --- I still say no and intend to keep it that way!
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
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Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 2:46pm |
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You are NOT a lone soldier there AC!!
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Dave in PA
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Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 4:43pm |
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I considered doing it, in my local school district as well. The pay is good to start, increases very quick! Benefit package, with retirement, you can not beat! You work about 6 hours a day, pending the bus route, 185 + or- days a year, plus the extras once you get some time in for the field trips etc. And start out at a fairly good wage. The parents, the kids, ???
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allischalmerguy
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Location: Deep River, IA
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Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 10:10pm |
Hubert (Ga)engine7 wrote:
Won't say that there is NO WAY I would drive a school bus but it is highly unlikely. If one of the little brats gets hurt or anything else happens it is the driver's fault but yet he/she can not discipline the little crumb crunchers. And the parents know their little darling would never misbehave. When I was riding the bus the driver would take care of matters if I got out of line and then I would get my rear end tore up again when I got home. |
Hubert-Same here. We got in trouble for cussing in mexican on the bus when I was a kid. The principal balled us out real good. Our parents were called. When we got home we got balled out real good AND our mouths washed out with soap! We got in worse trouble at home!
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It is great being a disciple of Jesus! 1950 WD, 1957 D17...retired in Iowa,
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Lars(wi)
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Posted: 10 Nov 2020 at 7:42am |
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Here, a sign is posted at the Midland TX (MISD) bus barn, advertising $22.00 hr. to start.
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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.
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PaulB
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Posted: 10 Nov 2020 at 4:00pm |
The thing I can't understand is:  Why do the counties even have School Busses? If you're anywhere near a school of any grade before or after classes there are miles of traffic jams with the soccer mommies hauling their little snot nosed brats that are too good to ride a bus. Most of the busses in line are less than half full. This was before the COVID thing.
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If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere.
Real pullers don't have speed limits.
If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY
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Stan IL&TN
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Posted: 11 Nov 2020 at 5:12am |
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If there was a shortage of drivers before COVID, there sure is now. I would not want to be around a group of kids this year for sure.
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1957 WD45 dad's first AC
1968 one-seventy
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DMiller
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Posted: 11 Nov 2020 at 6:18am |
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Local Districts are having to double up bus runs, are starting runs earlier, and children getting home later.
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 12 Nov 2020 at 6:04pm |
With the WUHAN spiking up, the local schools are being PROactive and cancelling school middle of the month. Kids will all be home schooled till mid January... then guess again ?
No bus drivers needed here !
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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DougG
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Posted: 15 Nov 2020 at 9:00am |
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See those - wanted bus drivers - all over central Mo, and now they says theres a shortage of trash truck drivers - and off coarse the bill went up - go figure that one
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DMiller
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Posted: 15 Nov 2020 at 3:37pm |
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Some consider Trash Trucks beneath their dignity, pay is generally higher than normal truck service. Wrenched a great deal of Maggot Wagons and Honey Buckets over the years. Worst machines I ever thru a wrench or welder to were Dump Heavy Equipment, compactors, Dozers, that odor just never leaves once endured, strike a weld on a previous dump crawler, you will understand as that goo they worked in permeated the very steel.
Edited by DMiller - 15 Nov 2020 at 3:39pm
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Dan Hauter
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Posted: 16 Nov 2020 at 9:33pm |
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I drove school buses from 1979 to 1985. Enjoyed it for the most part. Got attached to some of the children. Could go back & do it again now that I'm retired but the core problem is that most parents don't teach children respect anymore and won't tolerate anyone else disciplining their little angels. Some parents just plain don't care about anything other than their boy/girlfriends, cigarettes, booze, and drugs. Other parents refuse to acknowledge that their children have any problems and get real angry when anyone else brings up their children's behavior problems. Yet, a minority of parents are really great. I applaud them!
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acjwb
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Location: WV
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Posted: 17 Nov 2020 at 10:34pm |
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I have been driving school bus for 42 years. I have enjoyed it and most of the time had good kids. I have gotten to go to many interesting places taking them on trips. I am in WV and have went to Washington DC, Pittsburg PA, and many places in Ohio. Our pay is more than most states is and the retirement is good also. There are some of the big counties here that do not have enough drivers for all of the routes. I agree that the behavior of the students is not as good today as it was. A lot more paperwork today and making sure your cover your own a$$. I have had a great route for many years and park my bus at home. If my health was better, I would stay several more years, but I think this is my last year. Right now the kids are remote learning so we are running school lunches to the kids daily, so we still get paid. It has been a good life for me.
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