SPECIAL REPORT Yellow Only?
Some in industry say a new tailored CDL could best address the ongoing school bus driver shortage
Written By Kari Lydersen
K
ari Turner, a school bus driver and transpor- tation director for Depew Union Free School District in upstate New York, will never forget the day when a disgruntled parent asked her
why she didn’t have a “real job.” Such disrespect from parents and students are top
reasons that student transporters cite for the ongoing na- tionwide school bus driver shortage. Case in point, 172 of 227 readers responding to a recent School Transportation News survey said student behavior was the most com- mon explanation chosen for the driver shortage. And 100 of those readers also cited negative interactions with par- ents. (Respondents could choose more than one factor). Studies have shown that the pandemic did indeed
have serious impacts on student mental health and behavior problems. And the proliferation of social media doesn’t help, as many drivers and educators have said. Such large societal issues are hard for districts and
policymakers to address. But transportation directors and bus providers say
there’s at least one realm where common-sense policy change could make bus drivers’ lives easier and help recruit new drivers, with no adverse effects. That would mean reforming the stringent licensing requirements that currently mandate bus drivers go through the same
training and certification as long-haul truck drivers, in- cluding passing an “under-the-hood” test that identifies all engine parts, despite most bus drivers never needing to deal with the engine. “They are training us like we are truck drivers, not bus
drivers,” said Linda Forster, transportation supervisor at Clarence Central School District in upstate New York, which is facing a shortage of about 20 drivers.
A Specific CDL The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration allows
state agencies to offer school districts waivers from the under-the-hood requirement for school bus drivers, and at least nine states at this writing had done so. But those waivers have only been temporary, with the
current two-year extension expiring in November 2024. The federal government first allowed states to offer a three-month waiver in early 2022, to help alleviate the driver shortage in the wake of the pandemic. The National School Transportation Association has
requested a five-year waiver and also proposed a school- bus-only CDL that does not include under-the-hood inspections. That’s necessary, according to NSTA, in part because the current waiver doesn’t cover drivers traveling be-
82% of transportation directors/supervisors said school bus drivers should have a unique CDL. (Out of 230 responses to a recent STN magazine survey.)
10 The average number of school bus drivers vacancies. (Out of 229 responses.)
70% of transportation directors/supervisors stated that the severity of their school bus driver shortage has not lessened as this school year progressed. (Out of 228 responses.)
Nationwide, do you think the driver shortage is the worse it’s ever been? 78% Yes 19% It’s about the same 3% No
(Out of 228 responses.)
18 School Transportation News • JULY 2023
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