W
ith challenges ranging from traffic to weather to the ups and downs of student behavior, the job of operating a school bus can be demanding even when drivers are
at their best. But what about when their energy reserves are low? When drivers are fatigued, not only physically but mentally, levels of effectiveness go down while the potential for mishap grows. It’s an established fact that fatigue contributes to serious
accidents and in the worst cases, fatalities—or in some instances, accusations to that effect. That’s been the sit- uation following the March crash leading to the death of a Tennessee middle school student. A $5 million lawsuit filed by her parents claims, among other factors, that the driver was operating the bus while fatigued or distracted. Spending extended time behind the wheel can also con-
tribute to discomfort, poor decisions or both. Earlier this year, a 72-year-old driver in Massachusetts was accused of pulling over, instructing the children onboard to move to the back of the bus, and then urinating into a container. While causes of accidents may be disputed or traced
to a combination of factors, it’s a safe assumption that driver fatigue played a part in at least some of the 1,000- plus fatal school bus accidents experienced over a recent 10-year period, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Add to that, the many thousands of non-fatal accidents leading to injuries or vehicle damage. The potential negative impact of fatigue is hard to over-state. “Driver fatigue is a real concern in school transporta-
tion,” said Christopher Faust, transportation director at Sangamon Valley CUSD #9 in Niantic, Illinois. “In my experience, it’s not always something you see right away, but it builds over time.” Drivers are up early, have split shifts and stay active
throughout the day, he noted. As the year goes on, espe- cially when spring sports schedule picks up and there are more after-school trips, the toll becomes obvious. “The extra hours, late returns and weekends add up,”
Faust said. “Even good, experienced drivers can start to feel worn down.” Joel Hickey, a driver and trainer at Fayetteville Public Schools in Arkansas, said fatigue comes with the job. Along with training aspiring drivers, on most days he drives a morning and afternoon route. He also runs some midday shuttles and helps with field trips. “Recently I’ve averaged 45 hours per week and am
fairly tired by midweek,” he said. Other drivers at his operation face similar challenges.
Lack of available drivers brings a need to run extra routes and cover midday work, and some bus routes are overly long, causing drivers to be exhausted by the end of the
52 School Transportation News • JULY 2026
day. In addition, some drivers have extra jobs within the district such as custodial, cafeteria, monitor or child nu- trition roles, resulting in eight-to-10-hour workdays. Still others, work second jobs after their school bus
day ends to make ends meet. Johnthony Walker, the Chattanooga, Tennessee, school bus driver convicted of causing a fatal crash due to distraction and fatigue in 2016, worked the graveyard shift for an Amazon fulfill- ment center.
When Exhaustion Takes the Wheel In his role as a driver for Escambia County Public Schools in Pensacola, Florida, Cor’Darius Jones, known on social media by his over 100,000 followers as “Mr. Bus Driver,” has identified several factors leading to fatigue for himself and his peers. He speaks more about driver fatigue this month at STN EXPO West with reigning STN Transportation Director of the Year Keba Baldwin at Prince George’s County Schools in Maryland. Jones noted that in his district, which operates on a
four-tier schedule, many drivers work 10 to 11 hours a day, not including field trips or midday routes, which can extend the day even longer. Drivers may also have to double load routes or cover for absent drivers. If all four tiers are doubled both morning and afternoon, they can add up to as many as eight total routes in a single day. “I’ve personally had days with little to no breaks, and
by the time I get home, I feel completely drained, just to crash out on the couch and do it all over again the next day,” he said. “Over time, that level of fatigue adds up physically and mentally.” Like Hickey, Jones said it’s common for drivers to hold
down other jobs. “Pay is a big issue in this field, and many drivers have to take on second jobs just to make ends meet,” he said. “That definitely contributes to fatigue.” He explained that when bus drivers are already work- ing a full day behind the wheel then going to another job, your body never really gets time to recover. “It becomes a cycle of working, sleeping and repeating without rest,” he said. On top of running daily routes, some drivers tackle
longer trips. For Lisa Kelley, a driver-trainer at Grain Valley Schools east of Kansas City, Missouri, the job in- cludes taking high school bands to regional and national competitions. “We drive four and five hours and will stay overnight
while they compete, and then head back home in the early morning,” she noted. “A typical trip involves leaving at 5 a.m., resting eight-10 hours through the day and then driving students home when they finish around midnight.” By the time she returns home, it’s a 24-hour
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
