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Becoming a Van Driver

While most school kids get to school by riding on a school bus, but a fair number of kids also take a ride on a school van! These vans, of course, need drivers, and here at Rohrer Bus we’re always looking for reliable and friendly people to drive our vans. If you’ve ever wondered about the process people go through to become school van drivers, you’ve found the right article!

At Rohrer Bus, we train all school van drivers in-house, so the process is seamlessly easy to navigate through. Our Personnel team, Trainers, and District Supervisors will help you with every step of the process!

Apply To Become A Van Driver

Applying to become a school bus driver is the first step in the process. At Rohrer Bus, this can be done online, over the phone, or in-person. This step is crucial because it gives us an applicant’s driver’s license number so we can run their Motor Vehicle Record. Safety is of utmost importance to us, so we very carefully screen each driving record from every applicant.

Phone Screening

If an applicant’s driving record passes our safety standards, we invite them to participate in a 15-20 minute phone call with a member of our Personnel team. This is the step where we share more information with them about the process of becoming a van driver, and also get information about them, their work history, and how they feel about becoming a school van driver.

In-Person Meeting/Paperwork Session

If a candidate has a good phone screening, we invite them to come into our office to do their new driver paperwork. This is an essential step for our drivers to receive their credentials to work within a school district. It also lets them meet different members of the Rohrer team.

Physical & Pre-Employment Drug Screening

Following a paperwork session, we send our future drivers to get their pre-employment drug screening and physical. This is an important step in the process, because all drivers must meet certain physical standards in order to do the job.

Driver Training

Prospective van drivers must go through 15-20 hours of training, which usually takes them about 2-3 days to complete. During these few days, the van driver learns everything they need to know to successfully pick up and drop off their students. These tasks include learning how to follow a route, learning the procedure for stopping to load students, and learning how to operate a wheelchair lift.

Finish! Ready to Start

After a van driver finishing their training, they are ready to start their new, rewarding career! Typically, van routes last between 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the morning in the 6:00 to 9:00 AM timeframe, and then again for 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the afternoon in the 2:00 to 5:00 PM timeframe. The split shift hours give drivers the opportunity to handle things they might not normally be able to do during the day, such as doctor appointments, grocery shopping, cleaning the house, or even taking a nap!

We’re always willing to welcome responsible van drivers to the team, but we have a greater need for school bus drivers! If you’re interested in learning about the differences between driving a school bus and van, check out this article. If you’d like to learn more about the process of becoming a school bus driver, check out this article.

Finally, if you’d like to get into a rewarding career where you can serve your community while forming meaningful relationships with your coworkers and the kids you transport, consider applying to be a school vehicle driver! Although these steps may seem intimidating, our dedicated, knowledgeable, and friendly team will be there to help you every step of the way. For more information or to fill out an interest form, click here!