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Top Ten Traits of a School Vehicle Driver: Could This Be YOU?

Not just anybody can become a school vehicle driver! A lot of people don’t know that bus and van drivers need to meet several legal requirements, go through lots of training and testing, and generally have a special personality to do what they do. Keep reading to discover ten special traits all school vehicle drivers share!

Love kids

This may seem obvious, but pretty much all school vehicle drivers love kids! They love the energy and excitement that only kids can bring into their lives, and thrive off the day-to-day interactions with the students they transport. The vast majority of drivers say that the relationships they form with their kids are what makes the job worthwhile!

Respect for the law

All school vehicle drivers need to pass extensive background checks before they’re allowed to transport students. Great bus and van drivers understand that laws are in place to keep EVERYBODY safe and secure, and they respect the law accordingly!

Commitment to safety

This point piggybacks off of the previous point; school vehicle drivers also need to have their driving records checked before they can start transporting kids. Only people with clean or mostly clean records are allowed to get behind the wheel of a school bus or van to ensure that the kids are in the safest hands possible. Great bus and van drivers maintain their record of safe driving and strive to improve their skills, even taking safety tips they learn on-the-job into their everyday lives!

Passion for learning

As we stated above, school vehicle drivers go through lots of training and testing before they can start driving kids around. Undoubtedly, there’s a lot to learn before a new driver is ready to actually start transporting students, so a passion for learning makes the training process move forward a lot more smoothly. Also, school vehicle technology is ever-evolving, and those who are eager to learn adapt seamlessly to new ideas and processes!

Self-motivation

This point is related to a passion for learning, as people who are eager to learn, often do so on their own accord. Here at Rohrer Bus, we train all prospective drivers and help them through every step of the process, but they still need to have a bit of self-motivation to push themselves to get better and learn more. We love it when our drivers have the incentive to study on their own and ask questions when they don’t understand something; even if it’s hard to do, it will certainly pay off in the end!

Punctuality

ALL school vehicle drivers need to be able to show up on the dot and stick to a schedule; school kids rely on them every day to get to school on time!

Patience

Sometimes transporting kids can be stressful; maybe the kids are being loud and mischievous, or maybe the weather conditions aren’t favorable for driving. Successful drivers are able to keep their cool and get the students where they need to be safely!

Thick skin

Let’s face it, people in all kinds of jobs face some tough issues, and driving jobs are no different. Sometimes you’ll come across a crabby student or a rude parent, or have a bit of a squabble with a teammate. It’s great when we get team members who don’t take criticism to heart, and know that the good times will always outnumber and outweigh the bad!

Care for the Community

Driving a school vehicle is just as much a community service as it is a job! Bus and van drivers take pride in the fact that they keep society running as it should and drive the future forward!

Positivity

We preach the power of positivity all the time here at Rohrer Bus, but it’s true that one smile can change the course of somebody’s day! School vehicle drivers are some of the first people kids see every day, and the last people they see before they head home at the end of the day. Drivers can have such a profound impact on the kids they transport, and they should always take the opportunity to make their kids’ day a bit brighter!

If you are currently a school vehicle driver, you should feel proud that you possess all of these traits! If you don’t currently drive a school bus or van, but feel like you would be a good fit, learn more or fill out an interest form here!