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Salaskie
Advanced Member
USA
453 Posts |
 Posted - 09/28/2006 : 11:56:52 AM
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A question about school activity trips: School activity trips are considered extracurricular; as compared with home to school transportation. Do you require activity drivers to possess a school bus drivers license? (The S endorsement on a CDL).
I know each state may be different.
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hastings
Senior Member
USA
162 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2006 : 12:14:58 PM
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| I would think no matter what state you live in that you need the proper liscense to drive a bus. Especially if your carrying students or anyone else for that matter |
Matt Hastingshttp://www.michiganbusparts.com/
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Bluebird62
Top Member
USA
530 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2006 : 2:47:30 PM
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| I agree... I thought it was fed law that if you're driving a school bus with passengers you had to have the S and P endorsements. |
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Salaskie
Advanced Member
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2006 : 3:18:21 PM
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Thanks for the responses so far. So...at your location...is there a different requirement if the school bus is covered over with a charter sign? Or as with the newer Bluebirds, the signs changed to charter?
Is the distinction as to whether it is "school" determined by the passengers or the type of vehicle?
Bottom line...Can someone with a CDL and passenger endorsement (no S license) drive a school activity trip in a yellow school bus with a charter sign?
(SCHOOL BUS replaced with CHARTER) |
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IC
Top Member
USA
3413 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2006 : 6:28:26 PM
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Here, all* trips are done in regular school buses (marked school bus) by our regular drivers, who all have Class B CDLs w/PS. Due to scheduling problems (trip wants to leave before regular runs are complete) we also have a number of teachers/coaches/mechanics/etc that have completed the training that all of us take (and have CDL Bs w/PS) that drive those trips. Often they just do the take over....and a regular driver picks them up.
*However, they seem to be cutting way back on the longer distance trips we do....chartered motor coaches lined up at our schools is a common sight. Here, an activity (sports team, etc) pays for their transportation...so maybe the motor coach operators are competitive in price with "us"...plus they get to ride in a LOT nicer bus. |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2006 : 06:28:47 AM
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Here in Massachusetts I believe that if you are driving a yellow school bus and driving an activity trip you must have all of the requirments that a regular school bus driver has, such as CDL, S, etc.
The school bus that I am assigned, has a plate that says BUS on it, along with two stickers that say DTE and IFTA? I think. I usually keep the SCHOOL BUS tag up, unless I am carrying a non contracted charter.
If they are school children from a contracted school with the company, I believe the SCHOOL BUS sign can stay.
If you are carrying adults, or a non contracted group, it must change to CHARTER, or if you are traveling out of state.
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Edited by - 80-RE4 on 09/30/2006 06:30:45 AM |
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CPCSC_TD
Top Member
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 09/30/2006 : 07:58:51 AM
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For all school related trips with the exception of longer overnight trips and trips with less than 15 passengers, a school bus is required.
Less than 15 passengers, group uses on of our activity buses- painted white. No special license is required but we do place anyone who wishes to drive one under: Training, same background as bus driver (criminal and driving record check), drug screening, annual retraining, and evaluations.
Overnight trips- We charter the bus for the school and require site visitations, reports from the charter company on staff training, insurance, maintenance logs, etc... We do this since we do not pull driver's from their route to do trips.
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bus724
Top Member
USA
1609 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2006 : 12:04:07 PM
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| In CT, the S is required for home-to-school transportation using 8-way lights. If you have a V endorsement (everything below school bus, including School Transportation Vehicle, activity bus, motor bus, livery, taxi) you can do school trips in a yellow school bus. |
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Rich
Top Member
United States
5768 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2006 : 12:14:23 PM
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In NY, if you are using a school bus to transport school-age, or mentally disabled people you need to have an "S" endorsement, as well as the "P" endorsement.
If you are using a motorcoach, or another type of commercial bus, you just need a "P" endorsement. |
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Salaskie
Advanced Member
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2006 : 3:37:18 PM
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Bus724...what exactly is a V license?
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PCW
Senior Member
USA
171 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2006 : 9:56:50 PM
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In CA, you must have a CDL with an S and P endorsment (issued by the DMV), school bus certificate (issued the California Highway Patrol) and a valid medical certificate (issed by the CHP or other other approved facility). Will all of these you are premitted to drive a school or SPAB bus on any SPAB (school pupil activity bus) trip regardless if it's home to school or extra curricular. I've never seen a dedicated "activity" type bus that is used in lieu of a yellow school bus for extra curricular trips however I know carriers in my area like Laidlaw and Durham have them. If a yellow school bus is used for the purpose of transportoting passengers no affiliated with any public school, the red warning lights must be covered up and the word "school" atop the bus must be covered so it reads just bus. The reason for such is that the bus allocated for the appropriate type of trip it's on. For example, if we use a school bus to pickup at a public or private school (grades k-12) no changed must be made to the bus. If we pickup a group from a local YMCA in a yellow school bus, signs and lights must be covered.
Our motorcoaches are a bit different. Upon certification from the CHP, that bus must be registered as a SPAB bus so that it may be used on SPAB trips. If that bus is just registered as a commercial passenger bus, it is now in non-compliance with the law to transport school pupils. The driver must also be certified accordingly as well. |
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BBInt.10
Top Member
USA
1042 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2006 : 4:45:50 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Salaskie
Bus724...what exactly is a V license?
V actually falls under the category of restriction, not endorsement, and it restricts you to driving an activity vehicle or a taxi/livery vehicle. |
If all your problems are behind you... you must be a school bus driver. |
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bus724
Top Member
USA
1609 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2006 : 07:46:50 AM
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It used to be a restriction, but they changed it January 06. These are the endorsements/restrictions, from DMV's website:
Endorsements:
M = Motorcycle
H = Hazardous Material
N = Tank Vehicles
X = Hazardous Material and Tank Endorsements Combined
T = Double/Triple
P = Passenger
S = School Bus, includes Student Trans Vehs, Activity Vehs, Taxi, Livery, Service Bus and Motor Coach
V = Student Transportation Vehicles, includes Activity Vehs, Taxi, Livery, Service Bus and Motor Coach
A = Activity Vehicles, includes Taxi, Livery, Service Bus and Motor Coach
F = Taxi, Livery, Service Bus, Motor Coach
Q = Fire Apparatus
Restrictions:
B = Corrective Lenses
C = Mechanical Aid
D = Prosthetic Aid
E = Automatic Transmission
F = Outside Mirror
G = Limited to Daylight Driving Only
K = CDL Intrastate Only
L = Limited to Vehicles Without Air Brakes
R = No Limited Access Roads
U = Hearing Aid Required
W = Medical Waiver Required |
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Topic |
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School Activity Trips...Driver requirements
