There are many factors involved in safely transporting students to and from school, and one of the first steps in this process is ensuring that the right people are behind the wheel of the nation’s school buses.

SCHOOL BUS FLEET explores this topic in depth in its forthcoming November 2011 issue in a five-page feature titled “Who’s behind the wheel?: optimizing driver background checks.”

The feature outlines the key components to a thorough background check: checks at the federal and state levels, monitoring the applicants’ motor vehicle record and adhering to the operation’s policies and procedures for hiring school bus drivers.         

Managing Editor Kelly Roher spoke with officials at school districts and bus companies to get details on their operations’ hiring and background check procedures, and she interviewed several state pupil transportation directors to learn about those states’ standards for background checks.

Moreover, officials share their thoughts on whether there should be more uniformity among states for the background check process and bus driver applicant restrictions, and they offer their opinions on how the industry could protect itself against unfavorable applicants who move from state to state. 

To read “Who’s behind the wheel?: optimizing driver background checks,” click here.