As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to drastically upend pupil transportation and small businesses, school bus contractors are struggling to keep employees on the payroll as buses have stopped rolling and many school districts are withholding pay. Meanwhile, countless contractors need support just to keep going for the duration of the crisis so they can come out on the other end of it ready to get the buses up and running when schools do reopen.

On Wednesday, School Bus Fleet hosted a webinar, “Getting Paid, Staying Afloat: How Contractors Can Cope With the COVID Shutdown.” Three speakers — Michelle Wiltgen, the assistant vice president and national commercial marketing manager for National Interstate Insurance Co.; Corey Muirhead, the president of the New York School Bus Contractors Association and executive vice president of Logan Bus and Affiliates in Ozone Park, N.Y.; and Curt Macysyn, the executive director of the National School Transportation Association — shared their expertise.

The presenters discussed insurance and liability issues sparked by the pandemic and how insurers can help contractors protect their business; safety guidelines; the problems with some arguments that school districts are using as a basis for not paying contractors and how to counter those arguments and negotiate with them; and the latest information on federal loan programs and the new $3 trillion Coronavirus stimulus bill.

Listen to the webinar on-demand.