Recognizing the best of the best school transportation leaders, School Bus Fleet celebrates industry excellence through five different annual awards.
Trailblazers
The Trailblazers award series shines a light on school transportation professionals under the age of 40 who are making a significant impact on the industry. Whether challenging the status quo with new ideas to improve student safety or everyday leadership that builds a more efficient operation, these up-and-comers are making moves worth watching.
Nominations for the 2026 Trailblazers open December 2025.
Administrator of the Year
|
The School Bus Fleet Administrator of the Year Award recognizes a K-12 school district transportation administrator who strives for excellence in operations, shows strong leadership, constantly innovates and tries new things, and is involved in their communities and industry associations. Self-nominations and both district- and state-level directors are eligible.
Nominations for the 2026 Admin of the Year open January 2026.
Contractor of the Year
SBF’s annual Contractor of the Year Award recognizes private pupil transportation company leaders who go above and beyond, who have earned respect for making significant contributions to the industry through their own business and involvement in associations.
Nominations for the 2026 Contractor of the Year open in March 2026.
Photo of the Year Contest
Think your stunning school bus photo has what it takes to be called the best? Show us! Our annual photo contest invites submissions of photos featuring the yellow bus in various forms: close-ups of details, aerial images, friendly animal visitors, stunning buses set against fascinating geographical landscapes, interesting angles, unique perspectives, and anything else that showcases the big yellow bus in all its beautiful glory.
Nominations for the 2026 Photo of the Year contest are open May 1-June 26, 2026.
School Bus Driver Hero Award
Sponsored by |
 |
Debuting in 2025, the School Bus Driver Hero Award is a prestigious program that recognizes school bus drivers who go above and beyond their regular duties to help others and keep our nation’s children safe. Whether they demonstrate courage and integrity during a crisis or their everyday actions inspire trust and hope, these drivers embody the dedication and compassion that make a lasting difference for the schools they serve and the students they transport.
Nominations for the 2025 School Bus Driver Hero are closed. The winner will be announced in late September 2025. Nominations for 2026 will open spring 2026.
For more information on any of these awards, contact SBF’s editorial team.