FleetCommander Blog

Straight answers for people who run school buses.

Choosing software, billing school districts, keeping drivers and aides cleared and on the right routes — and fair comparisons, dated and checked.

HR & hiringNewest

School bus driver sick leave tracking: days, carry-over and covering the route

How to track school bus driver sick leave: days a year, carry-over, doctor's notes, counting only days they'd have worked, and covering the route when someone's out.

November 7, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Drivers & aides

How to communicate with school bus drivers: radio, phone and app

How a school bus office communicates with drivers: what radio, phone and an app are each good for, route changes in writing, and never distracting a driver who's driving.

November 7, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

School bus idling policy: limits, exceptions and what idling costs

How to write a school bus idling policy: common time limits, the exceptions for safety and weather, contract and state rules, and what idling costs in fuel and wear.

November 7, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Drivers & aides

How long does a school bus pre-trip inspection take?

How long a school bus pre-trip inspection takes done properly (about 10 to 20 minutes), why rushing misses defects, and paying drivers for the time.

November 7, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Drivers & aides

School bus driver attendance bonus: how it works and keeping it fair

How a school bus driver attendance bonus works: per pay period or per semester, missed-day limits, what it costs against a missed route, and keeping it fair.

November 7, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

School bus fleet utilization rate: seats filled and buses used

How to measure school bus fleet utilization: seats filled on each run, how much each bus is used, the 80% rule of thumb, and spotting buses you don't need.

November 7, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Drivers & aides

School bus driver training videos: what new drivers should watch, and proving they did

Where to find school bus driver training videos, which topics new drivers should watch first, making your own short videos, and recording who watched them.

November 6, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

School bus accident claims tracking: from the scene to the closed claim

How school bus contractors track accident claims: the police report and claim numbers, estimated and actual costs, recovering repair costs, and deadlines.

November 6, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

Average age of a school bus fleet: what's typical and why yours matters

What the average age of a school bus fleet is, why it matters for repair costs, spares and contract bids, and how to work out your own fleet's age.

November 6, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

School bus summer maintenance checklist: the jobs to finish before August

A school bus summer maintenance checklist: brakes, tires, AC, cooling, interiors and pests, state inspections before school, and buses still running in summer.

November 6, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Drivers & aides

School bus driver handbook acknowledgement form: what it says and when drivers sign

What a school bus driver handbook acknowledgement form should say, when drivers sign it (at hire and for each new version), and keeping a dated record.

November 6, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

School bus breakdown procedure: what the driver does, and what the office does

A school bus breakdown procedure for drivers and dispatch: getting safe, keeping students on board, reporting it, sending a spare bus and following up after.

November 6, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

School bus contractor insurance requirements: what districts ask for

The insurance a school bus contractor usually needs: auto liability limits, the district as additional insured, umbrella, workers' comp, and sending the certificate.

November 5, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

School bus air conditioning maintenance: before the hot months, not during them

How to keep school bus air conditioning working: filters, the refrigerant charge, belts and condensers, a pre-season check, and fixing what drivers report fast.

November 5, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

School bus fleet maintenance KPIs: the numbers worth watching each month

The school bus fleet maintenance KPIs worth watching: PM on time, planned vs unplanned repairs, road calls, buses out of service, cost per mile and per bus.

November 5, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Drivers & aides

School bus driver no call no show policy: what to write, and covering the route

How to write a school bus driver no call no show policy: what counts, the steps for each one, covering the route that morning, and keeping a fair record.

November 5, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Drivers & aides

School bus wheelchair securement checklist: tie-downs, belts and checking again

A school bus wheelchair securement checklist: four-point tie-downs, the student's lap and shoulder belt, brakes and power, and checking the straps on every run.

November 5, 2026 · 3 min readRead

HR & hiring

School bus driver road test checklist: what to watch on a behind-the-wheel test

A school bus driver road test checklist for contractors: mirrors, railroad crossings, loading stops, backing and turns, how to score it, and keeping the result.

November 5, 2026 · 3 min readRead

HR & hiring

Pennsylvania school bus driver clearances: Act 34, 151 and 114, and renewing them

The three Pennsylvania clearances every school bus driver and aide needs (Act 34, Act 151, Act 114), renewing them every five years, and keeping them on file.

November 4, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Drivers & aides

School bus driver sign-in sheet: what it records, and why paper ones get lost

What a school bus driver sign-in sheet should record (name, bus, route, time in and out, signature), the common problems with paper, and a simpler way.

November 4, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

School bus transmission service interval: miles, hours or months?

How often to change a school bus's transmission fluid and filters: why stop-and-go routes count as severe service, miles vs hours vs months, and fluid analysis.

November 4, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Drivers & aides

School bus driver bus assignment list: who drives which bus, every morning

How to keep a school bus driver bus assignment list: driver, bus and route, subs and spares, posting it each morning, and telling drivers when it changes.

November 4, 2026 · 3 min readRead

HR & hiring

School bus driver background check: what's checked, how often, and who keeps it

What a school bus driver background check covers: fingerprints, state and FBI records, child abuse registry, driving record and drug tests, plus renewals.

November 4, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

School bus first aid kit checklist: what goes in it and how to check it

What a school bus first aid kit and body fluid cleanup kit usually hold, where states set the list, and a simple monthly check so no kit is ever empty.

November 4, 2026 · 3 min readRead

Running the fleet

School bus battery maintenance: testing, cleaning and cold mornings

How to keep school bus batteries starting every morning: testing, cleaning terminals, charging, cold-weather starts, spares, and when to replace them.