A driver handbook only helps if drivers have read it, and the day you most need to show they did is the day something goes wrong. The acknowledgement page is a short, signed and dated statement that the driver received the handbook, read it and will follow it. It takes a minute to sign and can settle an argument later.
Here's what a school bus driver handbook acknowledgement form usually says, when to have drivers sign, and how to keep the record.
What it says
- The handbook's name and version or date, so it's clear which one they read.
- That they received it and know where to find it again.
- That they read it and had the chance to ask questions.
- That they will follow it, and that breaking its rules can lead to discipline.
- That it can change, and they'll be told when it does.
- Where your state requires it: that the handbook isn't a contract of employment.
- The driver's name, signature and date, and a manager's.
Tip: Keep it to one page. A long acknowledgement that repeats the handbook is one more thing nobody reads.
When drivers sign
- At hire, before their first route, with the rest of the onboarding papers.
- For every new version, when you change a rule, not just once a year.
- After a long break, such as coming back from leave.
- When a rule is broken, it helps to show the signed page for the version in force then.
Keeping the record
- One copy in the driver's file, with the date and the handbook version.
- A list of who has signed the current version, so you can chase the rest.
- The old versions kept, so you can show what a driver agreed to at the time.
Good to know: Employment law differs by state, and union contracts may set what goes in a handbook and how changes are made. Have a lawyer or your HR adviser check the wording.
Doing it in FleetCommander
The handbook. On Drivers › Onboarding, upload the Driver handbook as a PDF. Drivers open it under My Day › Onboarding and tap I've read the handbook, which is saved with the date. Upload a new version and every driver is asked to read it again. Drivers' progress shows each driver's handbook read (with the date), and a driver's own page shows the same. See the Driver onboarding guide.
The signed page. Where you need a signature too, keep the signed acknowledgement with the driver's documents, so it's on their page next to their license and medical card. The handbook itself can start from our free driver handbook template.
Ava (Beta), the assistant in the app, answers Who hasn't read the handbook? or Drivers who haven't finished onboarding. More on her page.
Related reading
Questions people ask
- What is a driver handbook acknowledgement form?
- A short signed and dated page where a driver confirms they received the handbook, read it, will follow it and understand it can change.
- When should drivers sign the handbook acknowledgement?
- At hire before their first route, and again for every new version of the handbook.
- Do you need a new acknowledgement when the handbook changes?
- Yes. Have drivers sign for each new version, and keep the old ones, so you can show which rules a driver agreed to at the time.
- Where should the signed form be kept?
- In the driver's file, with the date and the handbook version, alongside a list of who has signed the current version.