A good interview tells you how a driver talks. A reference check tells you how they worked: whether they showed up at 6 a.m. in February, how they handled a bus full of middle schoolers, and whether their last employer would take them back. For a job where you're trusting someone with children and a 30,000-pound vehicle, it's a call worth making every time.
Here are the school bus driver reference check questions to ask, what past employers often won't answer, and how to keep a record of the call.
Before you call
- Get the driver's signed consent to contact past employers, usually on the application.
- Call the supervisor, not just HR. A dispatcher or transportation manager who saw them work knows far more.
- Ask the same questions for every applicant, so you compare them fairly.
The questions
The job itself
- What dates did they work for you, and what did they drive (type of bus, routes, trips)?
- Were they a regular route driver, a sub, or both?
- Why did they leave?
Reliability
- How was their attendance? Were they on time for the morning report?
- Did they call in early when they couldn't make it?
- Did they pick up extra runs or trips when you were short?
Safety and driving
- Were they in any crashes or incidents while driving for you?
- How were their pre-trip inspections and paperwork?
- Did they have any complaints about their driving from parents, schools or the public?
Students and people
- How did they handle student behavior on the bus?
- How did they get on with parents, schools, dispatch and other drivers?
- How did they handle a stressful moment, like a breakdown or a late bus?
The last question
- Would you hire them again? If they hesitate, ask why.
Tip: Listen for what isn't said. "Company policy is to confirm dates only" is common and isn't a bad sign by itself, but a supervisor who's glad to talk about one driver and careful about another is telling you something.
What a past employer may not answer
Many employers only confirm dates and job title, for fear of being sued. Some states protect employers who give honest references in good faith, and some limit what can be shared. Don't ask about anything you couldn't ask the driver: age, health or disability, family plans, religion or national origin.
Good to know: For CDL drivers, federal drug and alcohol rules require checking past testing records before they drive, including a query of the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, and states add their own background, fingerprint and child abuse checks. These are separate from a reference call. Ask an employment adviser what your state requires.
After the call
- Write it down the same day: who you spoke to, their role, the date, and the answers.
- Try a second reference if the first only confirmed dates.
- Ask the driver about anything that doesn't match what they told you. There may be a good explanation.
- Keep the notes in the applicant's file with their signed consent.
Doing it in FleetCommander
A stage of its own. HR › Hiring is a board with a column for each stage. Under Stages, Add stage adds a Reference check column, and you can put it in order, say between Road test and Background check. Choose Move to … on an applicant's card when you start calling.
The record. On the applicant's page, Add note keeps what each reference said, with the date and your name, and Add file keeps the signed consent. Every move between stages is written there too. Once they're Hired, Add as a driver fills in their driver record from what you already typed. See the HR guide.
Ava (Beta), the assistant in the app, answers Applicants per job or Applicants we turned down when you have HR access. More on her page.
Related reading
Questions people ask
- What questions should you ask a school bus driver's references?
- Their dates and duties, why they left, their attendance, any crashes or incidents, how they handled students and parents, how they handled stress, and whether the employer would hire them again.
- Can a past employer refuse to give a reference?
- Yes. Many only confirm dates and job title. Try the driver's direct supervisor or a second reference.
- Is a reference check required for school bus drivers?
- A reference call usually isn't required by law, but checks of past drug and alcohol testing for CDL drivers, and state background and fingerprint checks, are. Ask an employment adviser about your state.
- What can't you ask in a reference check?
- Anything you couldn't ask the applicant, such as their age, health or disability, family plans, religion or national origin.