A new driver can pass the CDL skills test and still not be ready for a route. The state test checks they can drive a bus; your own road test checks they can drive your bus, on your kind of roads, with the stops and habits children's lives depend on. Many states also require a behind-the-wheel evaluation by a qualified trainer before a driver goes solo.
Here's a practical school bus driver road test checklist, how to score it, and how to keep the result on file.
What to watch
| Area | What a good driver does |
|---|---|
| Pre-trip inspection | Names and checks each item, including the safety-critical ones |
| Mirrors | Checks them before every move, and adjusts them before setting off |
| Starting and stopping | Smooth, with no harsh braking; full stops behind the line |
| Turns | Signals early, swings wide enough, watches the rear wheels and the mirrors |
| Intersections | Scans left, right, left; covers the brake; doesn't rush a yellow |
| Railroad crossings | Stops, opens the door and window, listens and looks, then crosses without shifting |
| Loading and unloading stops | Warning lights at the right distance, stop arm out, counts students, checks mirrors before moving |
| Backing | Avoids it where possible; uses a spotter or gets out and looks |
| Speed and space | Right for the road and the weather, with a long following distance |
| Parking and the end of the run | Sets the brake, does the child check, secures the bus |
Tip: Drive the test on a real route, or the hardest part of one: the tight turn, the busy crossing, the stop on a hill. A loop around an empty lot shows much less.
Scoring it
- Pass, needs work or fail for each item, with a note for anything that isn't a pass.
- Automatic fails for the dangerous ones: a missed railroad stop, moving with a student near the bus, a red light run.
- Practice and retest: a driver who needs work on a few items gets more training on those, then a retest.
- Signed by the evaluator and the driver, with the date, the bus and the route.
A routine
- Use the same form for every driver, so results can be compared.
- Have a qualified trainer give it, not whoever is free.
- Test in the bus they'll drive, or the same type and size.
- Go over it with the driver straight after, item by item.
- Keep the signed form in their file, and repeat it after an accident or a long break.
Good to know: Your state may have its own behind-the-wheel form, a minimum number of training hours before the test, and rules on who may give it. Use your state's form where there is one.
Doing it in FleetCommander
While hiring. Under HR, Hiring starts with a Road test stage between Interview and Background check. Move the applicant there, use Add note for how it went (Needs work on mirror checks, retest Friday), and Add file for the signed form. Rename the stages, or add one such as Retest, to match how you hire. See the HR guide.
Once they're hired. Keep the signed form with the driver's documents, and add a certification type such as Road test under Certification types if you repeat it every year, with Renew every (months) and Who must hold it. Reminders come before it's due.
Ava (Beta), the assistant in the app, answers Who's at the road test stage? or Any certifications expiring soon?. More on her page.
Related reading
Questions people ask
- What is on a school bus driver road test?
- Usually the pre-trip inspection, mirror use, turns, intersections, railroad crossings, loading and unloading stops, backing, speed and following distance, and securing the bus at the end.
- Who gives the road test?
- A qualified trainer or evaluator, as your state defines it. Many states require one before a new driver drives a route alone.
- What is an automatic fail on a school bus road test?
- Commonly a missed railroad crossing stop, moving with a student near the bus, running a red light, or any action that puts someone in danger.
- Should drivers be retested?
- Yes, after an accident, a long break or a pattern of complaints, and some companies retest every year.