Bus Driver Job Description: Overview, Education & Training Requirements, Job Outlook and Salary
Submitted by: Gypsy Santiago
Job Overview: Bus drivers are responsible for driving buses, motor coaches and other types of buses used in transporting people along routes within a city as well as driving for people on excursions and tours. They are categorized into two types – school bus and intercity/transit drivers. Those who drive school buses are employed by the public school system or school districts to pick children up from bus stops and take them to school. After classes, drivers are responsible for driving kids home safely. Transit and intercity drivers, on the other hand, are employed by private and government agencies to drive city buses, tour buses and other buses that travel within the city and across the country.
Education, Training and Knowledge Requirements: To become a driver for school buses or transit buses, one should possess a high school diploma. In most states, drivers should be at least 21 years old, have a clean criminal record related to drugs or motor vehicles and have no medical histories of diabetes or epilepsy. Intercity/transit drivers are required to obtain a Commercial Drivers License, which is given after passing a written exam, a skills test and a physical examination with drug/alcohol tests.
Skills & Abilities: Bus drivers must be able to drive offensively and defensively to avoid potential accidents and collisions. They should be extremely patient, punctual, courteous, responsible and cautious as well as be able to pay close attention to detail, particularly under driving conditions such as traffic and weather.
Those who drive school buses must be good with children, while those who drive transit buses should have excellent communication skills, especially if their job description involves collecting fares from passengers.
Duties: The job of bus drivers include ensuring the safety of passengers; collecting fares; taking care of the needs of students, elderly, the blind and other passengers; collecting lost articles after each shift; filling up waybill to determine passenger statistics on specific routes; collaborating with tour guides or other travelling partners during tours; acting as a tour guide; assisting passengers with baggage; inspecting all parts of the bus before each trip and performing maintenance if necessary or possible; regulating lighting, heating, ventilating systems to ensure comfort of passengers; changing tires and performing minor bus repairs and recording cash receipts or ticket fares, among others.
Earnings & Job Outlook: Bus drivers find work in travel agencies, government or private firms. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2008 hourly wage of drivers was around $16 per hour, with 10% of them earning a low $10/hour, and the higher 10% earning up to $27 per hour.
Gypsy Santiago is a professional resume writer and career search strategy/career branding coach with years of experience in assisting job seekers prepare for the job market. She helps create career-targeted resumes, provides useful tips about career transition, offers future career ideas and guide jobseekers about effective job search techniques.
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