Tips & Tricks for Bus Drivers
Below are some helpful tips and tricks that I have found in my 25 years of bus driving…Hope some of the help you!
If you would like to add a few, please feel free to do so by clicking my name… I will place them here.
1, Great way to not have the fogged windows anytime of the year.
Open the drivers window just a couple inches and the last window in the back of the bus. This keep the air circulating though the bus from front to rear without a lot of cold air also alleviates some odors coming to the front as well.
2, Several of the drivers that I know bring a piece of heavy carpet material to put under their feet to keep
them off the floor while driving.This helps insulate their feet from the cold floor in the winter.
3, I keep one trash can up front, and one in the rear of my bus. Not only does it discourage littering, but also doubles in cases of “nausea” problems. I also make a point of praising my students for using the trash cans instead of littering up the floor.
4, I have noticed that with an am/fm stereo cassette player installed I can control both the noise level and the behavior of the students onboard.
Most of the new buses are equiped with stereo’s from the factory. But if not, a cheap radio { even a used one from an old car} can be great.
5, A $1.98 can of ICE REMOVER from Wal-Mart, beats scraping windows and cleaning mirrors by hand, if your bus is kept outside.
2 cans will last through most winters.
6, A tip for all those short drivers out there –
You can make a longer handle for your scraper by removing the original scraper handle and replacing it with
the handle from an old broom. You will have to remove some of the excess material from the broom handle
with a file or go to the lumber yard and buy a length of dowel rod.
7, Remember that Kids are people too and have mood swings and feelings and things that happen at home, just like we do.
Try to be patient (sometimes that s a hard one).
8, If your company or district allows you to ride with your roof hatches open, I have found from experience that if you pop the hatch even front and back, it creates a venturi effect and will really draw the heat out of the bus! It really works great!
9, I give my students a “thought of the day” which is a simple riddle posted on the interior bulkhead, but it makes them think…I initially meant it mainly for the elementary kids, but the senior high kids love it too, in fact, they let me know about it if I miss a day!
10, AVALEN210 says…I’ve driven a bus for 20 years, 12 of those years were in a snowy climate and our buses did not have heated mirrors. Drivers used plastic grocery bags to tie over the mirrors during the night so when we got in the next morning we didn’t have to scrape the mirrors. Our transportation director also purchased caseloads of disposable shower caps that would fit right over the mirrors. This worked well until some of the new buses had bigger mirrors. We also used our brooms to knock off the snow from out student lights.
More to Come…
