Unhappy With Company

Has anyone ever driven for a company and/or school district where they felt that there were being forced to do things they felt uncomfortable doing? I would really much rather drive for a school district near by however I took a job at a private company to recieve training, etc. I am now questioning my decision and things are getting worse with each day. Any advise would be helpful

hmmm.. if you are not comfortable i suggest you find something else before what you are not comfortable doing leads to you getting in trouble and losing your licence

Out of curiosity, if you don't mind saying, what bus company do you work for? Is your yard unionized? If so talk to your shop steward. If not, and you feel that the situations you are coming into contact with could be dangerous, contact the labor board and speak to someone there.

Deb in Navarre, Florida said: Out of curiosity, if you don't mind saying, what bus company do you work for? Is your yard unionized? If so talk to your shop steward. If not, and you feel that the situations you are coming into contact with could be dangerous, contact the labor board and speak to someone there.

i worked for First Student but have since left about a month ago. Am working for a different private company but have an interview with a school district

I used to work for Laidlaw (First Student bought them out) both in New York and in Florida. New York was great, Florida not so great, but 100% better than what we have now which is Durham. Is Durham the same company that you're now working for?

Laidlaw/First Student lost the contract here. I now work for Durham and I don't find them to be a bad company. They do have stricter rules then some of us are use to, which to me is a good thing. They hold us accountable for what we do behind the wheel.

My question is....I already have a CDL B lic. I have been a bus driver in Massachusetts since 1978, with the proper endorsements., which up north is not an S for school bus as it is here in Florida.
How do I go about getting the S endorsement on my lic?
Thank you

I was a school bus driver for a school district for a year. It was the WORST job I ever had. The kids are out of control and the worst behaviour problems you can imagine.

They video tape and audio record while the bus is running.. and at the end of the day.. they review the tape and call you in and want to know why the kids were going nuts. (You can yell, scream, report them to the principal.. nothing works.. the kids dont care and no one will support the driver) The school district will nickle and dime you at evry turn and mkae you do seating charts, and add new stops everyday... yet they won't allow you more time to complete the run. You have to memorize the name of every kindergarden and first grader and you have to memorize their parents, granparents, aunts and uncles., because you cant let a kindergarden or 1st grader off the bus unless there is a "Properly" registered parent there to meet them. Of course the parents fail to show up..or they get divorced and they dont tell you and you release the kid off the bus to his divorced mother and you get called in and suspended for 3 days without pay. If there is no one there at the stop to meet the kids you have to take them back to school and walk them in person to the office and sign them over to a schol aid. Of course, this makes you late for your next run and the dispatcher is biting at yhou because you are late and you have to follow the rules. The kids throw up on the buus whenit gets hot.. they piss in the seats... spit on the windows and you have to clean it up on YOUR OWN TIME! You dont getpaid for cleaning.. only driving. School bus is a nickle and dime night mare.

tinkledpink in St. Petersburg, Florida said: My question is....I already have a CDL B lic. I have been a bus driver in Massachusetts since 1978, with the proper endorsements., which up north is not an S for school bus as it is here in Florida.
How do I go about getting the S endorsement on my lic?
Thank you

You have to take a road test in NY with a school bus. The test isn't hard but it isn't easy either, the pre-trip is detailed and the driving is about 45 mins. Practice the pre-trip a LOT.