Remember the blinkers, keep the turns wide and say hi to the kids — these were pieces of advice John McKinney gave to prospective bus drivers during the Poplar Bluff School District’s second annual Test Drive day.
The Test Drive lets anyone with a driver’s license get behind the wheel of a school bus. If they like the ride, they can fill out a job application.
“We’re always interested in hiring drivers for the district,” said McKinney, who is director of Transportation.
One hour into the three-hour event, staff had already received two applications out of five drivers. Misty Dodson, the previous interim director, explained there are many full- and part-time roles applicants can fill.
“There’s really no cap on the number (of drivers needed), because we constantly have a need for somebody to drive a route, somebody to sub or somebody to help us drive trips,” she said.
According to McKinney, inspiration for the test drive came from Chris Dell, a bus driver for 20 years and bus driving instructor for five. The driving day gets people over the intimidation factor of driving a large vehicle and makes the job feel more accessible.
“When you actually do it, there’s not a whole lot to be afraid of,” McKinney noted.
The controls on a bus do differ from cars. There are the switches on the steering wheel controlling the blinkers and doors, and the vehicles do require extra room to turn.
However, the most important thing for drivers to remember is a welcoming attitude toward students.
“People don’t realize, but that can make a difference in a child’s day,” McKinney said.
Dodson agreed, saying the ideal bus driver is someone who loves kids.
“Your bus drivers are the first person that kid sees and the last person the kid sees every day. I can’t tell you how many kids a bus driver can make a difference for,” she explained.
Dodson went on to praise the Poplar Bluff District’s drivers for taking care of their charges.
“We’ve got a great group of drivers. I’ve taken phone calls at 6:30 in the morning where a driver says, ‘Hey, little Tommy just got on my bus without a coat and it’s 30 degrees outside what are we going to do?’ We’ve just got an amazing staff,” she said.