As a bus driver and class B CDL holder, you know you have a responsibility to safely get students to and from their destinations. That’s what a career in school bus services entails, after all! Day in and day out, you strive to do this by keeping a sharp eye on the road and keeping in close correspondence with your dispatch team. Northstar Bus Lines, as Maple Grove school bus contractors, commends you for your constantly vigilant service. We know all too well that defensive driving is paramount when it comes to working in group transportation services, which is why we train a significant amount of our employees ourselves (and pay for it too). We instill this safety-first mentality from the first day of training onward, ensuring that our workers have the attitude and knowledge they need to carry their precious passengers.

However, as a longtime provider of student transportation services, we also know that driving safety isn’t where a bus driver’s duties stop. Though, as we said, it’s a critical aspect of the job, it’s not the only one; promoting a comfortable bussing experience is also important. School bus rides take up a significant part of students’ time each and every day. In some cases, children might interact more with their bus drivers than with some of the staff in their very own schools! We’ve already talked at length about how great school bus services play a role in student success, but here’s why comfortable bus rides specifically make a difference in a child’s day-to-day life and beyond.

• Comfortable bus rides provide a time for children to rest and recuperate | As much as schools strive to reduce stress levels in their students, the fact of the matter is that some level of stress is unavoidable, especially when it comes to older students. Peer drama and test pressures can take their toll on any kid, but in high school, these things often take on a whole new level of intensity. A comfortable bus ride can provide the mental “space,” so to speak, where a child is not in school but not yet at home, to digest and make sense of their school-time issues, which allows them to return to their homes more contented and ready to complete their homework or to practice the self-care they need.

• Comfortable bus rides can improve attitudes about school | How would you like to be jostled and thrown about a carelessly-driven school bus when it’s too early to even think straight? You, as an adult, certainly would raise some objections were you in this situation, but countless children in districts everywhere face this nuisance each and every day. No wonder they arrive at school with sour faces! Comfortable bus rides can do wonders for student morale and opinion of your school, as they provide a gentle start to the morning—at the very least, they won’t be something your students dread about their academic day.

• Comfortable bus rides make students feel seen | Comfort is about skilled driving, of course, but it’s also about the type of personal service the bus driver provides. When in the care of sociable, respectful bus drivers, students feel comfortable, as they are seen and heard when they share a word about their day or raise a complaint about service. Stifling children’s voices certainly makes them uncomfortable, sure, but it also has long-reaching implications about how they approach future social interactions later in life.

As you can see, when bus drivers prioritize student comfort, students feel better about themselves and school as a whole, and they’re also set up for academic and emotional success. Therefore, it’s crucial that bus drivers always keep passenger relaxation in mind.

How are Comfortable School Bus Services Promoted?

Are you, as a class B CDL holder, doing all you can to take care of your passengers? If you’re a school administrator, is your provider of student transportation services doing likewise? While there are many aspects that make for a comfort-minded bus ride, the following items are signs that a given driver takes passenger comfort seriously.

• They keep their vehicle clean | Nobody can relax when the environment around them is a pigsty. Service-minded drivers know that cleanliness and comfort go hand-in-hand, and they work hard to keep their vehicle spotless. They may also enforce rules to help students play their part in doing so.

• They use their reporting privileges judiciously | No student feels comfortable if a bully is becoming a bus-ride tyrant; likewise, no student feels comfortable if they are in constant fear of being reported to the authorities for the slightest accidental infraction. In a bus environment that prioritizes student comfort, being “written up” carries weight, but also is predictable. Bus drivers should take care to report on an as-needed basis.

• They make personal connections with every student | Of course, drivers won’t be striking up hour-long conversations with their passengers, but a brief hello and goodbye when appropriate can make students feel comfortably seen like they have an adult in their court who cares about them and who wants to make their day a little brighter.

Contact Northstar Bus Lines for the Most Comfortable Student Transportation Services Around

Our Maple Grove team of drivers would love to give your district the safe and relaxing school bus services your students deserve. Give our terminal a call now at 763-425-2542. Are you looking for employment opportunities? Apply here.