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Bus Drivers, School

Drive a school bus to transport students. Ensure adherence to safety rules. May assist students in boarding or exiting.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Check the condition of a vehicle's tires, brakes, windshield wipers, lights, oil, fuel, water, and safety equipment to ensure that everything is in working order.
    • Report any bus malfunctions or needed repairs.
    • Maintain knowledge of first-aid procedures.
    • Record bus routes.
    • Make minor repairs to vehicles.
    • Read maps and follow written and verbal geographic directions.
    • Read maps and follow written and verbal geographic directions.
    • Regulate heating, lighting, and ventilation systems for student comfort.
    • Drive gasoline, diesel, or electrically powered multi-passenger vehicles to transport students between neighborhoods, schools, and school activities.
    • Record bus routes.
    • Maintain order among students during trips to ensure safety.
    • Report delinquent student behaviors to school administration.
    • Report delays, accidents, or other traffic and transportation situations, using telephones or mobile two-way radios.
    • Follow safety rules as students board and exit buses or cross streets near bus stops.
    • Comply with traffic regulations to operate vehicles in a safe and courteous manner.
    • Keep bus interiors clean for students.
    • Pick up and drop off students at regularly scheduled neighborhood locations, following strict time schedules.
    • Prepare and submit reports that may include the number of students or trips, hours worked, mileage, or fuel consumption.
    • Escort small children across roads and highways.
    • Report delinquent student behaviors to school administration.

    Skills

    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    Abilities

    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.

    Knowledge

    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    Less than 1 month on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    60250/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    28.97/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    388,200
    Yearly Projected Openings
    61000

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Concern for Others
    • Independence

    Tools

    • Automotive doors
    • Bar code reader equipment
    • Busses
    • Emergency vehicle exits
    • Exterior automobile lighting
    • Fire extinguishers
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Lifts
    • Mobile medical services first aid kits
    • Mobile phones
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Radio frequency identification devices
    • Security cameras
    • Tire pressure gauge
    • Two way radios
    • Vehicle traction control systems
    • Wheelchair accessories

    Technology

    • Internet browser software
    • Map creation software
    • Operating system software