Sparta Area Schools Bus Driver with Dean Transportation

School Bus Driver

This posting is for positions supporting Sparta Area Schools with route assignment opportunities in Sparta, MI.

Earn up to $24.00 per hour, contingent upon program elections made at the time of hire.

Flexible scheduling options are available, subject to operational needs.

Paid training is provided and includes preparation for obtaining a Commercial Driver's License (CDL).

No prior CDL experience is required.

Benefits packages are available to eligible employees. Employer contribution levels vary based on established qualifying factors.

A 401(k)-retirement plan is available after completion of one (1) year of service, contingent upon satisfying all other eligibility requirements.

Employees play a vital role in contributing to a positive and meaningful experience for students/passengers every day.

Summary Of Position

Safely and reliably transport and assist students and other school district passengers to and from school, educational or sporting events, community-based programs and other special activities.

Specific Requirements

• Meet all general qualifications for employment.
• Meet company and state standards for driving record check.
• Meet company, state, and school district standards for criminal history check.
• Meet Federal DOT guidelines and physical examination requirements.
• Pass drug and alcohol screening as established by company.
• Successfully pass Dean Transportation School Bus Driver Training Program, including:
• Classroom instruction
• Behind the wheel instruction
• Written and driving skills test
• Meet Michigan School Bus Driver Certification Requirements, including:
• Minimum hours of instruction
• Satisfactorily pass knowledge examination
• Meet local, county, and state standards for driving skills test.
• Meet state requirements for appropriate commercial vehicle licensing.

Specific Responsibilities

• Conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections of your assigned vehicle as required.
• Use established routes and designated bus stops.
• Conduct emergency evacuation drills as required.
• Instruct passenger riders regarding safety.
• Drive defensively under varying traffic conditions and inclement weather.
• Drive with safety of passengers as first priority.
• Establish favorable working relationships with other drivers, office and maintenance personnel, bus attendants and monitors, passengers, parents, teachers, principals, and total school or program staff.
• Achieve self-improvement by attending training sessions, annual in-service, and workshops conducted by Dean Transportation and/or other approved agencies.

Specific Abilities

• Operate all vehicle types in transporting passengers used by Dean Transportation.
• Identify with geographic service area of school district and routes you travel.
• Demonstrate knowledge of rules and regulations promulgated by local, state, and federal agencies.
• Demonstrate knowledge of state laws and local ordinances.
• Deal with exuberant behavior characteristics of student passengers.
• Administer disciplinary procedures in keeping with company policies.
• Be alert and exercise good judgment concerning emergencies and day-to-day operations.
• Successfully conduct a bus evacuation drill as required by company management.
• Keep accurate records and reports as required, submit in a legible condition, and turn in at the specified time.
• Conduct yourself as a professional Dean Transportation staff member at all times.
• Operate all vehicle lifts as prescribed in company policy.
• Secure all equipment that is required for each passenger as prescribed in company policy.
• Be able to lift, store, and disassemble/assemble wheelchairs of a maximum weight of 40 pounds and/or other ambulatory devices required by the passenger.

Driving Performance Evaluations

Driving performance evaluations are performed continuously as part of company safety training.

School bus drivers may be subjected to customized driving evaluations at any time during employment when the company has a specific concern or has received a report of improper driving.

Body Mechanics Of School Bus Driver

School Bus Drivers are required through their employment to perform various physical tasks. These physical tasks require varying degrees of lifting, pulling, bending, and carrying of heavy objects. Some examples of these are:

• Opening and closing a bus hood and lifting the hood up to perform pre-trip requirements of the engine.
• Opening and closing of bus entrance and emergency doors.
• Bending, pushing, and pulling to load and unload a wheelchair, with or without a passenger, onto a lift platform, by exerting a maximum of 40 of push/pull pressure.
• Bending, supporting, and otherwise physically helping passengers into and out of a school bus.
• Carrying and lifting into and from the school bus, personal articles and adaptive equipment of various weights and sizes.
• Bending and stretching for the cleaning and securement of equipment in the interior of the school bus.
• Bend, stretch, pull, and drag all persons, equipment or other types of articles that would be of varying sizes and weight out of emergency exits on demand.