Difference between "Passenger" endorsement & "School bus endorsement"- confused

I had no idea.

I don't think I can drive like that it would be going no where to me with that school bell and clock ticking tick tick tick, I guess what Im trying to say is that you school drivers are awesome but as a mr trucker please let us out from behind you so we can cruise... it's a bit of a tension Ive noticed.

 

You will be getting your passenger endorsement on your license and it reflects what you can drive like a passenger van, short bus or something like a full size Greyhound. You get your endorsement on the size and type of vehicle you take the test on.

There is no school bus endorsement. That is a special permit that comes from the state and you must be employed by the company or the town that supplies the bus service before you can drive one. Once you no longer work for them the permit is no good. I just went through all this.

 

Ok...we're in PA.. so he needs both endoresements then...(Ok it's only the P - confusing!)..

He is only training on the dang school bus so he can get a Class B.. only if he's actually laid off from where he is now (another thread on that dilemma) -then in desperation he may do the school bus thing.. he needs a Class B - QUICK and this is the option available to us..

He actually would be "one of those special people" that could handle it though.. the man has much patience. Me , I'd mouth off to the brats and probably be fired.

 

If anyone is going to mouth off it will be me.

With that said, re read the previous posts from Skate-board. There is a permit handed to the driver like a police badge before they are permitted to roll a school bus.

With that said, The school bus might have airbrakes or even airride for purposes of railroad wheels. so endorsement for that.

With that said, the State you are in contains a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division usually a branch of the State Police at Headquaters, find their number and talk with them of your exact situation leaving out these forums (There is so much ...) and ask specifically what will be NEEDED to be legal in this kind of vehicle, doing this kind of work, for who and why etc.

Good luck.

 

Another note on Texas(I was a a bus mechanic for a local district a few years ago). On top of the pass and school bus endorsements you have to take an additional 24hrs class every 2 years for your School bus safety certification. All of our buses were airbrakes aside from a few midbuses that we used for special needs routes. And while I never saw anything in writing about it, we were random tested far more often than any other cdl position I've been in. May have just been district policy, but on average we were "randomly" sent for screens about every 60days.

 

For the school bus endorsement during the skills and road test they pump up the volume with a sound track of screaming kids and throw things at you. If you wince you fail.

 

I don't get it, a class b doesn't require schooling (pun intended) so if the guy has driven a truck, even a little box truck like a large uhaul, then get the permit, find a tester and take a road test. There is a 70% chance of passing never driving a truck before unless the guy can't drive to begin with.

Also here I don't have to have a P to be a school bus driver, just the school bus endorsement. Many state have people get the P endorsement to make money, but in truth they should be in one endorsement if someone has a S on their license.

 

If you live in Michigan they require the following to drive a school bus.

transporting children in a school bus, you need to have a CDL with a passenger ("P") and a school bus ("S") endorsement. You will generally need to:

• Become certified and trained.
• Pass a school bus knowledge exam.
• Pass the driving test in a school bus.
• Have clean criminal record.
• Have a clean driving record.

 

Ridgeline said:

Oh how we wish it was this easy... our issue.. if you seen my other thread.. he needs a Class B like very soon.. or he will be the 1st laid off in his department (he is not planning on driving school bus) ...

Other than posting on Facebook to get SOMEONE to take him on ...and use their Class B truck for a Test. well I did pm about 4 to 5 people asking around.. we got NOTHING in return..

People are busy..and it's not like anyone we personally know owns a class B truck to use...

I told them all we were happy to pay for the training - whatever they need... what we were facing having to go through some dude who wants to charge us like $3,000 to $4,000 using HIS school bus for this training...

so at least this Busing company (a better reputation. nice people) are willing to take him on.. and do the training, working around his work schedule.... unfortunately since he has to take the Test on a School bus.. he needs all the crap one needs to pass for a school bus.. to get his Class B.. which will be "enough" for his work place, once again putting him in the top seniority position -instead of #3...

If you are wondering why he can't learn on his job.. the 2 guys left have a Class B.. do you think they want to train him so they will be 1st on the chopping Block.. it's a grave conflict of interest...plus they just dont have the time to be goofing off... they are strapped badly to get their own work done.. it's a weird situation..

 

In Illinois, all that is required for the passenger endorsement is to pass the written & skills test in a CMV designed to carry passengers. That endorsement is good for as long as you choose to keep it on your license.

For a school bus endorsement, you've got to have a few (I'm thinking it was 4...been a while since I did it) hours behind the wheel training, 8 hours in a classroom, pass the written and skills tests, as well as get fingerprinted for a background check. The school bus endorsement is only good for a year, and you've got to take a 4 hour refresher course (classroom) in order for the endorsement to remain valid. Only way to do that is to be working as a school bus driver.

The difference in the endorsements? A school bus is a passenger vehicle. Not all passenger vehicles are school busses.