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Federal Bus Driving Law and Coaches ( especially Small schools)


Slickarick

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According to FMSCA :

 

Maximum Driving Time for Passenger – Carrying Vehicles – § 395.5 

No motor carrier of passengers shall permit or require any passenger-carrying CMV driver to drive: 

  • More than 10 hours following 8 consecutive hours off duty, or 
  • For any period after having been on duty 15 hours following 8 consecutive hours off duty. 

No motor carrier of passengers shall permit or require any passenger-carrying CMV driver to drive, regardless of number of motor carriers using the driver’s services, for any period after the driver has been on duty: 

  • 60 hours in any 7 consecutive days if the carrier does not operate CMVs every day of the week; or 
  • 70 hours in any 8 consecutive days if the carrier operates CMVs every day of the week. 

On-Duty Time – § 395.2 

On-duty time means all time from the time a driver begins work or is required to be in readiness for work until the time the driver is relieved from work and all responsibilities for performing work. Performing other compensated work for a person who is not a motor 

 

So get to work at 7:00 Monday- Wednesday leave the field house at 6 ( 33 hours) , home game Thursday arrive at 7:00am Leave field house at 10:00(15 hours),Friday away game arrive at 7 am you could drive to the game because most start at 7 but after the game you have more than 60 hours.. so its technically against federals law for any  coach to drive back that's been working all week.  Wonder how many schools have to risk this to play sports. 

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Example: Coach reports to school at 07:00 and becomes "on-duty". 15 hrs later at 22:00 (10:00 pm) the coach can not legally operate a commercial (passenger) motor vehicle until the coach has been "off-duty" for 8 consecutive hours. "Off duty" does not mean "not driving". If the coach is at school or in any work function, he is "on-duty". 

If the 8 hour break is interrupted, the time is considered consecutively "on-duty".

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1 hour ago, Slickarick said:

According to FMSCA :

 

Maximum Driving Time for Passenger – Carrying Vehicles – § 395.5 

No motor carrier of passengers shall permit or require any passenger-carrying CMV driver to drive: 

  • More than 10 hours following 8 consecutive hours off duty, or 
  • For any period after having been on duty 15 hours following 8 consecutive hours off duty. 

No motor carrier of passengers shall permit or require any passenger-carrying CMV driver to drive, regardless of number of motor carriers using the driver’s services, for any period after the driver has been on duty: 

  • 60 hours in any 7 consecutive days if the carrier does not operate CMVs every day of the week; or 
  • 70 hours in any 8 consecutive days if the carrier operates CMVs every day of the week. 

On-Duty Time – § 395.2 

On-duty time means all time from the time a driver begins work or is required to be in readiness for work until the time the driver is relieved from work and all responsibilities for performing work. Performing other compensated work for a person who is not a motor 

 

So get to work at 7:00 Monday- Wednesday leave the field house at 6 ( 33 hours) , home game Thursday arrive at 7:00am Leave field house at 10:00(15 hours),Friday away game arrive at 7 am you could drive to the game because most start at 7 but after the game you have more than 60 hours.. so its technically against federals law for any  coach to drive back that's been working all week.  Wonder how many schools have to risk this to play sports. 

If the coach is off for 34 hours consecutively, the 70 HR clock "resets" to zero.

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There is a big shortage of drivers now, think of how bad it would be if every school went by these guidelines!! 

A sidenote to anyone nearing retirement...if you want to keep your CDL current you have to get a DOT physical every year, regardless if you drive a bus or not...personal experience!!!! If you don't get the physical, you lose your CDL!! No grace period, no pay a fine, get a physical and get your CDL reinstated...nope...done!! I was gong to help a buddy out that was short handed and pick up some extra cash but nope...oh well, I wasn't really looking forward to doing it again anyway!! 

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30 minutes ago, blesseddaily said:

There is a big shortage of drivers now, think of how bad it would be if every school went by these guidelines!! 

A sidenote to anyone nearing retirement...if you want to keep your CDL current you have to get a DOT physical every year, regardless if you drive a bus or not...personal experience!!!! If you don't get the physical, you lose your CDL!! No grace period, no pay a fine, get a physical and get your CDL reinstated...nope...done!! I was gong to help a buddy out that was short handed and pick up some extra cash but nope...oh well, I wasn't really looking forward to doing it again anyway!! 

The CDL is reinstated when the driver renews the physical within a certain timeframe (60 days). This is because and physicians incorrectly report the physical and the CDLs routinely lapse with the drivers believing that everything was submitted. 

Edited by 89Falcon
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59 minutes ago, 89Falcon said:

The CDL is reinstated when the driver renews the physical within a certain timeframe (60 days). This is because and physicians incorrectly report the physical and the CDLs routinely lapse with the drivers believing that everything was submitted. 

I must have waited to long...it definitely expired and the only way to reinstate it is to start the process all over again...from scratch...which I am definitely not going to do!!

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They have to do something, bus drivers are becoming less and less common. Killeen is  trying to do something about it by having a course where 18 year olds can have their CDL by graduation. Can drive a big rig or Bus or whatever. More places need to look into doing this. The federal program that bus drivers have to do now that 3500-4500 dollars is ridiculous! 

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1 minute ago, Slickarick said:

They have to do something, bus drivers are becoming less and less common. Killeen is  trying to do something about it by having a course where 18 year olds can have their CDL by graduation. Can drive a big rig or Bus or whatever. More places need to look into doing this. The federal program that bus drivers have to do now that 3500-4500 dollars is ridiculous! 

Angelina college gets $5500 dollars for course!!!! Which, if I was young and wanted to begin earning a very good salary as quickly as possible that wouldn't be so bad!

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2 minutes ago, blesseddaily said:

Angelina college gets $5500 dollars for course!!!! Which, if I was young and wanted to begin earning a very good salary as quickly as possible that wouldn't be so bad!

Craziness! Tx has yet to separate CDL infractions from class C infractions which they need to do ASAP.  At least be able to do defensive driving and deferred  adjudication at least once each. 

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32 minutes ago, RETIREDFAN1 said:

They don't have the resources....

 

They have the resources. They focus on their targets as they determine where the greatest yield will be. Schools are a part of their same government and they do not want to throw stones at themselves. The first time it becomes politically expedient, a DOT audit will be conducted on a target district and everyone will go into a panic. DOT conducts thousands of audits each year and has spared the "school transportation industry".  

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1 minute ago, 89Falcon said:

They have the resources. They focus on their targets as they determine where the greatest yield will be. Schools are a part of their same government and they do not want to throw stones at themselves. The first time it becomes politically expedient, a DOT audit will be conducted on a target district and everyone will go into a panic. DOT conducts thousands of audits each year and has spared the "school transportation industry".  

They don't have the resources....

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20 minutes ago, RETIREDFAN1 said:

How are they going to know who is in violation????

1. Accidents

2. Accident w/fatality= DOT audit 100% 

3. Moving violations

4. Inspection violations

 

MCs are monitored via service records. As stated above, when the "right tragedy/fatality" happens and it becomes a political issue, the audits will come. 

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1 minute ago, 89Falcon said:

1. Accidents

2. Accident w/fatality= DOT audit 100% 

3. Moving violations

4. Inspection violations

 

MCs are monitored via service records. As stated above, when the "right tragedy/fatality" happens and it becomes a political issue, the audits will come. 

1. Don't happen very often...

2. see above...

3. See above...

4. See above....

Unenforceable.....

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