Hampshire County, West Virginia is a wonderful county to work in! Our county is very large; therefore, transportation is a challenge. We have the very best behind the wheels of our buses which get our students to school activities and home safely. Our bus drivers work hard because they know our students are getting the best education possible. Because our county is large, our transportation routing is systematic and organized. We seldom have difficulties because our drivers are trained to handle tense situations. Our principal’s work closely with the drivers to ensure effective discipline of students is handled in a timely manner.

During the training program, you will spend forty classroom hours learning about bus safety and maintenance along with the ever-important information about student safety and student laws. Our certified trainers will work with you and properly teach you how to diffuse difficult situations. But, first things first….we have to train you to drive our buses.

  1. You will need to visit the Department of Motor Vehicles. Our local detachment is located in Romney next to Burger King on Rt. 50. You will need to apply for your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) by filling out the form enclosed in this folder. Read through the book thoroughly and take a two-part test. When you receive your CDL permit, it is possible you could be able to begin training with our trainers at that time (once approved by our Board of Education).
  1. We train on 77-passenger Conventional-Style buses with manual transmissions. Yes, you will learn to use a clutch and change gears. You will learn loading and unloading procedures. You will learn how to perform a pre-trip inspection, and how to check the brakes for proper performance along with general driving techniques. After mastering these areas, you will do a driving test with the DMV tester.
  1. Once you have successfully passed these areas, you will meet with your trainer to begin driving a “transit” bus with an automatic transmission. Again, the same areas of pre-trip inspection, loading and unloading procedures, and an air brake performance demonstration along with general driving will be completed. With a twelve hour MINIMUM of drive-time, you will have another driving test and chain installation with a gentleman from the West Virginia Department of Education. Please be aware that 12 hours is only a minimum. Many exceed this amount tremendously because the process is very detailed. Our student’s lives depend on safe drivers; hence the arduous process of learning and testing. Do not be in fear, the trainers in this county will help you every step of the way.

Because of

West Virginia’s Bus Driver Training Program, ordinary drivers turn into

extraordinary drivers!