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Driving a bus is one of the most difficult forms of driving. It requires the precision of driving an industrial truck. It takes a calm head and a lot of social awareness, too. Unlike many other forms of driving, bus drivers have to stay focused on the road while also being aware of what is happening around them in the vehicle with dozens of other people as passengers.
Fortunately, one of the things bus drivers don’t have to worry about is taking out their own insurance policy on the bus. Car insurance for bus drivers is the same as for any other occupation. The company you are driving the bus for will take care of the insurance. You may be able to receive discounts on your personal policy due to being a bus driver, though.
Pro #1: Government Benefits
Being a bus driver sometimes means you are driving for the government in some capacity. This is because school bus drivers are government employees, and so are metropolitan bus drivers. Unless you are driving a privately owned bus for a small business, you are probably paid by the city or county in some capacity.
This means you should get decent medical benefits for driving a bus. This makes it a perfect side hustle or post-retirement job choice for those who have enough money to live off of but still need medical insurance. Many older people choose to drive a bus in their 60s and even when they are older for these reasons.
This pro doesn’t always apply to those who drive for private companies, as it depends on who you’re working for. Check with your potential employer before taking a job as a bus driver to see if they provide benefits.
Con #1: Stress
Any job where you are driving all day is very stressful. Being on the road is an overwhelming task if done for long stretches of time. Road rage is more likely to happen, especially if you are driving a bus during peak hours of the day. Many others on the road get mad at bus drivers because the bus is a large vehicle that gets in the way.
Try to keep your calm if you are driving a bus by remembering that you are responsible for a lot of other people in the vehicle. Unfortunately, this can be a negative thing as well. Adults on public buses get into fights, don’t pay their fares, and make life generally difficult for bus drivers.
If you are a school bus driver, children can be very active on the bus. You need to make sure every little one in the vehicle gets home safely. Drivers also have to engage with concerned parents and this takes quite a bit of patience sometimes.
Health and Safety on a Bus
The pandemic added another stress to this list because of how dangerous it is to jam so many people onto the same vehicle. Most bus services had strict health and safety protocols, such as enforcing mask requirements, but that doesn’t mean people followed them.
Bus drivers have had to try and enforce these government mandates on their passengers, often leading to fights. This could lead some drivers to just let the passengers on the bus without a mask so there isn’t more confrontation. This makes the bus an unhealthy and dangerous place due to the increased risk of catching COVID-19.
All you can do is make sure you do not have any underlying issues as a bus driver before taking the job. See if you are comfortable with the health and safety protocols, but be prepared to have people who fight back against the rules.
Pro #2: You Are Helping Children
Kids are very receptive to their bus drivers. Young elementary school students view the bus driver as a hero of sorts, a responsible adult who they look up to. This is a tremendously rewarding advantage for bus drivers. It can also make older drivers feel young again when they’re around children.
Embrace your importance to the children on the bus. Strike up conversations with them about their day. Ask any questions they have about your job or the surroundings on the road. Driving a school bus can be a very social experience, one that will infuse your day with great meaning.
Con #2: The Pay Isn’t Good
We talked about medical benefits that come from driving a public bus, but the flip side to that is the salary isn’t good for driving a bus. It can be hard to figure out how to increase your salary when you are a bus driver. You should think of the career more as a side gig or a post-retirement job.
Most bus drivers only make around $30,000 to $50,000 annually. This is not enough to support a family without another income. If you have another source of money or are living with someone who does, then maybe you will be able to mitigate this downside to driving a bus.
Pro #3: You Don’t Have to Pay for Commercial Insurance
As a bus driver, your bus is insured by the employer you work for. Whether this is the federal government, the city, or a private company, they will pay for the commercial insurance policy for the vehicle.
This is different than when you are a small business owner who also drives their own commercial vehicle. You would then need to pay for a commercial policy and look up car insurance estimates yourself.
Con #3: There’s a Steep Learning Curve
Learning how to drive a bus is potentially more difficult than learning how to drive other vehicles. Buses are large vehicles and they are hard to maneuver on the road. Even if you love driving, buses are an entirely different type of vehicle due to their size and shape.
You might have to take extra training or safety classes and be patient with yourself as you learn how to master bus driving as a skill.
There are a lot of positives and negatives to driving a bus. Make sure you take all of them into consideration before you decide on making it part of your life.
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Shawn Laib writes and researches for the car insurance comparison site, CarInsuranceCompanies.com. He wants to help people understand the risks of rewards of different types of driving careers.