School Bus Driver Training
Become A Certified School Bus Driver At Driving Academy
Get your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with a (S) endorsement, or complete the requirements needed to have school bus added to your existing license.
Learn why Driving Academy is the best school for you to get the (S) endorsement added to your CDL license so you can start on your Road To Freedom.
We Make Getting A CDL With A School Bus Endorsement Easy as ABC
If you’re starting from scratch, getting your CDL with the (S) endorsement at Driving Academy can take as little as 2 to 4 weeks. Adding the school bus endorsement to your existing CDL license can happen even faster! You pick your schedule day, night or weekend training available.
Best of all Driving Academy has low price school bus training. All you need is $500 down to get started.
Our tried-and-true training method has helped over 15,000 students start on the Road to Freedom. So, fill out this form to learn more about the simple steps to getting your school bus driver training started at Driving Academy.
Fill This Out To Get Started
Why Get Your School bus CDL With Driving Academy?
Driving Academy schools offer affordable, FMCSA approved classroom and behind-the-wheel courses for future school bus drivers.
> Guaranteed CDL Training Programs
Become a bus driver with no fear of failure. With these programs you keep testing until you pass
> Affordable School Bus Driver Training
All you need is $500 down to get started with low price payment plans
> Flexible Schedules
Train 7 days/week plus nights and weekends
> State-of-the-Art Truck Driving Simulators
Practice realistic driving before getting on the open road
> Third-Party Testing*
We do the training and the testing, so you feel comfortable and confident
> Lifetime Job Placement Assistance
We help you find bus driving jobs until the day you die!
> Multiple training locations
Bus Driver Training schools across the country
*where applicable
Pick Your Program
Guaranteed CDL Programs
- 100% success rate
- Class B & (P) + (S) Endorsements
- 100+ hours behind the wheel training
- Includes CDL permit prep
- Unlimited bus road tests at no extra cost
Full CDL Courses
- Class B & (P) + (S) Endorsements
- 80+ hours yard and road training
- CDL permit prep course
- Multiple free road in bus tests included
Half CDL Courses
- Limited to pre-trip & road test prep
- Class B & (P) + (S) Endorsements
- Quick completion
- 1 or 2 free road tests in school bus included
- No permit prep
Class A CDL License With School Bus Endorsement
The School Bus (S) endorsement is typically associated with a Class B commercial driver’s license. If you want to also get a Class A CDL and a school bus endorsement, you have pay a lot of money to take the CDL driving test in a school bus AND then again in a tractor trailer.
With Driving Academy’s guaranteed Class A CDL license program you can add on a School Bus Endorsement. By simplifying the process of getting a Class A license with an (S) endorsement, you get to take the road test in a bus and then retake it in a tractor-trailer, each an unlimited number of times. This gives students the opportunity to drive just about any commercial vehicle, giving you more options in the transportation industry.
Guaranteed CDL Program
Class A + School Bus
- 100% success rate
- Class A & (P) + (S) Endorsements
- 100+ hours behind the wheel training
- Includes CDL permit prep
- Unlimited tractor-trailer road tests
- Unlimited bus road tests at no extra cost
How Do You Get a CDL With A School Bus Endorsement?
1) ENROLL
To earn any CDL, you need a valid driver's license and be healthy enough to pass a DOT Physical. To be a school bus driver you'll also need to be at least 21 years old, and able to pass a Criminal History background check.If you meet the requirements, you'll then need to enroll at an FMCSA approved truck driving school like Driving Academy.
Find out more
2) PERMIT
Students need a CDL permit to do their school bus training. At Driving Academy, our full courses begin with classroom learning with simplified lessons and practice permit tests to help students pass the written exams, which will include both the passenger and school bus endorsement exams.
We then bring students to the yard for ELDT training so they're 100% ready to pass the CDL road test.
Find out more
3) ROAD TEST
To get a yellow bus CDL license, drivers must pass a two-and-a-half-hour road test to demonstrate their skills and prove their capabilities behind the wheel. CDL Road test training is included in all courses offered by Driving Academy.
Once a driver has passed their road test in a certified school bus, they can operate any school bus or Class B vehicles.
Find out more
Why Become A School Bus Driver?
Becoming a school bus operator is more than just a driving job; it’s an opportunity to build a rewarding career, with good pay and limited hours, while making a positive impact on your community.
Yellow bus drivers are essential for helping students safely get to and from school, activities, and events every day.
Become A School Bus Driver Because You...
- Are home every day
- Have a consistent schedule
- Get full time pay for part time work
- Don't need a college degree
- Make an impact on the lives of children
- Are desperately needed!
Do You Need A CDL To Drive A School Bus?
Yes, you do need to have a CDL to drive a school bus full of children.
Federal regulations require a commercial driver’s license for anyone operating a vehicle designed to transport 16 or more people, including the driver, or a large vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more.
And according to federal law 49 CFR § 383.123, when it comes to transporting school children you also need an S endorsement on your driver’s license.
You must to have a CDL to drive any kind of school bus
You can get a school bus endorsement on a Class A, Class B or even Class C license.
While either Class A or Class B can drive any large bus, Class C CDL holders can only drive small buses.
School Bus Driver Requirements
- Have a valid driver’s license
- Be at least 21 years old
- Be healthy enough to pass a DOT Physical
- Be able to pass a Criminal History background check
- Be a USA citizen or have residential immigrant status (Green Card)
Do School Bus Drivers Only Work 4 Hours A Day?
While school bus drivers often work split shifts that fit around the school day, their work day may be a bit more complicated than a straight forward 4 hour day. It really depends on what school district they’re working for and the route (or routes) they get.
A typical school bus driver schedule might look like this:
- Pre-Trip: Every morning drivers are expected to do a pre-trip inspection to ensure their bus is safe
- Morning: 6:00 – 9:00 AM morning student route/routes
- Midday: Off – often several hours (unless there’s a field trip)
- Afternoon: 2:00 – 5:00 PM afternoon routes
- Total: 5–7 hours of paid work, depending on the district and additional assignments.
Some drivers work closer to 4 hours per day, while others get additional hours driving field trips, sports, special-needs routes, midday routes or other transportation.
(S) Endorsement And Becoming A School Bus Driver FAQs
What counts as a school bus?
According to federal law, 49 CFR 390.5T
School bus means a CMV used to transport pre-primary, primary, or secondary school students from home to school, from school to home, or to and from school-sponsored events.
This means that any commercial vehicle (any large automobile weighing over 26,001 pounds or carrying 16 people) that is being used to pickup or drop off students for school or school related functions counts as a school bus and requires a commercial driver's license with a passenger endorsement and school bus endorsement.
Do I need to retake the road test to get a school bus endorsement?
If you've already got (or you're getting) a Class A CDL license, unfortunately you will need to retake the entire road test in a school bus. There are parts to the CDL road test that are specific for a school bus and you'll need to demonstrate a mastery of them. Even if you already got your Class A license.
Can I take the road test in any bus?
To get your school bus endorsement you must take the CDL road test in a school bus.
If you're trying to get your class B along with the S endorsement, you'll need to take the test in a class B size school bus.
Do you need to get a passenger endorsement before a school bus endorsement?
You don't need to already get a P endorsement before starting school-bus training. The P and S endorsements can be obtained as part of the same process at the same time.
In order to get the passenger and school bus endorsement at the same time, you'll need to take both written tests. Then after completing the full ELDT training, you'll need to take the CDL road test in a school bus
Taking the commercial driving road test in a school bus counts towards your passenger endorsement, so you don't need to take the skills test more than once.
Can you get a school bus endorsement online?
While there are companies offering "online school bus endorsements," the fact is that you can't get the (S) endorsement over the internet.
- You need to take the school bus permit test physically at the DMV near you
- If you haven't already gotten your CDL, you'll need to complete ELDT training in-person, behind the wheel of a real school bus at a FMCSA approved CDL school.
- You must pass the entire CDL road & skills test in an actual school bus.
While you can study for the permit exams and pre-trip inspection via the web, you can't get your School Bus Endorsement online.
Choose Driving Academy For Your School Bus CDL Training
To safely transport “cargo” as precious as school children, you need to get the best training with expert teachers. At Driving Academy, our expert instructors have decades of both on-the-road and education experience.
With our help you’re actually ready to pass the tests and start a meaningful career driving kids to school in a big yellow bus.
Get the best CDL bus driver training at Driving Academy, serving students near Linden, New Jersey and across the country. Driving Academy provides students with advanced training and the knowledge and skills they need to pursue either a Class A, Class B, or Class B+P CDL training. Other benefits of Driving Academy include:
- Affordable payment plans that start at just $500 down
- State-of-the-art simulator training
- Lifetime job placement assistance for graduates
- Flexible training schedules including nights and weekends
- Certified third-party testing site available
- Training for students from anywhere in the United States
If you’re ready to hit the road on the path toward earning a CDL, contact us today to learn more about our CDL driver training in Delaware, Louisiana, Florida, Indiana, New Jersey, Oregon and more!
