Legal Focus

In 2022, school districts operated mostly uninterrupted from the coronavirus, and federal and state governments tackled more issues unrelated to the pandemic. For school transportation contractors, this meant keeping up with new or amended laws and regulations, and other significant events. Continue reading for a discussion on some of the biggest legal topics affecting the school transportation industry in 2022.

In recent years, public awareness of illegal passing of school buses has increased and Pennsylvania legislators, with the help of PSBA initiatives, have taken notice and made an effort to curb illegal passing. However, often when new laws are passed enforcement is not always as seamless as hoped when the law is written, Pennsylvania School Bus Stopping Laws are no exception. Law enforcement and Pennsylvania courts sometimes have difficulty enforcing the new laws and, as a result, may leave schoo...

Many school transportation contractors continue to look for creative ways to retain drivers. Some contractors may decide to pay their drivers on a per run basis, rather than by the hour. This can be an attractive payment model for drivers, and award efficiency with more pay in less time. However, contractors that pay their drivers on a per run basis should be mindful of their obligations of continued compliance with applicable minimum wage and overtime laws. Continue reading to learn how federal...

With the recent surge in the cost of fuel, school bus contractors nationwide have been closely monitoring the price at the pump over the last few months. When negotiating or renewing a transportation contract, fuel is typically a topic of significant dialog between the parties. School transportation contracts will normally specify who pays for fuel, but transportation contractors should also consider adding a fuel clause to address future fuel cost volatility.

Spring sports are in high gear and summer is on the horizon. While this often means increased paychecks for drivers, this also means additional concerns for school bus contractors. The additional spring hours and summer jobs often lead to CDL drivers reaching hours of service limits more often than during other times of the year. This article will discuss hours of service limits for drivers and how contractors can make sure that their drivers remain compliant.Click Here to Read More

Despite continuing COVID limitations on access to the Nation’s Capitol, NSTA will once again be holding the annual bus-in in Washington DC April 6 through April 8, 2022. With the challenges of COVID, the critical driver shortage, and the aggressive push toward electric school bus fleets, there has never been a more critical need to educate law makers about the challenges and complexities of the school bus industry. Read further to learn how you can support advocacy efforts for the school bus i...

We are now in the heart of the 2021-2022 school year, and contractors are continuing to face the harsh reality of the nationwide driver shortage. Recently, FMCSA took action intended to enhance school bus driver recruiting and retention by waiving CDL skills testing requirements that tended to intimidate and discourage school bus driver candidates. On January 3, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) published a “Waiver of Certain Pre-Trip inspection Skills Test Requirements...