News & Insights

The FMCSA is considering changes to its Hours of Service rules, some of which will have an effect on the school bus industry. Shortly after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) instituted Electronic Logging Devices (“ELDs”) to record hours of service, it received notice of additional changes which are desired by those who were affected. On August 22, 2019, the FMCSA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with changes that FMCSA is now proposing to the hours of service re...

While many Contractors understand the importance of safety in their operations, few may actually be maximizing the benefits of company safety policies and procedures. Did you know that an employer with a Certified Workplace Safety Committee is eligible to receive a five percent (5%) discount on their Workers' Compensation Insurance premium annually? Soliciting the assistance of your staff and developing a Certified Safety Committee will help you identify and correct additional risks you may ...

Employers are often unsure how to proceed when they receive a complaint of alleged misconduct in the workplace. Sometimes the complaints or allegations are clear and detailed. But, other times employees might not be forth coming with details for a number of reasons. Knowing how to identify and respond to reported or potential improper workplace conduct is important for all employers. Investigating reported or possible incidents of improper conduct in the workplace can be done through a workplace...

Typically, school transportation is provided to school districts, charter schools, and other non-public schools either by the school district’s own transportation department or by a private contractor. However, public transit that is operated by a state or local government authority (an “Operator”), can also, in some instances, provide school transportation services. For an Operator to be able to provide “school bus operations” and also continue receiving federal funds to operate public tra...

For school bus contractors, proper access to and handling of confidential student information is important. This is especially true when dealing with special issues related to a child’s care. Businesses and school districts often struggle to balance the protection of student privacy with the disclosure of information necessary for student health and safety. This article discusses access to and protection of confidential information.

On July 2, 2019, Governor Tom Wolf, signed SB 440 into law allowing Pennsylvania schools to have up to five “flexible instructional days” each year in place of face to face classroom time. This means that the number of days that require transportation to and from school could be reduced from the currently required 180 days. While this may be a benefit to school districts, most school bus contracts are based on an anticipated 180 days of revenue. Eliminating five days of transportation could r...

In recent months, the topic of illegal passing of stopped school buses has dominated the news and the industry. During the month of May, ABC News highlighted two instances of illegal passing, one in Ohio and another in Minnesota. In the case of the Ohio accident, the student was lucky to escape with minor injuries. However, in the case of the Minnesota accident, the child remains in critical care in the hospital. Most, if not all, school bus operators are able to recount instances in which their...