Students No Longer Allowed To Drive Buses Due To Federal Regulation

[Drew]

This was the highest paying on campus job at UConn IIRC

New federal regulations mean no more new UConn student bus drivers

Due to changes in federal regulations, it is now very difficult for the University of Connecticut to employ more students as bus drivers.

According to the new legislation, which was released by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on March 4, all new commercial drivers must obtain training from a FMCSA-approved facility in order to receive an appropriate license.

The university has adapted the proposed changes, but the federal regulation has not officially changed yet.

Unfortunately for UConn students interested in becoming bus drivers, these regulations make it much more difficult to meet the qualifications necessary to work as bus driver.

“Applicants seeking a ‘Class B’ CDL (commercial driver’s license) – necessary for operating a heavy straight truck or a school bus, city transit bus, or motor coach – would be required to obtain a minimum of fifteen hours of behind-the-wheel training, including a minimum of seven hours of practice range training,” according to a press release issued by the FMCSA.

This is particularly challenging because UConn does not have a facility large enough nor the funds to accommodate training new drivers under these new rules.

 

[Waquoit]

This was the highest paying on campus job at UConn IIRC

I thought it was nude modeling?

 

[8893]

I thought it was nude modeling?

What did they pay you for that?

 

[Waquoit]

What did they pay you for that?

They paid me to not take the job.

 

[Drew]

UConn Changing Bus Operations to Meet New Rules - UConn Today

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently established comprehensive national minimum training standards for entry-level commercial truck and bus operators to obtain a commercial driver’s license or certain endorsements. Those training standards go into effect on Feb. 6, 2017.

With no training facility on campus, UConn cannot meet the new training requirements on its own. That means the number of student drivers holding commercial driver’s licenses will decrease each year as they graduate, while very few are entering UConn with the certification already in hand.

When a contractor is selected from among responses to UConn’s RFP, that company will operate the fixed-route bus lines with its own commercial driver’s license-certified drivers. However, UConn students will continue to have access to other jobs with the transportation department.

“Even with this change, we’re still going to have a large presence of student workers because we will need them for many other jobs, such as driving shuttle vans, dispatching, and cleaning buses,” says William Wendt, director of UConn’s Office of Logistics Administration, which includes the transportation department. “Students have been an important part of our workforce, and that isn’t changing.”

UConn operates several regular fixed-route lines on and near the Storrs campus, plus a variety of shuttles and vans during some late-night periods, on demand for disabled passengers, to and from UConn Health in Farmington, and to and from Bradley Airport and other transit hubs.

Companies that want to bid on providing drivers for the fixed-route lines with the large buses must do so by early February, and the company that is selected will take over those routes with its own commercial driver’s license-certified drivers during summer 2017. Students who wish to become commercial driver’s license-certified, and drive buses will be encouraged to apply for training and jobs through the new vendor.