It’s Driver Appreciation Month!
Driver Safety: A 360-Degree Approach
On April 22, Zum celebrated drivers with Driver Appreciation Day events at its facilities nationwide. Take a look at photos from the events, which included pizza lunches, award presentations and more.
In Roanoke, VA:
In San Francisco:
Meet the Drivers
Tell us about your work driving students in Spokane Public Schools.
I’m a retired business owner and a former high school teacher and coach. After the pandemic, I saw (“Drivers Wanted”) signs all over. So I signed up and got my CDL. All the kids I used to teach and coach, they’re your family. And I got that family atmosphere back by driving a bus.
Take us through a typical day.
Normally, I get into work about 6, and I’m on the road a little before 7. I start out with picking up some special needs kids, then I get into my elementary route where I pick up about 35 kids. From there, I pick up my middle school route and take them to school. Then, in what we call a midday, I pick up one special needs kid, and I use a van for that. In the afternoon, I reverse my route: take the special needs kids home, then I go to my elementary school and take them home, go to my middle school and take them home.
A lot of times afterward, I’ll take a team to a game. I have one high school football team I deal with all the time. I take them to their games, and then I’ll take a junior ROTC group to their meets. Another school’s dance team does a competition and they request me now. … Then this spring, a high school baseball team requested me, so I go and do their games.
Wow!
It’s fun, I feel good, and they like to have me around. Being an old coach, I know the last thing you want to worry about is a dang bus. And one thing I do is, when I take them to a game, I watch the game. I support them. I want them to visibly see me there, and I think that makes a huge difference.
How has technology impacted your job?
Well, it’s far better than having a piece of paper. I really like using the tablets. It’s great for checking in my everyday route and making sure kids get off the bus. For these sports trips, especially if I go out of town, the GPS really helps a lot.
What have you learned as a driver?
You know, I was hard on kids when I coached, I was. But you interact with them in different ways, and you build a relationship. I think the time spent building a relationship is really, really important. I like the kids a lot. They look forward to seeing me, and I look forward to seeing them.
Tell us about your work as a school bus driver in Seattle.
I was certified in 2020. I have two kids, and my daughter was about six at the time. Because her school was a couple blocks away, she decided if I became a bus driver, then I could drive her on the school bus, and she’d be with me every day. (Laughs)
During my training, she was like, “Mom, can I help you study?” She’s trying to help and learning all these terms. It was really touching for me, and I was just like, OK, now I really have to do this for her. Once I became certified, I realized that the districts were different and I wouldn’t be her school bus driver, but she was OK with it. I’ve been with Zum since 2023.
What do you like about your job?
The kids are amazing. They say good morning to me, they say thank you as they’re getting off the bus, and they’re really respectful. One time one of the students, Max, saw me at the park. He just came up and was like, “Hey, Miss KK!” They will talk to me, and I’ll get to know them.
What’s a typical morning for you?
I get up at about five o ‘clock – I have two cats along with my two kids – and I get to work about six o’clock. I’m excited to do my route, and I’m excited to see my students every day, so it’s easier for me to get up and come to work because I love what I’m doing. Seeing all the students and their smiles and the laughter that they have … it brings joy.
What do you like about working with Zum?
All of the people – the dispatchers, everybody – work together. They understand stuff that I’m going through and, having my two kids at home, they are more understanding and appreciative for certain things I do. I actually never had an award before; I got one last year. It shows that they pay attention to what drivers do. It just became like another sort of a family, to the point where I just love to go to work. And obviously all the kids and the parents think you’re a really special person.
Do you have a special approach to your job?
I treat the kids like I would treat my own kids. And I am happy all the time. I don’t think the kids have ever seen me upset, ’cause it takes too much time to be upset about things in life.
The kids are precious cargo to me, and I keep them safe. That’s what I always call them – I mean, I’ve never told them that, but I just keep it in my mind. My precious cargo.
Driver Safety: A 360-Degree Approach
Zum’s comprehensive driver training and industry-leading technology ensures student safety and well-being is the top priority before, during and after every ride. Our driver training curriculum exceeds county and state requirements and is designed to better equip Zum drivers to provide personalized care, emergency response and increased transparency.
Susan Moorehead, area safety and training manager for Zum Services, has driven school buses for over 50 years and joined Zum in 2021 to focus on training the next generation of drivers.
“My vision for the future is to continue to support Zum’s growth as the leader in technology and safety as well as develop a world-class safety culture across our entire team,” Moorehead tells School Bus Fleet magazine in a new profile. “I think the bus driver plays a very vital role in the community, in the child’s life. When you open the door of the bus, you’re opening the door to their educational process.”
Join Zum’s Team of Drivers!
Zum is now hiring school bus drivers, attendants, non-CDL van drivers and other positions at its facilities nationwide. If you or someone you know is interested in being a driver, please spread the word.
Learn more and submit an application today!
Celebrate a Driver!
School bus drivers are important members of our communities who keep our children safe and set them up for greater success during the school day.
We encourage you to show appreciation by thanking a driver or sharing a positive story. (And don’t forget to tag Zum on X, Instagram, Facebook and/or LinkedIn so we can celebrate them, too!)