Safety-Driven Company Culture
The cycle of success starts with treating employees well, and we do this by cultivating a safety-driven culture that empowers our employees to feel confident and proud of the work they do – which is delivering safe, reliable, and on-time service.
Thorough and professional school bus driver training is critical to a driver’s confidence in their job. Every STA driver undergoes annual training provided by the State Department of Education. Additionally, we require all drivers to complete training each year using the nationally recognized program, The Driver Training Course.
Comprised of 26 integrated topics, The Driver Training Course is a comprehensive program that covers everything a school bus driver needs to know while preparing them to manage their passengers with the utmost safety and care. All of our new drivers receive 25 hours of classroom instruction with our certified trainers, and train for 18 hours behind-the-wheel before operating any vehicle for our customers; experienced drivers with a Commercial Driver’s License receive a minimum of 14 hours of classroom instruction and 4 hours behind-the-wheel. The program is specifically designed to help STA’s drivers learn how to avoid unsafe behaviors, thereby reducing risk and providing a superior level of safety and service.
Trainer Certification Program
STA’s trainers are the gatekeepers to the quality and safety of the services we deliver, and our Trainer Certification process is a complete toolkit that helps to interview, test, prepare, and promote our best candidates to become professional school bus driver trainers. We believe that a skilled, safe, and professionally trained driver is an organization’s strongest asset, and our trainers have the greatest influence on our drivers by providing the quality instruction needed to ensure a driver is ready to perform their duties with the utmost safety and care.
Virtual Learning Courses
In the wake of COVID-19, providing flexible options for virtual training delivery has never been more important. STA’s Safety and Technology Teams worked together to develop our web-based learning management system (LMS) to help managers and trainers deliver the material their local teams need in an easily accessible format. The LMS allows instructors to bundle courses from across STA’s course catalog into a customizable program to meet the unique needs of specific locations. Today, our LMS is the go-to resource for:
- Instructors and trainers who need access to all company-wide and applicable state and local training content in one place
- Terminals who want to deliver customized content for in-service meetings delivered to local staff
- Employees who have been asked to complete an online course or program
Monthly Safety Meetings
In an effort to provide our employees with quality material throughout the year, STA’s Safety Team collaborated with National Interstate to develop a series of campaigns designed to highlight specific topics during the mandatory monthly safety meetings that take place at every STA terminal.
The series focuses on seven key months of the school year with material that includes meeting presentations and quizzes, videos, prevention tips and safety reminders, printable safety activities, and more. The safety training campaigns are intended to enhance and supplement the additional efforts taking place locally and the specific needs of individual terminals and customers. The safety training campaigns are intended to enhance and supplement the additional efforts taking place locally and the specific needs of individual terminals and customers.
- Child Check Safety
- Vehicle Backing Safety
- Slips, Trips & Falls
- Driver Distraction & Fatigue Management
- Intersections & Turn
- Pedestrian & Bicyclist Safety
- Winter Weather Driving
Special Needs Training
Understanding special needs in children is an important part of what we do each day. As transportation professionals, it is our purpose to provide safe access to education for students from all walks of life.
Our comprehensive Special Needs Training focuses on seven core areas – including types of special needs, lifts and mobility devices, and legislation overview – in order to continually strengthen and enhance the compassion and skill levels of our team members.
Our managers are encouraged to maintain their Special Needs Endorsement Certification through the National Association for Pupil Transportation, and each year team members attend the NAPT Special Needs Transportation Training Conference and the STN Transporting Students with Disabilities & Special Needs Conference.
Learn more about STA’s Special Needs Transportation Services
Learn more about STA’s Autism Acceptance initiative