Drivers Compete in Paulding County School Bus Rodeo

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Paulding County Transportation had 30 bus drivers compete in an obstacle course to see who is the best bus driver in the system.

There were eight difficult obstacles that tested their driving skills: Parallel Parking, Rail Road Crossing, Stop line, Back Up, Diminishing Clearance, Straight Line, Curb Line and Student Bus Stop. The top two contestants will move on to compete in the state competition on June 3-4.

A description of the events:

• Curb Line: Driver is to pull bus close to the curb without hitting it within a limited distance. (No pic of the event)
• Parallel Parking: Driver is to parallel park as close to curb without hitting curb or cones within a limited amount of space.
• Back Up: Driver is to back a bus from a 90 degree angle into a stall with a limited amount of space without hitting any cones or boundary lines and stop back bumper 4-5 feet from rear barrier.
• Diminishing Clearance: Driver is to drive the bus in a straight line as the clearance narrows.
• Straight Line: Straight Line where the bus driver drives the passenger side tires through the balls without hitting any.
• Railroad Crossing: School bus drivers are required by law to stop at all crossings and driver must complete all procedures used in crossing.
• Stop Line: Driver is judged on how close they bring the bus to a stop line without having the bumper on top of the line.
• School Bus Stop: School bus drivers are required by law to use certain procedures when making a bus stop and the driver is judged on all procedures.

The top three drivers pictured are (left to right): 3rd Place, Bobby Foster; 1st Place, Sissy Summerville; 2nd Place, Margaret Blackburn. Photos courtesy: Suzanne Wooley/Paulding County School District