An educational session coming up at the STN EXPO West conference will dive into the behind-the-scenes reality of mental fatigue and its impact on school bus drivers.
This session brings together 2025 Transportation Director of the Year Keba Baldwin and school bus driver and influencer Cor’Darius Jones, known as “Mr. Bus Driver,” on Facebook and TikTok for an insightful and candid discussion on the mental fatigue that many school bus drivers experience.
School bus drivers face high levels of stress as they tirelessly work to keep students safe on their routes while balancing covering routes, split shifts, early morning and long hours, and insufficient recovery time. Many drivers have been pushed to their limits and end up leaving the job entirely, as evidenced by the driver shortage that many districts face. Baldwin and Jones will discuss the factors involved that contribute to this fatigue on drivers and what it looks like on both sides of the transportation operations, from behind the wheel to district leadership.
Chronic exhaustion, lack of support from district administration, and lack of assistance with student behavior are all driving turnover. So, of course, can low pay or lack of benefits. But there are solutions to build a healthy workplace culture that ensures school bus drivers feel supported and equipped to do their job well. The speakers will also discuss how to address the mental and physical toll by creating an environment where drivers can work schedules that will not harm their mental or physical health and where wellness is treated as a safety issue.
Transportation department leadership, school bus driver advocates and anyone who works within the student transportation industry will leave the session with practical strategies to implement that will positively benefit not only school bus drivers but the entire operational structure of student transportation.
STN EXPO West will be held July 9-15 at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada. Attendees will have access to a week of educational sessions based on the challenges facing the industry, training classes to improve operations, networking events to bring peers together for problem-solving and innovative experiences such as the Ride and Drive/Live Product Demo, the STN EXPO Trade Show and the Transportation Director Summit. Register at stnexpo.com/west.
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