PELHAM, Ala. — Transportation South, Inc., Alabama’s largest school bus provider, will host the eighth annual “Love the Bus” celebration on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017 to honor Alabama’s best school bus drivers as voted by the students, parents and teachers they serve.
The event, to be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 1400 McCain Parkway in Pelham, will announce and recognize the state’s 2017 “Love the Bus” Driver of the Year and finalists.
WHAT: Transportation South presents eighth annual “Love the Bus” celebration to honor Alabama school bus drivers
WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017—11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Transportation South—1400 McCain Parkway; Pelham, AL 35124
While enjoying a barbecue lunch and cake, guests will hear from Alabama State Department of Education Program Administrator Chad Carpenter, who will speak about the incredible track record of the school bus industry as a whole and within the state of Alabama. More than 150 school and community leaders from throughout the region are also expected to attend to show their support of the finest drivers in our state, our school bus drivers.
Also, attending will be 22 students from Pelham Ridge Elementary School in the Pelham City School System, who will help show their appreciation by drawing pictures and decorating a school bus.
Founded in 2007 by the American School Bus Council (ASBC), the “Love the Bus” program is celebrated on Valentine’s Day and throughout February in school districts across the country as a way to raise awareness and appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of school bus drivers who safely transport more than 26 million school children to and from school each day.
“School bus drivers play a critical role in the lives and education of the nation’s students, and the ‘Love the Bus’ program is a fun way for us to recognize their dedication,” said Bucky Law, president of Transportation South. “Each school system will nominate bus drivers and from those selected, we will recognize one as the 2017 ‘Love the Bus’ Driver of the Year.”
To find the state’s most beloved bus driver, each school system was asked to nominate a school bus driver who portrays love for his or her job, school and students. School systems then sent in one-page nominations discussing why their nominees should be chosen as the 2017 Alabama “Love the Bus” Driver of the Year.
School Bus Facts:
- There are approximately 480,000 school buses in the United States.
- School bus transportation is the largest and safest transportation system in the country
- A child is 13 times safer in a school bus than the average of other ways to get to and from school.
- The nation’s school bus system eliminates the need for an estimated 17.3 million cars each morning and 2.3 billion gallons of gas annually.
- All school bus drivers must obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and pass written and skills tests to obtain a School Bus Endorsement.
- Drivers receive specialized classroom and behind-the-wheel training in driving a school bus, student loading/unloading procedures, student evacuation, student behavior and security management and emergency medical procedures.
For more information or to reach Bucky Law, please contact Audrey Pannell at 205-503-5955 or Audrey@styleadvertising.com.
About the American School Bus Council
The American School Bus Council (ASBC) represents a unified voice of the school transportation industry, including state transportation officials, public and private transportation providers and the manufacturing segment—all representing more than 480,000 yellow school buses transporting 26 million children to and from school each day. ASBC is committed to supporting and providing safe, effective, efficient and healthy transportation for our nation’s schoolchildren. www.americanschoolbuscouncil.org
About Transportation South
Transportation South, Inc. and its sister company, Mid-South Bus Center (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), offer an exceptional selection of new and used buses and vans for schools, churches, retirement communities, daycares, hotels and more. The companies offer post-sales support and service that is unmatched in the bus business. Founded in 1972, Transportation South and Mid-South Bus Center deliver more than 1,000 buses each year. www.thebuscenter.com
