ROCKY MOUNT – As the traditional school calendar is set to begin in North Carolina next week, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles Tuesday allowed members of the media to see up close three new school buses used in training efforts for new school bus drivers.
The event, held on the campus of the division headquarters in Rocky Mount, showcased the new buses, which will enable DMV to train outside of a limited window of the availability of buses provided by the local schools. DMV also provided information about modernized training methods by the division’s School Bus and Traffic Safety unit which will simplify and shorten the testing process without sacrificing safety.
These new methods include three days of classroom instruction for new trainees, followed by four days of behind-the-wheel training.
“We hope this method will reduce the intimidation factor for potential new school bus drivers who must first obtain a commercial driver license with both a passenger and school bus endorsement,” said DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. “All of us associated with school bus and traffic safety efforts in our state realize the most important accomplishment is safely delivering our precious children to school and back home again every day.”
The new school buses used for training were provided to DMV in 2023 by the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund. That same grant also provided funding for the hiring of additional trainers and retention bonuses for existing trainers.
NCDMV is currently participating in the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators’ (AAMVA) modernized “train the trainer” course which will conclude at the end of September. The division will then systematically roll out the new training method to prospective school bus drivers in the coming months.
People can find out more about school bus driver endorsements and training in North Carolina by visiting the
NCDMV website.