Over The Road Truck Driver Jobs

By: Richard S. Clark

Background checks for bus drivers now reveal that some had criminal records that would release them from employment from companies. After finding out that this was the case for many drivers, the state system for bus driver’s backgrounds was changed.

New methods of conducting background checks are now under review by the Department of Education and are finding new ways to benefit the system for bus driver’s background. The agency’s director of pupil transportation stated that the Department of Education will be able to make recommendations on the topic next some time in March of 2007.

One of the recommendations made by the director was that the Department of Education’s oversight of the driver’s background be expanded. But, the director predicts that the Department not take responsibility for duties that the districts usually take care of.

People don’t really see the possibility of something bad occurring concerning the transportation of children. In one case, a bus driver was arrested by the authorities who say he was carrying a syringe full of cocaine while driving on his route. Later, they learned that the same driver had a record of three previous convictions for DUI.

A new study performed by the Columbus Dispatch of 106 found that in Ohio districts alone, the programs for the developmentally challenged found 167 different bus drivers with drug convictions on their records or drunken driving convictions after performing background checks.

The driver found with the cocaine syringe was at that time employed by a private company in Cincinnati which provides different bus drivers for the school’s system. The company that hired him said that they had never performed criminal background checks.

In light of the driver found driving with cocaine, Lawrence Battle, Cincinnati Public Schools had requested that the company who hired Battle and other companies to perform criminal background checks on their current drivers.