Transit 2020 Operator Development Course

Focused on Safe, High-Quality Service

COMPLIES WITH FTA REQUIREMENTS

The courses are available on DVD, Thumb Drive, or from our Online Learning Management System.

The quality and content of your operator training is by far the most important factor in your operations. It sets the foundation for everything else you do.

This course contains the highest quality transit bus driver training videos containing multiple narrators, many drivers and really demonstrates the safest actions to help drivers do it right, the first time, every time.

Complete Kit: $7,975

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Choose below to learn more about this course:

Training Course Includes:

33 Video Based Training Programs
Training syllabus
Guide – Creating a Safety Culture
Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan Guide
Safety Management System
Classroom Trainers Guide
Behind-the-Wheel Trainers Guide
Operator Study Guide
Operator Daily Performance Checklist
Mastery Test, Answer Sheet & Certificate
Two Posters

Group 1 - Federal Regulations

Introduction to Professional Driving

Newly hired operators are entering into a new profession. They will be expected to perform to a higher standard than ever before. They must understand that passengers and others on the roadways place their lives in their hands and that’s a very important responsibility. This program emphases the need to think and act professionally at all times.

Federal Regulations

Professional bus operators are bound by various regulations and laws. This mandatory program discusses the pertinent regulations and how to comply with them.

Group 2 - Safety & Defensive Driving

Safety Best Practices

Ask anyone in the business and they’ll tell you, “safety comes first, safety is number one, we’re dedicated to safety.” But when pressed, most operators can’t actually define the word safety. Nor do they truly understand why people have accidents. This highly advanced program provides the foundation for achieving remarkable safety results. It teaches the definitions of safety, accidents, and risk, the three reasons why people have accidents and what operators can do to eliminate unsafe behaviors that lead to accidents.

LLLC Defensive Driving

This is the most advanced professional defensive driving program ever devised. Within just a few minutes, operators are able to easily memorize, understand and recite back the meaning of Triple L-C, Look Ahead, Look Around, Leave Room and Communicate. These four principles to driving safety provide an easy-to-understand framework for professional defensive driving techniques.

Hazard Identification & Mitigation

Under the new FTA requirements, agencies are required to identify, assess and mitigate hazards. This program presents each of the 18 safe behaviors detailed on the poster and explains the importance of following these. And how to do so.

Group 3 - About the Bus

Introduction to the Bus

Buses are large, heavy commercial vehicles with limited visibility and challenging vehicular dynamics. They are more complex than passenger cars, take longer to start and farther to stop. This course provides a thorough introduction to the bus and bus systems.

Pre & Post Trip Inspections

Pre-trip and post-trip inspections are not only mandatory, they prevent costly breakdowns and reduce the risk of collisions. This program teaches an easy-to-follow, repeatable process that quickly becomes habituated. It increases consistency and reduces potential safety hazards.

Mirror Adjustments & Reference Points

Professional operators drive large commercial vehicles. They must rely heavily on their mirrors and the use of reference points to establish and maintain adequate room on all six sides of the bus and to safely negotiate turns and other close quarter maneuvers. This program teaches operators how to effectively use their mirrors and reference points and it reduces the occurrence of collisions.

Group 4 - Driving Situations

Preventing Rear End Collisions

Inadequate following distance often results in costly rear-end collisions. But, the space in front of the bus is, by far, the easiest space to control. Professional operators always maintain at least a four second following distance and they know when they must increase that distance to maintain adequate space. This program teaches how to establish and maintain a safe following distance

Preventing Intersection Accidents

Intersections are the most dangerous place you can find yourself while driving a bus. Other vehicles and pedestrians are coming and going in different directions and at different speeds. This program covers the different types of intersections and provides several professional driving techniques for avoiding intersection collisions.

Railroad Crossings

When trains and buses collide, tragedy follows. And, the bus, the operator and the passengers always lose. This program covers the dangers related to railroad crossings and the mandatory procedures for safely crossing railroad tracks with a bus, including Stop, Look and Listen.

Pedestrian & Bicycle Awareness

This incredibly important program discusses the dangers of pedestrians and cyclists around buses, especially in and around urban intersections. It teaches specific professional techniques, including the rock & roll procedure to eliminate blind spots and prevent collisions with pedestrians.

Preventing Backing Accidents

Backing represents less than ¼ of one percent of all miles driven, yet it results in nearly 10% of all accidents! This program teaches that backing should always be avoided, but when it is necessary, the operator should know his or her G.O.A.L., Get Out And Look. This program reduces the frequency of backing accidents.

Merging, Lane Changing & Passing

This program informs operators of the professional driving techniques needed to merge onto or off a highway, safely change lanes and pass another vehicle, including those which are disabled on the side of the road. It reduces related accidents and collisions.

Adverse Driving Conditions

Buses operate 24 hours per day, 365 days per year and driving conditions can be challenging. This program explores various types of weather and visibility conditions that require an adjustment in speed and space around the vehicle to prevent collisions. It reduces the rate of accidents that occur in inclement weather.

Operating Electric Powered Buses

There is a huge movement to electric buses and it is likely that every agency will be operating electric buses in the near future. This program teaches all aspects of electric buses and the importance of regenerative braking.

Group 5 - About the Driver

Preventing Driver Fatigue

Professional bus operators are bound by various regulations and laws. This mandatory program discusses the pertinent regulations and how to comply with them.

Preventing Driver Distractions

Driver distractions have always posed a problem, but in today’s fast-paced, high-tech world, they are worse than ever before. This program explores the myriad of distractions and how to prevent them from affecting safe and professional driving.

Hazards Communications

Operators should be aware of hazardous materials they may come into contact with on the job, and should know what to do when confronted with such materials in order to minimize safety and health risks. This program quickly teaches all OSHA-required policies and procedures including labels, MSDS and PPE.

Injury Prevention - Slips, Trips & Falls

The leading cause of injury to employees is from slips, trips, and falls. This program teaches all the actions to minimize this risk, including three-point contact when entering and exiting the bus.

Using Maps & GPS

This program provides instruction on reading and understanding maps and how to effectively use a GPS system to efficiently navigate between locations. It reduces the likelihood that operators will get lost while driving their route.

Employee Safety Reporting Program

The new FTA Safety System regulations require that every agency use an Employee Safety Reporting Program. This program explains the employee's role in using this practice to improve safety.

Health & Wellness

This program increases awareness and understanding of wellness, including diet, exercise, rest and stress relief and the relationship between wellness and overall safety performance. It promotes healthy practices among operators, which leads to better safety performance.

Group 6 - About the Passengers

Professionalism/Customer Service

Operators are paid to safely and courteously transport passengers from one place to another, on time and without mishap. Inevitably, there are hundreds of interactions between passengers and operators and, collectively, these are viewed by the passenger as either good, or not so good, customer service. This program teaches professional customer service techniques that result in happier customers and fewer complaints.

Conflict/Aggression Management

The interactions between operators and passengers can result in conflict. Some conflict comes from external events such as weather or traffic delays. Some comes from unreasonable passenger expectations. But the worst type of conflict comes from an operator who either doesn’t know how to provide good customer service or who is unwilling to perform that role. This program teaches triangulation, an effective tool for reducing conflict and improving the customer’s experience

Group 7 - Americans with Disabilities

ADA Compliance & Sensitivity

This program teaches the legal rights of special needs passengers, as defined by The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and provides the basis for providing professional customer service. It teaches specific techniques for providing courteous and reliable service for different types of customers.

Mobility Devices

Passengers who rely upon wheelchairs and mobility
devices are at greater risk of injury when using the ramps or on the lift. This program covers the safe operation of ramps lifts and specific procedures for securing mobility devices to prevent injuries.

Group 8 - Additional Programs

Whistleblower

This federally-required program provides an overview of the laws that protect whistleblowers. It promotes a climate where employees feel comfortable reporting unsafe or unjust working conditions.

Preventing Harassment

This federally-required program teaches the basics of what constitutes harassment and the detrimental effects it has on everyone involved. It reduces the occurrence of unlawful harassment in the workplace.

Drug & Alcohol Awareness

This program communicates the importance of a drug-free workplace and how it relates to safety. Drugs and drug testing procedures are covered in the DOT- required 60 minute program.

Blood Borne Pathogens

This OSHA-mandated program teaches operators of the potential dangers of blood borne pathogens and the precautions they must take to minimize risk of exposure. It reduces the frequency of accidents involving blood borne pathogens.

Group 9 - Emergency & Accident Procedures

Emergency Evacuations

In any emergency situation, the leadership actions of the driver are critically important. This program teaches all the necessary steps in any kind of emergency.

What To Do In The Event of An Accident

Despite all the training in the course, accidents may still happen. This program teaches the responsible actions drivers should take after an accident.