What It Means When School Bus Drivers “Bleed Yellow”

Posted by American Bus Sales

The school bus industry is filled with some of the most passionate and caring individuals out there. While many industries must deal with unmotivated or non-committed individuals who are counting the hours until their shift is over, those that work in the school bus industry are proud to proclaim they “bleed yellow.”

While bleeding yellow may be cause for alarm in most instances, for those who work with buses it is a declaration of commitment to school transportation and student safety.

So how is bleeding yellow different than being a devoted employee in another industry? Frank Di Giacomo recently discussed how you can tell someone “bleeds yellow” and the easiest indicator to spot is the way school transportation bleeds into everyday life and how drivers maintain unwavering patience and love for their often rambunctious cargo.

Do you think you bleed yellow? You just might if any of the following “symptoms” sound familiar:

  1.  You call the passengers on your buses “precious cargo” — even when their behavior isn’t so precious.
  2. Whenever you see a school bus on the road, you turn your head to see what type of bus it is and which district or contractor it belongs to.
  3. Better (or worse) yet, you can identify the make and model of a school bus from a long distance.
  4. You have a collection of school bus memorabilia in your office, and possibly even at home.
  5. You read magazines about school buses
  6. Your “vacations” are trips to pupil transportation conferences and trade shows.
  7. You constantly seek out professional education and certification opportunities.
  8. You’ve worked your way up through the ranks to the transportation director position, but you still drive a bus whenever you get a chance.
  9. You wear yellow clothing much more often than the general public.
  10. At least one of your ties has school buses on it.
  11. You use unwieldy acronyms like FMVSS and MFSAB in casual conversation.
  12. Wherever you go, you find yourself talking to people about how school buses are the safest way for students to get to and from school.
  13. Your job is demanding, you work long hours and some days feel like barely controlled chaos — but you love it.
  14. You could have gone into a more financially lucrative line of work, but safely transporting students proved to be a more rewarding calling.