Type III vehicles Operations

Rules. The commissioner of public safety adopted rules governing the operation of school buses/ Type III vehicles,  used for transportation of school children, when owned or operated by a school or privately owned and operated under a contract with a school. These rules must be made a part of that contract by reference. Each school, its officers and employees, and each person employed under the contract is subject to these rules.

Enforcement. The operation of a school bus/ Type III vehicles, on the public streets or highways in violation of rules concerning the operation of school buses/ Type III vehicles, adopted by the commissioner is a misdemeanor. State law enforcement agencies must enforce the rules when a school bus/ Type III vehicles, are operated on a public street or highway.

Our fleet includes regular passenger vehicles, wheel chair accessible vans and specially equipped vehicles to allow for a least restrictive environment.  We can conform our vehicles and train our staff to accommodate the needs of each individual student. 

Type III Vehicle Standards

A type III vehicle:

  • Must not be outwardly equipped and identified as a school bus.
  • Must not be 12 years old or older.
  • Must have at least one 10BC rated dry chemical type fire extinguisher. It must be mounted in a bracket in the driver’s compartment and be readily accessible to the driver and passengers. The pressure indicator must be easily read without removing the extinguisher from its mounted position.
  • Must have a minimum of a ten-unit first aid kit and a body fluids cleanup kit. They must be in removable, moisture and dust-proof containers mounted in an accessible place within the driver’s compartment and must be marked to indicate their identity and location.
  • May not have the words “school bus” on the outside of the vehicle or in any interior location that is visible to motorists.
  • Must have one interior and two exterior mirrors (one on each side).
  • Road warning devices are not required after August 1, 2012.
  • Must display a current certificate of inspection issued by the State Patrol.

Note:

Type III vehicles may carry the fire extinguisher, first aid kit and warning triangles in the trunk or trunk area of the vehicle, if a label in the driver and front passenger area clearly indicates the location of these items.

When a vehicle otherwise qualifying as a type III vehicle, whether owned and operated by a school district or privately owned and operated, is used to transport school children in a nonscheduled situation it will be exempt from the vehicle requirements and licensing requirements if the vehicle is properly registered and insured and operated by an employee or agent of a school district with a valid driver’s license.

Type III Driver Requirements

The holder of a class A, B, C, or D driver’s license, may operate a type III vehicle without a school bus endorsement when the following requirements are met:

  • Driver is an employee of a school district or school bus company that owns, leases, or contracts for the school bus transportation.
  • The driver’s employer has a policy that provides for annual training and certification in:
  • safe operation of a type III vehicle
  • understanding student behavior, including issues relating to students with disabilities
  • encouraging orderly conduct of students on the bus and handling incidents of misconduct appropriately
  • knowing and understanding relevant laws, rules of the road and local school bus safety policies
  • handling emergency situations
  • proper use of seat belts and child safety restraints
  • performance of pre-trip vehicle inspections
  • safe loading and unloading of students, including, but not limited to:
  • utilizing a safe location for loading and unloading students at the curb, on the non-traffic side of the roadway, or at off-street loading areas, driveways, yards, and other areas to enable the student to avoid hazardous conditions;
  • refraining from loading and unloading students in a vehicular traffic lane, on the shoulder, in a designated turn lane, or a lane adjacent to a designated turn lane;
  • avoiding a loading or unloading location that would require a pupil to cross a road, or ensuring that the driver or an aide personally escort the pupil across the road if it is not reasonably feasible to avoid such a location;
  • placing the type III vehicle in “park” during loading and unloading;
  • escorting a pupil across the road under item (iii) only after the motor is stopped, the ignition key is removed, the brakes are set and the vehicle is otherwise rendered immobile;
  • when loading or unloading school children, the driver must use the vehicle’s four-way hazard lights.
  • compliance in reporting certain convictions to the employer within ten days of the date of conviction.
  • A background check or background investigation of the driver has been conducted by the employer. A driver is not allowed to operate a type III vehicle if:
  • the applicant has been convicted of a disqualifying offense, or
  • within the last five years, the applicant has been convicted of a gross misdemeanor or of violating DWI or implied consent laws, or in the last three years, the applicant has been convicted of four moving violations.
  • Drivers who are employed for the sole purpose of operating a type III vehicle shall submit to a physical examination.
  • Drivers who are employed for the sole purpose of operating a type III vehicle must comply if their employer requires pre-employment drug and alcohol testing for driver positions.
  • The driver’s license record check is verified annually by the employer.
  • A driver who sustains a conviction of a moving violation or disqualifying offense shall report the conviction to their employer within ten days of the date of the conviction.
  • Type III driver requirement documentation must be maintained under separate file by the employer. The employer is responsible for maintaining these files for inspection.
  • An employee of a school or of a school district, who is not employed for the sole purpose of operating a type III vehicle, is exempt from the physical examination and pre-employment drug/alcohol testing requirements.