School bus drivers need to do so much more than keep the bus on the right route. Sure, your driving skills need to be impeccable, but as the face that each child sees at the beginning and end of each day, your personality is an important part of the school experience. When you get to the interview stage, employers will be able to sense what sort of person you are. Until then, it is your school bus driver cover letter that will have to convey what you are about.
Most schoolchildren have issues with going to school at various points in their lives. You aren’t there as a guidance counselor, but what you can do is give them a positive and uplifting experience every time they step on your bus. In a way, although their interactions with you are uncomplicated, your smile and positive attitude can have more of an impact than you think. This is what you need to get across in the cover letter.
At Resume.io, we can help you to create a cover letter that hits all the right notes, including 180+ cover letter examples and guides. In the following school bus driver writing guide and example, we will consider:
- The best format for a school bus driver cover letter
- What employers will be most interested to hear about
- Expert advice to make you think about your approach
- Writing a cover letter if you have no experience
Some of our related cover letter examples may offer inspiration:
Best format for a school bus driver cover letter
It helps to have a set structure to the cover letter when you are wondering which bus driver career stories to share. Any argument should have a logical thread, so most cover letters will follow the same format. There is no reason for a bus driver cover letter to be any different. The letter should contain the following:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting/salutation
- The cover letter intro
- The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- The ending paragraph of your cover letter
Safety and your driving track record should obviously dominate the first half of the letter. You need to make it clear that you are aware of your precious cargo and that you are driving a lethal weapon that could cause untold damage to pedestrians and other road users. Children need to feel safe within the school bus – the last thing that they need is anxiety because your driving is erratic. Otto from The Simpsons need not apply.
Having said this, a cover letter that only focuses on the safety stats is not one that will inspire a school hiring manager to invite you to an interview. As previously mentioned, they want much more than that. Share your motivations for the role and maybe a story or two about how you make a difference to the kids that get on and off your bus every day.
While writing might not be your strongest suit, we are delighted to share some general advice in our comprehensive cover letter guide. We cover the process from every conceivable angle. Our bus driver cover letter example may also offer some inspiration:
Re: Bus driver role
Dear Mrs. Sims,
Five years of experience transporting 80 students at a time across varying routes has taught me the importance of a safe and reliable environment within my bus. I am obsessive about timely work and always strive to improve the well-being of my student passengers. I possess a CDL Class B license and always take all the additional qualifications that I can.
It is true that a bus can be an intimidating place for some students. If you are on a bus with people that are not so friendly, you need a bus driver who enforces suitable behaviors. My regular students know exactly what I expect – I have worked hard to reduce disciplinary incidents by an average of 15% every year. One of my most significant achievements was implementing a 'Safety Education Program' for students, which included teaching them about bus rules, safe boarding practices, and emergency procedures.
I was instrumental in planning efficient routes that led to a 15% reduction in fuel consumption and helped lower the district's environmental footprint. Students want to minimize the time that they spend on the bus – they need to come to school as fresh as possible for their studies. My proactive approach to vehicle maintenance also helped extend the service life of the school buses, leading to a 20% decrease in repair costs for the district.
I am known for my patience, ability to handle emergency situations calmly, and excellent rapport with students, parents, and school staff.
I hope to hear more about the role at a potential interview. My previous jobs have been very similar to your job description, and I know that I will be able to make a difference to your students.
Sincerely,
Mark Shilton
Choose the stories that you tell carefully
How you see your role is reflected in the stories that you tell in the cover letter. Share some information about unusual events that you handled well. Show that you are flexible and caring.
Cover letter header
The cover letter header should contain your full name, email address, and phone number. This information will be repeated from your resume, but you never know when a hiring manager might make the decision to invite you to an interview.
You don’t need to include your full home address here. There are potential data protection issues if you are listed on hundreds of employer databases, so only share this when you are at the offer stage.
Cover letter greeting
The greeting of the cover letter is standard. Just as there are protocols for greeting the schoolchildren when they climb onto the bus, the formal “Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. Surname” is simply a sign that you understand basic conventions. If you are too informal it may raise unnecessary questions about your judgment.
If you do not know to whom the cover letter should be addressed, you can either write to the principal or you can call the school to find out who oversees operations. As a last resort, “Dear School team” is acceptable.
Cover letter introduction
The introduction of a school bus driver cover letter should be as impactful as your greeting to every child on the bus. Most people can learn to drive a bus, but what makes you special? Tell a story about how you make a difference to your school kids. Why do they love getting on your bus? It is important that what you share in the cover letter fits the ethos and culture of the school that you are joining.
Dear Mrs. Sims,
Five years of experience transporting 80 students at a time across varying routes has taught me the importance of a safe and reliable environment within my bus. I am obsessive about timely work and always strive to improve the well-being of my student passengers. I possess a CDL Class B license and always take all the additional qualifications that I can.
Cover letter middle part (body)
If you have led with a more personal story, the cover letter middle part is where you show your understanding of your driving obligations. Talk about your safety record and how you ensure the well-being of everyone on board. How do you handle it if a fight breaks out? What do you do if someone is late for the bus? How would you react if a child is abusive towards you? The hiring manager needs to understand that you have the experience and judgment to manage anything that comes your way.
It is also useful if you mention any other people-related experiences that you have had in the past. Of course, you can just sit there in silence and drive the bus, but you can be sure that there will be other candidates who believe that the job is about more than that.
It is true that a bus can be an intimidating place for some students. If you are on a bus with people that are not so friendly, you need a bus driver who enforces suitable behaviors. My regular students know exactly what I expect – I have worked hard to reduce disciplinary incidents by an average of 15% every year. One of my most significant achievements was implementing a 'Safety Education Program' for students, which included teaching them about bus rules, safe boarding practices, and emergency procedures.
I was instrumental in planning efficient routes that led to a 15% reduction in fuel consumption and helped lower the district's environmental footprint. Students want to minimize the time that they spend on the bus – they need to come to school as fresh as possible for their studies. My proactive approach to vehicle maintenance also helped extend the service life of the school buses, leading to a 20% decrease in repair costs for the district.
I am known for my patience, ability to handle emergency situations calmly, and excellent rapport with students, parents, and school staff.
How to close a school bus driver cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
The close of a school bus driver cover letter should contain a desire to find out more about the role. Saying that you are looking forward to an interview is a great way of demonstrating your enthusiasm. Don’t presume that you are the best fit for the job – you haven’t got enough information to make that call yet. Maybe just share the beginning of one last story. We are sure that you will have the chance to expand on it during an interview.
I hope to hear more about the role at a potential interview. My previous jobs have been very similar to your job description, and I know that I will be able to make a difference to your students.
Sincerely,
Mark Shilton
School bus driver cover letter with no experience
It is entirely possible that you will just have passed your bus driving certification, and this could be your first job. Alternatively, you may have experience driving other heavy vehicles and want to become a bus driver. In either case, do not let your lack of experience worry you. Consider the following:
- Show that you understand the demands of the role. Driving a school bus is very different to driving a truck or a van. You have precious cargo. Show that you understand the responsibility.
- Share your people / customer service experiences. Those kids getting onto the bus every day are your customers. While you might not do much more for them than drive them from home to school, you need to have a customer-first attitude.
There is always a high turnover in school bus drivers, so it is not uncommon that people may applying for the role with no specific experience. What is important is that you know how to present your career story in the best light.
Key takeaways
- Make the cover letter a mix of professional and personal qualities.
- Keep it professional and share the details of your professional qualifications.
- Think about the culture of the school that you will be working for.
- Decide on an attractive layout with our cover letter templates.
