Our Team
Safety is the foundation upon which our company is built. For us, safety isn’t trivial, it’s essential. It is our top priority and guides everything we do. Because it is our culture, the commitment to safety is instilled in all our employees, from managers to drivers to mechanics to dispatchers.
The All-Star safety team ensures that we remain Connecticut’s leader in school bus transportation. The team has a Director of Safety, a Director of Training and four safety supervisors who are state-certified, including two who are master instructors. The safety supervisor duties include working with and leading a group of experienced driver-trainers, many of whom are also state-certified instructors. Together, they provide outstanding safety instruction and training to All-Star Transportation employees. We believe a strong safety program benefits every student we transport, every parent, and all our customers and employees.
Prior to driving a bus or working as a monitor, all employees must pass several background checks, including a criminal history, a motor vehicle history, a Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) check and a National Sex Offender check. We also obtain feedback from previous employers, and all prospective drivers must pass U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) physical and drug tests. All employees are subject to random drug and alcohol testing, and must attend monthly safety meetings and other required training.
Prior to driving a school bus or working as a monitor, all new hires must complete 20 hours of classroom instruction that includes commercial driver’s license (CDL) knowledge tests, student management, proper student transportation procedures, state laws, company policy and defensive-driving procedures. Monitors are provided additional hands-on training about wheelchair use and securement, loading and unloading students, special needs requirements, student management and emergency procedures.
Following classroom instruction, drivers obtain a CDL permit and start behind-the-wheel training. This process requires 6-8 weeks, or 60-80 hours, to complete. Driver-trainees learn how to complete pre-trip checks of a bus. This requires trainees to learn about engine components, brake checks, and the entire outside and inside of a bus. The behind-the-wheel sessions also teach defensive driving skills, legal use of the roadway, speed control, zone control, lane position, proper student pickup and drop off, and railroad crossing procedures.
Once training is completed and a criminal background clearance letter is issued by the State of Connecticut, driver trainees are tested on all skills by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
After passing state (DMV) testing requirements, newly licensed drivers go on the road with an All-Star Transportation trainer. All new drivers must be cleared by their trainers before driving a bus by themselves.
Workshops & Safety Meetings
Training and safety are daily occurrences at All-Star Transportation. All employees must attend monthly safety meetings that focus on state-mandated topics. We also provide mandatory seasonal workshops, focusing on such subjects as back-to-school tune-ups, winter driving, “spring into safety,” complacency and danger zones. Additionally, All-Star has partnered with Prepare to Act to provide emergency training for our staff.
