Busmeister

How to Prepare for the Roadeo

2010-03-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

"Relax and have fun. "That's the advice of six-time Roadeo driver Cliff Kuhl, of Louisville, Kentucky. "The less serious you are about the competition, the better you will do on the course."

If I had known that I probably would not have finished in next-to-last place in last year's Transit Roadeo. The real problem was that I wasn't prepared; my goal was merely to get the story for the company newsletter. But even with my penultimate score, I decided to come back the next year and compete.

My goal this time is to finish with a positive score, because points are deducted if you take too long, if you back up unnecessarily, or if you hit an orange cone or barrel. When I finished in 2008 more cones had been felled than were standing. The course looked like a forest that had been decimated by fire.

The Transit Roadeo is divided into four events: Uniform Inspection, General-Knowledge Test, Pre-trip Inspection and Obstacle Course.

The Uniform Inspection is a graded event, which means it is possible to fail. You begin with 50 points and the judge will deduct points for a wrinkled, dirty or incomplete uniform; unpolished or dirty shoes; or unkempt personal appearance. This is the easiest event because all of the uniform requirements are listed in your company handbook. If an item is not on the list (such as a cell phone) the judge had better not see it during the inspection.

Even with the Uniform Requirements list, it is possible to forget something; so you should lay out your entire uniform before going to bed--especially your tie, belt and black socks. (Black socks look just like brown ones in the morning.) In order to present the sharpest appearance, at the end of the year, when you have a few dollars left from your uniform allowance, you should buy an extra tie and ball cap and not wear them until the Roadeo. The shirt and pants should look like they were just cleaned and pressed, and the shoes should be polished. Also, if you didn’t buy a new belt last year, you can touch up your old one with the same polish that you use on your shoes.

As soon as you arrive at the Roadeo, you should ask your buddy to inspect you just to be sure that you remembered to button your back pocket and didn't forget your belt or tie. The belt and tie are the easiest items to forget, so you should put an extra set in your glove compartment. That way, if you are like me and forgot the tie and belt that were on your uniform hanger, and the second set that were on the door knob as you left the house, you will still have a back-up set when you arrive. If you are not like me, you will be able to rescue your buddy who didn't read this article and forgot his.

The General Knowledge test is a 50-question, multiple-choice test designed to measure your knowledge of vehicle operation, air brake system and passenger requirements. The questions are all taken from the latest edition of the DMV's Commercial Driver's Manual (DMV 60 December 18, 2008). You can pick up a free manual at any DMV office or download it at www.dmvNow.com.

If you are reading the printed manual you can underline or highlight important facts and numbers. If you choose to study the digital version you can copy the important information into a notebook. It may seem as if you already know the information, such as, “Don’t signal other drivers to pas you. This could cause an accident.” but you can reinforce it in your mind by writing out each fact or figure in your own words. This is also when you can make up memory aids to remember the procedures or numbers (If you make up your own aide it will be easier for you to remember.) For example, I remember the tread depths by reversing the number of wheels. There are two wheels in the front so the rear tread depth is 2/32 of an inch, there are four wheels in the back so the depth in front is 4/32. Hey, it works for me.

Pre-trip Inspection is an event that tests the operator's attention to detail and knowledge of the bus. You must identify a number of planted defects (you will be told how many before the event) with in seven minutes.

These defects may include: broken lights or windows, missing or un-charged fire extinguisher, fewer than three emergency reflectors, missing windshield wiper blade, missing or improper license plate, etc. You will not be required to start the bus (doing so, with the defects, would be a safety violation), nor open the engine compartment. Though you must check the fuel filler cap.

You do not have to identify each item as you inspect it, merely announce, "there's a crack in the windshield" or "the steering wheel is missing". The inspection does have to be systematic, you must check all of the items in one section before moving to the next. There is a time limit so you will not have time to go back.

The CDL Manual includes a checklist for pre-trip inspections, but the best way to prepare for the event is to conduct a thorough inspection every time you receive a bus.

The Main Event of the Roado is the Obstacle Course. Unlike your daily driving, where you focus one or two blocks ahead, this event is all precision driving. You are so close to the obstacles that they are hidden in your blind spots.

In this event, the same skill that keeps you in your lane is pushed to the limit. Even when your attention is on the big picture, you must still sense/feel/imagine where the white line is and keep your bus in your lane with out thinking about it.

The first obstacle that I confronted was the Serpentine. The on-board judge said that was the first time she had heard me swear. When I approached the orange cones I said, essentially, "There's no way the bus will fit in there." But this is where you must use the force, or your intuition, or imagination, or what ever you call it, to know where the cones are.

Before the event begins all drivers will walk the course with a judge. As you are walking you must visualize driving your bus through each obstacle. You must be able to see the entire course as just another bus route. If you make a wrong turn, or take an obstacle out of order, you will be disqualified. So if you can't see the course as a logical circuit or if you have any questions at all, this is the time to clarify it with the course judge.

As soon as you board the bus you can remove your tie, hang up your jacket, don your driving gloves, take a deep breath, or otherwise prepare yourself. The clock doesn't start until you move the bus. You should drive just as you do every day: if you always wear sun glasses, wear them; if you don't normally wear a ball cap, hang it up before you start; if you don't wear driving gloves every day, don't wear them now.

You should be as comfortable as possible so that you can concentrate on driving. For this reason, you should not be the first person to drive a bus, let someone else adjust the seat and mirrors. However, if they are not perfect take your time and don't put the bus in gear until everything is perfect.

Remember that, while driving on the course, you are still subject to all traffic laws. You may not receive a ticket but you can lose points, or be disqualified. That means use your turn signal before every turn (except during the Serpentine), and sound your horn and activate your four-way flashers before backing up. Also, keep both hands on the wheel at all times. As Cliff Kuhl said, "Woe upon you if you drive with your left hand and hold onto the farebox with the other."

You must be calm and in control of your bus at all times, the on-board judge is checking for smooth starts and stops. Additionally, you should not pump your brakes, if the air pressure drops you cannot afford to waste time building the pressure back up.

Clavin Parker, who has won the last 7 local Roadeos and has represented HRT at the state and national competitions, offered the following tips for individual obstacles: On the Rear Duals Clearance obstacle your right dual wheels must pass between the two rows of tennis balls, but if your front wheels are not lined up perfectly and pass up the center, your rear wheels will not clear the balls either.

In the Left (or Right) Hand Reverse obstacle you should find the large Pivot Cone in your mirror, this is what you will aim for in your turn, also if you touch it you will 10 points instead of just 5 for the other cones.

The Customer Stop is one obstacle that you can practice dozens of times each day. Except this time your front wheel must be within 6 inches of the curb and your rear wheel must be within 15 inches. As you make your customer stops on your route try to get your wheels within these distances. Also remember to use your turn signal, not four-way flashers, during the entire stop, and to announce the stop before closing your doors to proceed.

For the Diminishing Clearance obstacle you should line up your bus as soon as you complete the previous obstacle, then floor, it because the bus must reach 20 MPH through the barrels. If you are already at 20 MPH when you reach the barrels, as soon as you enter them you can begin slowing for the Judgement Stop at the end. The Judgement Stop is another obstacle that you can practice whenever you park your bus at night, you should get used to judging your front blind spot, and stop as close as you can to the bus ahead of you. At the Roadeo the judge will measure the distance between your bike rack and the final 18 inch-tall cone with a ruler. You must come within 6 inches of the cone, if it is greater than 6 inches 1 point will be deducted for each inch greater than 6 inches from the cone.

The hardest part of the Roadeo is meeting the pre-requisites. You should consider it a reward for going a full year with no avoidable accidents and no more than 4 miss-outs. This is your chance to show off your talent and skill as a driver, and have a little friendly competition with your fellow operators. Have fun and invite your friends and family to come and watch. And Cliff's final piece of advice, "Smile dammit!"

Hampton Roads Transit 2008 ROADEO

2008-04-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

No, you don’t have to lasso your passengers. The Ninth Annual HRT Roadeo is where drivers race a 35-foot bus around the parking lot of Harbor Park without touching any orange cones or barrels. Maybe “race” is too enthusiastic a word; the buses actually creep around the barrels, like tiptoeing through a minefield.

Thirteen drivers qualified to participate in the Roadeo, including three from Hampton and a trolley driver from Virginia Beach.

It was still dark when the drivers arrived at Harbor Park and piled into an idling bus to keep warm until 8:00 a.m. When it was time to walk the course, the drivers were led by Northside dispatcher John King. They shook their heads and tried to picture an 8½-foot-wide bus squeezing through the cones and around the Serpentine. The second obstacle was the Offset Street, which was no different than driving down Princess Anne Road or Tidewater Drive.

Next was the Straight Street—sounds doable, right? Except instead of cones, there were merely two rows of yellow tennis balls, only three inches wider than the rear dual wheels! The official explained that the right dual wheels must pass between the balls, without touching them.

Following that was the Service Stop—we do that 50 times a day. But this time, a judge has to measure our front tires to ensure they are no more than 6 inches from the curb. Then came Backing 90 Degrees to the right and to the left, following by the Diminishing Clearance. This was the final sprint between two rows of yellow barrels 9 feet apart. Sounds hard enough, but a sedan was parked at the finish line with a judge shooting the bus with a radar gun to ensure we reached 25 miles per hour before stopping within six inches of the final Judgement Stop cone.

Then it was back on the bus to warm up and take the 20-question test of CDL general knowledge. It was a good idea to review the CDL book because some of the questions were tricky. For example, if you double your speed, your stopping distance increases how many times? (2, 4, 6 or 10).

All thirteen drivers were still in the running for the pre-trip inspection. Here, we had seven minutes to find as many discrepancies as we could on an actual 1700 Series bus. Problems included an upside-down license plate, a missing wiper blade, and minor body damage. I lost count after ten hits and ran out of time before finishing.

We all moved on to the main event. The other drivers gave me advice: “Aim your mirrors at the bottom of your back tires” and “Take your time.” Another driver added, “But remember, you only have seven minutes.” One thing they agreed upon was, “Just go out there and have fun.”

As I understand it, there comes a time when the seat is properly positioned, the steering wheel is at just the right height, the mirrors are perfectly aligned, the driver becomes one with the bus, and the two glide across the parking lot like Fred and Ginger.

The hardest obstacle seemed to be the Straight Road. The judge said that nobody had a clean run, but two drivers hit only one ball.

At the end of the day, Bus 1806 and I did not become one. It was more like I turned the steering wheel and, later, when the bus felt like it, the wheels turned. Additionally, when I tried using my mirrors to back up, I felt as disoriented as Alice in Wonderland.

The top four drivers will go on to represent HRT in the state Roadeo in Blacksburg, Virginia, in March, and the state champ will represent Virginia at the national Roadeo in Austin, Texas, in May. First place was Calvin Parker, second Miranda Accoo, third Roland Shury, and fourth Mary Giles.

Bored with driving in circles? Up for a bigger challenge? If you’ve been driving for HRT for at least one year, have no avoidable accidents, and no more than four miss outs, we’ll see you at next year’s Roadeo.

Bus Driver Links

2007-11-14T14:38:00.000-08:00

The Bus Stops Here, a page devoted to buses and bus stops around the world.: It contains a collection of Shetland bus stops; the best one is on page three. That Unst Bus Shelter even has its own website.
Bus Barn Magazine: Proud mothership of BUS BARN MAGAZINE.
Light rail and I: a love story 28 years in the making...: The adventures of a new TRIMET Light Rail Operator.
Cruising in the Write Lane: A cozy mystery (written by a Norfolk, Virginia Bus Driver) about a bus driver who solves crimes by piecing together bits of conversation that he overhears while driving.
Cowdenbeath Driver: The rants & ravings of a Stagecoach Fife driver based at the small but beautiful Cowdenbeath Depot.
The Complete Bus Driver: Let me drive you who-knows-where while I swig some whiskey.
Busdriving *: I drive a Number 12 Bus from Newton Abbot to Torquay to Paignton and on to Brixham. Now and then I make notes. I also take photos. Please feel free to make a comment, nice or otherwise.
Steering Wheel Attendant *: Paul, a London bus driver for over 20 years now. Anyone in this industry will have a story or two to tell. Here are some of my thoughts, observations and moans.
KillerDaveRave: I am 50 easy going like most things in life. I have driven buses from the age of 21 years old. I am now 50something. Love meeting and talking to people.
Downtime:: Inside the life of a father of three who drives a schoolbus and plays in a metal band.
All About me: An entertaining Training diary by Mayhem, a bus driver in Birmingham, United Kingdom

* indicates a blog with extensive links to other bus-related sites