Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Hertford Driver, Pitt Technician Win NC Bus Competition

A Hertford County school bus driver and Pitt County bus technician won top honors at North Carolina’s annual School Bus ROADeo and Technician Inspection Competition held earlier this summer as part of the 2018 NC Pupil Transportation Summer Transposium in Charlotte.
Raleigh, NC
Jul 10, 2018

A Hertford County school bus driver and Pitt County bus technician won top honors at North Carolina’s annual School Bus ROADeo and Technician Inspection Competition held earlier this summer as part of the 2018 NC Pupil Transportation Summer Transposium in Charlotte.

Competing against the state’s best school bus drivers and bus inspectors, Hertford County’s Eric Turner was named best driver – winning the title for the third year in a row, and Pitt County’s Dustin Wells placed first in the technician competition, beating 27 competitors representing 16 counties. In 2015, Wells was named “America’s Best” bus inspector by the National Association for Pupil Transportation.

The other top contenders for best driver, in order of finish from second to fifth place were:

  • Byron Lanier (Wake County Schools);
  • Alex T. Jasinski-Suarez (Nash-Rocky Mount Schools);
  • Jason Kennedy (Moore County Schools);
  • Cynthia Siders (Pitt County Schools).

Inspectors placing second and third in the technician inspection competition were:

  • Richard Callendar (Brunswick County Schools); and
  • PJ Melendez (Jones County Schools)

“In North Carolina, more than 13,000 school buses travel around 180 million miles each year to transport over 750,000 students to and from school each day,” said Kevin Harrison, chief of Transportation Services for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. “The technicians and drivers who inspect, maintain, and drive school buses are entrusted with the greatest responsibility – assuring the safety of our children. The drivers and technicians who competed this year demonstrated the skills and training that make school bus transportation the safest route to school.”

Forty-five school bus drivers and school bus inspectors participated in the final written tests and hands-on competitions to win top honors in the state. The winners advanced to the state finals June 25-28 by placing in the top 10 of their regional competitions. Turner will represent North Carolina in the 2018 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition July 22 in Philadelphia, while Wells and second-place inspector winner Richard Callendar will represent the state in the National Association for Pupil Transportation’s “America’s Best” competition in Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 27-30. Wells will participate in the technician side of the competition, while Callendar will participate in the inspector side of the competition.

The North Carolina Pupil Transportation Association, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's Transportation Services Section and Cabarrus Schools Transportation Department sponsored the State School Bus ROADeo competition and Technician Inspection Competition.

 

About the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provides leadership to 115 local public school districts and 160 charter schools serving over 1.5 million students in kindergarten through high school graduation. The agency is responsible for all aspects of the state's public school system and works under the direction of the North Carolina State Board of Education.

Related Topics: