Copperas Cove ISD bus drivers win area bus rodeo; qualify for state contest

Special to Leader-Press

JARRELL Copperas Cove ISD bus driver Elysha Rudd slowly maneuvered through the cones, carefully backing her 34-foot, 10,000-pound yellow bus with a 236-millimeter wheelbase, so she did not incur any penalties as she made her way through the course obstacles. 
Rudd and bus aide, Karrie Wren, were two of several Copperas Cove ISD Transportation Department employees who competed in the area Heart of Texas School Bus Driver Safety Competition hosted by the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation. Commonly referred to as the “road-e-o,” school bus drivers from around the state exhibit their skills and dedication to transporting school students.   
“We were convinced that (the competition) would help us learn new things, giving us the opportunity to grown and hone our skills as both the driver and the aide,” Rudd said. 
The event begins with general knowledge and vehicle inspection written tests challenging the contestants’ comprehension of school bus driver certification and commercial driving laws and regulations. The contestants then get behind the wheel and demonstrate their abilities to maneuver school buses in and around various driving obstacle courses. Each event is either timed or measured to determine the score.  
“The most challenging part of the competition was verbally explaining to the judges every step we had to take,” Rudd said. “Maneuvering through parts of the course was difficult because of the way it was set up.”
Drivers and aides may compete in the regular road-e-o competition or the special needs road-e-o contest. Rudd and Wren competed in the special needs road-e-o competition, transporting mock students with exceptional needs, as they made their way through the course using a 7-mirror system. Rudd and Wren were required to demonstrate their precision driving, pre-trip inspection, child safety seat installation, and emergency evacuation skills as well as an understanding of the different conditions and behavioral implications for students with special needs.
Rudd and Wren worked together throughout the contest as they do daily when transporting students for the school district. The team made use of the 36-inch-wide motorized wheelchair lift to load their student on to the bus before successfully mastering the obstacle course. Rudd and 
Wrenn captured first place in the area contest and qualified for the state contest scheduled June 11-12 in Mansfield. 
Rudd said that she was surprised with the feedback that she and Wren received from the judges following the competition. 
“The most rewarding comments we received were that the judges noted that both the driver and aide were exceptionally calm under stressful situations,” Rudd said. “This information was shared with us by the mock students that we transported during the competition. This is especially meaningful because it is the students that we transport. They are our precious cargo and why we come to work every day.”