1. (1) The Oregon Department of Education shall issue a Behind-the-Wheel Trainer Certificate to an individual who has:

   1. (a) Two years’ experience operating commercial motor vehicles;
   2. (b) One year experience operating a school bus;

   3. (c) Six months experience as a certified assistant trainer, except that:

      1. (A) This requirement may be waived by the ODE Director of Pupil Transportation. Request for exception from this requirement will be decided on an individual basis.
      2. (B) Trainers who have attended the Behind-the-Wheel Instructor Workshop prior to July 1, 2012 are exempt from this provision.
   4. (d) A current School Bus Driver’s Certificate;
   5. (e) Been recommended by a transportation entity or contractor; and

   6. (f) Either:

      1. (A) Completed the Behind-the-Wheel Instructor Workshop with a score of at least 80%; or
      2. (B) Met all conditions of probation after being issued a Behind-the-Wheel Probationary Trainer Certificate in OAR 581-053-0145 prior to the expiration date of the probationary certificate.

2. (2) The Behind-the-Wheel Training Certificate authorizes an individual to:

   1. (a) Train applicants for a School Bus Driver’s Permit or Certificate in accordance with OAR 581-053-0220, only if the applicant has:

      1. (A) A valid CDL with passenger (“P”) and school bus (“S”) endorsements listed and applicable restrictions removed on the CDL as required by DMV to operate the vehicle used for training, or a valid CLP with passenger (“P”) and school bus (“S”) endorsements listed and applicable restrictions removed on the CLP as required by DMV to operate the vehicle used for training; and
      2. (B) A valid medical certificate.
   2. (b) Train applicants for a Type 20 Certificate in accordance with OAR 581-053-0420, only if the applicant has a valid driver license or CDL. If the type 20 vehicle is designed to hold 15 or more passengers, a CDL or CLP with a medical certificate is required.

   3. (c) Test applicants for a School Bus Driver’s Permit or Certificate who have:

      1. (A) Met all requirements of subsection (a) of this section;
      2. (B) A School Bus Application Form signed by the a medical examiner, the applicant, and the behind-the-wheel trainer that conducted the training; and
      3. (C) A completed school bus performance checklist on file that is initialed and signed by the applicant and the behind-the-wheel trainer that conducted the training.

   4. (d) Test applicants for a Type 20 Certificate who have:

      1. (A) A valid driver’s license or CDL. If the type 20 vehicle is designed to hold 15 or more passengers, a CDL with a medical certificate is required; and
      2. (B) A completed type 20 performance checklist on file that is initialed and signed by the applicant and the behind-the-wheel or assistant trainer that conducted the training.
   5. (e) Teach the material out of the Advanced Reference Point Manual, published by ODE, to school bus drivers who already possess a valid School Bus Driver’s Permit or Certificate and sign-off mastery of the reference points on the Advanced Reference Point Performance Checklist for the driver’s file and ODE training credit.
3. (3) A certified Behind The Wheel Trainer shall ensure the applicant’s employer has verified a qualified driving record and validity of the applicant’s driving credentials before beginning training.

4. (4) The Behind-the-Wheel Training Certificate shall become invalid if the certificate holder:

   1. (a) Does not have a valid School Bus Certificate; or
   2. (b) Does not recertify when required by OAR 581-053-0100.

5. (5) Behind-the-wheel trainers shall not conduct skills tests for school bus driver applicants they have trained unless:

   1. (a) The applicant has taken a CDL skills test at DMV that resulted in the issuance of a school bus endorsement; or
   2. (b) The behind-the-wheel trainer has written permission from ODE.

Statutory/Other Authority

ORS 327.013, ORS 820.100, ORS 820.105, ORS 820.110 & ORS 820.120

Statutes/Other Implemented

ORS 327.013, ORS 820.100, ORS 820.105, ORS 820.110 & ORS 820.120

History

ODE 55-2024, amend filed 10/25/2024, effective 10/25/2024
ODE 51-2020, amend filed 12/21/2020, effective 12/21/2020
ODE 40-2014, f. & cert. ef. 9-3-14
ODE 19-2012, f. & cert. ef. 6-14-12