Frequently Asked Questions - SFPS System

1)      Why are some of my bus drivers listed as “inactive”?

Inactive drivers are caused by several things.

·         A missing T8 – make sure you entered the T8 information

·         An incomplete T9 – check to be sure you’ve submitted

·         An expired CDL – CDLs expire at 12:01 a.m. on the driver’s birthday

·         An expired School Bus Driver’s Certificate – certificates expire at 12:01 a.m. on the date six years after the date on the certificate

2)      My driver’s birthday is today, and he didn’t renew his CDL until early this afternoon. Why does he still show as inactive”?

Drivers who renew their CDL on their birthday may still show as inactive even though they now have a current CDL. Open the driver’s MAINTAIN screen and click SAVE. Your driver MIGHT now show as active. If not, the driver is not able to drive until the system updates the status, which should be the next time it does the nightly BMV check. The easiest way to avoid this problem is for the driver to renew their license BEFORE their birthday.

3)      Why do I have van drivers who are inactive?

If your van driver holds a certificate that is dated before six years prior to today’s date, they need to recertify before they are able to drive again. Recertification for van drivers began in 2009. Any van driver must recertify the same as a school bus driver. That includes a background check. There is no fee for recertification, and no paperwork is required to be sent to the preservice office, but the T9 must be entered online, signed and submitted. Approval is automatic if the driver’s certificate is already in the system. If the driver was never entered into the system, (s)he must be entered before recertifying. Contact the preservice office for help.

4)      How do I delete a driver who no longer works for my district?

You can’t delete a driver from the system. In order to remove the driver from your district’s list of drivers, go to the driver’s maintain screen, scroll down to about the middle of the screen, and look on the right side. You should see a place that says “No longer driving for district date”. Enter the last date the driver drove for your district, date of retirement, etc. The driver should no longer be listed for your district when you run a list of drivers.

5)      I have a driver who recently got married. How do I change her name?

Go to the driver’s maintain screen and change the last name to her current name. Save. Her new name should now show.

6)      What do I do if I enter the wrong CDL# when entering a new driver?

If you make a mistake when entering a driver’s CDL number, you need to contact the ODE Pupil Transportation office at 614.466.4230 to have the incorrect CDL number corrected.

7)      Why can’t I enter a preservice date?

The preservice date and certificate numbers are automatically entered when the preservice instructor’s office approves a T9 report. Because this information is system-generated, you will not be able to edit it. If a date or certificate number is wrong in the system, you will need to contact your preservice office to have the correct date and certificate number entered. You will need to fax a copy of the original certificate to the preservice office at 330.313.3645.

8)      What do I do about missing OBIs in my district?

Check the driver’s maintain screen and check to see if there’s a check mark in the OBI box. If the check is missing, and you have not been notified that the OBI status for this driver has changed, contact the preservice instructor’s office to check on the problem.

9)      How do I enter an OBI’s name when my district doesn’t have an OBI?

Use the center dropdown box. Choose the correct listing by choosing the group which includes the first letter of the OBI’s last name. If you cannot find the OBI’s name on this list, contact the preservice office.

10)   If my driver’s preservice certificate number and date are missing, should I create a new T-9?

NO! NO! A THOUSAND TIMES NO!!! New T9 reports are only designated for those who are either a new driver without a certificate or a returning driver who must recertify. If your driver’s certificate number and date are missing and you know they have a current certificate, you need to contact your preservice instructor’s office to have this date put into the system. You will need to fax a copy of the original certificate to the preservice office at 330.313.3645.

11)   I am entering a T9 for a new driver and I am getting an error message that reminds me to input a minimum of 12 hours. I have more than 12 hours entered. What am I doing wrong?

Check the gobbledygook (error message) at the top of the page, usually in red. There should be a number, or maybe more. Look at the boxes beside the areas to be trained. Those matching the numbers in the red message will probably be blank. For NEW drivers, every box must be checked, including #26, except that only one box in 4, either a., b,  or c and one box in 5, either a or b, must be checked. #26 will also require that you enter what area was covered in the box. For recertifying drivers, only the boxes marked with * must be checked, although you can check others if they are listed on the T9 filled out by the OBI. If the boxes are NOT checked, contact your OBI for verification that the area has been covered.

12)   My OBI trained a driver for three hours. The system won’t let me enter the data. What should I do?

The system only accepts training sessions of 160 minutes each. To enter training longer than 160 minutes, add a portion of the training on the first session, then add another training session on the same date and enter the remainder of the minutes. Be sure to list all the areas covered on both entries.

13)   Can I allow a driver to transport students before I can print their new certificate?

NO. A driver is NOT certified to drive the school bus until the certificate is printed and in the driver’s file in the district. One copy goes in the driver’s file and one copy goes to the driver.

14)   When can I use the temporary certificate from my preservice instructor?

Temporary certificates may be issued by the preservice instructor for a new driver when the district is awaiting the arrival of their initial six-year certificate. Temporary certificates may not be used for a recertifying driver. These certificates are issued only in extreme circumstances.

15)   How do I recertify a van driver?

Enter the T9 information the same as for a bus driver. Sign and submit and print the certificate when it’s approved. No paperwork needs to be sent to the preservice office, and no fee is required at this time.

16)   I was told to sign my T8 reports. Where is the sign button?

T8 reports can only be signed by the person in the district who has the appropriate permissions established through the SFPS system. After entering the T8 data, click the “next” button to proceed to the completion page. Here you will select those drivers’ reports that you wish to sign by checking the box next to those names. Once you’ve checked everyone, click the “sign” button.

17)   There are buses missing from my inventory. How do I find them?

When searching for vehicles in your inventory, look to the right of the search screen. You must enter a checkmark in those boxes to search for buses that have been sold, transferred or listed as out-of-service. When the buses show up in the next screen, you can then change the usage code to reflect their current use. If you need assistance, contact your area coordinator at 330.343.8875.

18)   Why don’t drivers with waivers appear on the T8 completion page?

Drivers will only appear on the T8 completion page after the waiver has been approved and recorded in the system. After this happens, you will be able to sign the T8 report.

19)   How do I get a waiver for a driver with a missing limb?

Contact ODE Pupil Transportation at 614.466.4230 to begin the process. They will handle it from there. Your driver will need to schedule an evaluation with the preservice office once the state completes their paperwork. The preservice office will contact you to set a date for that evaluation once ODE has forwarded the paperwork to us.

20)   I have a driver whose certificate is dated six years ago today. Why is that driver listed as inactive?

All certificates expire at 12:01 a.m. on the date six years after the date on the certificate. Drivers are not eligible to drive until the T9 has been completed, entered into the system, and approved.

21)   What do I need to do to enroll a driver in one of the classes Rob offers?

Contact the preservice office. Be prepared with the date of the class your driver wants to attend, whether the driver is new or recertifying, and the driver’s phone number. If you want the driver to contact the office, be sure to discuss whether your district will be paying or the driver will pay, and provide a SIGNED Form 2 to the driver to send to the preservice office if (s)he is paying. Remember when scheduling drivers for recertification that some classes fill up early, so you need to contact our office as soon as you know when your driver needs to recertify.

22)   What do I do if the system won’t accept the address, even though the driver’s received mail there for years?

Try using the PO Box if the driver has one. If not, and you’re sure the address is correct as listed, check the box that says the address is correct. You should then be able to save the page to continue.

23)   Where can I get the original forms for the OBIs to use when training?

The T9 and Driving Evaluation forms are available on the ODE website and at www.ecoesc.org > document library > transportation. The pretrip inspection form is in the preservice school bus driver’s training manual, Appendix B. All forms have been e-mailed to supervisors and secretaries in districts for whom we have contact information. Discard all outdated versions when downloading a new version.

24)   How do I get to the T-10 report?

You can click on T10 in the left menu, which will bring up the driver search page. You need to locate the driver that you wish to file a T10 report for and click his/her name. This will bring up the driver maintenance page. Click the “CRASH REPORT” button in the driver standing section.   OR   proceed directly to the driver maintenance page by clicking MAINTAIN in the left menu. From here, click the “CRASH REPORT” button in the driver standing section. Direct all questions concerning the T10 report to your area coordinator’s office, 330.343.8875.

25)   Where are my drivers disappearing to on the T-8 report?

Fortunately, they are not “disappearing” but rather moving to the end of the list in the report as data is entered and/or signed.

26)   Why do I get an error page when I click on the T9 button?

The T9 button itself is not a link. Click on the driver search button below the T9 button to find a specific driver. You can also go to the T9 page through the driver’s maintenance page.

27)   Why can’t I enter a physical for my driver? It was done on April 28^th and the system won’t allow me to enter it.

Any physical done before May 1^st of the current school year FOR A NEW DRIVER must be entered BEFORE May 1^st. All drivers EXCEPT NEW DRIVERS HIRED AFTER JAN 1 must have physicals performed May 1^st or later.

28)   What forms do I need to mail to the preservice office when an OBI has completed training?

Mail COPIES of the T9, the pretrip inspection form, and the driving evaluation to ECO ESC, Attn: Vikki, 834 E High Ave, New Philadelphia OH 44663. There should be 7 pages total in your mailing. It is OK to copy them back to back to save paper and postage. Put the originals in the driver’s file.

29)   What are you looking for in the reports we are sending?

We are reviewing these forms to be sure that OBIs are filling them out correctly. These forms are used throughout the state, and should be filled out consistently statewide. We are reviewing only the OBI portion of the reports; however, on the T9 some districts fill out the school information in the office, so the OBI doesn’t do it. Please be sure that any information requested in the header of the T9 is completed before sending the form.

30)   When should I send these reports?

You should send the forms as soon as the OBI completes the training and the driver has gone to the CDL test site and passed the CDL test (for new drivers). For recertifying drivers, once the pretrip inspection and evaluation have been completed, send all forms. T9 does not need to be signed that all items are complete and in the file before sending the forms to us. You have seven days after the driver appears on the screen for approval.

31)   I forgot my password.

Click on the link below the sign-in boxes for information on how to retrieve your password.

32)   Where can I get the forms I need when I run out?

Go to www.ecoesc.org > document library > transportation to download forms. For timely information, important dates, etc., go to > blogs > transportation.

33)   Why don’t I get notices from the preservice office?

The preservice office has distribution lists for Supervisors, OBIs and Secretaries in the East Region's districts. This information is obtained from the Information Form requested from your district at the beginning of each school year. Your e-mail address may have been changed since you gave it to us last. Be sure your district fills out the Information Form every year in August to update the district’s information in our database. If there is a change in personnel during the school year, or any of the contact information you’ve given us, send an updated copy of the Information Form.

34)  What date is printed on the new certificate when a current driver recertifies?

The date printed on the certificate will be the date the certificate is approved online by the preservice office.