If your school's marching band is attending a band review this fall that is too far to take your regular school bus, the chartering a more comfortable bus is a great way to solve this common problem. Chartering a bus allows your band to travel longer distances without having to stop for bathroom breaks or to wait for straggling cars if you have to resort to having parents drive. 

If you have never chartered a bus for your school before, then these tips will help with the process:

Tip: Ask if the Charter Company's Bus Drivers are Screened and Experienced

When you contact charter companies to charter a bus for your band students, you must ask if their drivers are screened for criminal backgrounds and if they have experience driving children. The former is very important to ensure that the bus driver is a safe person to introduce to your kids, and the latter is important because it takes a special driving skill to drive a bus full of rowdy adolescents.

Tip: Ask How the Charter Company Handles Emergencies 

Since your school's students need to get to their band review both safely and on time, it is important you ask the charter bus company about how they plan to handle emergency breakdowns and accidents. For example, bus companies that have many buses will often commit to quickly sending out another bus in these type of unfortunate situations. However, smaller charter companies may not have other drivers or buses available and cannot offer you this guarantee. 

Tip: Obtain a Price List of All Charges 

Since the charter bus for your band trip may have additional costs for things like amenities and post-use cleaning, you should ask the bus company to send you a complete price list for all of the associated charges for chartering a bus. If you have multiple charter bus services in your area, then ask for a price list from each company and compare the costs between them to get your school the best deal.

Tip: Check the Company's Safety Rating

Finally, before you book travel for your students on a charter bus, you should look at the bus company's safety rating on the United State's Department of Transportation SAFER website. This website was set up by the US Government to allow consumers to view the safety rating of charter and rental companies who transport passengers. 

Contact a company like A&A Limousine & Bus Services for more information and assistance.