Petermann Bus supervisor finishes top 10 at national safety competition

Petermann Bus Operations Supervisor Matthew Hull placed 9th out of 30 in the Transit Bus Division at the NSTA 2026 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition in Austin, Texas. His finish spotlights how road-eo style contests help transportation workers sharpen safety skills and strengthen student transportation standards.

Why it matters: - Matthew Hull’s 9th-place finish shows Petermann Bus employees competing at a high level in student transportation safety. - The result underscores how regional and national safety competitions can help sharpen driving, testing, and training skills that affect student riders and communities.

What happened: - Matthew Hull, an Operations Supervisor at Petermann Bus, competed in the National School Transportation Association’s 2026 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition in Austin, Texas. - Hull placed 9th out of 30 competitors in the Transit Bus Division. - The competition drew 89 participants from across North America. - The event was in its 52nd year. - Hull qualified after earning top marks at the Ohio Regional Road-E-O.

The details: - Competitors first took a written Commercial Driver’s License knowledge exam. - Participants then moved into driving skills tests that measured accuracy, vehicle control and safe driving practices. - Hull represented Petermann Bus against student transportation professionals from across North America. - Sue Prewitt, General Manager of Petermann Bus in Lakota, Ohio, said Hull joined the company in 2017. - Prewitt said Hull started as a cover driver, became a contracted driver and behind-the-wheel trainer in 2019, moved to Safety Manager in 2021 and became Operations Supervisor in 2023. - Prewitt said Hull has long supported the Road-E-O program. - Prewitt said Hull has helped other drivers practice, set up competition courses and volunteer on weekends to mentor team members. - Prewitt said Hull has placed in Road-E-O many times and has taken first place at both the regional and state levels over the last several years. - Prewitt said state pre-service instructors invited Hull to help with advanced training classes in another region this year.

Between the lines: - Hull’s path from local Road-E-O participant to national competitor shows how safety programs can develop internal talent over time. - Petermann Bus is using Hull’s result to reinforce a message about safety, continuous improvement and service excellence. - Hull’s comments point to the value of competition as both training and peer networking for professional drivers.

What's next: - Petermann Bus is likely to keep using safety competitions and hands-on training as part of its driver development culture. - Hull said he would encourage other professional drivers to participate in similar events. - The company’s broader focus remains safe, reliable student transportation built around its five values: Safety, Care, Transparency, Communities and Culture.

The bottom line: - A top-10 finish at a national safety competition gives Petermann Bus a concrete win to point to as it emphasizes driver skill, training and student transportation safety.