STS Highlights: May 2026
Every route starts the same way: with a driver who’s prepared, focused, and ready for the responsibility ahead. As the school year begins to wind down and summer break gets closer, that preparation becomes even more important during schedule changes, end-of-year activities, and shifting routines. For school bus drivers, readiness doesn’t come from experience alone. It’s built through ongoing training and the right support behind the scenes. This month, we’re highlighting resources that strengthen those foundations without adding complexity to your schedule.
Inside, you’ll find training options built for real-world demands, insights that connect to everyday experiences, and opportunities to continue building meaningful skills. Whether you’re behind the wheel or supporting operations, it all works toward the same goal: safe, reliable transportation for every student, every day.
Summer’s close,
Patrick
 |
Supporting Drivers and Operations
Keeping school bus drivers trained and ready isn’t just about meeting requirements. It’s about maintaining safe, reliable transportation for your students every day. Our theory options offer flexible, online training built specifically for school bus drivers and transportation teams. Whether you’re onboarding new drivers or supporting experienced staff, our programs are designed to fit your schedule without disrupting operations.
Explore School Training Solutions
|
|
 |
That Starting Point for Every Commercial Driver
Not every commercial driver starts with experience, but every driver starts in the same first place: theory training. Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) theory isn’t just a requirement. It’s where drivers learn how to think instead of react, understand real-world safety, and build confidence. Getting a CDL starts with theory training.
Start ELDT Theory Training
|
|
 |
Interesting: Jealousy is Not Exclusive to Humans
If you have siblings, you may remember fighting for your parents’ attention when you were younger. It turns out sibling rivalry isn’t just something that affects humans. A new study has found that young baboons try to steal their mothers away from their brothers or sisters. Smithsonian Magazine breaks down the results and presents some implications to this scientific observation.
Read the Full Article
|
|
 |
Build Meaningful Skills
Whether you’re starting fresh, changing paths, or building on experience, the right training should fit into your life. With Smart Horizons, you can gain practical skills that support your current role or help you move into new opportunities, on your time and at your pace. No rigid schedules. No unnecessary barriers. We offer a smarter way to keep moving forward.
Browse Courses & Get Started
|
|
 |
Driver Wellness: Performance Starts with Prevention
Alertness, stress management, and overall wellness directly impact transportation safety. As schedules shift and daylight hours increase, reinforcing fatigue awareness and driver health best practices can reduce risk and improve performance. Smart Horizons School Training Solutions provides flexible training that supports both compliance and driver well-being.
Discover Wellness & Safety Training
|
|
 |
Save the Date: OKAPT ACTS 2026!
Get ready for a milestone year! The OKAPT 50th Annual Conference & Trade Show is coming June 7–11, 2026, in Durant, Oklahoma.
Join transportation professionals from across the state for five days of inspiration, hands-on learning, and industry innovation while celebrating the organization’s golden anniversary!
Discover the OKAPT Annual Conference
|
|
Posted in
Blog on May 14th, 2026.
No Comments.
STS Highlights: April 2026
As schedules pick up and the spring season gets underway, it’s a great time to revisit the training and awareness topics that support safe, effective workplaces and transportation systems. In this issue, we’re sharing resources that focus on driver wellness, workplace awareness, and training opportunities designed to help organizations stay prepared and compliant.
We’re also taking a moment to recognize the critical work of telecommunicators during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and highlighting industry initiatives such as National Work Zone Awareness Week. Since spring marks the start of road construction season, staying alert is more critical than ever. Finally, for a quick mental break, we’ve included an intriguing article on the science behind those sudden “aha” moments of insight we all experience.
With insight,
Patrick
 |
Recognizing Telecommunicators During National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
Join us in honoring telecommunicators nationwide! For more than 30 years, Smart Horizons has supported the thin gold line with flexible, industry-relevant telecommunicator training. Our online courses help both new and experienced dispatch professionals build essential knowledge, earn continuing education, and strengthen skills aligned with modern public safety standards.
Appreciation Week
Training the Thin Gold Line
|
|
 |
Sexual Harassment Awareness Training
Learn how to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace with our 4-hour online Sexual Harassment Awareness training package. This convenient online option covers one of the most widely required annual training topics across the country.
See the Lessons
|
|
 |
Start Your ELDT Class B Training Online
If you are preparing to earn a Class B Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), you are required by federal regulations to complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) before taking the CDL skills test. The Smart Horizons ELDT Class B Theory course helps drivers complete the required training and move one step closer to earning their CDL.
Start ELDT Class B Theory Training
Explore Other ELDT Training
|
|
 |
Interesting: Why ‘Aha’ Moments Seem to Come Out of Nowhere.
Neuroscientists are tracking the brain activity that underlies a cognitive breakthrough and unraveling how it might boost memory. This article highlighted by Smithsonian magazine discusses insightful activity, memory boost, and what it all means for the future of brain research.
Read the Article
|
|
|
Driver Wellness: Performance Starts with Prevention
Alertness, stress management, and overall wellness directly impact transportation safety. As schedules shift and daylight hours increase, reinforcing fatigue awareness and driver health best practices can reduce risk and improve performance. Smart Horizons School Training Solutions provides flexible training that supports both compliance and driver well-being.
Discover Wellness & Safety Training
|
|
|
Save the Date: OKAPT ACTS 2026!
Get ready for a milestone year! The OKAPT 50th Annual Conference & Trade Show is coming June 7–11, 2026, in Durant, Oklahoma.
Join transportation professionals from across the state for five days of inspiration, hands-on learning, and industry innovation while celebrating the organization’s golden anniversary!
Discover the OKAPT Annual Conference
|
|
 |
Strengthening Campus Safety with Integrated Emergency Response
University police departments protect open campuses that function like small cities, where rapid communication and coordinated response are critical. An integrated emergency response system provides real-time visibility, streamlined dispatch, and centralized documentation. Smart Horizons Premier Responder brings communication and dispatch into one secure platform, helping departments respond faster and strengthen campus safety.
Discover Premier Responder
|
|
 |
Next Week is National Work Zone Awareness Week!
National Work Zone Awareness Week is a spring campaign held at the start of construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones and raise awareness of risks to motorists and roadway workers. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in work zones. NWZAW 2026 is hosted by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT).
Resources and Ways to Participate
|
|
Posted in
Blog on April 16th, 2026.
No Comments.
