Bus Roadeo Toolkit

Other Resources 

Connecticut has developed an excellent guide for administering a successful roadeo event. It includes practical tips, resources, and strategies for every stage of the event, from planning and preparation through the event. To access the PDF, click on Keys to a Successful Roadeo Event. 

This section includes content for the written test for drivers, featuring a bank of approximately 50 questions and answers covering key topical areas. It is intended to reinforce knowledge, support training efforts, and help you prepare for the written test portion of the roadeo. The written test typically consists of 25 questions, and it is common practice to develop two versions of the exam: Form A and Form B. Sample Exam Questions are available for download.

A maintenance roadeo is a competitive event designed to improve safety, enhance the skills of maintenance technicians and mechanics, and promote professionalism by providing a safe, controlled environment to practice real-world tasks. It recognizes top performers, highlights training needs, reinforces standard procedures, and builds teamwork and pride across the agency. The event fosters friendly competition, keeps participants engaged, and promotes consistency with industry standards. Beyond the competition, a maintenance roadeo serves as a valuable training and development opportunity and boosts employee morale. This section provides detailed guidance on planning and implementing a maintenance roadeo. 

Selecting a Roadeo Site for Mechanics 

Choose a location for the maintenance roadeo that can fit modules for both fixed-route and paratransit buses. Consider an additional holding area to help with crowd control. Remember, the maintenance roadeo is usually a team event of three members. The paratransit maintenance roadeo is an individual event. You will need enough room to accommodate the number of contestants, or maintenance teams. Teams traditionally consist of two to three maintenance technicians.   

Make sure there is enough space to use a bus for pre-trip inspections and try to have one vehicle per maintenance division. The event can be held indoors or outdoors but consider exhaust and noise control. Decide how many modules you will use, as this will determine how much space you need for the course. Each module should have a space of 70 feet by 90 feet by 20 feet, with enough room to walk around each. Keep each module private to avoid disruptions from other modules. If the roadeo is outside, most events use tents for each module. If it is inside, spread the modules out in the maintenance bays and keep them separate. If you need to reduce the space for each module, ensure clear paths around them and plan where judges will stand so they can evaluate the tasks effectively. Judges should not be on the walking paths around the modules.

Event Set Up

Most maintenance roadeos run best when you set up several stations in a loop, letting teams move from one to the next without confusion. This setup is more critical than many people realize. When competitors know the order of the stations, they feel more confident and relaxed before the competition gets intense.

There is no single national standard for transit bus maintenance roadeos. Still, most agencies and state competitions use similar guidelines, which helps keep the event competitive, and it is possible to finish in one day. Because vehicles have many components, it is best practice to include a description of each component's make and model, along with its specifications. This will help competitors understand what they are going to be evaluated on.

Fixed Route Maintenance Roadeo 

The following tasks are traditionally included in a fixed route maintenance roadeo and reflect the core skill areas evaluated during the competition. 

• Preventive Maintenance (PMI) inspection
• HVAC diagnosis
• Powertrain
• HVAC Diagnostic
• Multiplex / Controller Area Network (CAN) diagnostics
• Air Brakes Board Event
• Entry Door Operations
• Parts identification

Paratransit Maintenance Roadeo 

Paratransit maintenance roadeos are gaining popularity at the local and state levels. One challenge is making sure the modules work as standalone stations. While you can still run a paratransit maintenance roadeo, you are limited in the types of defects you can set on a working bus, which makes it harder to grade competitors. Because there are only a few training modules available, a state may want to buy a specific module for roadeo training.

Below are some tasks that could be included:

• Preventive Maintenance (PMI) inspection
• Electrical troubleshooting
• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) diagnosis
• Lift and ramp troubleshooting
• Steering & suspension inspection
• Brake system inspection or diagnosis
• Electrical troubleshooting

A maintenance roadeo should be built around industry-recognized, defensible standards. Use Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), APTA, DOT/Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), or agencies’ standard operating procedures.

Consider including additional equipment, such as tables at each station to hold paperwork and any tools required to perform the task being evaluated. Ensure each module has any needed safety protection, such as hearing and eye protection.

Maintenance roadeos may or may not be on the same day as the driving part of the roadeo. It is hard to fit everything into a single day. You could run the driving course for drivers first, then have maintenance technicians drive after, or use a different course. If you decide to hold this event on a separate day, it might make sense to include it in the maintenance division. Additional information and examples of maintenance roadeos can be found in the National, State, and Tribal Roadeos section at the close of this Toolkit.

Bus roadeo events can be readily adapted for Tribal Transit programs, as they share the same core focus on safety, driving skill, and customer service. The structure of a traditional roadeo can be tailored to reflect the unique cultural context of Tribal Transit systems.

Examples of Tribal Transit Roadeo events are presented below. These illustrate how standard Bus Roadeo practices, such as promoting safety, recognizing operator excellence, and supporting ongoing training and professional development, can be successfully adapted to Tribal Transit programs.

National Transportation in Indian County (NTICC) Heavy Equipment Roadeo 

The NTICC Heavy Equipment Roadeo is a competitive skills event designed for tribal transit professionals and held during the NTICC Conference. The event tests skills in operating heavy machinery, promoting safety, and showcasing expertise, featuring a Roadeo Team Competition. The event is open to the public, allowing spectators to attend, watch, and support participants. Competition is limited to seasoned drivers who are proficient in the specific equipment they choose to operate.

Participation and attendance are free, reinforcing the event’s goal of recognizing excellence and encouraging industry engagement. Competitors compete for top scores within individual equipment categories, with awards presented for first, second, and third place, as well as an overall champion. The top team earns the Heavy Equipment Roadeo Title Belt, and winners are recognized during the closing ceremony.

Choctaw Nation Tribal Transit 

The Choctaw Nation Tribal Transit hosts an annual Bus Roadeo in Oklahoma. This event tests drivers' skills while providing an opportunity to recognize excellence in driving performance and  customer service. During the 2026 event, the top five participants were awarded, and from these, two were selected to advance and represent Tribal Transit at the CTAA National Bus Roadeo.

Updated September 15, 2026