Bus Roadeo Toolkit

The Course

Reserve Course Location

It is important to reserve the event location well in advance. Ensure the site is large enough to accommodate the course, stationary events, and tents. You should also confirm that the space is available for the time for your event, from set-up to break-down. You may arrange in advance for the space to be closed to other uses and cleared of any access materials or debris. Post signage at the site ahead of time to notify the public of the scheduled closure.



Once the location is confirmed, you will be able to develop the course specifications based on the vehicle classes selected for your event. Typical locations include park-and-ride lots, large parking areas at conference centers, industrial parks, sports arenas, and municipal parking lots. For example, the Connecticut roadeo used a park-and-ride lot measuring 333 feet by 195 feet, or approximately 65,000 square feet, for the cutaway vehicle class. You will also need adequate space for automobile parking and a designated spectator area. You may want to get a Special Event Liability policy to cover your agency. Notify the local fire and police departments about your event and invite them to attend. Having emergency management personnel on site can be important in case of an emergency. In many communities, these agencies may also be able to provide volunteer judges to support the event.

Develop Course Specifications

This Toolkit includes a sample layout of a course with ten obstacles. The actual location and sequence of obstacles will depend on the dimensions of the lot and vehicle classes selected       for your event. You will need to determine which obstacles to include and how they should be arranged. To assist with the layout of each obstacle, NCDOT provided us with measurements for each obstacle. To access, download the Measurement Sheets.

Laying out the course in advance to allow time for adjustments and to test timing. When laying out the course, you will need one vehicle, an appropriate number of cones for obstacles being set, a chalk/road marker, and a tape measure. Set up each obstacle starting at the beginning of the course, and as each obstacle is placed, drive the obstacle to ensure it is challenging but achievable. Once the obstacle is set-up and tested, mark the corners of each cone so they can be accurately placed on the day of the event. Then proceed to the next obstacle. 

In some cases, the course can be set up one day in advance, depending on the availability of the location. Completing the course set up the day before the event will make the event day of the event run more smoothly.  Note that if it is set up early and if it rains, someone may have to add the chalk/road markers again. 

Obtain Equipment for Obstacles

We have provided a suggested list of equipment you will need to build a course of ten obstacles as shown in the sample layout referenced above. A List of Equipment and other items you will need is provided for reference.

Course Set Up

A bus roadeo is a great way to combine safety training with team building and camaraderie. It provides drivers and technicians a chance to demonstrate their skills and lets family members see what their work involves. Drivers and technicians often go unrecognized in their daily jobs, but a bus roadeo puts them in the spotlight and lets them have fun. Make the event feel like a true “rodeo” rather than a test or training; the atmosphere should be energetic, visible, and engaging for everyone involved. When deciding whether to keep or remove a part of the roadeo setup, give the benefit of the doubt to the contestant.



If participants are permitted to practice, assign a start and end time for practice to ensure that it's fair and equitable. Some locations may choose not to have the drivers practice or view the course until the day of the event. In any case, it may be wise to have overnight security at the event location to prevent drivers from walking or driving the course to maintain the integrity of the event and to protect the equipment and materials on-site.

The following subsections provide detailed guidance on site selection and course design.

Selecting a Roadeo Site for Drivers

Training rooms may be needed for some required meetings. Depending on the size of your event and funds available, the roadeo can be done in a single day. Meetings and the test can be conducted in the tent or facility on-site before starting the course or stationary events.



Start by bringing everyone together to welcome them and share any safety information. Use this time to introduce important people and let everyone know who to contact with questions. If the weather might be an issue, explain how you’ll decide on any delays or cancellations. Most roadeos hold mandatory meetings for participants, including drivers and mechanics, and judges. You can also include training classes, such as wheelchair securement, since this is a training event.

Decide if you will have one course or several. If you want multiple courses, you will need much more time and space. Look for an area large enough to accommodate each obstacle for each vehicle class. For a single course, you’ll need at least 65,000 square feet. If you are setting up for both fixed route (FR) 35- or 40-foot buses and paratransit buses (body-on-chassis, or BOC), plan for about 150,000 square feet. Make sure there is enough space between the two divisions referenced above. If you add another course, plan for an additional 75,000 square feet. It is not uncommon to have multiple divisions on the same course. Cones are moved between the divisions. Ensure you have permission to use paint on the ground. You will have to mark the cones for each division. If you cannot get permission to use paint, alternative methods are carpenter’s crayons or tape.

The area you choose must accommodate ten obstacles for van and BOC (CTAA standards) and eleven for FR. Fixed-route courses have one additional passenger stop when using the APTA standards. You can have just one stop if you want but remember that drivers will face two passenger stops at the next competition level.

In addition to setting up the course, consider the space needed for the two stationary events: passenger assistance and pre-trip inspection. The space you need depends on how many vehicles you will use. Some roadeos hold these events on a different day, so you might not need the space on the main event day. When setting up, leave enough room between vehicles so competitors can communicate with the judges without disturbing each other or overhearing what another contestant identifies as a defect. Both stationary events require the contestant to communicate with the judges throughout their performance. For wheelchair securement, there are points for verbalizing tasks as well as performing them. Decide where contestants will wait before and after their evaluation. Once someone has been evaluated, they should not interact with those still waiting to avoid giving away any tips.

The location of the scoring area or tent must provide enough space for your scoring team to have a quiet area with a power source for calculators and laptops. It must also be an area that spectators cannot easily reach, but accessible to volunteer runners delivering score sheets. If the scoring area is out in the elements, consider how to keep the area cool or warm enough for the equipment to operate normally, especially against any potential rainstorms or high winds.

When planning entertainment, make sure the speakers are loud enough for people in the course to hear. Disc Jockeys (DJs) can help create a lively atmosphere, benefiting both spectators and volunteer judges. The DJ can announce each contestant as they begin the course and provide information about them, their agency and any other facts they choose to share. The DJ might also explain the course, describe each obstacle, and explain why it matters for contestants to complete them. This is especially helpful if spectators are watching the event.

Do not forget to plan the spectator area. Decide where it will be and ensure people have a good view. We recommend spectator areas at the course starting point or the judgment stop. This area can also be used for lunch for the roadeo, and sometimes for the awards presentation. If you have many contestants or divisions, figure out how you will feed everyone, including competitors, families, volunteers, and other audience members. If you invite the public, will you charge them for lunch? Will you pause the event for lunch, or bring food out to the judges? Plan how to handle trash around the obstacles. Make sure someone collects it, and set up trash receptacles  that will not  blow away. Judges often bring their own snacks or lunches, so consider trash collection when setting up.

Finally, decide whether to separate contestants. If you do, think about how and where. An option is use of a fixed-route bus, or vehicle, parked away from the course so contestants cannot see out. If you keep contestants in a separate area, plan how drivers will rotate onto the course. You will need a vehicle and extra volunteers to help with this.

These are just a few things to consider when selecting a site. Some roadeos are very elaborate, while others are simple. The more elaborate, the more time, space, and money is required. Either way, focus on the contestants.

Designing the Course

Before setting up the course, the course designer must understand the turning radius of the vehicles used in the event and how each vehicle class responds to extreme steering inputs. This design will help make the course match the bus. The course designer should have the minimum tools to help set the course as follows:

• 36-inch square
• Multi-angle square for the 45-degree angle on a right-hand turn
• Tape measures: 330 feet, a couple of 25–35 feet, with one at least 30 feet long
• Chalk lines: 100 feet or longer if possible
• String for center line (optional, good for the serpentine)
• Pocket knife
• Gloves
• Method of marking the cones – use multi-color markers if you have multiple divisions on the same course
• Tools to set defects on the buses



When designing the course, ensure there is enough space between obstacles for the driver to prepare their approach and enter each one. Often, a designer must set up obstacles with minimal spacing between them, making the journey from one obstacle to the next more challenging than the obstacles themselves. A good starting practice is to keep at least a bus length and a half between the obstacles.

Use existing features of the site for the course. If curbs or a bus stop exist, try to incorporate them into the design.

There is a wide range of skill levels among drivers at roadeos. Organizations may participate in several roadeos, giving drivers the chance to complete and potentially win at the local, regional, state, national, and international levels. Drivers may also be nominated by their agency to participate in roadeo events. Some obstacles take longer to negotiate than others. Three obstacle stations typically take the most time: the right- and left-hand reverses and the serpentine. These obstacles will bottleneck the course if they are consecutive. The two most difficult obstacles are the right- and left-hand reverses. It is common to see both reverses together, but it is not necessary. If you have the space, separate them. Drivers will back up slowly, and if they become confused about their position relative to the obstacle, they will stop to orient themselves. This can take some time. To avoid having a driver stop in the middle of the course, you can use holding obstacles to have the driver wait until there is enough time for them to negotiate the next obstacles. The holding obstacles require the driver to stop, the on-board judge to stop the clock, and the judges to take measures. This must occur at the right-and left-hand reverses and passenger stops.

Many parking lots have hazards that will affect the placement of obstacles; light poles are among the most common. Try to avoid placing an obstacle that would bring the bus close to the pole. Other obstacles could include signage, curbs and other fixtures. Consider how the driver should drive the course and how they may see the transition from one obstacle to another. Contestants may be extremely nervous, and you don’t want them to become confused on the course. Some drivers say the only thing they see is a “sea of orange cones.” If possible, place barriers or barricades to help avoid hazards and guide the driver's path while on the course. You also want to avoid large side-to-side inclines and declines whenever possible. Even though the driver should always have control of the bus, inclines and declines can slightly affect steering, so it is best to avoid them. Avoid any dips before, during, and all the way to the judgment stop obstacle. Dips may cause the driver to slow down and fail to maintain the minimum speed required for the diminishing clearance obstacle. Dips also may disturb the smoothness of the operations for the on-board judge, possibly causing injuries. Remember, fixed-route buses may not have seatbelts!

Measurements that are needed before setting up the first cones include:

•  Length of the vehicle, including a bike rack if mounted, and the width, including wheel well tire flares.
•  Right side rear dual tires, the natural bulge of the tires. The mud flap may need to be removed or tied up to prevent interference with the tennis balls/baby cones.
• Ensure the mirror’s mounts are above the height of the barrels.
• Remember that the long distance from the rear axle to the rear bumper creates a wider tail swing. You may have to test the swing with cones to understand how much space is needed.

Determine how to mark the course before setup. Use different colors for each division if you are using one course for multiple divisions. Paint yields the best results, but many locations may not allow it. You will need something that can be seen in the rain and that is strong enough not to wash away, such as latex or acrylic traffic or zone marking paint. If the event is the day after setup, carpenter’s tape may be used as long as it stays in place once applied. Tape does not perform well in bad weather. Carpenter crayons are another marking option. These are durable crayons that can withstand the elements for a short period of time. If there is a chance of showers, check for telltale signs of water puddling.

Understand the measurements in any handbook or manual before starting. As you set each obstacle, you will need someone to drive and then adjust the obstacle to match the bus's tightest turning radius. This may require moving the cones inward or outward to make the obstacle possible while remaining difficult. The obstacles should be challenging for competitors, but the course designer must ensure that each obstacle can be completed within its parameters.

There are some terms you should understand before getting started. This will help you understand the roadeo guide handbooks.

• Centerline/Baseline: This is a line that some designers use to create the flow of the course or path of the bus. Some measurements will show how far off the centerline you are when placing the obstacle. This is noticeable on APTA’s right dual clearance and offset.
•  Gate: The gate is the distance between the two cones used to define the entrance to an obstacle.
•  Lane Cones: These are the ones that are along the course line. You will see these on the CTAA right- and left-hand reverses.
• Course Cones: There are the cones that make up the actual obstacle.
•  Pivot Cones: A cone that the bus must drive around and come as close as possible without touching it.

Note how measurements are drawn in the course measurements. Examples are:

•  Inside to Inside: Measure from the inside edges in between the cones.
•  Outside to Inside: Measure from one side of the cone to the same side of the next cone.
•  Center to the Cone: Measure the top center of each cone.

If the diagram does not show a measurement, such as the CTAA right-and left-hand reverse cones, measure the total length and divide it by the number of spaces between the cones shown.

All vehicles used for each event and division must be the same. Use one of these vehicles when setting up the course. If possible, have a driver who has experience with roadeos or who will follow the course designer’s directions for maneuvering the bus but is not competing.

Mark the start line using two cones spaced at least one-and-a-half bus widths apart. Set up the cones described in the course set-up included with this Toolkit. Place each cone in a straight line, with the edges parallel to the bus’s direction of travel. Some roadeos use different colors, different sized cones, or markings for their pivot cones. While not required, these can help drivers identify which cones carry higher point deductions and reorient themselves if they get confused.

When setting up the cones, start with the gate for the obstacle. This may be the entrance of the obstacle or the entrance of the reverses. All the gates should typically be the same size, unless the bus has an extremely different turn radius. You can determine turn radius by counting how many rotations it takes to move your tires from straight to the far left and the far right. After you determine the gate, start aligning the cones using the measurements in the handbook. Aligning the cones is extremely important. Use the square to ensure the corners are 90 degrees. Using a chalk line to mark a straight line will ensure all the cones are aligned. The chalk line will also help when the setup bus attempts to navigate the obstacle and either hits a cone or moves it.

After the initial placement of the cones, the driver who is helping with the setup tests the obstacle. Most of the time, you may need to adjust the cones based on the bus's turn radius, length, and tail swing. If you need to adjust, ensure you realign the cones in that row before attempting to negotiate the obstacle again. Make sure the driver maintains the same approach each time before making changes. If the driver keeps changing their approach, you are attempting to set the cone out from a moving target. You may have to guide the bus through each time. Watch the tire tracks to determine if the approach is being constant. Once the bus has successfully negotiated the obstacle, mark the cones.

You can mark the cones in different ways, such as painting a dot on each corner, which is the minimum marking required. Some people paint all the way around the cone. Do not mark the cones until the person in charge says they are ready. When there are multiple courses on the same site, marking must be consistent and easy for judges to understand, with clear indications of which mark represents which division.

When setting up the next obstacle, place the bus at the exit of the previous one. This ensures the flow between obstacles is not more challenging than the obstacles themselves.

To determine where to place the diminishing clearance obstacle, have the bus start at the previous obstacle, safely exit, and drive towards the direction of the judgment stop obstacle. Once they have reached 20 mph, the driver blows the horn. This will show you where to begin setting the barrels.

A tighter course will result in widely different scores unless the obstacles cannot be navigated without hitting a cone. The bus must be able to go through the obstacle without touching any cones. But when the course is too easy, more drivers may earn perfect scores. This is not a bad thing in itself. Perfect scores help build the driver's confidence, but the highest score with the fastest time will determine the winner.

Passenger Assistance Stationary Events 

When selecting a place for the wheelchair securement obstacle station, ensure there is enough space between vehicles to provide participants with auditory and visual privacy. Other participants should not be able to monitor the performance of other drivers nor be able to overhear their verbal statements. There are points for tasks performed and points for speaking each task, so visual and auditory privacy is necessary.



Identical vehicles for this event are necessary to ensure that each participant works with the same vehicle type and features. The buses used for this event must have wheelchair lifts that are free of defects. The wheelchairs for this event must also be identical, so every participant is judged the same in how they secure the device. The scoring for this event is fast-paced because there are 20 checks to evaluate, and most require both performance and verbal responses, so well-trained judges or judges who are also trainers are recommended. Consistency is key!

At this station, volunteer judges may play the passenger role, but since the pandemic, fabric mannequins have also been used. This reduces the number of volunteers needed, but the mannequin will need to be secured in the mobility aid. 

Provide participants with a script describing each task’s instructions and expectations. To ensure that every participant hears the same message, provide the script to all drivers competing at this event rather than individually.

Pre-Trip Stationary Event

The pre-trip inspection obstacle station should be set up with enough room to space the vehicles 15 to 20 feet apart. This space will provide aural privacy so participants can complete their pre-trip inspection without other participants overhearing the identified defects.



The vehicles for this event should be identical so every participant can inspect the same vehicle type with the same features. Place four defects where drivers are typically required to inspect, including items under the hood, on the exterior, and in the interior of the vehicle. Please note that defects may vary at individual roadeos. When setting the defects, take care to label any items removed with the vehicle number or plate number to ensure the correct items are replaced on each vehicle when the event concludes. The defects should be placed before any participants arrive on site to prevent them from observing the activity.

Provide participants with a script outlining the event's purpose and expectations. Participants should complete the inspection in a logical and systematic manner and find all four defects. Ensure that drivers understand that they must state “this is a defect” to clarify that they have identified a defect. The script is best read to each team of drivers competing at this event rather than individually to ensure everyone receives the same information. There are points for tasks performed and participants must verbalize each task so the judge can hear them, while ensuring privacy.

Judges play a key role in hosting a roadeo. Most judges are volunteers who take time out of their day to participate. Without them, a roadeo would not be possible. At each station, provide chairs for each judge to sit while waiting for contestants. Ensure that there is enough protection from the elements, such as shade from the sun or cover from rain, if applicable. Make sure all equipment, signs, and materials are secure and cannot be blown over or moved by wind. Ensure that the area remains free of trash or debris, such as food wrappers or promotional items, that could interfere with the competition.

Judges will need breaks from being out on the course, so plan to manage foot traffic and allow them to rest without disrupting the event.

Updated August 10, 2026