What to Expect at Roadeo

Whether this is your first roadeo or your 15th, here is what the day will look like.

The Michigan Small Bus Roadeo to be held on Thursday, July 25, 2024, at the Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth, MI. Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. at the Bavarian Inn Conference Center Lobby, and breakfast will be provided. From there, drivers and judges will enter a quick meeting to review the schedule for the day and ask any questions they may have. All drivers will take the written test at the conclusion of the meeting. Everyone will then move outside to start the skills competition. The course walk-through will begin at approximately 11:30 a.m., and the on-course competition will begin immediately following the walk-through. (see attached schedule)

How do I prepare for Roadeo?

We will continue to follow the guidelines and format used at the National Roadeo, hosted by the Community Transportation Association of America  (CTAA)  each year.  You can find complete roadeo information and instructions on how to prepare here. 

Some other things you may want to consider:

• Please review the full list of obstacles located in the roadeo guide.

• Review PASS Training Information

• Sample questions and answers from written test

• Review information in CDL manual

• Review the information in the What Every Driver Must Know document from the MI Secretary of State.

• Practice your Pretrips

How am I scored?

A breakdown of each section and a step-by-step guide can be found on the roadeo guide.

This competition is meant to be fun while also improving your skills as a driver.  The competition consists of 4 parts:

  A. Written Test Maximum Points: 125  (Time Limit: 30 minutes) Occurs during drivers’ meeting on Thursday. The written test consists of 25 questions valued at 5 points each. Questions are either in True/False or Multiple-Choice format. Questions for the test are taken from basic training materials used for transit driver training. If requested in advance, the test can also be administered orally by a proctor.  

  B. Pre-Trip Inspection Maximum Points: 150  (Safety Defects: 100 Logical Order: 25 Time Limit: 25 if completed in 7 minutes.) Judges will read a script to each contestant addressing the rules of this obstacle before the contestant begins the pre-trip.   

  C. Passenger Assistance Maximum Points: 200  (Sensitivity and Awareness: 40 Loading onto Platform: 40 Raising Lift: 36 Wheelchair Securement: 60 No Wheelchair Movement: 24 Time Limit: 7 minutes) Clock stops while judges test wheelchair securement When the time reaches 7 minutes, the contestant is stopped and scored on performance at that point  

  D. Driving Course Maximum Points: 525 (Time limit: 7 minutes) At 7 minutes, the contestant loses 1 point per second up until 8 minutes, for a maximum loss of 60 points. The contestant is allowed to finish the course beyond the limit.  

*Please note that drivers will be scored as individuals and as a team for their transits.

Awards will be given to the top 6 drivers in both the individual and team competitions. As well as Rookie of the Year (first roadeo competition) and Q-Straint Operator of the Year based on individual scores. 

How many drivers can compete per transit agency?

Each transit agency can send up to 3 drivers to compete individually and as a team. If you send less than 3 drivers, they will not qualify for team awards but will still complete individually. 

If space allows, we will permit the entry of more than 3 drivers per transit. However, the transit will need to identify which competitors will participate in the team score before Roadeo starts. For example, if a transit sends 5 competitors, 3 will need to be identified as the "team" for scoring purposes, but all 5 will compete in the individual competition. 

Who will move on to the National Roadeo?

The state of Michigan sends our top three individual competitors to the Nation Roadeo to represent Michigan.