every summer i take a 5K mile road trip with my bus. We take turns driving so that we only every have to stop for fuel and food and are able to average about 50 mph including stops (pretty good for a vehicle that cruises 60)
i've taught several people to drive a bus over the past few years. There is no easier place to drive a bus than on the expressway. We talk about how it takes forever to stop a bus compared to a car so following distance is important, and the fact that driving down the mountains is a good way to die in a bus, and we don't have to worry much about turning radius until it comes time for the gas station.
The fuel tank tends to be located on the passenger side. To make a 90 degree right turn in order to pull up to an auto diesel fuel pump can be tricky at first. I practiced this maneuver when i got my first bus by setting up a couple of orange cones in an empty parking lot.
Properly adjusted mirrors are super important. With good mirrors you can watch your rear tires run over the curb when you're a little too close....or you can see that honda civic next to you BEFORE you get over. Buses even come with what i call "bus driver mirrors"
they allow you to see what's right in front of the bus too. I like to adjust them so that i can see the sides of the bus instead...they help to reduce blind spots as they look places your other mirrors don't. If you have to back up when there are lots of people or traffic around, or if it's just a really tight squeeze like some parking lot that was never meant for a bus or parallel parking along a city street GET A SPOTTER.
One feature i think every bus should have....but i never get around to doing, is side mounted turn signals. I think that 1 or 2 turn signals on the side of the bus would make changing lanes in heavy traffic much safer and easier.
