What code 7383 covers
Typical duties
- Driving morning and afternoon student routes and activity trips
- Helping students board, buckling car seats and managing behavior as a bus aide
- Operating wheelchair lifts and securing students with disabilities
- Daily pre-trip inspections, cleaning and fueling
- Servicing and repairing the contractor’s own buses
Operations included
- Private contractors carrying K–12 students under contract
- Shuttle and campus bus service operated for colleges and universities
- Bus monitors and aides employed by the contractor
- Mechanics and yard staff of the student transportation company
What code 7383 does not cover
- Charter, tour and general shuttle work for the public: 7382
- Van or sedan transport of individual students by a chauffeur service: often 7380
- Tow trucks of any size: 7219
- Route planners and office staff who are physically separated: 8810
Code 7383 rate and cost context
At $3.166 per $100 of payroll, 7383 is the lowest of Florida’s passenger-carrier codes in 2026. Student transportation runs short, repeated routes with trained drivers, and that shows in the loss data NCCI uses.
Most claims here are not crashes but strains and falls: lifting students, operating lifts, and slipping on bus steps. Lift and securement training is the practical way to keep the experience mod down.
| Year | Rate per $100 |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $3.61 |
| 2023 | $3.65 |
| 2024 | $3.20 |
| 2025 | $3.29 |
| 2026 | $3.166 |
If you are placed in the FWCJUA
Florida’s residual market charges the voluntary rate plus a surcharge on the voluntary premium: 93% in Tier 1 and 183% in Tiers 2 and 3 for 2026. On this code that works out to about $6.11 (Tier 1) or $8.96 (Tiers 2–3) per $100 of payroll before any experience mod.
Example: estimating code 7383 premium
Assume a contractor running a dozen routes with $520,000 of annual payroll for drivers, aides and mechanics in code 7383.
| Annual payroll in this code | $520,000 |
| Voluntary-market premium (rate × payroll ÷ 100) | $16,463 |
| FWCJUA Tier 1 (with 93% surcharge) | $31,774 |
| FWCJUA Tiers 2–3 (with 183% surcharge) | $46,591 |
Example only. Assumes no experience modification, schedule credits, expense constant or taxes. Minimum premium applies if the result is lower ($477 / FWCJUA $2,900).
Misclassification pitfalls for code 7383
Charter work mixed into a school contract
Contractors who run weekend charters for the public are doing 7382 work. Keep that payroll separate with trip records or the auditor may move it all to the higher code.
Bus aides left off the policy
Aides and monitors are employees of the contractor, even when they are part-time and work only during the school year. Leaving them out leads to an audit bill.
Old “heavy towing” labels
Some insurance pages list 7383 as heavy-duty towing. A wrecker company written in 7383 will be reclassified to 7219.
Summer layoffs and the minimum premium
Payroll drops sharply in summer. If your annual payroll falls low enough, the minimum premium shown above applies, so plan the deposit accordingly.
Codes that sit next to 7383
Payroll and audit notes for code 7383
Payroll includes route pay, field-trip pay, aide wages and paid training days. Unpaid summer months simply have no payroll.
If drivers also do charter trips, record the hours for each trip type in your payroll system so the split between 7383 and 7382 holds up at audit.
Keep the school contracts, route sheets and driver rosters with payroll. They are what the auditor asks for first.
Who usually reports code 7383
- Student transportation contractors serving Florida school districts
- Charter and private school transportation providers
- College and university campus shuttle contractors
- Exceptional student education transport providers with lift-equipped buses
Code 7383 questions
Is class code 7383 for towing?
No. On the Florida rate pages 7383 is the college and school bus code. Tow companies are classified as 7219.
What is the 2026 rate for code 7383 in Florida?
The OIR-approved NCCI rate is $3.166 per $100 of payroll, effective January 1, 2026. FWCJUA policies add a 93% or 183% surcharge.
Do bus aides go in code 7383?
Yes. Aides and monitors employed by the bus contractor are part of the same classification as the drivers.
What if we also run charters?
Charter service for the public is 7382. You can report it separately if your payroll records show the hours for each.
Sources
- NCCI: Summary of the Florida Workers Compensation Rate Filing Recommendation Effective January 1, 2026
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation: Commissioner approves 6.9% workers’ compensation rate decrease effective January 1, 2026 (Nov. 17, 2025)
- Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association (FWCJUA): Rates (2022–2026 rate tables and minimum premiums)
- FWCJUA: Bulletins (Bulletin 25-9: 2026 Tier 1, 2 and 3 surcharges)
- NCCI: Summary of the Florida Workers Compensation Rate Filing Recommendation Effective January 1, 2027 (filed Aug. 21, 2026)
- Florida Statutes: Section 440.02 — Definitions (employee, employer, construction industry)
Facts checked October 12, 2026.