---
title: "Fire truck vs school bus — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Fire truck is 2× school bus on weight. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/fire-truck-vs-school-bus/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Fire truck vs School bus

**Fire truck vs school bus: Fire truck is larger on weight**

Fire truck is 2× school bus on weight.

A fire truck and a school bus can be compared on 5 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

## Side by side

*Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.*

|  | Fire truck | School bus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 14,000–36,000 kg | 6,500–12,000 kg |
| Height | 300–370 cm | 280–330 cm |
| Length | 800–1,400 cm | 670–1,370 cm |
| Width | 240–260 cm | 244 cm |
| Typical cost | 500,000–2,200,000 $ | 90,000–200,000 $ |

## What the numbers say

- Fire truck is 2× school bus on weight.
- Fire truck is somewhat greater than school bus on height — about 1.1×.
- School bus is somewhat greater than fire truck on length — about 1.2×.
- Fire truck and school bus are near enough identical on width.
- Fire truck is 7.2× school bus on typical cost.

*Weight compared.*

- Fire truck: 14,000–36,000 kg
- School bus: 6,500–12,000 kg

## Fire truck

A firefighting vehicle carrying a pump, hose and water, or an aerial ladder or platform.

## School bus

A purpose-built bus for carrying schoolchildren, painted national school bus glossy yellow in North America.

> This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

## Common questions

### Which is bigger, fire truck or school bus?

Fire truck is 2× school bus on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do fire trucks and school buses compare on height?

Fire truck: 300–370 cm. School bus: 280–330 cm. Fire truck is somewhat greater than school bus on height — about 1.1×.

### How do fire trucks and school buses compare on length?

Fire truck: 800–1,400 cm. School bus: 670–1,370 cm. School bus is somewhat greater than fire truck on length — about 1.2×.

## Related pages

- [Fire truck vs semi truck](https://atoneplace.net/vs/fire-truck-vs-semi-truck/)
- [City bus vs school bus](https://atoneplace.net/vs/city-bus-vs-school-bus/)
- [School bus vs semi truck](https://atoneplace.net/vs/school-bus-vs-semi-truck/)
- [City bus vs fire truck](https://atoneplace.net/vs/city-bus-vs-fire-truck/)
- [Fire truck vs garbage truck](https://atoneplace.net/vs/fire-truck-vs-garbage-truck/)
- [Concrete mixer truck vs fire truck](https://atoneplace.net/vs/concrete-mixer-truck-vs-fire-truck/)
- [Double-decker bus vs school bus](https://atoneplace.net/vs/double-decker-bus-vs-school-bus/)
- [Ambulance vs school bus](https://atoneplace.net/vs/ambulance-vs-school-bus/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)