What does "her" refer here? Is it common to use "her" like this?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
The pronoun "her" refers to the bus that he is driving. Historically in English, it was common to refer to vehicles such as cars, boats, and trains with female pronouns, especially when spoken by a male. Today this is still used, but a little less frequently. Ex: This is my new car. Isn't she a beauty? Ex: She's an old boat but she's reliable.