School bus drivers in demand in Pennsylvania, nation
By Megan Harris, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"I can tell you, just by the nature of the job -- the hours, the split shifts, the children -- this is a problem we're tracking all over the country," said
Union workers get paid personal and grace days with a two-hour shift in early morning and another in mid-afternoon, most worth
"Reliability is the main thing. You can't call off for work. If I don't show up, kids won't get to school," she said.
"Standard advertising methods help, but we find word-of-mouth from our existing drivers is usually the best way to bring more people in," said
Drivers undergo rigorous background checks and training to meet state and local standards.
"We're always hiring," said
A bus driver must have a commercial driver's license, or CDL, and undergo a check of his or her driving record; an Act 34 criminal history check; child abuse clearance;
Most companies train employees to get their class B CDL with a passenger endorsement, which entitles them to drive a school bus.
Drivers undergo state-mandated training for child abuse identification and reporting.
Roenigk said most drivers spend two months preparing before they pick up a shift, a wait that deters a lot of potential applicants.
"We need 57 drivers to fulfill our routes," said
The district needs five full-time drivers, one bus aide, and substitute drivers and aides. If they don't fill those positions soon, they'll turn to a contractor, he said.
"They took us on with only 30 to 45 days' notice," said
The district just signed a five-year agreement with
"You have to be a special person to do this," Laney said. "Every day, you've got a busload of 65 students, all going down the road yelling and having a good time. For some people, that's really stressful, but for most of us, it's like family."
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