Don't know how other companies pay...we are paid by the route, or trip for other things like football games, field trips, etc.
Few drivers work full time - you come in for 2 hours in teh Am then back for 2 more in the PM.
A few drivers have steady kindergarten (we still do half day here - so there are some mid day trips) and vo-tech runs.
You need spotless background (criminal, children), CDL class B, usually air brakes, passenger and school bus endorsements.
Few local CDL jobs pay a lot - 10-15/hour around here. Class A can get paid more.
Local transit company (county owned) are paying driver 13.66/hour less union dues..not sure about benefits and many shifts are split - again, you have am and pm rush hours and nothing in the middle.
If I drive a normal am/pm route for an entire year it will pay about $12k. Works for me as I have a DJ and photography business so having nights and weekends free is good. And I can work 5 hours in the middle fo teh day (editing pics, marketing, etc). And I'm off when my kids are - like today, tomorrow, monday, christmas break, etc.
But yeah, you go to work twice a day and get $12k a year..what kind of folks do you think you get?
We have several mothers - the school year works out..a lot of retired people - it's not physically strenous.
Good - it's damned near gov't work - recession proof!
Bad- some people cannot deal with the kids. er..parents.
Good - our buses are garage kept, a company employee sees they are fueled and checked out, even started and warmed up for my arrival at 6:40 am!
Our main competitor (we're probably getting their contract at the end of the year) parks their buses outside, as most companies do. The bsues are faded, rusty, drivers have to fuel them themselves, clean them (inside), remove snow, start and warm them up (so get there earlier on cold day)..
one of their buses ran out of fuel on teh AM grade school run monday...and they've had illegal employees (one driver molested 2 kids on the bus 4 years ago, a guy was caught driving in sept without a license (lost it due to vehicular homicide in a commercial vehicle), another was caught eariler this month texting while driving the kids (they turned her in).
I like it - some do not. To some it's a job and nothing more..and that's not the best kind of worker for this type of work.
A larger contractor here treats their employees as 'robots' - not people. YOu get back what you put out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
My school bus driver in middle school smoked, cursed at us, and made me walk a half mile home even though the bus route literally passed right by our house. But at least she never killed any of us.
Around here the bus yards ALL have permanent "hiring drivers" signs. Some sold old they're faded and crumbling. I think they pay nine or ten bucks an hour. Who in their right mind would jump through all the hoops to take that job for that pay?
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