Overview: Many people in the job market will come across job postings for the position of bus driver and consider doing it for a career. However most people are very unaware of the challenges this career path brings. I am always asked by my friends, family and even my passengers what the best way to get started is. I will get into that as well as what this job is actually like in great detail. After 3 years experience as a Fixed Route Transit Bus Driver in Washington DC I feel I can share what this job is actually like.

Why You Should Consider It:  Transportation is one of the few industries that is never going away. In the shortest explanation possible, Job Security. Year after year reports have proven younger people are not buying cars anymore, on top of that they have no interest in owning one as the costs of car ownership continue to rise. Millions of people require public transportation to get places and despite the rise of ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft, that isn't going to change for the foreseeable future. Before I obtained my Commercial Drivers License I was working what I dub "High School" jobs. I worked in restaurants and retail for minimum wage. I had already bankrupted myself attempting to go to school once and had no interest in trying again. Getting a CDL is a way to a new wage bracket. When I was 19 I remember reading on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website that Bus Drivers make around $40,000 to $60,000 a year. In Washington DC for a very long time it was not uncommon for bus drivers with 5 years at WMATA to make upwards of $100,000. People always need to get places and if the demand is there (which it always is) the overtime will always be there. Driving is a skill, not many people are capable of doing it well, bus driving will make you a master at driving before you know it. It can be a very enjoyable job, interacting with the public is not always daunting, you get to be outside instead of stuck in an office. Many people in the transportation industry are hitting the retirement age and positions are opening up in all types of driving jobs.

Why It May Not Be For You: If you have a short fuse (and you know if you do) this is not the job for you. If I were to sum up what this job takes to do in one word, that word would be "patience". Patience to deal with the traffic, patience to deal with the public, patience to deal with Federal Regulations, Patience is something all bus drivers must have. At nearly every Transit Agency one of the first tests given is a behavioral assessment. This test is a very long series of questions which ask how you would react in any given situation, driving or otherwise. Road Rage kills people but road rage in a 40 foot 37,000 pound bus kills a lot of people. If you know you hate traffic, you hate when people cut you off this isn't for you. If you cant take random strangers calling you names this isn't for you. If you don't like sitting for long hours each and every day this isn't for you. You ever notice how when a bus driver does something unprofessional it makes front page news and becomes a viral internet sensation? (just google Bus Driver Uppercut) The reason why is because bus drivers are always assumed to have great vast amounts of patience. Those videos online of bus drivers losing their cool could be you if you cant check your anger.

I have always had a strong interest in driving and vehicles in general, I love driving. But the fact is, driving is a chore, its something a lot of people don't want to do and don't like to do. If you hate driving why would you become a bus driver? If you are not a people person, perhaps a job where you have to interact with strangers everyday isn't the job for you. The public can be your greatest source of stress with this job. Being asked the same questions 900 times a day can make you snap. Getting into arguments with passengers or denying them service is a big no no with this field. One of my coworkers was just fired because it was discovered she was not allowing passengers with service animals ride, an obvious violation of the ADA Federal Law. Now my company is facing a lawsuit.

Strongly consider how patient you are before taking the steps to be a bus driver, avoid wasting your time.

Consider the lifestyle changes the job requires you to make. If you like to drink be aware that you will have to cut back your alcohol consumption greatly. If you enjoy marijuana this is not the job for you. Even if you live somewhere where Marijuana is legal, you have to remember it is still illegal at the Federal level and the Federal government has supreme authority in the matter. People enter this career all the time unaware that their personal lives and work lives fuse with this job. You cannot be a bus driver and an alcoholic. Random drug tests are an industry standard and required by Federal Law.

This job will consume a great amount of your time. You will miss some holidays and birthdays. Every company is different but mine is perhaps the worst. The only calendar day of the year where we don't have to work is Christmas. The upside is we get paid extra to work Federal Holidays. If you are not familiar with a 10 hour work day then prepare yourself for them, because they are an industry standard. (some places have you work 10 hour days for 4 days with 3 days off). If you have children or plan to have them make long term arrangements for childcare well ahead of time.

How To Get Started: If the above comments weren't enough to scare you away, congrats you are much closer to the drivers seat than you realize. Much of this job is having the right attitude. Here is how to get started. If you want to drive a bus you will need a Commercial Driver's License or CDL. If you are not 21 you can start by keeping your current driving record flawless. No Accidents, No DUI, No Tickets, No Points. Having a clean driving record is one of the most important parts of the interview process, the only thing that can be overlooked are non moving violations like Parking Tickets. But even they will come under scrutiny. Your driving record is not just a reflection of your ability to drive but of how responsible you are.

Community College Path: Nearly all of the larger community colleges offer CDL Training as part of their Non Credit/Workforce Development courses. They offer training for both Class B and Class A licensure. They will spend anywhere between 3-6 weeks preparing you to pass the CDL Test which will be given to you by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The class will normally be taught by someone who is retired and has been in the field for a long time and is a certified instructor who knows the test in and out. The school will give you training in both the classroom and on the driving range. Most community colleges use old school buses meaning you will also receive training to receive your school bus endorsement. This is the most expensive way to get a CDL but it is often the most stress free. The classes can cost around $2000 or $3000 but the school will take care of everything required as far as scheduling your test date and the training is very slow paced allowing you the most time to learn.

Employer Sponsored Path: Some companies will assist you with getting your CDL if you do not have one in exchange for signing a contract. The contract usually requires you to remain employed with the company for a pre determined amount of time usually 6 months to a year. The reason for this is that some companies which offer free CDL training have employees who leave after completing training. The training process costs the company money and by signing a contract they can ensure return on that investment.

Professional Driving School Path: Large privately owned Driving Schools exist which teach all classes of CDL licensure from Class A Tractor Trailer Driving to Class C Limo Driving. These schools are located on large driving ranges often found in the south or midwest and can be expensive. The school will also have a dorm or a hotel where students who are training can stay because they are far away from home.

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Why You May Love This Job: If you get satisfaction in helping others then you will love being a bus driver. You will see the same faces everyday as you take people to work, home or play. After seeing the same faces everyday you will make new friends fast. People will look up to you as a pillar of the community, especially in the big cities where people do not own cars and do not like using Taxi's or Uber. 

You will love being a bus driver if you enjoy doing the same thing everyday. Some people don't like the unexpected at work, for the most part being a bus driver you will perform the same tasks everyday and it can be rewarding because it does not take very long to get the hang of things. You will also enjoy performing detail oriented work, following rules etc. 

Some of us just simply enjoy driving and you will love this about this career. Not being crammed in a cubicle on the 15th floor of an office building everyday, you get to be down on the streets where the action is.

If you want to make money then transportation is the industry for you. After 3 years of hard work i have made my way to earning $21/hr which is pretty nice over the minimum wage of only $7. People often wrongly assume bus drivers do not make much. If you live in rural areas of the country where the cost of living is lower it may be true, but in the big cities Bus Drivers make at least $12/hr starting out. Private companies sometimes pay less or more than working for the Government but offer less work benefits such as healthcare and time off.

Get behind the wheel and become a public servant the people look up too.