SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS NEEDED

A large sign draped across a school bus parked on the Save A Lot parking lot at 121 S. Sprigg said it best: Drivers Needed.

Ryder Student Transportation bus drivers Bob Wade and Larry Hale sat in the bus' shade and waited for the opportunity to tell others about their jobs. They hope to entice some 15 people to study for and receive commercial driver's licenses and train for local openings in the Cape Girardeau School District and on school bus routes in Egyptian, Meridian and Shawnee districts in Illinois.

Wade and Hale said the benefits of being a school bus driver are many. The routes rarely take longer than an hour, but drivers are paid for two hours and can get another job if they desire. Drivers also are eligible for unemployment in the summer months.

"Even though the school year is just about over, we would like to get them trained and licensed and to drive a bit before the kids are gone for the summer," said Wade. "We'll provide the training for the CDL; all they have to do is apply."

Ryder is targeting stay-at-home parents who might be available for routes in the morning and afternoon as potential drivers. Promotional flyers hailed the $8-an-hour starting wages and the driver's ability to bring up to two children along on their routes.

"That way they don't have to hire a baby sitter while they're out working," Wade said. "The buses all have seat belts in the front seats if they need to belt the kids in or use a car seat."

Wade and Hale said a commercial driver's license, clean driving record, patience and "a little common sense" are the primary requirements for a job. Modern bus equipment including videotapes to record student behavior, and two-way radios and cellular phones to call bus or school administrators have reduced the number of discipline problems drivers deal with.

"Three out of five days we don't have a problem," Wade said. "Every once in a while they get a little antsy, especially on Fridays when they know they'll be out for a while, but you usually forget that by Monday when you come back."

Another plus for drivers is the additional safety equipment the buses now come equipped with. Metal safety arms that keep children from walking in the driver's blind spot in front of the bus, and the additional mirrors that allow drivers to see the entire area surrounding the bus are extremely beneficial for student safety.

"Just the other day I had a little girl drop her papers in front of the bus," said Hale. "If those mirrors hadn't been there there's no way I would have seen her."

For more information about becoming a school bus driver, contact Ryder Student Transportation at (573) 334-7779.