Wisconsin Bus Driver Lets Us In on Pay, Training, and More

Fresh off the news of RPS 205 hiring school bus drivers for $15 dollars an hour, we wanted to know what it's like to do that job. We reached out to a friend of Q98.5 to get the real scoop on hauling around other people's children. It turns out some bus drivers have free time in the summer, at least enough time to chat with us.

Travis is still somewhat of a new school bus driver in Wisconsin. And, if you've ever met him, you know that bus ride is memorable. Personally, I imagine him playing Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Fishin' in the Dark" (his favorite song) on repeat. Regardless, he shared the three-week training course he went through. He also chimed in on the average hourly wage for bus drivers. Granted, he works for a Wisconsin public school system, it's probably not far off from what happens within the Rockford Public School system.

In short, there's extensive training before you can hop behind the wheel with a bus full of students, RPS 205's $15-an-hour wage is about average, and it doesn't sound like a bad gig.

Rockford Public Schools are now accepting applications for bus drivers during the 2020/2021 school year. You can apply here.

JB Love is ½ of  Q98.5's Lil Zim & JB In The Morning, weekday mornings from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram.