bus driver

bus aide

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Schmitty & Sons

I spent a couple years working for Schmitty and Sons before some life circumstances changed, and I had to leave. Had they not, I'd probably still be working there.

I had already started a driving career prior to working for Schmitty and Sons. If you do not have at least 2-3 years of experience, I'm sorry to inform you, but applying would not be worth your time, unless you start in wash stall and work your way up, which is actually a really great way to establish yourself in the company.

Schmitty and Sons did paid training for me, which I needed because I had no way to pay for it myself. That took a couple weeks, and you do not get paid until you pass your license test. So it's very important to try to pass that on the first try. I did because I feel as though I received adequate training, and passing on the first try should reflect that. So if you have never driven a bus, rest assured that Schmitty and Sons can and will train you how to comfortably drive a bus by the time your license test. Honestly, it's not that hard.

After you get driver's training and get your license, you'll be paid from that point on, on the regular pay schedule, though the next couple weeks when you route train will be paid at training wages. You're still training after all. You will spend a good time being trained in on your route (it might be less than two weeks, I cannot recall anymore). Once you have it good and memorized with your trainer, you do a final exam with the head trainer. Once you pass that, you'll be fully through training and a full time (or part time if you choose) bus driver.

The perks of the job include a plethora of benefits you'd expect (health, vision, dental), but they also offer a 401k with a 4% match, employee stock exchange for all employees (bought and sold for you, but when you retire, they sell your shares and give you a lump sum of what it's worth. Then you still have that 401k on top of that ;). ) There is paternity leave for male employees under the FLMA (so full time employees for 1 year). There is paid sick leave, and they do their best to work with your schedule. 

Most shifts are split shifts. They do have routes available that are straight shifts, but routes are available every few months when there is a route pick, and then route picks go by seniority. So do not expect to get a straight shift right away if that's the hours you need. They might, but they cannot expect or guarantee they will. Almost all straight shifts are usually local routes, as most express routes run with rush hours.

I had worked my butt off for them, and immediately made a noticeable impact on the organization from day one almost, so I found myself promoted within a year. Probably a little too sudden, but we figured it out in the long run. The best story I can give for a promotion though is a kid I saw who started in the wash stall for a couple years. By the time I became employed, he was just starting out as a bus driver too. He worked his butt off, and now he's an operations manager probably with the potential for even higher management. The company recognizes those who help contribute to them, and they will reward you greatly for it.

The passengers are easy to deal with usually. I was never assaulted, and our drivers were rarely assaulted. I usually felt safe, yet it's best to keep your guard when dealing with the masses. You'll deal with more business commuters then rowdy or obnoxious individuals. Once again, dealing with the mass public, you just never know.

The vehicles are pretty well maintained. You are expected to do a vehicle inspection pre and post trip. Please do it. It is monitored when you do it, and if you're not, they'll know. I've had vehicle issues on routes, including a bus fire at the Mall of America, but at no time did I ever feel as though the mechanics were neglectful. As long as it was brought to their attention, they'd usually get it taken care of.

Schmitty and Sons also offers school bus driver positions. If you're crazy enough to deal with a bus full of kids, I hear it's a great job, but I never took them up on that offer for my own sanity. School bus drivers are in a league of their own, and I commend them for it. If that's your line of trade, I highly recommend going down that opportunity there.

The last thing I wanted to touch base on with Schmitty and Sons is the standards there. They are an organization committed to safety. They do review camera footage (which includes high definition audio) twice a year as a driver review, but they will also check it any time someone calls you in or you're involved in an incident. Be very mindful those buses have around 12 cameras with microphones, and they can hear audio in and about the bus. They monitor how frequently you are checking your mirrors, and they do monitor your speed (no speeding faster than 4 mph posted). You cannot use your cell phone in the driver seat at any time. These standards help ensure safe drivers on the road. If you're someone who's always in a hurry or heavy on the brakes, public transit isn't for you.

This organization is an excellent organization that puts their employees first. As long as you work with them, they work with you. They will want you exceed without a toxic work environment based in nepotism.



Working with Schmitty & Sons has been an exceptional experience, and the dedication of the management team truly sets this company apart. From day one, it is clear that leadership is deeply committed to supporting their employees—both professionally and personally—in ways that go far beyond what most companies offer.
The management team consistently demonstrates genuine respect, care, and appreciation for their drivers and staff. They take the time to listen, communicate openly, and ensure everyone feels valued. Whether it’s helping drivers navigate scheduling challenges, offering guidance for career growth, or simply checking in to make sure employees are doing well, the leadership at Schmitty & Sons leads with integrity and compassion.
One of the most impressive aspects of this company is the extent to which management steps in to support employees during personal hardships. I have personally experienced how the Director of Operations has significantly helped employees during times of need and provided compassion and support. They understand that life happens, and they go above and beyond to provide assistance—always with empathy, discretion, and a willingness to help. That level of personal support is incredibly rare, and it speaks volumes about the kind of culture they work hard to maintain.
On the professional side, Schmitty & Sons invests heavily in training, safety, and ongoing development. Drivers are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and resources they need to succeed. Management actively encourages employees to learn, grow, and advance within the organization, creating an environment where people can build long-term, fulfilling careers.
The company’s commitment doesn’t stop at its employees—it extends into the community as well. Schmitty & Sons consistently gives back through local involvement, charitable efforts, and partnerships that strengthen the communities they serve. Their values are reflected not only in how they treat their team but in how they show up for others.
Overall, the management team at Schmitty & Sons leads with heart, professionalism, and purpose. They foster a workplace where people are respected, supported, and able to thrive. It’s refreshing to be part of a company that truly stands behind its employees and works every day to make a positive impact. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

During the hiring process, commitments are made regarding the number of hours, they're able to keep you working. Advancement opportunities are would laid out to you with positive reinforcement, stating it's easy to maintain the hours you need.. The goal is to get you into a class B license as quickly as possible. Which the company does not cover the cost of
 They expect the employee to cover. Once obtained, they give you a bus a bunch of kids, and it is good luck. A new employee drives about a couple times to see where the stops are. My experience was a season driver did not accompany me. They gave me the stops and told me to drive it. But I was unsure of the process. I was told I had multiple days, but because of an upcoming holiday, I ended up having a couple hours to go out be proficient at finding my stops and delivering students to correct school locations and drop off points. There are opportunities to do additional driving, but it's not explained how you are able to sign up for those opportunities. It seems certain people are chosen over others for those opportunities.certain.  this company has a second entity which they desperately need bus drivers for and they do encourage people to apply for that. It's a completely different type of driving that has more uncertainty with it.And working with the general public, instead of students. They do have benefits available, but they seem to keep you just under the hour amount to be able to obtain them.
If you do not need benefits and want a part-time job working with kids. This is something that you're looking for. Retired, people really enjoy this. If you're looking for a job to pay your bills and cover your four walls.This may not be the best position for you.

Don’t work here as a mechanic you better know what you are doing because getting trained here is near impossible your “training “ isn’t even training management switches fairly often when you do need help management basically tells you to go pound sand and figure it out yourself the mechanics aren’t bad to work with the only real good benefits here are the pay and the overtime the “management”  here couldn’t even get me uniforms for Christ sakes no service info besides identifix if you do have an issue with a bus you are working on the most common response was I don’t know figure it out I came in here telling the head of the shop that I will need to be trained and need to shadow other technicians this barely happened at all the foreman switch constantly so there’s no building relationships the long time techs that have been there think they can boss everyone around nothing here is helpful when you need it there is no oem service info for the Chevy cutaways ford and or ram pro master cutaways please avoid this place as a new to the field technician you WILL NOT and I repeat WILL NOT Get the help or support you need not a good place to work in general the foreman will take pictures of your mistakes and not share them with you until you’re getting talked to about it I just believe it’s very immature to take pictures and not let me rectify the mistake just please in general read this and don’t work here there’s so many other places that will treat you better 

My experience with Schmitty & Sons has been extremely disappointing, largely due to the behavior and culture fostered by upper management. Leadership shows little compassion for employees, and concerns are often dismissed rather than addressed.

In particular, the Director of Operations demonstrated repeated dishonesty by spreading misinformation about staff members, failing to effectively manage responsibilities, and leaving important tasks uncovered. Instead of taking accountability, blame was pushed onto others, creating a toxic and unprofessional work environment. At the same time, credit was frequently taken for work she did not contribute to, further undermining trust and morale within the team.

Overall, the poor treatment of staff, lack of accountability, and absence of genuine leadership have made this a very negative work environment. Until major changes are made in upper management, I cannot recommend Schmitty & Sons as a fair or supportive employer.

I always say it took me 60 years to find the job I love. If you have kids in school it's a good job because you have the days off that they do. You can have Summers off if you prefer or work summer school. The job branches out to many areas and there's always something that you can do whether you have a CDL or a regular permit or if you just want to Aide or do maintenance work or work in the office. You can either Drive students or you can drive coach buses or you can drive transit buses. The pay is good. You can work the hours you would like to work. Whether that be morning hours or just afternoon hours or if you want to work both. Also there's night shift jobs. I enjoy the people I work with even though most of the time I'm just in my bus LOL. Sometimes you can get kids that are unruly and then you have some kids that are just the most enjoyable to be around and make you appreciate your job all that much more.

Managers are solid and they really do care about doing a good job. Buses are clean and well maintained. Compensation is decent for the industry. Policies are fair. Hours are between 20-35 for most weekly routes. My guess is most drivers are sitting at 25-28 hours a week. Getting additional hours is definitely possible but not a sure thing. This location pays a bit more than other locations. Employee owned company is pretty cool. I could complain about the nature of being a bus driver but that would not have anything to do with Schmitty and Sons. The industry has many negatives like not getting full time hours and dealing with kids that behave poorly. The split shift is not for everyone, but I actually like it. Overall Schmitty and Sons get a 9/10 from me. 

Fellow coworkers are generally fun, thoughtful and caring people.  Driving students, athletes, wedding parties, corporate trips and social outings can be fun and rewarding when you are prepared and care about giving the best service possible. 

The biggest negative is the company management and leadership.  While they regularly promote the idea that the company is employee owned, the reality is that it's set up to limit employee ownership to a very select few (the Forbord family and their close circle of friends). There is significant nepotism resulting in significant leadership positions being held by people who have limited skills and are minimally qualified for the positions they hold.

When I show up to work I'm greeted warmly by our dispatcher with a huge smile and a welcome to work and so glad to see me. I have many coworkers that are very good friends of mine I have excellent equipment to use the buses are maintained fantastically and are always super clean.  The variety of available work is also wonderful you can drive everything from a small bus called The connect to a 40-ft bus or a 43 ft coach bus they're all excellent and lots of fun.
They have many other subspecialties within the company like school buses and charter buses and airport shuttles all of it's a lot of fun
Please come join us it's a great job great benefits and a supportive work environment

Schmitty and Sons is a great company to work for. Management is fair, understanding and best of all, they back their drivers. They treat everyone with care and respect. They have high expectations but in this industry, it's necessary! Safety First! 
Our buses are well taken care of and in the cold months, our buses get started for us so they are toasty warm and the windows are all cleared of snow and frost!
As a full time employee, health benefits are available. We're an employee owned company so it's a win all around. 
I've worked for other school bus companies and Schmitty and Sons is by far the best! Management is ALWAYS available to listen and help with any issues you may have. I'm very proud to be an employee owner at Schmitty and Sons!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Bus driver 5 salaries reported	$28.43 per hour
Bus aide 5 salaries reported	$19.55 per hour
Van driver 4 salaries reported	$21.27 per hour
Driver 3 salaries reported	$27.33 per hour
Dispatcher 2 salaries reported	$26.00 per hour

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