bus driver

bus monitor

diesel mechanic

driver

dispatcher

Student Transportation Of America

The management will lie there heads off to you to get what they want, No benefits even though when you where hired they said so and many other things. The drivers pulled the company out of the red,but the management got all the praise and bonuses. If you work there for awhile you don't get diddly even though you keep returning. There is favoritetim they get away with a lot but you who do everything your supposed to get treated like a nobody and know nothing. The management does not keep you informed of important information even at the monthly safety meetings. You are just supposed to know. We are short handed for drivers but they send some of our drivers to other towns to drive for them. On the time we have off like spring break and so on you have to go on unemployment which is most times hard to get on and pay is cut to 1/4. They pay the lowest in all the US and Canada the next town over that has this company starts out higher pay then this one so what does that make us, where in the same state. What is funny is that they out bid the company before that was bad but they hired the upper management and practices from that before company and instituted the same workings. The drivers they hired back saved the company because they knew the route and times. But they didn't get anything from the company. Driver apparition is a joke I think they upper management have a good laugh at the drivers for that one. Like when we have to bring food to the driver apparition and the one time we had a good one where there where lots to do you and eat, but your  supposed to bring someone that they can hire, but since then it's been really cheap as in we got a 25 cent bag of fish crackers and the t-shirt. I'm sorry to say but are following the same bad practices of the previous companies that where here with how they treat the drivers that have been with the company year after year. They are what has helped keep the company going but even they are getting tired of being lied to and treated like they don't really matter.

Worked there for 8 months and was hired as a part time driver. I would cover 2 days a week driving a van for special needs. The 3 day driver was very rude and expected me to vacuum and clean the van so it’s pretty for her to take home on the weekends. No, you have it in your possession 5 out of 7 days per week. I emptied the trash which was expected of me and even washed the exterior a couple times at home. Of course I made sure it was gassed up daily too, unlike some other drivers. Drivers were not accountable or spoken too if they didn’t do the expected duties regardless of multiple complaints.I liked the job and students I transported. The office/dispatch environment was very stressful as I didn’t like being in there for long. You could cut the tension  with a knife when I walked in. The “regular” drivers would be there early BSing about their personal lives with everyone. As a “newbie” they pretty much ignored me. You have to suck up to the senior drivers, dispatcher and manager for acceptance. I don’t work that way! It is not what I was hired for. A few short months into doing transports, I started getting cut my regular 2 days. Was told it was because one of the bus garage yards closed down and they were placing these drivers. After a couple months of this behavior, dispatch contacted me to fill in and I declined. As I was not going to be used when they needed a fill in. In those 8 months, I never called out, and was never late. Not a nice way to treat a dependable worker. They also withheld almost 8 hours sick time I had accrued. I don’t recommend anyone to apply here. They will pretend to be your buddy in the beginning but if you speak up to someone or dislike something, it’s all over for you. I was dependable, clean driving record and had a good report with the students. Good luck

Pros:  I love my kids and my fellow employees are great.  They are supportive and always willing to help.  Direct supervisor is great!  I love the split schedule.  Having a 3 hour lunch break is great for getting things done.  Training was top notch.  I never felt they were trying to push me before I was ready.  And even when mistakes are made, they use it as a learning opportunity instead of a reason to punish.

Cons:  Low pay and no benefits make it hard to stay, even though I love the job.  Its hard to get a day off.  I know that is because we are short on drivers, but its still a concern.  I think better pay and benefits would alleviate that issue, leading to a better work/life mix.  Having to apply for unemployment during the summer is not optimal, but at least we have that option.  But I would prefer to have gainful employment with the company throughout the summer months as well.

Overall:  I truly do love my job.  I enjoy interactions with the children (although some students/parents can be exasperating at times).  I feel, as a driver, that my immediate supervisor has my best interests at heart.  I think if they would fix the pay/benefits situation, we would have the opportunity to hire more top-notch drivers and help retention, which would fix a lot of the issues we currently have.  

Typical day, clock in on digital computer, there's a fridge for your lunch, free coffee, tea, popcorn or cocoa,  get your paperwork, keys, route, head out for pre trip, head out for route. After each route, child check for sleeping kids. Pick up kids, contact dispatch for any unforseen issues with construction, etc. upon return, wait at stop before entering bus lot for another driver to enter and do a second child check. Once cleared, pull into your spot for your bus, back in, do your child check.  Do a post trip of checking the bus, report any low fluids or bus issues to maintenance, with a check list provided. Head into work, after saying a quick goodbye to your bus just in case, something was missed. Walking down the pedestrian bus lot path, be mindful of drivers entering the lot. Bus drivers in the lot on foot do not have the right away. Clock out, turn in keys, go to your in between route break, start again, with any Mid route or pm route. Day fully ends around 6-6:30 pm, on average.  

First no safety net from COVID-19. Management sucks cause STA , superior to First Students Transfer drivers. The unions trying but you have people that doesn’t Drive or even crank a bus; trying to tell you what He thinks  goes on, on routes . When you are the furthest from real route running. We don’t have enough drivers and the bus that’s in route carry up to 6 routes in a day with no sanitation and over loaded; COVID-19 new ground zero. If you get a route someone wants; drivers with seniority will damage your bus, even hide it and block you from getting in or turn your mirrors the opposite direction for you to reck. Thank GOD for pretrips. Speaking with management is a joke; my management told me don’t let no one run you off your job; he said that cause he down 75 drivers. Unfortunately I made myself get fired so I could at least get unemployment til driving again. But it only took one day for new company to pick me up. STA IS DEPLORABLE HERE IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA. STAY AWAY. 

The job itself is pretty stress free. When I first started working for STA there was a great work environment with lots of employee appreciation. Buses were well maintained and I never felt nervous driving any of the buses. Management was great. The last couple of years after the company went public on the stock exchange the way things ran changed. It became all about saving money and cutting corners. No more perks. Small raises in pay. Good people starting quitting and the quality of those hired declined. Lost the close knit, help each other out, work environment and was replaced by an attitude of every person for themselves. No long any enjoyable place to work, management showed constant favoritism and the pay was not high enough to make me want to stay.

The best part about working for STA is that all of the buses are very well maintained. Nearly everybody that works for the company is great to work with although there are exceptions. During the school year, drivers and attendents work 180 school days. You could look at the vacations in a positive way, or a negative way, however anyway you look at it, 365 minus 180 = 185 unpaid vacation days including weekends. In other words there are normally 260 work days in a year, give or take a day. 260 - 180 = 80 work days that most people work and recieve pay for that you will have to skip out on, find some thing else to do during those times or maybe even recieve unemployment. Most places have decided that if you are on a forced vacation, you don't need unemployment benefits.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I'm a current employee, at STA transportation the pay is fantastic after a year,employees and managers; are very friendly and training was the most interested for me they give you time until you get it it's a good company to work for the only thing,I'm very concern is the hours, and is consider as a part time.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
and the most stressfull part is when you have to cover another route,and you don't know the kids 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
the environment is good and culture some of us like me we speak Spanish but the most co -workers  Speak English andcwe all get along

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
my typical day for is to get up early morning drive like thirty minutes from San Bernardino to Ontario ca. get the keys from the bus i need to use do my pre trip and leave the yard and pick up kids from home to transport rhem to School.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Absolutely horrible. Management is COMPLETELY incompetent, they lie to employees constantly, talk to anyone who works there. They put drivers CDL’s at risk as well as the community by sending out in-credentialed drivers. Not one person who works there is happy with how it is run, trust me. My tip is if you do decided to work there, get your CDL and run, any other company is run better than this place. Worst place I’ve ever worked for in my 43 years. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The management lies constantly.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Horrible, lies and loses vital documentation for their drivers. Treats their employees like incompetent children, does not have employees back for anything.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Walk in, get lied to, do your job, come back and get lied to more. They are well known for lying and manipulating their employees.

Everyone at STA Lake Oswego is friendly and courteous.  At first glance it seems like the perfect place to work.  I joined as a concerned parent when the district desperately needed school bus drivers.  There is an insidious undercurrent from Management that is impossible to change.  They favor some drivers over others, fire older drivers and put them in impossible positions to get rid of them and they are not willing to implement safety changes.  The excuse is always money, even though upper management gets huge bonuses for lying to the district about routes needed and ridership.  Their turnover of drivers are staggering and blamed on drivers instead of bad management.  Most of the drivers are super nice and if they implemented new management (not family or relatives) this could be the pride and joy of Portland and Lake-O.  

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Bus driver 527 salaries reported	$26.86 per hour
Bus monitor 108 salaries reported	$18.30 per hour
Diesel mechanic 43 salaries reported	$27.54 per hour
Driver 28 salaries reported	$23.19 per hour
Dispatcher 13 salaries reported	$26.33 per hour

Working at Student Transportation Of America: Company Overview and Reviews

Student Transportation Of America

Student Transportation Of America Ratings

Popular jobs at Student Transportation Of America

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected