Valley Transit offers hiring bonuses of up to $5,000 for bus drivers with a commercial driver's license

Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent
Updated ·2 min read
Valley Transit has reduced the frequency of some of its routes, in part because of a shortage of bus drivers.
Valley Transit has reduced the frequency of some of its routes, in part because of a shortage of bus drivers.

APPLETON - Valley Transit needs additional bus drivers, and to entice them, it's offering sign-on bonuses of $5,000 for full-time hires and $2,500 for part-time hires.

To receive the bonuses, applicants must possess a valid Class A or Class B commercial driver's license with a passenger endorsement and no air-brake restriction.

"We need customer service-oriented drivers to continue providing the essential services that are connecting our community to jobs, resources, entertainment and, especially as we approach back-to-school season, educational institutions," General Manager Ron McDonald said. "We are hoping this hiring bonus will help us quickly attract candidates that can hit the ground running as soon as possible."

McDonald said Valley Transit needs about 10 additional full- and part-time drivers to meet demand as ridership in the Fox Cities rebounds from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Appleton job postings, the hourly pay for full- and part-time Valley Transit bus drivers ranges from $20.79 to $25.98.

The hiring bonuses are a new means to lure qualified drivers to Valley Transit.

"We've been struggling trying to find talent just like everybody else is," McDonald told The Post-Crescent, "so we're giving this a shot. Hopefully, it allows us to add to our Valley Transit team."

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McDonald said Valley Transit would like to employ 36 full-time drivers, in addition to the complement of part-time drivers.

Within the past year, Valley Transit reduced departure frequency during peak times on some of its routes, primarily because of the shortage of bus drivers.

"Right now, all the routes leave every 60 minutes," McDonald said. "We had a number of them that were leaving every 30 minutes from downtown Appleton."

Valley Transit has no immediate plans to cut any route, he said.

The hiring bonuses, because they're limited to candidates with a commercial driver's license, could prove to be a cost savings for Valley Transit.

McDonald said new hires without a commercial driver's license must undergo a minimum of 200 hours of training, in addition to training specific to Valley Transit.

"Because of the time and the money and the effort put into training somebody who doesn't have a commercial driver's license, it does end up being a savings for us," McDonald said, "but it's quite a benefit for somebody else. If they're looking for a career change and they are already licensed, we want them to give us a consideration."

Valley Transit operates 18 fixed routes in the Fox Cities, as well as several school-year routes and paratransit and demand-response services. Its service area covers 117 square miles and a population of more than 215,000.

Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.

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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Valley Transit offers up to $5,000 hiring bonus for bus drivers