Retirees, parents with young kids, even folks with full-time jobs but morning and afternoon time to spare.
All of these people are feeling the joy — and enjoying the extra income — of being a school bus driver at Sunrise Coach Lines, Inc., of Greenport.
Among the drivers, you’ll even find a local pastor and recently retired police officer.
“He took the job on a whim and found that he loves it,” Frank Martinez, the company’s director of operations, said of his newfound cop friend and colleague.
Now, Sunrise is looking to hire even more drivers to service districts across the North Fork.
That, and the company wants more full-time mechanics. Even better, those mechanics do not need any prior experience.
“What we do here is primarily preventative maintenance,” Martinez said. “A lot of of the work involves topping off fluids, replacing consumable parts such as rubber and filters. Changing tires, changing breaks …
“All of that training we can do here.”
“At the core of [driving a school bus] it’s one of the easiest jobs, and probably the most rewarding jobs, I’ve ever done,” added Claire Martinez, also Sunrise’s administration officer, who’s now part of the fourth generation at the company’s helm.
That job satisfaction is a key part of the message in the company’s ongoing recruitment effort.
Sunrise is also offering $1,500 signing bonuses to both school bus drivers and mechanics, which is paid out after a full year of employment.
Mechanics work 45 hours per week, which includes built-in overtime, flexible shifts (day and night) and all medical benefits paid by Sunrise for the employee and his or her immediate family. Sunrise also matches 401(k) contributions up to 3 percent.
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Once on board, first-time drivers are generally on the road in less than a month.
That’s because Sunrise has a paid, in-house training program that puts drivers to work in three weeks, on average.
“People have this idea that it’s really difficult to drive a bus. It’s not as difficult as you think,” Claire emphasized. “And it’s such a vital profession, and a great way to serve your community.”
Bus driving salaries start at $24 and up. Drivers with experience will be paid more — at a rate commensurate with their time behind the wheel. Drivers also have ample opportunities for more hours driving kids to sports and special events.
Furthermore, driving a bus is a highly stable career, Frank noted.
“We’re finding in talking to a lot of our existing staff and onboarding staff that they’re all coming from careers that really had nothing to do with driving,” Frank said. “The common thread is the sustainability of transit and the reliability of always having constant work.”
Pay rates for mechanics start at $28 per hour and increase with experience.
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Top: Retired Southold police officer Tim McGowan is now behind the wheel for Sunrise Busses, and he loves it. (courtesy photo)
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