How to Know if Your Current School Bus Services Employer Values You
At Northstar Bus Lines, as school bus contractors, we always have the value of our employees at the forefront of our minds. While our other blog this month dives into further detail about how we prove this and why this is good for our business, at the end of the day, we do it because those who work in school bus services matter. As a class B CDL holder, you possess a unique skill set gleaned from hard work and extensive study, a skill set that not everyone has put in the time to achieve. Plus, you’re passionate about what you do. Nobody decides to study for a class B CDL if their attitude is lukewarm about learning how to become a bus driver. You possess a (pardon our pun) drive and the concrete skills that come from pursuing it, and that’s a lot more than many workers in many fields can say for themselves today.
Because you’re so passionate, experienced, and determined, you deserve an employer who recognizes this. They owe it to you to respect the value of your skillset and your work ethic. Of course, we believe this is important in any industry, but far too often in the group transportation services field, we see employers who may say they value their drivers to the public and potential employees but do little to express that value to the drivers themselves, leaving them sullen and defeated, robbed of their love of the work.
Don’t let this happen to you. You’ve worked too hard and given up so much in the form of other career choices to be a class B CDL holder. It’s time to take a look at your current student transportation services employer and ask yourself the hard question: are they giving you the respect you deserve? If that sounds like a broad or vague inquiry, don’t fear. Northstar Bus Lines, a company that has strived to value its employees since we opened our doors decades ago, is here to help. Below, we’ll discuss the cornerstones of a respectful school bus services employer, as well as what to do if you discover that your current one just isn’t up to par.
What’s The Real Deal?: Differentiating Fake Respect From Genuine
When it comes to school bus services employers (and any employer, really!), lip service isn’t enough. While they may talk about how much of a valued employee you are, if they don’t compensate you satisfactorily in more ways than one, it might just be time for you to take a hike and find one who will. Like we said above, you have value, and you owe it to yourself to find an employer that recognizes it and provides the resources (in the form of compensation) for that value to flourish and grow.
Does the concept still sound fuzzy? Let us make what a respectful employer looks like concrete.
A respectful student transportation services employer pays well | At a minimum, this should be industry-competitive pay, but they earn bonus points if they offer sign-on bonuses or PTO like we do. Though money is probably not the be-all-end-all of why you hold a Class B CDL in the first place, without it, you can’t survive to perform at your best while you drive. Money can’t buy happiness, as the old adage goes, but it sure is a requisite for survival, and you don’t deserve to work a job that doesn’t contribute in any meaningful way to that survival.
A respectful student transportation services employer strives to create a great company culture | With so much time spent on the clock, you also deserve that time on the clock to be, at the very least, pleasant—but if your employer, like us, works hard to create an environment in which work is a blast, more power to them. With all the work you’ve put into securing a career as a Class B CDL holder, you deserve to have a little fun with your job. Of course, no position is sunshine and daisies all the time, but the very least your employer can do is, like us, facilitate a happy work environment via fostering warmth and acceptance and scheduling regular employee events.
A respectful student transportation services employer understands your need for flexibility | If you treat your employer with respect by asking them for a schedule change as soon as you are aware you need one, they should do likewise, working hard to secure that change. We understand that our employees may have other commitments outside of their time spent with us, and we do our very best to grant flexibility because those commitments, like you, matter.
Don’t Let Boorish Employers Control Your Life. Work for Northstar Bus Lines Today
Our Maple Grove terminal is currently hiring new drivers. Come remind yourself why you got a class B CDL in the first place and give us a call at 763-425-2542.