HELENA — Bus driver shortages are impacting communities all across the country and that’s no different for places like Boulder and Montana City.
Millisa Haas, the transportation manager of Harlow's School Bus Service in Boulder says, “it may not be the most glamorous job but that doesn’t mean it’s not rewarding. Most of our drivers have been doing this a long time.”
Harlow Transportation currently runs 15 routes in Jefferson County and is in need of 7 more drivers, so current drivers are able to take off when they are sick or for those who do not want to make the long trips for sporting events.
A large reason for the shortage spawned from the 2020 pandemic but also the difficulty of split shifts.
Another large factor is who drivers are really working with.
“You have to like kids…if you don’t like kids you're in the wrong business," Haas says.
Haas never thought she would be a bus driver but for her, it is a living legacy as her mom began driving a bus when Haas was in the third grade.
Haas says, “It is not something you're going to get rich at it’s more of a labor of love because they want to be a part of the community or want to help the community. We are driving the youth of this whole county.”
Because of the shortage, it has become an all-hands-on-deck effort between bus drivers and the school districts.
“We've had to combine some routes in order to make those trips and make sure each child gets home safely,” Haas says.
For Haas and many of the drivers, it is more than a job but a way to touch lives. Bus drivers have the ability to set the tone for a kid’s day.
Haas shares, “I have a route. I drive kids right now in Montana City and I adore those kids. They make me laugh everyday. We’re the first person that kid sees in the morning and the last person they see that afternoon.”
Harlow is providing incentives to get more bus drivers. People who have CDL get a $2500 bonus and those who do not a $1,000 bonus.
