TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Joseph Martinez's day starts around 5 a.m.
Before any student steps on his bus, the Tucson Unified School District driver is already checking his vehicle, making sure it is safe and ready to roll.
And once students are on board, his job is about much more than just driving.
"There is a lot of multitasking, us driving, behind a wheel and also to keeping an eye on the students around the bus or even our surroundings," Martinez said.
Martinez has been driving for TUSD for about three years. He came to the job with a CDL and experience driving a concrete truck—but no experience with a school bus. He said the district took care of the rest.
"Coming to TUSD, they provided me with all the training that was necessary for me to be prepared and be ready to be out on the road with students," Martinez said.
The job also comes with split shifts. Martinez said drivers typically work in the morning, take a break, and return midday or in the later afternoon.
"It's something you kind of learn to adapt to, to be able to organize your day and be able to do other things as well between those breaks," Martinez said.
Now, TUSD is looking to put more drivers through that same process.
Transportation Director Martha Zamora said the district currently has 160 drivers but would like to have around 180 or more. To fill the gap, TUSD has been contracting with outside transportation services.
"The more drivers we have, the least [less] that we actually have to contract out," Zamora said.
Zamora said getting behind the wheel with TUSD does not require previous school bus experience. The district's paid training program takes about four to six weeks and includes CDL classroom instruction, permit test preparation, and career advancement opportunities. Trainees earn $17 an hour during the program.
To be eligible, applicants must have at least five years of driving experience and must not have accrued eight points against their driver's license within the past two years. Both CDL and non-CDL positions are available.
Once training is complete, non-CDL drivers start at $18.60 an hour, while CDL drivers start at $22.18 an hour.
Zamora said even if the idea of driving a bus feels intimidating, it is worth considering.
"It's scary, you know, when you've never driven something as large as a bus, but I say if you are interested, you should give it a try," Zamora said.
For Martinez, the job has been worth every early morning.
"It's really rewarding," Martinez said.
Parents can track their child's bus in real time using the Here Comes the Bus app, available through TUSD.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
