Nov 8, 2021
The Greater Cleveland RTA is hosting a special Bus Driver Career Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 13 at the West Park Rapid Station, 14510 Lorain Ave, Cleveland, OH 44111.
Interested individuals are encouraged to pre-register by completing an application and assessment test online or by visiting an Ohio Means Jobs location.
Upon completion of the assessment, applicants will receive an email with their Career Day interview time.
The application and assessment test may also be completed on site, and walk-ins are welcomed.
What to expect on Career Day:
- Candidates will watch bus training instructors and driver trainees as they perform maneuvers on the CDL training track.
- Candidates will be given on-the-spot interviews in an RTA bus (Downtown Trolley).
- Candidates will meet District and Main Office management.
- Successful interviewees will receive immediate offers, pending required background check, physical, and drug screen.
- Unsuccessful applicants will be encouraged to consider alternate open positions at RTA.
- Please be sure to bring your Driver's License (CDL is not required). Once hired, RTA provides the CDL training.
“RTA is looking for local talent to join our team,” said George Fields, RTA’s Deputy General Manager of Human Resources. “We are excited to be hiring bus drivers as well as mechanics and to be an important part of spurring on the economic recovery that we are all hoping to generate post-Covid.”
RTA offers competitive salaries, benefits and college reimbursement, among other incentives, said Fields.
Once hired, RTA offers free training at Tri-C to prepare candidates to take the temporary CDL test. Once operator candidates have obtained the temporary CDL, then they begin the 12-week training program.
“We’re promoting the competitive pay, great benefits, and the promising career path that comes with working at RTA,” Fields said.
“RTA is proud to be an employer of choice – not because someone can just get a job, but because they can launch their career,” Fields said. “With more than 40% of our positions filled through promotions, it’s easy for us to say we put employees in the driver’s seat of their career path and provide opportunities for advancement along the way.”
RTA regularly needs to hire part-time and full-time drivers (bus, paratransit, and rail) to keep up with the ability to connect the community. In any given month, 10 to 12 drivers retire from employment, and it is critical to have a pipeline of qualified candidates to replace them.
RTA offers a wide range of comprehensive benefits and programs to support the health and wellness of employees and family members including health benefits (medical, dental and vision), a wellness incentive program and participation in the Ohio Public Employee Retirement System (OPERS.). The training wage for drivers is $16 per hour. Once training is complete, the current starting wage for our bus/rail operators is $18+ per hour, but pay advancement is rapid and by the end of the first five years the pay is $31+ per hour.
Bus driver candidates:
- Must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
- Must be 19 years old and have a minimum of 3 years driving experience and at least 2 years of customer service experience.
- Have a good driving record with no more than 2 points in the past 3 years.
- Participate in a 10 to 12-week training course on various shifts (day, evening, weekend)
- Complete the assessment and an interview, then the pre-employment process
- Must be able to pass a medical exam in accordance with Department of Transportation requirements
Media Contact:
Linda Krecic
216-356-3104 (office)
216-390-9605 (mobile)