Northern Virginia District PTA

O.K., I’M INTERESTED, WHAT DO I DO NEXT? (pdf)

O.K., so the PTA has convinced me that I should look into this job opportunity

Now what do I do?

• This is about what happens next with loads of small variations and special situations until you become a driver:
  • You call the FCPS Human Resources Customer Service telephone number and schedule yourself for about a one hour non-obligation bus driver information brief. Most of what I am telling you you should hear again at the briefing along with lots more useful information to make an informed decision.
  • This briefing is normally in the morning and is held at the Headquarters of FCPS which is just off Gallows road in the Merrifield area.
  • You will receive at this session a detailed description of the job and benefits and much more.  You will also be given the opportunity to ask questions and most importantly, you will receive the necessary application material for the driver’s position to complete and fax back.
  • Bring your Virginia Driver license number so we can gain access to your driving records.  If you have not had this Virginia License for the last 5 years you will need to get a copy of the driving record from the state(s) you were licensed in that covers that period. Many states allow you to do this over the internet.  Some require USPS mailings.  The minimum number of years of driving experience is 2 years.  Nope, you do not have to have a perfect record.  We are looking for patterns, acceptable and unacceptable for a bus driver.  If you have been convicted of reckless or drunken driving over the last 10 years you need not apply.
  • You will be given the following material at the session to be returned when complete:  A form that has verification of your last two jobs (job references), two character references (e.g., neighbors, etc.), a ten year work history (resume) and an application form.
  • Complete this material and fax back FCPS.  This is important – we are not going to get requested information for you.  If you fail to get the information requested you have no chance at being called back – it is as simple as that.  Please, many folks fail to follow through on this step.  Be aggressive about this.  We have reasons we need this information.
  • If they like what they see they will call you back to the headquarters for finger printing and will provide you with a certificate to take a CDL physical paid for by FCPS.  You might be offered a training date or they may require more information.  They will not ask you the second time to return the material you need.  You need to follow up and ensure they have received the material they were looking for.  Assume nothing.
  • We will train you to get your Class B Commercial Drivers License with both a P (passenger) and S (school bus) endorsement.  It is up to you to obtain your Class B CDL learners permit or we can not train you.  Go to the VA Department of Motor Vehicles and obtain a free CDL Manual and study chapters 1, 2, 5, 6 and 8.  Go back to DMV and take the four written tests.  Pass all four and you will be issued a Learners Permit and we will be able to train you.  First time around and all the tests are free.  Hint, do all of this before you start training.  You are not required to have this permit before you start training but you must have it by the third day of training as that is when we put you in the driver’s seat.
  • Don’t get frustrated if the process seems like it is taking too long.  Security clearances take awhile.  We call some folks early because there is something in their record that concerns us about there being a driver and we let them know that early on. O.K., you get a call and told you have been accepted and to come back in for paper work processing.  Does that mean you have been hired as a bus driver? 
  • No, it means you have been accepted into a fully paid four week training program that is conducted out of Marshall High School located on Route 7 near Tyson’s Corner.  During this training period you will progress until you are on your own at the end of the course in the area that you have agreed to work in.
  • If you have driving problems during the training session that can’t be overcome you will be released from training.  Most do just fine and are signed off by our third party tester for the State during the last week of training.  This allows you to obtain your CDL with P and S endorsement – congratulations!
  • Wow, does that mean I am hired?  Yes, this is when we hire you and 30 days later you are eligible for all the great benefits that the school has to offer.
• Once you are hired you will be told what happens next.  You are fortunate to be working with an elite team of highly trained drivers.  Thank you for taking on the responsibility to transport the most precious cargo in our County – our children.  Best of luck to you.

The FCPS Transportation Team

To learn more about this great opportunity schedule yourself for a non-obligation bus driver information briefing thorough the FCPS Application Center 571 423.000, M-F from 8 AM to 4:30 PM or contact Phyllis Layne through email at Phyllis.layne@fcps.edu

Resources (Download Information to use for your school)

• Joining the FCPS Team - How Your PTA Can Help ~ a Road Map
• Driver Benefits
• Why Become a Driver?
• Ok, I'm Interested, What do I do next?
• PTA Flyer for FCPS Bus Drivers
• Directory Ad Image (right click to "save link as" or "save image as")

Return to Main Bus Driver Information Page