Back in the fall of 2024 I wrote an article about going back to driving school bus.
It took me a while to get my Class "B" license back (needed to update medical and get doctor referrals). I started mid-month December 2024.
In the article, I offered some data – reviews of school bus operators (companies). There is NEVER a problem getting a job driving school bus. The industry and all operators are chronically under staffed. The problem is quite complex, one aspect is the overall satisfaction of working for any particular operator. I have researched again and note the data has changed, mainly for the bottom two operators. Hammond (based in Bracebridge ON) is 'up' in ratings and is now tied with Campbell (another operator in the Muskoka area). Four have maintained their ratings. I know most of these companies and agree with the ratings. I especially know the bottom two and would never work for them. Never.
Personally I think the two two should be tied. If you are looking to start driving a school bus or looking to make a change, choosing either of the top two operators would be a wise and satisfying decision.
There are a few smaller operators as well, including a few taxi companies as well as a few that run "Caravan" style vans. The pay is low and there is no special requirements (medicals, first aid training, or need for a Vulnerable Sector Screening). You are still commiting to a route and for the full school year – you'd be better off taking the free first aid training offered by all operators and free license upgrade training. Most companies won't pay you during the training, but it's a decent trade off – you don't have to pay a commercial training company upwards of $2K for license upgrade training and another for first aid training.
Here's the ratings as of April 20 2026:
Switzer-Carty: 4.6
Parkview-Simcoe: 4.0
Campbell: 3.8 (down 0.1)
Landmark: 3.7 (down 0.2)
Hammond: 3.8 (up 0.1)
Stock: 3.6
First Student: 3.4 (down 0.1)
Sharp: 3.3 (down 0.1)
Attridge: 3.3
WAT (Wheelchair Accessible Transit): 2.8 (down 0.3)
Voyago: 3.0 (down 0.1)