Expand / Collapse search
☰

PTSA looking to hire dozens of Pinellas County bus drivers

By
Published  May 21, 2025 5:33pm EDT
Pinellas County
FOX 13 News
PTSA hiring bus drivers amid workforce shortage

PTSA hiring bus drivers amid workforce shortage

FOX 13's Kailey Tracey takes us behind the wheel of a PTSA bus as the agency faces a historic workforce crisis.

The Brief

    • The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is looking to hire 25 to 35 bus drivers.
    • PSTA will pay for commercial driver’s license training and offers tuition reimbursement to accredited colleges.
    • The starting salary is $18 an hour with the potential to make over $30 an hour.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - If you’re in the market for a new career, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is hiring.

The backstory:

The agency says it has seen other public transit agencies across the country struggle to find and keep bus drivers, forcing those areas to cut services. A study by the American Public Transportation Association in 2022 found 96% of transit systems in North America, large and small, are facing the same problem.

READ: St. Petersburg's resilience and growth: A look at the city's economic future

PSTA officials say they want to stay ahead of that, and right now, they’re looking to hire 25 to 35 drivers to be proactive. They think the cost of a commercial driver’s license is one roadblock deterring people from the job. It’s about $6,000.

PSTA will pay for your commercial driver’s license training. They also offer tuition reimbursement to accredited colleges, a pension and retirement benefits, a wellness center and a starting salary of $18 an hour with the potential to make more than $30 an hour.

What they're saying:

"What we look for is great people who love people, who love to drive," Rosalyn Mims, PSTA’s Senior Recruiting Coordinator, said. "You must have, of course, a clean driving record. But we say that we are customer service on wheels. So, you are meeting people every day. You are taking them to their various destinations. So, that's the key thing that we look forward is a great people person," she said.

"Yesterday, I took my final exam for my CDL and I passed," Phil Southward said.

Southward has three weeks left of class before he becomes PSTA’s newest bus driver.

"I moved over here two months ago, had transportation issues with my truck, and then I jumped on the SunRunner. I got to meet some wonderful transit drivers and I saw the now hiring sign, and I was just like, ‘what a great opportunity this would be.’ Then the rest is history," he said.

Southward used to be a train conductor for Norfolk Southern Railroad in Ohio before he moved to Florida.

"I know personally from riding the bus what riders actually go through on a daily basis. So, they need bus transit. It's very, very important to the community. You know, people need to get back and forth to work. I’ve met a lot of good people on the buses, and PSTA is just giving back to the community," Southward said.

Applicants go through a 10-week course. Eight weeks are in the classroom and two are on the road. You don’t need experience. They’ll teach you how to drive.

Laura Hill is in Southward’s class. She used to be a transit operator in Cincinnati. Hill and her partner visited family in the area last Christmas and saw that PSTA was hiring.

READ: Bill requiring landlords to disclose potential flood risks heads to governor's desk

"We applied and were extended an offer of employment and decided to make the switch," Hill said. "They were very focused on, you know, their training program, making sure the drivers and everyone had the tools they needed to be successful, how they offered opportunities for advancement within the company, so I was very excited to have this opportunity," she said.

"I could become a supervisor, or I could, you know, get a degree with their college program and work in mobility or access or some of the other great, you know, departments we have here at PSTA. So, it's amazing," she said. "Obviously, anything unknown is scary, but you can do it."

Mims said out of the last class, they hired 18 students. PSTA hires every two months. The next class starts June 2 and each class holds 24 people.

What's next:

Their next hiring event is June 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. at CareerSource Pinellas - Clearwater Center, 2312 Gulf to Bay Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33765. 

Those interested can apply on PSTA.net beforehand.

The Source: Information for this story was collected by FOX 13's Kailey Tracy.

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

Pinellas County