Wisconsin Department of Transportation Looking to Address School Bus Driver Shortage

Wednesday, January 19th, 2022 -- 10:01 AM

To help school districts strained by a shortage of school bus drivers, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles will implement a temporary waiver to get more drivers behind the wheel and encourage former drivers to reinstate.

Drivers seeking their school bus license, S endorsement, will have the portion of the test that identifies ‘under the hood’ engine components waived until March 31, 2022. All other components of the written and road tests will remain.

A recent waiver from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration temporarily allows states to modify the CDL test for school bus drivers. Drivers receiving a CDL under this temporary waiver are permitted to operate intrastate school buses only, they are not authorized to operate trucks, motor coaches, or any other type of commercial motor vehicle requiring a CDL.

Additionally, this week the DMV sent a letter to nearly 1,000 former drivers who let their school bus license lapse. The letter encourages interested drivers to renew their endorsement and check out employment opportunities in their community.

Many school bus companies have implemented employment incentives, including increased wages and sign-on and referral bonuses.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.