ANNANDALE, Minn. — Preparing a fleet of school buses for a new school year can be a tough task - especially when you don't have enough people to drive them.
In 2023, the Minnesota School Bus Operators Association (MSBOA) estimated that most school districts were short on drivers by 10-20%. While some obviously saw those numbers as a problem, others saw opportunity... as a possible part-time side hustle.
“So you open the hood, make sure everything's good under there,” Jeff Lundquist, a part-time bus driver for M&M Bus Service said. “We look in all the seats, make sure the bus is clean.”
Lunquist knows curb appeal is important. “I also sell real estate,” he shared.
Back in 2009, Lunquist was looking to earn some extra cash during the real estate market crash. It led him to a part-time hack he still enjoys.
“That's when I came to M&M here and started driving bus. It was great!” Lundquist said.
M&M Bus Service vice president Shelly Jonas says the number of part-timers who drive to stay active during retirement has remained constant. However, she said the number of part-time drivers who work other full-time jobs fluctuates with the health of the economy.
“Hairstylists, realtors. maybe somebody that starts later in the day because we're done by 8:00 AM,” Jonas said. “They go together well.”
M&M Bus service will pay for drivers to get their Commercial Driver’s License, a training process that takes about 14 days. It’s a critical incentive to combat a shortage that started during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Some locations are having more difficulties compared to last year, others are in a little better spot,” Garrett Regan, president of the MSBOA, said. “We’re definitely not out of the woods yet.”
Finding drivers can be a challenge, but the enjoyment that comes with the extra cash can keep part-timers behind the wheel.
“I don't really actually need the money right now,” Lundquist, now on his 15th year driving, said “There's a lot of personalities on this bus every day.”
Though he’s primarily a realtor, his favorite thing to sell is a good start to the school day.
“I'd look over the front seat and the smile, the smile that would hit their face,” Lundquist said. “They always smile when they see the bus driver and that makes me feel good.”