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Johannes Bus Service Inc. is Growing

Information from
Johannes Bus Service Inc.

Johannes Bus Service, Inc. a family owned and operated school bus and charter transportation business is growing! The Johannes Family is in the process of setting up shop at a new location in West Rock Island in the Rock Island Industrial Park off of Andalusia Road.

We have been at the same location on 31st Avenue for the better part of 35 years; we have out grown our current location and look forward to a move to the new location later this year.
With a move comes more space, more buses and more employees. We are having a hiring surge right now as we head into our busy season, that process takes 4-8 weeks depending on the applicant. Hiring school bus drivers is a year round job though; we are continuously hiring. The State of Illinois has many guidelines that we have to follow and doing so takes time. A person cannot simply come in off the street and get behind the wheel of a school bus. There is quite a process that we have to go through to employ a new school bus driver, but we are here to help and train each and every person that qualifies for a driving position. Each applicant must be: 21 years of age, hold a valid Illinois Driver’s License for 3 consecutive years, they must be able to pass a School Bus Physical and Drug Screen along with School Bus State Finger Printing Guidelines. We hold a minimum of 10 hours behind the wheel training and in classroom training as well, all of which are paid. The guidelines are lengthy, but we are here to make the process go as smoothly as possible. As the applicant goes through the process, they are able to learn how our business operates and meet their co-workers along the way. The many employees are like family and treat each other as such, which is a definite bonus to working within a family business. There is a caring atmosphere and the attitude that we are all in this together!

The current mandates are much different than what they were in the 1960s when Harry “Red” Johannes established the bus business by a mere handshake and verbal agreement with two school buses! The business today is run by the 2nd and 3rd generations with the help of their dedicated employees.