Education · 1 of 5

The path

You get hired first, then trained. Most people are driving a route within a few months.

1. 1

   Meet the basics

   Now

   Age 18 for driving inside one state, 21 to cross state lines. A clean driving record matters more than any diploma.

2. 2

   Apply to a district or transit agency

   Weeks

   They hire people with no experience and train them, because almost everyone is short of drivers.

3. 3

   Entry-level driver training

   3 to 8 weeks

   A federally required course, both classroom theory and behind the wheel, taken before your first commercial license or new endorsement.

4. 4

   Permit, then license

   1 to 2 months

   Written tests for a commercial learner permit, then a skills and road test for a CDL (commercial driver's license), usually Class B.

5. 5

   Endorsements and clearances

   Weeks

   Add the passenger and school bus endorsements, pass the medical examination, the background check and a fingerprint clearance.