Memphis-Shelby County Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed to apply. First Student pays $15/hr in training and $24/hr once you are driving a Memphis route.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Tennessee CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is the largest district in Tennessee, with more than 101,000 students in about 200 schools. About 23,000 of them ride a school bus each day, on a 339-bus operation that runs morning and afternoon routes plus 59 midday routes. First Student has run all of that transportation, including special education, midday, summer, and field trips, since the 2021-22 school year, and its Memphis careers site shows School Bus Driver openings at all four depots.
The district employs no bus drivers, so you apply to First Student, not MSCS. You do not need a commercial driver's license to apply. First Student pays you $15.00 an hour while you train and $24.00 an hour once you are driving, and its drivers are represented by Teamsters Local 667. Tennessee does set a high bar on age: 25, or 23 for veterans, Guard and reserve members, and licensed teachers. This page covers the real Memphis process and what to confirm.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools at a glance
The essentials, pulled from official sources. The full pay tables, the exact application walkthrough, and the school calendar are in the guide.
How to become a School Bus Driver in Memphis, TN
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
Tennessee requires School Bus Drivers to be at least 25 years old, or 23 for honorably discharged veterans, National Guard and reserve members, and licensed teachers. You also need five consecutive years of unrestricted driving experience and a record that meets safe-driver standards. DUIs, serious violations, and suspensions disqualify. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not required.
Apply to First Student, not the district
MSCS's own portal carries no driver postings. Go to jobs.firststudentinc.com, search "School Bus Driver" in Memphis, TN, and complete the full online application, certifying your driving and work history accurately. Do not confuse this with Durham School Services' Memphis postings: Durham serves the six municipal Shelby County districts, not MSCS.
Interview or walk in at a terminal
First Student runs four Memphis terminals: Appling City (3130 Appling City Cove), East Brooks (3950 E. Brooks Road), Farmville (2650 Farmville Blvd), and Getwell (3179 Getwell Road). Walk-ins are accepted, and the Appling City terminal takes hiring calls at (901) 808-0327. Confirm the hours guarantee for the terminal you pick.
Clear the screenings after your offer
A conditional offer triggers a fingerprint check (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and FBI), the county board of education's criminal-offense investigation for your driver certificate, a DOT 5-panel drug screen, a DOT physical, and Tennessee's annual school bus driver physical and mental exam. A DUI, vehicular assault or homicide, or drug conviction in the past five years bars the certificate. The Memphis postings do not say who pays these costs, so ask.
Earn your CDL as a paid trainee
School Bus Drivers need a Class B CDL with the P (passenger) and S (School Bus) endorsements, plus the county board certificate. First Student pays $15.00 an hour while you train and covers the training itself, and it adds a $200 bonus for obtaining your CLP. Memphis does not publish the program length. Private Class B tuition runs $2,000 or more, and you pay none of it.
Ride with a trainer, then drive solo
After you pass the three-part skills test, you ride routes with an experienced trainer until you know yours, then drive solo on a split shift: a morning run, a midday gap, and an afternoon run. Each year you must complete state-sponsored training to keep your S endorsement and pass Tennessee's annual physical and mental exam.
What's in the full Memphis-Shelby County Schools guide
35+ pages, twelve chapters, written in plain English — everything above in full detail, plus the parts that change year to year.
Right now, includes a free Tennessee CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Memphis-Shelby County Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools pay scale, benefits, and the split-shift schedule — the numbers that decide if this fits your life.
The application, walked through
Exactly what to submit and which documents to attach, so you are not knocked out on a technicality.
The interview
The three things every interviewer is really asking, and what to highlight. (Free in the sample.)
Screenings & paid CDL training
Every screening after your offer, who pays for what, and how you are trained toward your CDL.
The school calendar
This year's Memphis-Shelby County Schools calendar — work days, holidays, and breaks — so you know your real schedule.
Managing a bus full of kids
The passenger-management techniques veteran drivers swear by. (Also free in the sample.)
See inside before you buy
A few real pages from the manual — the interview and passenger-management chapters — so you can judge the quality yourself.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools bus driver questions
Does Memphis-Shelby County Schools hire its own School Bus Drivers?
No. MSCS employs zero bus drivers. All home-to-school, special education, midday, summer, and field-trip transportation has been contracted to First Student since the 2021-22 school year, so you are a First Student employee. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision, a 401(k) with company match, weekly pay, and a child ride-along program, and drivers are represented by Teamsters Local 667.
What does a School Bus Driver in Memphis earn?
First Student's Memphis postings list $24.00 per hour, part-time, with 30 hours per week guaranteed. Trainees earn $15.00 per hour. A $1,000 sign-on bonus is advertised for experienced CDL drivers who already hold the passenger and School Bus endorsements, and a $200 bonus is paid for obtaining the CLP. First Student's postings have shown different hour guarantees, so confirm it for your terminal.
Do I need a CDL to drive a School Bus in Memphis?
No. First Student trains applicants without a CDL and pays $15.00 an hour during training. You do need to meet Tennessee's age and experience rule: 25 or older, or 23 for veterans, Guard and reserve members, and licensed teachers, with five consecutive years of unrestricted driving. The $1,000 sign-on bonus is for experienced CDL holders, not new trainees.
What's the free CDL study guide?
For a limited time, every district guide comes bundled with a free study guide for your state's CDL Passenger and School Bus endorsements — the two written tests you'll take. It covers exactly what's on those tests so you can pass the first time, at no extra cost.
Is this an official guide from the School District?
No. It is an independent preparation guide, not affiliated with or endorsed by any School District. It organizes the public information into one clear manual so you do not have to dig for it.
How do I get the guide after I pay?
Instantly. Checkout takes about a minute, then you get a download link on the screen and by email. It is a PDF you can open on any phone, tablet, or computer and keep.
Get hired in Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.