Two members of the larger PWT family are celebrating.

Earlier this month, Century Transportation was announced as one of the top winners of the Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario (STSCO) Request for Proposal (RFP) award. STSCO is the organization responsible for planning school bus routes for several school boards in the area. This agreement secures Century ten years of consistent routing in the area, providing for stability and continuity of the team in place. Even better, being the successful bidder on the RFP allows Century to grow its number of routes.

Regional director Steve Collins placed much of the praise for the win on Century employees, saying in an email “We want to express our sincere appreciation for your loyalty to the company. Your dedication and hard work have been instrumental in our success, and we look forward to many more years together.”

One of those celebrating Century’s recent good news is Ruth Mathews. She has been a school bus and charter driver with the company since 1981. Ruth is in her 44th year and is a role model for our new drivers!

And a lot has changed in the time she’s been driving. “We didn’t even use log books back then,” she says, laughing. When she became a mother, her three-month-old son began riding the bus with her because back then, “that was all we had (for mat leave) three months!”

As her children grew, they all rode on the bus with her through their school years. And she’s come to know the territory well. “I drive back roads with not a lot of stops, and I’ve gotten to know all the kids and their parents well.”

When asked why she’s stayed at Century for nearly a half-century, she doesn’t waste a second to respond.  

“There’s no way I’d go somewhere else because we have the best boss ever, Steve (Collins). I keep saying, ‘if you leave Steve, I’m leaving.’”

 Thankfully, beyond Steve, she appreciates Century’s culture. “We have barbecues and breakfasts and stuff. I usually try to attend, and I like to go to the safety meetings and, you know, start-up meetings and all that stuff. And Raise The Bar. I really like that.”

And we like your attitude, Ruth! Thanks for being a loyal and cautious school bus driver for all these years, Ruth. Century has been lucky to have you.