Local Heroes: Meet a dad in St. Louis who loves teaching drivers and working with kids
Earven Conrod Jr. has spent more than 20 years working in transportation in St. Louis, operating everything from city buses to the light rail system.
But about five years ago, the father of three realized what made him happiest was ensuring children get to school and back home safely each day. Today, Conrod works as a driver trainer at Zūm as well as a standby driver.
“It all starts with the kids,” he says. “That’s how I start my training (sessions): We have to provide safe transportation so they can get their education, and also safe transportation to get back home to their families. I think that’s a big part of a kid’s learning.”
The oldest of five siblings, Conrod grew up in St. Louis and got his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in 2004. He spent 15 years working in city transportation before focusing on school buses — a natural fit for the father of three.
Each morning Conrod arrives at Zum’s facilities ready to take any uncovered routes. The bulk of his day is spent training drivers, then he often picks up more routes in the afternoon.
“I absolutely love it,” says Conrod. “And the technology is so awesome with Zum. If you need to start a route from a different school or a different route, they can send it right to the tablet.”
“Earven has been a rock star for Zum since day one,” says Richard Lindell, Regional Manager at Zum in St. Louis. “His dedication to training and supporting the operation has been invaluable. Every day, Earven is one of the first people to greet me when I arrive on the lot, always asking how he can help. His contributions to the driver training program played a key role in the St. Louis yard graduating the most non-CDL drivers this school year. That would not have been possible without Earvie’s commitment and support.”
“When I’m not working, I’m very family-oriented,” notes Conrod, who enjoys spending time at home with his wife and 12-year-old son. (His older children are 22 and 20; his daughter is a student at Alabama A&M University.)
He says he takes pride in training drivers to serve students and families in St. Louis, and he enjoys the balance of spending his workday with both children and new drivers.
“It’s a dedication that you have. I commend anybody that wants to (be a driver), and that’s what made me get into the training department,” he says. “If I can train people to operate the bus and start off with good habits, I know the candidates coming out of class are on a good road to success.”
He adds, “When you know how to park that bus and you watch your kids walk away (to) get with their families … all of that stuff gives me joy. It’s just some kind of rush that I get to my heart.”