About Us

McIlwain School Bus Lines started in 1947, just after World War II, when Robert and Margaret McIlwain settled on a small hillside farm on the outskirts of Johnstown. Margaret was a school teacher, and Bob was a farmer, logger, and school bus driver. Soon, Bob bought his own school bus and Margaret contributed her earnings to tires and parts when needed. The business expanded, and McIlwain School Bus Lines was incorporated in 1954.

Over the next 25 years, McIlwain School Bus Lines, Inc. contracted with several school districts and adapted to the changing academic landscape. The company added special needs, after school activities, and charter buses to their services. In 1980, Bob Sr. retired and his two sons, Douglas and Bob Jr., bought the company, transitioning to the second generation of family ownership.

In 1991, Douglas purchased his brother’s share of the company. He, his wife Sally, and their three sons Patrick, Timothy, and Toby continue the family business that began over 75 years ago. McIlwain School Bus Lines, Inc. is now on the third generation of ownership. The company transports over 10,000 students at more than 90 schools on a daily basis, has a fleet of over 300 vehicles, employs more than 330 compassionate and hard-working employees, and continues to execute a mission of safely transporting students to and from school.

McIlwain School Bus Lines, Inc. is proud to call Somerset and Cambria Counties home and looks forward to providing many more years of safe and reliable student transportation.

Ownership History

1947-1980 Robert and Margaret McIlwain
1980-1991 Douglas McIlwain and Robert McIlwain Jr.
1991-Present Douglas McIlwain and Family