![]() By footing the bill for these pre-requisites, you’ll eliminate one more hurdle for them.ĥ. Typically, new drivers are expected to pay these costs themselves, which can be a financial burden on top of their already lower-than-average salary. Pay for school bus driver start-up costs, like background checks, drug testing, and fingerprinting. Show that you’re committed to them as employees of your company.Ĥ. While they train, send them on ridealongs with experienced school bus drivers until they’re ready to drive solo. Consider hiring people who don’t yet have their CDL, then pay them as they train to pass the test. ![]() This leaves out an entire pool of people who don’t have the requisite experience on paper. Many school bus companies will only hire drivers who: a) already have their CDL, and b) have driven with it for two years. Remember, you’re not only competing with the school bus company down the road, you’re also competing with the coffee shops, supermarkets, and fast-food restaurants of the world that can offer the whole compensation package: more hours, easier work, sick leave, and medical benefits.ģ. ![]() On a similar note, consider extending benefits to part-time bus drivers who work more than 14 hours per week. So, consider assigning them administrative tasks or other job duties when they’re not driving to help pad their hours and provide a little extra in their paycheck. Sure, a school bus driver might get the occasional field trip or team event, but those are usually paid at a lower rate-and drivers need more money, not less. These odd hours also make it virtually impossible to fill in the gaps with another part-time job. Two hours of driving in the morning and two in the afternoon simply isn’t enough work for many drivers. Offer school bus drivers more hours of work and/or benefits. Consider it a long-term investment in the success of your company.Ģ. Of course, this is easier said than done when budget-strapped school districts are looking for the cheapest bid, but it’s recommendation #1 for attracting new drivers. Which means school bus operators simply must increase driver salary. When potential (or existing) drivers can find jobs paying more than the typical $16/hour driver salary, they’ll go where the money is. Salary is, by far, the biggest hurdle for attracting new drivers for your school buses. Here are 10 suggestions to help attract and retain school bus drivers:ġ. ProSight Specialty Insurance provides unique solutions to ensure your operation retains your best drivers, controls costs, improves driver behavior and ultimately runs a profitable fleet. It can no longer be business as usual in 2020 if school bus companies want to compete. As the current driving force retires, it’s more important than ever to bring on new drivers for the classic yellow school bus-but younger drivers simply aren’t entering the field. The harsh reality is that school bus companies must commit to change, as hard as that may be. If children can’t get to school because there’s no bus to take them, the time they spend learning is greatly reduced-which is a problem for all of us.īut what can school bus operators do to attract and keep drivers in today’s competitive job market? With such a laundry list of obstacles, it’s no wonder the school bus driver shortage is on the verge of becoming a crisis. Lack of support from school management regarding students and/or parents who misbehave.Need to submit to (and usually pay for) a background/fingerprinting check as a job requirement.Need for a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), which can require up to 6 months of training (often without pay). ![]() Lack of benefits for school bus drivers and not enough hours of work due to the nature of the job itself.Low school bus driver pay, which is intensified by today’s strong job market.Let that sink in for a minute.īut why is there a school bus driver shortage? In order to come up with potential solutions or thought starters on the topic, we need to first understand some factors that may be contributing to this shortage, including: According to a recent School Transportation News article, 80% of respondents surveyed said their school district or bus company is currently lacking in school bus drivers. It has been highly publicized that a nationwide school bus driver shortage exists. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |