Transportation Management Software, bus scheduling software, school bus scheduling software, school bus management software
The bus driver shortage has been going on for years, and there's no sign of things getting better. There are currently far fewer school bus drivers on the roads today, compared to 2019, with a disturbing 91% of districts reporting issues stemming from reduced driver availability.
Many schools are resorting to cutting out bus routes, partially or completely. However, this is causing nightmare situations with hour-long backups at school drop-offs and overworked drivers and transportation personnel.
How can a school recruit more school bus drivers?
Offer Better Pay / Benefits
We realize this is a tough proposition, but low wages are one of the biggest issues. Bus drivers are actually being paid less today, on average, than they were in the 2010s - despite growing competition for CDL-qualified drivers from other sectors such as shipping.
It may be time to make arguments for cutting other school programs and activities, for the sake of boosting driver wages; unless your district wants a miles-wide traffic jam at your front door every morning.
Offer Paths To CDLs
Take a page from trucker recruitment, and set up programs that help newcomers obtain their Commercial Driver's License and qualify as bus drivers. This can be seen as an excellent deal by new recruits, who get free training and genuinely valuable new credentials. Lock them into a multi-year contract as part of the deal, and you could benefit in the long run.
Advertise Locally
Take out job ads in local papers, or on cheap local broadcast media such as nearby AM radio stations. Advertising directly on the side of the bus is another option. Unemployment is rising, and people are getting nervous about the economy. They'll be looking for extra work, and you should be there offering it.
It may even be necessary to be a little predatory. Has a business recently shut down? Be there to offer jobs to the newly unemployed.
Target Retirees
Retirees are also becoming income-insecure, and recent talk about cuts to medicare/medicaid is making the situation worse. Seniors may be actively looking for part time jobs to supplement their income. Combined with a CDL-training program, they could be your best new resource for finding drivers.
BusBoss can't help you find new school bus drivers - but we can help you optimize and streamline your routes to save money, or even cut routes without affecting passenger load. Contact us to learn more about our services!
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PRESIDENT
Sonia has been involved with BusBoss since the late 1990’s, and has personally overseen many projects for various customers ranging from large urban and suburban districts to smaller rural school districts from all over the country. In all cases, her primary goal was to improve their transportation operations by reducing their operating expenses while simultaneously improving student safety and parent satisfaction.
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