The most important part of a transit organization is a team of well-qualified, well-trained, and motivated drivers. An agency’s drivers are not only essential for operating the service, but they are also responsible for safe and reliable service and are the most visible representatives of an organization. Drivers are often referred to as the “face of transit.” It can be challenging to recruit and retain good people, particularly when funding is tight. This section of the Toolkit introduces both requirements and suggested practices in the areas of driver recruiting/hiring, retention/motivation, and training. Many excellent resources exist that can provide more details on each of these functions, and these are referenced throughout this toolkit page. While this section of the Toolkit is focused on drivers, the Human Resources section of the Toolkit provides information that applies to all employees in the rural transit organization.
This section includes the following subsections:
When unemployment is low, it can be especially challenging to attract qualified new drivers.
The job description should be the basis for advertising open positions. Transit managers should also review the wages and benefit packages for drivers to ensure that the transit organization is a competitive employer. For job description and salary range examples, National RTAP maintains a biennial job title and salary range survey of rural and tribal public transit agencies in that includes responses from 257 agencies. The spreadsheet contains the database and a summary table. Transit managers should consider the cost of living in their area and typical wage rates and benefits offered by employers in the area to determine if the wages and benefits they are planning to offer can compete with other employers. The state transit association may have this type of information available from other transit agencies in the state, and national associations may also make industry-wide wage and benefits information available to their members.
The following are some ideas for recruiting new drivers and evaluating how well they would likely fit the job.
Most of the above suggestions were gleaned from a workshop conducted by Caryn Souza of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) in September 2017.
Transit agencies that rely on volunteer drivers can find helpful tips for recruiting volunteers in a December 2021 National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) blog post, Volunteer Driver Programs: Creative Recruitment Strategies and the National RTAP technical brief Volunteers in Transportation: Some Issues to Consider.
Once a transit manager has decided to offer a driver position to a candidate, they may want to encourage the candidate to do a “ride-along” to see first-hand what the position involves before accepting the offer. The Transportation Program Coordinator for the City of Sioux Falls implemented this approach and found that it has saved training time and money.
In addition to the general federal requirements that apply to all new hires (introduced in the Human Resources section of the Toolkit), the following requirements apply to drivers.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Related to New Driver Qualifications
The U.S. DOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) have a number of requirements that may apply to some or all of the drivers that that are hired, depending upon the vehicle size and weight, and whether they cross state lines. Possession of a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) is required to operate commercial motor vehicles (defined below). The CDL requirement also triggers other requirements, such as a passing a U.S. DOT physical.
Commercial Driver’s License (CDL): Under 49 CFR Part 383, drivers of the following passenger vehicles (as well as mechanics who test drive these vehicles) must have a CDL:
Different classes of CDL are issued which depend on a driver’s qualifications to operate vehicles in each of the three vehicle groups specified in 49 CFR Part 383, Subpart F. In the rural transit industry, commercial vehicles generally fall within the categories of Heavy Straight Vehicle (Group B) or Small Vehicle (Group C). Drivers with a CDL Class C license are only qualified to drive vehicles in Group C, while CDL Class B drivers can drive vehicles in both Groups B and C. CDL Class A drivers – those qualified to drive Group A - Combination Vehicles (such as tractor-trailers) are also qualified to operate vehicles in Groups B and C.
Drivers of commercial vehicles operated in passenger service must have a State-issued passenger (P) endorsement on their CDL. This requires passing specialized knowledge and skills tests for the P endorsement (49 CFR Section 383.93). The passenger endorsement is different than a school bus endorsement.
Required Checks and Tests: Under 49 CFR Part 391, drivers of the following types of passenger vehicles must pass a U.S. DOT physical, background check, and road test before operating these vehicles:
Entry-Level Driver Training: Under 49 CFR Part 380, Subpart F, beginning February 7, 2022, drivers applying for a Class A or B CDL (new or upgraded) as well as drivers applying for a passenger endorsement are subject to Entry-Level Driver Training Requirements, described later in this section of the Toolkit.
DOT/FTA Drug and Alcohol Testing Requirements Related to New Driver Qualifications
The U.S. DOT/FTA Drug and Alcohol testing requirements are summarized in the Drug and Alcohol Programs section of the Toolkit. Two of these requirements kick in as part of the hiring process for drivers (and other safety-sensitive positions):
More information on these requirements can be found in the Drug and Alcohol Programs section of the toolkit.
Well-trained drivers are essential for providing safe, high quality transit services. There are a few federal requirements for driver training which are introduced here, followed by suggestions for training topics and potential sources, shared as best practices.
All rural transit drivers must be trained in:
Training promotes safety, morale and a greater partnership among employees and management. Rural transit agencies are encouraged to provide training that goes beyond the minimum requirements.
New Hire Training
Minimum training suggestions for newly hired bus operators are listed below. Many of these topics are required as part of Entry-Level Driver Training for applicants of new and upgraded CDLs or passenger endorsements, as summarized in the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) Requirements Technical Brief.
Refresher Training
Experienced drivers can also benefit from training. Refresher training should periodically be provided for safety topics, other areas where drivers may need to update their skills, and emerging issues and service needs.
Additional training topics to consider for experienced drivers include winter driving safety reminders, problem-solving for customer service challenges, training on new equipment added to the fleet, and basic Spanish phrases for frequent communications with passengers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).
Many State RTAP programs support driver training in some capacity, and transit managers should check with the State DOT to find out more. A Directory of State RTAP Managers and Directory of Trainers are available.
Many excellent programs exist for rural transit driver training. The following are commonly used in the industry on a national level.
National RTAP’s training programs and materials for drivers include:
Driver training courses developed by other organizations that are available through the National RTAP eLearning portal include:
A helpful resource is FTA's catalog of Safety Training Resources for Bus Transit Agencies.
The FTA-funded National Transit Institute (NTI) offers two courses on Assault Awareness and Prevention for Transit Operators, one which provides direct delivery to transit drivers and a train-the-trainer course.
The U.S. DOT-funded Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) offers a comprehensive train-the-trainer course for transit driver training as well as webinars on specific topics. Although geared toward urban fixed-route systems, rural transit systems can also benefit from TSI offerings which include:
Among Community Transportation Association of America’s (CTAA) training and certification programs is the popular PASS (Passenger Assistance Safety and Sensitivity) Driver training, a three-day train-the-trainer course and a two-day driver training and certification. Certification is valid for two years.
The National Safety Council (NSC) offers 4 to 8 hour defensive driver training and certification geared toward automobile drivers (also applicable to transit drivers) as well as a 4-hour Coaching the Van Driver instructor-led or online course.
Other sources of defensive driving training for transit drivers include the Smith System and Taptco.
Additional training resources on human trafficking awareness include:
As noted above, transit managers should also check with State RTAP managers on the training provided for rural transit programs in the state. Many State RTAPs sponsor some of the programs listed above and/or training customized for the state’s rural transit drivers, either at the “train-the-trainer” level or directly training drivers.
State transit associations are another potential source of shared training. For example, the PennTRAIN program provided through the Pennsylvania Public Transit Association provides training on a variety of training topics.
University transportation centers can be another helpful source of training. The Florida DOT and the Transit Safety and Workforce Development Programs at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida have developed computer-based training for transit operators in Curbing Distracted Driving, Disability Etiquette, and Defusing Conflict.
Transit agencies may find it helpful to coordinate driver training with other community organizations. National RTAP’s Sharing Training with Agencies Coordinating Transportation Best Practices Spotlight article describes the benefits, shares several coordinated training case studies, and provides helpful tips.
Once a transit manager has recruited, hired, and trained drivers, there is still work to be done to keep employees motivated to perform at their best and stay with the organization. Suggestions for retaining drivers include:
The above suggestions are in part from “Ten Tips for Hiring and Retaining Drivers,” Maryland Transit Update, Fall 2017, p. 4. Related resources include:
Additional suggestions for improving employee morale are found in the Human Resources section of the Toolkit.
Updated March 14, 2024
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