Dive Brief:
- One in four transit workers worldwide will retire by 2035, adding to an existing shortage and creating challenges in recruiting and retaining bus operators, according to a report published today by Optibus, a software platform for public transportation planning and operations.
- Predictable schedules, less overtime and better communication with dispatchers are among the top factors that determine whether drivers stay with their employers.
- The report found that nearly two-thirds of drivers would stay if work conditions improved. “This isn't a workforce looking for the exit; it's a workforce committed to the mission and ready to continue,” the report states.
Dive Insight:
“This survey confirms what we're seeing globally: driver retention is about quality of life,” Shoshi Goldstein, senior product marketing manager at Optibus, said in an email. “Drivers want predictability, reasonable workloads, and the ability to finish their shifts on time so they can be with their families.”
Over 57% of transit bus drivers described their schedules as somewhat unpredictable, the report found. They are often faced with having to work overtime, serve split shifts with unpaid gaps and endure schedule changes on short notice. These conditions impact sleep patterns, affect time with their families and can impact income stability and long-term health.
More than 43% of U.S. drivers work overtime more than six times a month, the report states.
Many drivers reported issues communicating with dispatchers and supervisors. When drivers don’t receive clear, timely information, passengers complain, adding stress. The pattern seems to decrease with the size of the transit agency: while 70% of drivers at agencies with 20 to 100 buses cite communication as an issue, that number drops to 57.5% for agencies with over 201 buses in their fleets.
Bus schedules based on ideal conditions such as clear traffic, without any buffers, may be unrealistic, giving rise to passenger complaints and chronic stress for drivers. Drivers may need to skip rest breaks to catch up, which could lead to involuntary overtime, the report states.
“These are challenges agencies can directly control through better processes and tools,” Goldstein said. “The point of technology shouldn't just be efficiency – it should make the job more human, meaning schedules that reflect real-world conditions rather than ideal assumptions, communication that flows both ways, and break times that are protected.”
Eighty percent of drivers who say their communication with dispatchers is good or excellent intend to stay on the job, the report found.
Two-thirds of the most experienced drivers say they want to stay if their agencies can provide better response to incidents along their routes and communicate more effectively with operators. The most experienced drivers want a mobile app that can update schedules and allow for direct communication with dispatchers.
Driver satisfaction increases when schedules are more predictable and communication improves, the report concludes.
“When agencies close the gap between plans and reality – with schedules built on actual operating conditions, workloads that reflect human limits, and two-way communication – driver retention follows naturally," Goldstein said.
