Drivers wanted!
Operators find new ways of putting professionals in their driver seats..

It's a fact of the modern motor coach industry: Good drivers can be hard to find. The good new is, they're not impossible to find — or even keep. Some MCI operators have been very successful at the task, even in a dwindling labor pool.

Kimball Kinnersley, safety director for Arrow Stage Lines, which has drivers in 13 locations including its operational headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, traces the problem all the way back to the late 1970s and early '80s, when it seemed everyone was pursuing a Commercial Driver's License in hopes of being part of the convoy culture so colorfully described in song. Today, many of those drivers are beginning to retire. And unlike generations past, today's young workers are more attracted by high-tech fields. "You don''t find many people who say, 'I'm going to make a career of driving a bus,'" says Kinnersley.

The power of advertising
Arrow has taken to advertising open houses, complete with hamburgers and snacks, to attract any and all drivers with CDLs. He says that while some of the candidates who attended the summer open houses in Denver did indeed make the cut, there was additional value in simply creating an ad that others noticed. The company received calls from lots of qualified people who couldn't make it but wanted to apply.

Heartland Trailways, St. Joseph, Missouri, gets a lot of queries from a highly effective yet inexpensive medium — a "drivers wanted" sign on the back of the coach. "We get calls from all over the country from drivers who have seen the signs," jokes John Nichols, general manager. "The first question we ask is, 'Are you going to commute?'"

Paying up
Arrow, which has many part-timers in its 200-plus driver pool, has started to offer extra pay on holidays. In addition, the company reviews its pay rates yearly, making sure it is offering an attractive package. Heartland has an even more innovative solution: commission-based pay for drivers. "We pay a percentage of the trip price," says Nichols. "As we make price increases, the drivers get a raise, making their level of service directly proportionate to the paycheck they bring home. At first the drivers weren't too excited about it, but after about three paychecks they realized it was a pretty good deal."

Bonus room
Arrow uses its own drivers to attract others by offering referral bonuses. If a driver meets another driver they think should work for the company, he or she fills out a form and files it with Arrow. If Arrow hires and keeps the driver for six months, the referring driver gets money.

Grow your own
Gene Shield, owner of Eagle Tours, Irving, Texas, has said that good drivers are so hard to come by, he's seriously considering opening his own driving school. Holland America Lines has, in a sense, gone in that direction, at times recruiting its driver-tour guide teams from employment fairs, going so far as to put some drivers through CDL training.

While Arrow doesn't favor drivers without CDLs, the company has been known to help especially promising candidates gain their passenger certification, if that's the only quality they're lacking.

Hiring right from the start
Whether hiring the most experienced behind-the-wheel veterans or novices, finding good drivers is often a matter of recognizing the ones with potential. Nichols says he can spot them at the first interview, and it's all about people skills. The best ones, he says, have "a great personality and a servant's heart."

Training for keeps
Heartland puts a lot of effort into creating a positive environment for drivers, who are referred to by the company as chauffeurs. Nichols credits owner Chuck Hill with having a great vision for the company. In addition to offering extremely attractive pay, Heartland has created a three-tiered training program that includes classroom time and culminates in sending new drivers out with super-experienced "mentor drivers."

MCI itself has recently done something to help operators put the best drivers possible out on the road: It has introduced the industry's first high-tech coach-driving simulator. Currently housed inside a J4500 mobile classroom unit, the device features crisp video, sound, vibration and motion, as well as the ability to simulate icy roads, blown tires and other situations most operators would rather not foist upon novice drivers. The initial unit is available for operator rental, with more units planned for sale and lease.

Providing the whole package
Kinnersley warns against "throwing money" at the driver problem. Good pay, he cautions, isn't enough. Some drivers are equally motivated by good work atmosphere, benefits, or the availability of top-of-the-line equipment. (MCI can help with the latter.) Both Kinnersley and Nichols agree on the wisdom of offering drivers the kinds of challenges, rewards and opportunities for growth that make for careers, not just jobs.

Finally, Kinnersley offers a book suggestion: Jack Burkert's 60 Ways to Improve Driver Recruitment and Retention, from the Bobit Business Media, publishers of Metro Magazine. The book, according to Kenderley, advocates a total approach. Be well rounded.

For Heartland, the total approach has paid off big-time. Nichols says he currently has a stack of applications on his desk from drivers who are attracted to Heartland's reputation as a quality-driven company that takes care of its employees and its "top-quality MCI equipment."

Arrow is thankful that it has been able to retain good drivers and is managing to retain its employment levels. "It's still a tough market no matter how good you are."

Field is more philisophical, looking to the cyclical nature of industry. "Eventually, all things will change."

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