Behind the Coach: Are We Listening to the People Who Keep This Industry Moving?

We spend a lot of time talking about the driver shortage and finding qualified mechanics. But maybe before we ask where the next driver or technician is coming from, we should spend more time listening to the people already doing the job.

By Dhinel “Danny” Biyanwela

I came across a post recently from a motorcoach driver who said his career behind the wheel had come to an end after nearly 30 years.

I'm not going to name the driver or the company because that's not really the point, and I don't know everything that happened inside that operation. What caught my attention was something he said at the end. After all those years and all the frustration he described, he still said he was going to miss driving motorcoaches and being out on trips.

He still loved the work. He was leaving anyway.

That stuck with me because we spend so much time talking about the driver shortage. Lately we're hearing the same thing about mechanics. We keep asking where we're going to find more people, but maybe we should also be asking why some of the experienced people we already have are deciding they've had enough.

THE JOB BEHIND THE WHEEL

A motorcoach driver's day isn't just the hours the wheels are moving. There is the pre-trip, loading, positioning, waiting, traffic, luggage, parking, customer requests and eventually getting everyone home. A driver might only drive part of a 12-hour day, but that doesn't mean the rest of the day belongs to them.

This isn't a new issue. Federal research involving motorcoach drivers has documented long charter days, difficulty getting meaningful rest during layovers, limited bus parking and situations where drivers were technically off duty but still felt responsible for the coach.

Then there is the itinerary. Dinner runs late. The game goes into overtime. The group wants another stop. Traffic adds two hours. The customer doesn't necessarily understand hours-of-service regulations. They know what they paid for and where they need to be.

The driver is usually the person standing between the customer, dispatch and what can legally and safely be done.

And then there's the equipment.

Drivers talk about warning lights, HVAC problems, air leaks, electrical issues and the frustration that can happen when they don't feel something they reported is getting enough attention. That doesn't mean every complaint is right or that companies are knowingly sending bad equipment down the road. But it does bring the mechanic into the same conversation.

THE PEOPLE KEEPING THE COACHES RUNNING

The mechanic is fighting a different clock.

Today's motorcoach isn't a simple piece of equipment. A technician can be dealing with a diesel engine, aftertreatment, air systems, HVAC, multiplex electrical systems, wheelchair equipment, electronics and diagnostic software — sometimes all on the same coach.

Then operations walks into the shop and says:

We need that bus tomorrow morning.

That's the reality.

Preventive maintenance competes with breakdowns. Parts don't always arrive when expected. A coach stays down longer than planned. Dispatch starts moving equipment around. Drivers get reassigned buses. One unexpected repair can change the entire operation for the day.

UMA President and CEO Scott Michael recently said that while the driver shortage remains, the bigger workforce challenge now may actually be finding qualified mechanics, particularly diesel technicians. ABA's Bus Maintenance and Repair Council is also putting attention toward technician recruitment, retention, training, diagnostics and access to technical expertise.

So we're not only short people who can drive the coach.

We're becoming short on people who know how to keep it running.

WHEN ALL THE PRESSURE MEETS

I understand the operator's side too.

Insurance costs more. Equipment costs more. Parts cost more. Qualified labor costs more. Customers still compare rates, and a $500,000 or $600,000 motorcoach sitting behind the shop isn't producing revenue.

Management wants the coach available. Dispatch needs equipment. The mechanic wants enough time to diagnose and repair it correctly. The driver wants to know the coach they're taking 600 miles from home is ready. The customer wants to leave at 6:00 AM.

Everybody's pressure eventually meets in the same place.

That's why I don't want this conversation to become drivers against owners or mechanics against management. That doesn't accomplish much.

What I'm more interested in is whether the economics and expectations of this business are putting pressure on everybody at the same time — and whether some of that pressure is eventually pushing experienced people out.

Because losing an experienced motorcoach driver isn't just losing a CDL.

A 20- or 30-year driver knows difficult destinations. They know where a 45-foot coach can and can't go. They know hotels, airports and stadiums. They understand groups. They know what a coach should feel like going down the road, and they know how to handle 50 passengers when something goes wrong 700 miles from home.

A good mechanic carries the same kind of knowledge. They know which coach has that electrical problem that only shows up once in a while. They know which repair can wait and which one shouldn't. Sometimes they know what's wrong before the diagnostic computer finishes telling them.

None of that experience shows up as an asset on the balance sheet.

Lose enough of it and eventually the cost does show up on the P&L.

Recruiting. Training. Overtime. Outside repairs. Road calls. Downtime. Turnover. Lost trips. Maybe lost customers.

That's why I think retention belongs in the financial conversation just as much as recruiting does.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE DOING THE JOB

I'm not writing this because I think every motorcoach company treats its employees poorly. There are operators with drivers who have stayed for decades. There are shops where mechanics have built entire careers. There are owners who still drive trips themselves and managers who came up through the shop or behind the wheel.

I actually want to hear from those companies too, because maybe there is something the rest of us can learn from them.

So instead of ending this article with an answer, I want to open the discussion.

Drivers: What is the hardest part of this job that owners or management may not see? And what does a good company do that makes you want to stay?

Mechanics: What is making your job harder today? Is it parts, diagnostics, staffing, training, equipment complexity, scheduling, or simply not having enough time?

Owners, managers and dispatchers: I want your side too. What makes it difficult to give drivers and mechanics what they're asking for? Rates? Insurance? Customer expectations? Labor costs? Equipment payments? And if you've been able to keep good people for years, what are you doing that works?

I don't want this to become a place to attack individual companies or people. I'm more interested in understanding what is happening across the private motorcoach industry.

The post that started me thinking about all of this came from someone who spent almost 30 years driving coaches, became frustrated enough to walk away, and still said he was going to miss the job.

There's something worth listening to in that.

So let's hear it from the people actually doing the work.

What are we getting right? What are we getting wrong? And what would make experienced drivers and mechanics want to spend another 10 or 20 years in this industry?

If enough people respond, I'll take what we hear from drivers, mechanics, dispatchers and operators and make that the next Motorcoach Insider report.

About the Author

Dhinel “Danny” Biyanwela works in motorcoach and ground transportation with experience in operations, vehicle sales, finance and fleet management. Through The Motorcoach Insider, he writes about the business behind transportation and the economic changes affecting independent operators.