Hello again.... it's busy at work, but I've noticed that "insanely busy" doesn't seem to be the case any more. The company I drive for has had a protracted effort to hire more drivers, and I think I can honestly say that, for the first time in my almost-25 years there, that our staffing appears to be adequate. What does that mean to me, and my fellow well-established senior drivers? Uh, how about, that we can actually have a "life", even when it's busy? All those years of crazy hours are, hopefully, behind me now. There seems to be a new, better understanding with management of the importance of not "burning out" drivers, especially the most-experienced ones. This is a good thing!! Perhaps also in the mix is the new reality that drivers, good drivers, are becoming scarce, and the company can ill-afford to lose anyone, especially the experienced ones. All of this bodes well for me, as I have fought (griped, bitched, etc) for years to work LESS, not more. All dispatchers hate getting phone calls from unhappy customers, complaining about a driver who, in the customer's opinion, is not "up to the task" in some fashion. As a result, senior drivers tend to get the bulk of the runs that are the "more difficult" type; typically, single-bus moves out of the county, with the need for a working knowledge of where they're headed, and maybe some personality to boot *grin*. Well, that may not sound too complicated, but consider the responsibility involved with:
1) safely transporting 40+ passengers to their destination(s),
2) actually knowing where you're going,
3) negotiating your way through Southern California's notorious traffic,
4) being casual, easy-going, and congenial with the customer the whole time
5) exuding an air of confidence that puts the people at ease
6) have contingency plans for traffic, bus problems, change of schedule, etc.
7) do this day after day, with all sorts of different types of groups,
8) more often than not, have no clue what you're doing tomorrow!
That's just part of this job. Obviously, some of the above-mentioned items overlap, but each is unique. The job can be both exhilarating and depressing. But, for me, the biggest annoyances are LONG hours and QUICK turnarounds. So, the recent developments at my company go a LONG way towards mitigating my two biggest issues. Hurray!!! Maybe I'll stay till I retire *grin*
