How are school bus fleets adapting to driver shortages, alternative transportation, and electrification? Listen in as SBF is joined by Dean Suhre, First Student’s COO, where we discuss attracting new drivers to how student transportation is evolving to meet industry challenges and community needs.

Q: How has the rise of alternative transportation affected your operations, especially blending it with traditional school bus services?

Suhre: Alternative transportation and specialized solutions have significantly impacted First Student's operations by allowing us to expand our service offerings. We’ve leveraged our decades of expertise with traditional school bus services to integrate these new service models to cater to the varying needs of our schools and families. This includes incorporating smaller, more efficient vehicles for specialized routes and supplemental transportation, and implementing technology to optimize route planning and tracking.

In the past, districts had to contract multiple companies to manage their diverse population needs. With our solutions, districts have a one-stop resource to determine which mode of transportation best suits each student’s needs.

For example, students who need to ride alone no longer have to sit on a large bus. We can place them on an alternative transportation vehicle and integrate them into our overall solution for the district. This also allows us to free up large-capacity buses for other routes, increasing the number of bus drivers available to districts and helping reduce the need for commercial drivers. 

Q: What recruitment methods have you found most effective in attracting new drivers?

Suhre: At First Student, we have implemented a multi-faceted recruitment strategy, including targeted efforts leveraging programmatic job board ads, social media campaigns, and local and virtual hiring events to increase applicant flow. We have also expanded our hiring focus to ensure a complete driver hiring process, from application to service delivery. Our First Student Military Program Expansion has been very successful in offering veterans and their families opportunities in our organization. We currently have 10 military ambassadors actively participating in over 150 events as part of the program to support veterans, military spouses, and Guardsmen/Reservists.

Q: How do you ensure that your drivers receive the necessary training to excel in their roles?

Suhre: We are committed to equipping our drivers with the skills and certifications they need. Our Professional Driver Development Program surpasses federal ELDT requirements by ensuring our drivers are fully prepared for every aspect of their role.

The PDDP blends classroom instruction with on-the-road, hands-on training, covering critical topics such as driver qualifications, hours of service, special needs, and critical safety behavior training. Our proprietary training platform provides real-time progress tracking and key performance metrics. As part of our HALO technology suite, our training program guarantees that every candidate receives a consistent and comprehensive learning experience.

To further support new driver candidates, we offer live virtual training roles for the classroom portion of the program. This structured, online approach helps them build confidence and familiarity with key concepts, reducing early turnover and fostering long-term success.

Our commitment to excellence extends to our trainers as well. Through our internal trainer certification program, we equip instructors with adult learning principles to deliver engaging, high-quality training, both in the classroom and behind the wheel.

We don’t just train drivers; we empower them with the tools, technology, and support they need to provide safe, reliable transportation for the communities we serve.

Q: What incentives or morale boosters do you offer drivers to promote retention and job satisfaction, and how does this lead to a stable workforce?

Suhre: We recognize that our drivers are the heart of our organization, and we are committed to fostering a positive, rewarding work environment that fosters job satisfaction and long-term retention. We’ve achieved this through a range of initiatives designed to recognize their dedication and commitment.

One of our most impactful initiatives is our new hire and referral bonus programs, which rewards employees for bringing in qualified candidates, reinforcing a team-driven approach to recruitment while giving drivers the opportunity to earn extra income by recommending great talent. 

Beyond hiring incentives, we believe in recognizing and celebrating our employees' ongoing contributions. Our Service Awards Program honors drivers for their years of dedicated service with personalized gift packages at significant key career milestones. These awards not only celebrate tenure, but also reinforce the lasting impact our drivers have on the communities we serve. Additionally, we actively listen to our employees through our Employee Listening Surveys, which help us understand their needs and enhance their experience. Our outstanding eNPS reflects the positive culture we strive to build, reinforcing our commitment to making our workplace more engaging and rewarding for everyone.

At the core of our work culture are the values of safety, care for our students, teamwork, and excellence. We prioritize competitive wages and benefits in the markets we serve so that our drivers are fairly compensated for the important work they do. But beyond pay, we focus on building a supportive and inclusive work environment that fosters a sense of belonging and stability.

Q: What are some of the key challenges you’ve faced in driver recruitment and retention and how have you overcome them?

Suhre: Like many in our industry, we’ve faced challenges with driver shortages, but our proactive strategies and commitment to employee engagement have positioned us as a leader in overcoming them. Thanks to our targeted hiring and retention efforts, we are now close to 98% staffed company-wide.

One key driver of our success is our investment in employee listening tools, which provide real-time feedback on driver engagement, satisfaction, and retention. By understanding what matters most to our workforce, we’ve enhanced job satisfaction, improved work-life balance, and significantly reduced turnover.

To address staffing challenges in high-need areas, we focus our company resources where they’re needed most. This includes targeted recruiting efforts, tailored hiring incentives, community outreach initiatives, and onboarding and training support.

We’ve also modernized our hiring and onboarding processes to create a more seamless and engaging experience for new drivers. Tools like automated recruiting workflows, virtual training options, and our proprietary training platform create a seamless and engaging experience, helping new drivers feel supported from day one.

Q: What are your long-term goals?

Suhre: Our vision is to drive the future of transportation through innovation and sustainability while keeping safety, technology, and student experience a top priority.

Regarding sustainability, we are minimizing our environmental impact across our operations and supply chain. A key part of this commitment is our aggressive push toward electrifying our school bus fleet. No one has more electric school buses on the road than we do. We recently celebrated surpassing 5 million EV miles — and we’re rapidly approaching 6 million.

We’ve also developed First Charge, our patent-pending, above-ground EV charging infrastructure solution. Unlike traditional methods, First Charge allows us to deploy charging infrastructure faster by being pre-manufactured at an ISO 9000-certified facility and delivered ready to go. This innovative approach not only speeds up deployment, but also reduces infrastructure costs by approximately 30% compared to competitors, helping funding go further and making electric school buses more accessible.

Q: How do you see the role of school bus contractors evolving over the next decade?

Suhre: Over the next decade, school bus contractors will play an increasingly vital role in student transportation by embracing advanced technology, enhancing safety and security, and driving greater efficiency.

Technology will be at the forefront, with innovations like AI-powered route optimization, real-time GPS tracking, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) making transportation safer and more reliable. Additionally, contractors will lead the transition to cleaner, more sustainable fleets, expanding the use of electric and low-emission vehicles to reduce environmental impact and improve air quality for students and communities.

At the same time, school districts will continue to face budget constraints, making cost-effective transportation solutions more critical than ever. Contractors will respond by optimizing fleet operations, streamlining maintenance, and leveraging economies of scale to deliver better value without compromising service quality.

As student transportation evolves, contractors won’t just provide buses; they’ll serve as strategic partners to school districts, offering innovative solutions that enhance safety, sustainability, and efficiency while guaranteeing reliable transportation for every child.