THE "NOW HIRING" SIGNS, SCHOOL
BUS COMPANIES.
IN WISCONSIN, MORE THAN 600,000
STUDENTS TAKE A SCHOOL BUS EVERY
DAY, WITH MORE THAN 15,000 OF
THE ICONIC YELLOW BUSES ON THE
ROAD.
BUT THERE REMAINS A SEVERE
SHORTAGE OF DRIVERS.
ONE WISCONSIN COMPANY THAT
OPERATES IN 45 SCHOOL DISTRICTS
IS CERTAINLY FEELING THE PINCH.
PAUL MENNEN IS STATEWIDE SCHOOL
BUS MANAGER FOR LAMERS BUS
LINES.
HE JOINS US NOW FROM GREEN BAY
AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
>> SO HAVE YOU EVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN YOUR
BUSINESS?
>> NO.
THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A DRIVER
SHORTAGE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS,
BUT THIS IS ULTIMATELY -- HAS
BEEN THE WORST IN THE PAST YEAR
OR SO.
>> SO HOW SEVERE IS THE SHORTAGE
OF DRIVERS ACROSS THE STATE AND
THE NATION?
>> WELL, ACROSS THE NATION IN
MANY COMMUNITIES IT'S ACTUALLY
BEYOND CRITICAL.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN ARTICLES WHERE
THEY SEEN HAVE THE NATIONAL
GUARD HELPING DRIVE KIDS TO AND
FROM SCHOOL USING THEIR SCHOOL
BUSES.
BUT AS A COMPANY AS A WHOLE,
SPEAKING FOR US, WE CAN EASILY
HIRE FOR THE STATE OF WISCONSIN
PROBABLY 300 DRIVERS TO FILL THE
POSITIONS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE
AS A COMPANY JUST TO GET US BACK
TO WHERE WE WERE SAY TWO YEARS
AGO.
>> SO WHAT IMPACT DOES THIS
SHORTAGE HAVE THEN ON THE ROUTES
THAT YOU RUN AND GETTING
STUDENTS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE?
>> WE HAD TO GET PRETTY
CREATIVE, DOUBLE UP ROUTES.
SOME DISTRICTS HAVE CHANGED BELL
TIMES IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE
USE OF BUS, OF THE BUSES AND/OR
DRIVERS.
AND WE'VE HAD TO JUST
CONSOLIDATE WHERE WE HAD TO AND
IN SOME CASES WE'VE HAD TO
NOTIFY THE SCHOOL THAT WE HAD A
DRIVER CALL IN SICK AND THAT
PARENTS MAY HAVE HAD TO TAKE
THEM TO SCHOOL THAT MORNING AND
ALL HANDS ARE ON DECK, OFFICE
STAR, ANY MAINTENANCE STAFF THAT
HAVE A CDL AND CAN DRIVE ARE
FILLING THOSE VACANCIES.
>> HOW STRESSFUL IS THIS FOR
SOMEONE LIKE YOURSELF IN CHARGE
OF THESE LOGISTICS?
>> WELL, IT'S VERY STRESSFUL.
I MEAN, WE'RE UP AT 4:00 A.M.,
NOT REALLY SURE, CHECKING TO SEE
WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
COME IN.
WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDST OF A
PANDEMIC.
WE HAVE DRIVERS THAT WILL CALL
IN AND SAY I'M NOT FEELING WELL,
SO THEY -- WE CAN'T ALLOW THEM
TO DRIVE.
SO THAT CREATES A SHORTAGE
LAST-MINUTE.
IT DOES UPSET OUR CUSTOMERS.
WE'VE HAD TO SAY WE CAN'T
FULFILL ATHLETIC TRIPS BECAUSE
WE'RE PRIORITIZING THE HOME TO
SCHOOL ROUTES VERSUS SAY A
MIDDLE SCHOOL TRACK TEAM OR A
SPORTING EVENT AND PARENTS ARE
NOW FORCED TO EITHER BRING THEIR
STUDENTS, ATHLETES TO THOSE
GAMES, OR THE DESCRIE DISTRICTSE
LOOKING FOR ANY OTHER WAY TO GET
THE TEAMS TO THEIR EVENTS.
>> SUPER, SUPER DIFFICULT.
BUT IN A CITY LIKE MILWAUKEE,
WHERE SOMETHING LIKE 40,000
STUDENTS TAKE THE BUS, WHAT IS
THIS HARDSHIP LIKE IN A CITY
LIKE THAT?
>> I THINK IT'S PRETTY CHAOTIC.
I THINK IT'S DESTRUCTIVE TO THE
FAMILIES.
IT'S DISRUPTIVE TO THE SCHOOL
STAFF.
YOU KNOW, STUDENTS ARE LATE.
STUDENTS ARE NOT GETTING WHAT
THEY -- UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT THEY
DESERVE, YOU KNOW, TO BE TO
SCHOOL ON TIME AND TO
PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES LIKE
THEY USED TO.
>> COULD THIS BE FIXED WITH MORE
PAY FOR THE DRIVERS OR WHAT
EXACTLY IS HAPPENING HERE?
>> IN ALL HONESTY, YOU KNOW,
WHAT THAT AMOUNT IS I'M SURE,
YOU KNOW, ALL COMPANIES,
INCLUDING OURSELVES, WE SEE IT.
EVERYONE IS INCREASING THE RATE
OF PAY.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY FILLING.
IT'S JUST HOPEFULLY KEEPING
PEOPLE FROM LEAVING FOR OTHER
POSITIONS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE
THAT ARE NOT INVOLVING DRIVING A
SCHOOL BUS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE
COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER COMPANIES
SEEKING THE EXISTING WORKFORCE
THAT'S OUT THERE.
FRANKLY, I THINK THE ISSUE IS IS
THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE
ENTERING THE WORKFORCE AND WE
SEE THE GENERATION, THE
BABYBOOMER GENERATION, LEAVING.
AND THIS WAS PREDICTED MANY
YEARS AGO, THAT THERE'S GOING TO
BE A WORKER SHORTAGE.
THE PANDEMIC HAS JUST ADDED A
LITTLE EXTRA LAYER TO IT.
>> CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE JUST
FOR FOLKS OUT THERE WHO MIGHT BE
LISTENING TO THIS AND THINKING I
COULD DRIVE A SCHOOL BUS.
WHAT IS KIND OF THE STARTING PAY
OR THE PAY?
>> WELL, IT VARIES A LITTLE BIT
AROUND THE STATE BUT, YOU KNOW,
FOR THE MOST PART YOU'RE LOOKING
ANYWHERE FROM $18 TO $24 AN
HOUR, DEPENDING -- FOR SCHOOL
ROUTES, DEPENDING ON WHAT MARKET
OR WHERE YOU LIVE.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL,
TYPICAL HOURLY RATE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SO THOSE JOBS ARE CERTAINLY OUT
THERE, AS YOU SAY, RIGHT NOW.
YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ABOUT 300 IN
DRIVERS.
ALL RIGHT.
WELL, PAUL MENNEN, WE WISH YOU
WELL WITH THIS ISSUE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> MENNEN SAYS MANY RETIREES WHO
PICKED UP WORK LEFT DURING THE
PA