January 5, 2024
Many industries across Nebraska have been experiencing workforce shortages, and the transit industry is no exception. In December 2022, the Nebraska Public Transit team, consisting of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) and the Nebraska Safety Center at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, conducted a survey of transit drivers across Nebraska. This work is supported by an ongoing grant both Centers have with the Nebraska Department of Transportation to enhance rural transit operations throughout Nebraska.
This survey was informed by an informal focus group with six transit managers representing the six mobility management regions of Nebraska in the fall of 2022. A common concern among all transit managers was the ability to recruit and retain drivers for their agencies. Therefore, the purpose of this survey was to hear directly from drivers currently working in transit agencies about what can be done to better recruit and retain drivers.
The driver survey was administered electronically and by mail. The survey had a 39% response rate, or 168 completed surveys. The survey was open for three weeks in 2022, from mid-November through December. The survey was conducted and analyzed by CPAR and culminated in this report. When asked what is most important to recruiting and retaining transit drivers in Nebraska, respondents noted higher wages and better benefits for full-time and part-time workers were most important.
In addition to the report, the team has created a video to aid agencies in their recruitment and retention efforts. Nebraska Public Transit has shared the video on the website and social media channels and we encourage all managers to also share the video when you are posting about a job opening at your transit agency.
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