Strafford News

The Falls Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on October 22.

Contact: Rad Nichols, Executive Director, COAST

603-743-5777

DOVER, NH – The scarcity of qualified CDL licensed operators across the nation continues to also affect local public transit operators like COAST. Multiple times this year the region’s public transit system has had to temporarily suspend portions of their operations due to a lack of qualified drivers. After having to temporarily suspend a small set of services starting in mid-June, the non-profit public transit system serving the Greater Seacoast region made additional, deeper service suspensions in late August. COAST is once again having to adjust services as fewer staff are now predicted to be available through the late fall and winter. Starting wages for CDL Bus Drivers at COAST have been raised twice already this year, now at $21.25 per hour, and are budgeted to be adjusted again on January 1, 2022. After a CDL bus driver completes their first year at COAST, the wage rate currently increases by an average of nearly 9 percent per year through their fourth anniversary. COAST’s wage scale is also increased annually, or more frequently when necessary, to account for market conditions and inflation. The organization regularly has overtime opportunities which result in time and a half for all hours worked over 40 in a week. COAST also offers a benefits package including medical, dental, disability, life, generous paid time off, SIMPLE IRA with employer match, and many others. Rad Nichols, COAST Executive Director stated, “We are a mission driven public transit system, offering good career-oriented jobs that positively impact the communities we operate in. When you leave work for the day here at COAST, you know you made a real difference in people’s lives.” Nichols continued, “We know the impacts service suspensions have on other businesses that rely on our  buses to get their employees safely and affordably to and from work, students needing to get to classes, and others needing to simply get to where they are trying to go. We are doing everything we can to try and return to full operations, but the lack of qualified candidates looking to become public transit operators is taking time to overcome. In the mid-term we are even looking out and trying to alter our fleet mix (in approximately 9-12 months) so that we could hire non-CDL licensed individuals to drive smaller buses on some of our routes.” COAST provides a comprehensive paid training program that allows operators to be fully prepared prior to driving routes on their own. Unfortunately, COAST cannot train drivers to get their commercial driver’s license, due to liability insurance restrictions. However, COAST can refer individuals for potential training through the State of New Hampshire if they qualify, and/or help CDL drivers earn their passenger endorsement, if needed. 

Temporary Service Suspensions Starting on November 13, and continuing until COAST reaches adequate staffing levels, services on the

following bus routes will be temporarily suspended:

• Route 14 (between the Rochester P&R/Portsmouth Mon-Sat)
• Route 33 (continuation of 4:30pm run suspension Mon-Sat)
• Route 34 (multiple am and pm runs Mon-Sat)
• Route 40 (continuation of current suspensions)
• Route 43 (continuation of current suspensions)
• Route 44 (one pm run Mon-Fri)

Service Resumptions

• Route 12 (all previously suspended runs)
• Route 13 (all previously suspended runs)
• Route 33 (6:30pm run)

Service resumptions, particularly on Routes 12 and 13 with stronger rider usage, are possible because of deeper suspensions to the lower ridership Route 14. For more information on the specific runs being suspended on each of the affected routes, please visit www.coastbus.org/upcomingservicechanges. Nichols confirmed, “like with previous temporary suspensions we have had to put in place, the sole reason COAST is suspending these services is due to the shortage of CDL drivers. We have tried to be even more strategic in our suspensions this time around to impact as few passengers as possible. Our goal is to scale back up to full operations as quickly as possible once we have hired and trained new staff.” Being a public transit bus driver can be an incredibly rewarding career, where every day you help your many passengers safely get to work or school and back, go to doctor appointments, make trips to the grocery store or local retailers, meet up with friends for a day or an evening out, or otherwise go about their daily lives. COAST buses are “rolling neighborhoods” that represent each of the 13 communities in which they operate. Friendships are formed, life stories and struggles are shared, and successes are celebrated. COAST bus drivers get to experience all that first-hand. If you have a commercial driver’s license and are looking for a change and a great work environment, please visit www.coastbus.org/careers. The Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) has provided public transit service to the Seacoast New Hampshire region since 1982. COAST is a public, non-profit transit system that relies primarily on federal and local government support to operate. COAST is governed by a board of directors representing the communities served, two regional planning commissions, and many local and state agencies. COAST is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

Original source can be found here.