By Dave Millhouser ABC Companies

'Ill buy a bus from you . . . if youll drive it for me.'

This coach owner was kidding, of course, but he also was illustrating the difficulty the current driver shortage has created. On occasion he has equipment idle, despite having work for it, because he cant get enough drivers.

He cant expand his fleet to meet market opportunities.

Its not difficult to identify the causes of the shortage. Transit authorities and trucking companies offer higher pay, and predictable schedules. Drug screening and more stringent requirements for licensing further shrink the pool of available drivers.

We all have funny stories about operators who have messed up, but the truth is that driving a charter coach is a complex job. Your drivers, more than anyone else, are the face of your business.

They have to go to strange places, at all hours, and deal with the public on your behalf. Good ones strike a precarious balance between taking caring of your customer . . . and your coach.

Sometimes those needs contradict, like when the engine is overheating a mile from the destination. The driver can make your customers love a particular coach, or hate it. The job is half equipment operator, and half salesman.

Hiring and retaining good people is critical. Clearly, every trip needs a driver, but another benefit of having plenty of good operators is that you can discipline the marginal ones, and have more freedom to recognize superior performers.

Having too few good operators gives the poorest ones too much power, and risks poisoning your driver pool.

Soooooooooo, what to do?

If there were simple answers, thered be no shortage, but there are some things you can try. Youre probably doing many of them already.

Pay as much as you can afford. Easier said than done, but when theyre driving your expensive bus, full of your customers, they are your partner. They can sell your company or not. Your future is literally in their hands.

Grow your own. Its easier to turn a good person into a driver, than turn a driver into a good person. Find qualified nondrivers and teach them to operate a coach -- your way.

Its a great job for semi-retired folks. Younger applicants will have a chance to see the country, with lots of opportunities for advancement into management.

Little things you can do may be worth more to your people than they cost you. Look for them, in lieu of raising pay. Higher meal per diems, uniform allowances, permitting spouses on trips, use of your facilities for washing their cars. Little things.

Where possible, build in performance incentives, including safety, economy and reliability benchmarks that both acknowledge, and reward, superior performance.

Treat them fairly. Some trips are more fun than others, some tip better. Make sure the good ones are spread around evenly. Dont let a few drivers schmooze your dispatchers into giving them all the good work because youll lose the others. If you are an owner that drives on occasion, dont take the best jobs.

Keep your buses presentable. Drivers feel better about themselves when they like and trust their equipment. (And, they get more tips). Address reported defects as quickly as possible, and drivers will feel as if theyre being taken seriously. Be honest with them when a repair must be deferred.

Years ago I drove for a guy who looked me in the eye and said: 'This bus has problems but we really need it. Anyone can drive a good bus but I need my best guys on the bad ones.' Manipulative? Heck yes. But Id have done anything to live up to his expectations.

Its a different world today, but understanding the difficulty of the job, and doing your best to take care of good people will pay off with more and better drivers.

Publicly recognize superior performance. Its more fun (and generally more effective) to publicly compliment your folks, than to clobber them. With any luck your other employees will get an idea of what youre looking for.

Its a cliche but many of the best operators have public bulletin boards full of customer letters and commendations. Use them in advertisements and your drivers will love it.

Its no secret but we all need to be reminded: the best people dont work just for money. They work for recognition, and a sense of worth. Satisfy that need, and your drivers will be happy and plentiful.

A trucker once told me he had switched to driving a coach because it was easier than driving a truck and it loaded itself. He only lasted a year, and last I heard, was on a waiting list for a heart transplant. Guess the bus thing was more stressful than he thought.

Hope he made it.

Dave Millhouse is an account representative for ABC Companies. Contact him at: dmillhouser@abc-companies.com