Operations manager: driver recruitment improving but training and CDL hurdles persist

Alen Titus, RCTA’s operations and safety manager, told the board the authority recently hired a new driver and expects to have about 10–11 drivers supporting seven routes.

Titus said hiring remains a “revolving door” because prospective drivers often move to higher‑paying jobs after training. She described obstacles to quickly staffing drivers, including pre‑employment drug‑testing disqualifications and the logistics and costs of obtaining a commercial driver’s license: classroom requirements (about 35 hours), a skill course, and behind‑the‑wheel hours, with testing requiring travel to a facility roughly 30 miles away.

Titus said the authority uses dial‑a‑ride assignments to give trainees hours while they complete classroom and skill‑course requirements and that the agency seeks to balance hiring to avoid burning out long‑tenured drivers. Board members asked about shift lengths and fatigue; Titus described split shifts and routes that can return drivers by about 9 p.m. on most shifts, while some longer runs may end later.

Titus emphasized a positive workplace culture and mentorship for new drivers and said she would continue recruitment efforts to reach staffing targets.