A massive shortage of bus drivers is being seen in the states of New Jersey, Florida and Pennsylvania in the US. In fact, the situation is so bad that school and college students are reportedly compelled to travel in taxis or use Uber and other cab services. The problem is, institutions are losing their bus drivers to the e-commerce giant, Amazon. These drivers are apparently also switching jobs for higher compensation, to other ride-hailing services and long-haul trucking companies.
During the lockdown, when all students were cooped up in their homes and attending classes online, these very school bus drivers were out of job and desperately looking for employment. The logistics and delivery hub facilities of Amazon sought them out. Public schools are now trying their best to retain their drivers by offering them wages as high as $30 per hour and private bus contractors are offering bonuses as high as $5000!
In Palm Beach, Florida, schools are competing with an Amazon warehouse facility which has just opened in the area and is aggressively luring drivers with higher wages. The Company is offering $2 more per hour as wage compared to the public schools in the area.
In the state of Danbury, Amazon is giving referral bonuses of $300 to other workers to lure drivers to the Company. Amazon is stepping up its hiring process to meet the growing demand of the festive season.
