Indian Trails Blog

When you think about it, the guys and gals who take on professional charter bus driving jobs are really the unsung heroes of the long haul driving world.  First and foremost, they must be excellent drivers, with the stamina, disposition, and aptitude to safely operate a 20-ton passenger vehicle, day and night, rain or shine, over terrain both familiar and unfamiliar.  But they also need to excel in trouble-shooting, vehicle maintenance, conflict resolution, emergency management, customer service, and even small talk.  In a job that requires a blend of driving skills, mechanical skills, and people skills, it’s hard to put bus drivers into any single occupational category:  Safety?  Transportation?  Travel and tourism?  Hospitality? Diplomacy?  A bus driver must be proficient in all of these areas—with a healthy dose of mechanical aptitude thrown in for good measure.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a charter bus driving job?  Have you ever pictured yourself skillfully (and cheerfully) maneuvering a 45-foot, 15-ton behemoth filled with high school football players in the middle of the night?

Every day in America, 10,000 post-World War II baby boomers turn 65—a demographic wave that started in 2011 and will continue through 2029.  But as they approach “normal retirement age,” members of the baby-boom generation—renowned for flouting the status quo—are starting to “reimagine” retirement.  Rather than retire at 65 like their parents did, older workers are launching second careers in record numbers … and according to the Retirement Café, driving a bus is among their top 10 choices.

In a recent study, the Pew Research Center discovered that most 65-year-olds (more than half) aren’t ready to stop working.  In fact, 16 percent of baby boomers say they’ll never retire—at least not in the traditional sense of moving to a warm climate and taking up golf and gardening.