You're in the driver's seat, now what?
You'll find helpful new drivers or general driver insight below. You'll get more information from your trainer, but here are a few 101 highlights.
Rider Fare: $0
You will not have to track payments or ask for payments. Our rider fare through the year 2023 is zero dollars.
Help a Rider
Drivers, you are the first and last impression of Ozark Regional Transit. If a rider doesn’t look familiar, they may said “I’m new to public transit”, or they have questions about the process. Please share some new helpful tips. Riders want to know how to make your day easier. Tell them!
Loading and Unloading a bike:
Drivers, please wave and/or acknowledge the rider somehow. We instruct riders to give drivers some sort of acknowledgment that they’re about to mount a bike. For safety reasons drivers are not allowed to leave the bus to help load or unload a bike. Drivers must remain in the vehicle. Rider bike loading demo video above.
Hungry?
Dwell time between runs is your perfect snack time. Those are built into each schedule. You’ll have anywhere from 72-120 minutes of estimated dwell time. During the dwell time, the driver can use a restroom, eat, walk or other non-driving activity.
Who can time an untimely bathroom break?
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Our secret code for drivers who have an untimely bathroom need is "I have a code10-100": If for some reason the driver needs to use a bathroom mid-run, the standard operating procedure is that he/she notifies the on-duty dispatcher that a code 10-100 is taking place. This is the 10-code used for the discretion of the driver. At any time along a route, the driver can do this. The notification is only made so the on-duty dispatcher is notified why the bus is sitting still. Otherwise, dispatch will assume an emergency has taken place and send the cavalry! Thinking about it now, I guess the secret is out...riders please give our driver some grace if you hear "10-100" during a ride. Trust us, if they call one during a ride, it's an emergency for their bladder.
Thank you for considering a career with ORT or if you’re curious thank you for reading. We're excited to serve you and look forward to getting you where you need to go! To submit a resume or application please visit https://www.ozark.org/careers. If you are thinking of joining the team, a new driver, or just have any questions always feel free to ask via phone call 479-756-5901 or email us ORTinformation@ozark.org.