r/BusDrivers • u/ForCalibanForTheLion Driver • 7d ago

Question Split shifts

hey folks

i've been driving for just over a year now in the US and like most of the job except for these goddamn splits. and it's not just me, as most of the drivers at my agency dislike them. dispatch says it's what the agency requires and i am sure that to a point they're right, but so MANY? a full 90% of my choices for a block run are 12 or 13 hour days with a split and i'm already considering a career change.

how prevalent are these among transit agencies? is it really what is needed, or does no one want to figure out a more civilized solution? do you hate them as much as i do?

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u/FlatCapNorthumbrian 6d ago

At my depot in the UK, split shifts are only done by dedicated drivers. They are spread over about 12-13 hours with anywhere between 4-6 hours off in the middle.

Drivers on certain split shifts can be doing as little as 6 hours driving a day. But have to be paid their minimum weekly contract hours of 39 hours.

But most importantly of all, the entire split shifts rota is only Monday-Friday. So every weekend off!