Who’s behind the wheel? Work and health backgrounds of new transit bus operators

Objective Investigate new bus operators’ ( n = 293) occupational and health backgrounds to inform how transit authorities can support their future health and job success. Methods New bus operators completed surveys and direct measurements that addressed demographics, work history, and 10 health risk factors. Results Participants averaged 42.76 years of age and were predominantly male (73.5%). Many (45.7%) came from minority backgrounds and most (66.3%) had no prior commercial driving experience. Transportation and material moving occupations were operators’ most common prior jobs followed by protective service and sales and related occupations. Study-specific criteria classified operators as having low (49.5%), medium (37.9%), and high (12.6%) health risk levels. Conclusion About half of the sample had medium-to-high health risks and most lacked commercial driving experience. Such information may help employers proactively support new bus operators’ health and job success.