WILLER’s express bus drivers are now called “Highway Pilots”. Why the change? A “driver” drives a rail car, and a “pilot” (airline pilot) is in charge of flying an airplane. So, what is a bus driver ……? WILLER EXPRESS, which operates express and night buses on 22 routes throughout Japan, mainly in Tokyo and Osaka, has changed the name of its bus drivers to “highway pilots” starting in April 2024. The company aims to brand the profession of “bus driver” and to secure human resources by making it recognized as a “coveted profession. In 2024, when WILLER changed its name to “Highway Pilot,” it will hire 13 new employees, more than double the number of the previous year. The company is also aiming to secure 30 new employees per year through various initiatives. However, WILLER’s measures to secure drivers are not limited to changing the name of the bus company. We spoke with WILLER EXPRESS President Koji Hirayama to find out how the company is tackling the “driver shortage” problem common to bus companies in various regions, and also took a look at the actual working environment.
Not only changing the name “Highway Pilot! First of all, improve treatment WILLER is not only changing the name to “Highway Pilot,” but is also recruiting new personnel under the title of “6 million yen per year in the local area. However, the number of large two-class license holders, which numbered 1.13 million in 2006, will drop to 840,000 by 2020. The industry has seen a succession of cases where “even profitable routes have to pull out due to labor shortages,” and it is no longer possible to gather human resources simply by saying, “Experienced bus drivers, please come and join us. Therefore, WILLER is calling for people from different industries, mainly the service industry, to change jobs after fully subsidizing the cost of acquiring a driver’s license. According to President Hirayama, WILLER’s bus drivers “are subjected to strict checks in terms of service, such as careful customer service and cleaning. He says that many experienced bus drivers are surprised at how much they have to do. In this aspect, those who had originally experienced the service industry are more comfortable with the duties of highway pilots, according to the company. At the same time, the company has established the “Willer Labo,” where experienced drivers serve as instructors, and regularly trains new employees in Shibayama Town, Chiba Prefecture, where the company originally had a sales office. Not only do the new recruits stay at a special accommodation and receive thorough training for about three months, but according to President Hirayama, “During the training period, highway pilots get to know each other and continue to communicate with each other even after their debut, which has the unexpected effect of relieving the loneliness of the work. This “WILLER LABO” has received 472 applications in 2024. However, in 2024, due to a lack of instructors, the three-month program will only be in operation twice a year, and the company plans to increase the number of applications to four times a year in order to increase recruitment from the large number of applicants.
© Source travel watch
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