Planning staff transport for shift workers

Most staff transport problems start before the first car arrives. A missed pickup at 05:30 or a dispute over the month-end invoice usually traces back to something nobody wrote down at the start. Use this checklist before you sign with any transport provider, including us.

1. Know who needs a ride, and when

• Headcount per shift, not just in total. Ten people on a night shift need a different plan from ten people on days.
• Shift start and end times, including weekends and public holidays.
• Home areas. A rough map of where people live (suburb level is enough) decides how many cars you need and how long the routes take.
• Sites. If staff work across more than one building, list every address.

2. Agree how bookings and changes work

People swap shifts, get sick and go on leave. Decide up front:

• How a staff member books, changes or cancels a trip, and by when.
• What a late cancellation costs, and whether cancelling the trip home is treated differently.
• Who at your company can see bookings and approve exceptions.

If changes run through a WhatsApp group, someone will miss a message. A booking app with a clear cut-off avoids most of the arguments.

3. Set the safety rules in writing

Ask your provider to confirm, in writing:

• How drivers are vetted (licence, professional driving permit, background check).
• How they confirm the right person is getting in the car, for example a personal boarding code.
• That only booked riders travel, and drop-offs are only at the booked address.
• How long a driver waits before moving on, and who contacts the rider.
• What happens on late-night trips if a rider doesn't answer.

4. Make sure you can see what's happening

You shouldn't have to phone a driver to find out where a car is. Look for:

• Live tracking of each trip, from pickup to drop-off.
• A record of who boarded and when.
• Lateness and no-shows recorded per trip, so problems can be fixed rather than argued about.

5. Decide how you'll check the invoice

The invoice should come from the trips that actually ran. Before you start, agree:

• The rate (per rider per month, per trip or per route) and what's included.
• Whether billing is in advance or in arrears.
• How trips the provider couldn't run are credited.
• Any extra charges (other drop-off addresses, waiting time) and that they're listed before they apply.

6. Plan the first month

• Send staff their booking invites a week before the start date.
• Run a trial week on one shift if you can.
• Book a check-in at the end of month one to look at on-time pickups, no-shows and cost per rider.

Want us to map it for you?

Send us your headcount, sites and shift times and we'll come back with a route plan and a fixed quote within 2 working days. Get a staff transport quote.