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driving record, we will consider hiring that person
as a ‘regular’ driver. The newly-hired driver
will then have the opportunity to obtain a
commercial driver’s license (CDL) by completing
our in-house training program,” Iwamoto
said. “It is sometimes difficult to find good drivers
due to the many regulations and other
requirements that candidates must fulfill.
“During my dad’s time, there was no such
thing as a commercial driver’s license. If the
owner of the bus company liked the way you
drove, you were hired. Now, there are so many
guidelines it scares some people away.”
When it comes to retaining drivers, Iwamoto
has observed over the years that the third or
fourth year into a driver’s employment is usually
pivotal. It is usually about this time a driver,
who may not like working an ever-fluctuating
work schedule or may not like the seasonal
nature of the work schedule, will call it quits.
“The ones who move beyond the first three or
four years, usually stay with us for a long time,”
Iwamoto said.
Geography Dictates Shorter Trips
Hawaii, the only state made up entirely of
islands, encompasses nearly the entire
volcanic Hawaiian Island chain of hundreds
of islands spread over 1,500 miles. The
Page 16 BUSLINE January/February 2011
islands feature beautiful beaches, a wide variety
of tropical flora and fauna and volcanic mountains,
the largest of which is Mauna Kea on the
island of Hawaii. Mauna Kea stands at 13,796
feet, but is taller than Mount Everest when
measured from the base of the mountain at the
floor of the Pacific Ocean, rising to about
33,500 feet.
“Some of our terrain on the islands only
allows for mini-buses and vans,” Iwamoto said.
In addition, the islands the company services
are relatively small, which means buses are not
used to make long-distance trips such as would
be common on the mainland.
“Our average speed in Hawaii is probably in
the 20- to 25-mph range. There are very few
areas that allow speeds up to 50 or 60 mph,”
Iwamoto said. “On the mainland, a bus or
motorcoach will easily travel 100,000 miles per
year. In Hawaii, our coaches average around
30,000 mile per year. There just isn’t anywhere
that far to go. It is less than 80 miles to travel
around the island of Oahu.”
Because passengers are not on vehicles for
long distances when traveling, such amenities
as WiFi, DVD players, etc., are not as crucial to
customers. Passengers are typically not on a
coach long enough at any given time for these
types of amenities to be in great demand.
“Because our trips are so short and we make
See us at UMA Motorcoach Expo Booth #129
so many stops, even lavatories in coaches are
not a huge requirement,” Iwamoto said. “Our
current fleet of motorcoaches is equipped with
DVDs and wheelchair accessibility. Our new
coaches will all have DVD players and lavatories.
They will also feature electronic signage.
Electronic signage is big because we want to
help passengers make sure they are boarding the
correct coach.”
Roberts Hawaii’s new motorcoaches will also
feature three-point seat belts.
“We went with the option of installing threepoint
seat belts in our new coaches in response
to safety concerns expressed by travel agencies
that book with us out of China, Korea and
Japan,” Iwamoto said. “We listened to our customers’
concerns and we added three-point seat
belts.
“Over the years we have tried to maintain as
clean and attractive vehicles as possible. It is
very difficult when you have a fleet of our size.
The last thing you want to do is give a bad first
impression.”
While many would describe Hawaii as a
“tropical paradise,” and it certainly is in many
ways, there are some challenges in doing business
in the Aloha State.
For example, when Roberts Hawaii purchases
a coach, shipping costs can add 5 to 10 percent
to the cost as compared to the same pur-