Vanpool Tips and Etiquette
Here are some tips and etiquette to help make your vanpooling experience seamless and stress-free!
- Determine your route and schedule. Establish pickup points and times. Communicate this information to new riders.
- Be punctual. Decide how long the driver and/or fellow vanpoolers are expected to wait. Consistently enforce so riders know what to expect.
- Keep a contact list. Create and keep a current contact list for members of your van.
- Establish a chain of communication. If a driver will not be commuting to work in the van on a given day, coordinate with the other driver(s) to ensure members of the vanpool will have a ride. Likewise, if a rider will not be riding the van, let the driver(s) know as soon as possible.
- Share the driving. Create a schedule for approved drivers to alternate driving. This avoids placing the driving responsibility on one person, leading to driver burn-out.
- Establish group rules. Radio station and volume; food and drinks; personal cell phone use, etc. Your vanpool will have a better chance of success if potential issues are discussed initially, and openly.
- Keep the van clean. Everyone should remove their own trash. The group is allowed up to $30 monthly for van cleaning.
- Plan for maintenance. Drivers, to keep your van in top operating performance, it is important to stay on schedule with service. Please plan to swap vans within two business days of notification by arranging drop off and pickup with other drivers in the van.
- Have a backup plan. Check with your employer to see if they offer an emergency ride home. If not, contact us for information on Pierce Transit’s Emergency Ride Home program.
- Know your resources. Visit our website, piercetransit.org, for resources such as applications and agreements, how to recruit vanpool riders, fare charts, and vanpool rewards. Our Vanpool Manual provides details about our policies and procedures.