FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

FMCSA Contact: Phil Hanley, MC-PSB, (202) 366-6811

Bus Driver Fatigue and Stress 

Issues Study

Introduction

Commercial driver fatigue long has been recognized as a major highway safety problem, but motor carrier researchers traditionally have focused on the trucking industry.

Fatigue-related issues associated with motorcoach drivers differ from the issues faced

by truck drivers because of the distinct nature of their jobs. For example, truck and

motorcoach drivers deal with different vehicular operating characteristics, number of

hours spent behind the wheel and on the road, cargo, method of driver compensation,

and outside influences. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), formerly the Office of Motor

Carriers (OMC) of the Federal Highway Administration, conducted a research project to

identify unique aspects of operations in the motorcoach industry that produce driver

fatigue and stress. This Tech Brief summarizes the study final report.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to:

• identify fatigue-inducing stresses unique to the

motorcoach industry through direct interaction

with motorcoach owners, safety directors, operations managers, and drivers;

• evaluate the relative influence of those stresses

on motorcoach driver fatigue;

• provide relevant feedback to the OMC for its

consideration in future decisions that affect the

motorcoach industry; and 

• develop an outreach video to help motorcoach drivers understand the effects of

fatigue, the stresses that induce it, and the means to reduce it. 

Methodology

In order to identify the unique characteristics that influence motorcoach driver fatigue

and stress, researchers needed collective input from the motorcoach industry and a

concrete understanding of relevant past studies and projects. They used three primary

sources of information: 

• a comprehensive review of literature and videos; 

• input from a series of five focus group sessions and telephone interviews; and

• information provided by an industry advisory panel.

Tech Brief

The goal of the Federal Motor

Carrier Safety Administration

(FMCSA) is to reduce the 

number and severity of large

truck-involved crashes

through more commercial

motor vehicle and operator

inspections and compliance

reviews, stronger enforcement

measures against violators,

expedited completion of 

rulemaking proceedings, 

scientifically sound research,

and effective CDL testing,

recordkeeping, and sanctions.

The Office of Research and

Technology manages research

and technology development

and deployment programs for

the FMCSA.

FMCSA R&T activities 

encompass a range of issues

and disciplines relating to

motor carrier safety, including

problem assessment; policy,

safety management, and 

outreach; drivers; truck 

and bus vehicle safety 

performance; and compliance,

enforcement and operations.

Driver alertness and fatigue

primarily supports current 

and future hours-of-service

rulemaking activities, along

with fatigue outreach and

fatigue management 

technology development.

Office of Research and

Technology

400 Seventh Street, SW

MC-RT, Room 3107

Washington, DC 20590

Motorcoach driver-related issues

affecting fatigue and stress

include wellness and lifestyle,

personal accountability, and

“exceeding one’s limits.”

photo courtesy of TPI Composites, Inc.
Literature Search

Researchers conducted a comprehensive review of literature and videos to identify known aspects of

motorcoach driver fatigue and gather information to

serve as the foundation for the remainder of the project. This review included literature related to other

research projects, symposiums on fatigue, results of

National Transportation Safety Board investigations,

and information obtained through Internet searches.

The literature search revealed very little specific

research related to fatigue and motorcoach drivers.

The three commercial driver fatigue videos found by

researchers focused on truck drivers rather than

motorcoach drivers. An Internet search yielded almost

90 sites related to fatigue and stress issues, but none

directly addressed motorcoach driver fatigue.

Although the search did not reveal specific fatigue

research on motorcoach drivers, the relationship

between fatigue and driving has been well 

documented. Two major physiological phenomena

that cause fatigue are sleep loss and circadian rhythm

disruption. Proper nutrition and physical conditioning

also influence the fatigue of commercial vehicle 

drivers. Physical conditioning and weight control

increase stamina and may reduce the incidence of

sleep apnea.

Focus Group Sessions

After the literature search was completed, researchers

contacted representatives of the motorcoach industry

to participate in focus group sessions in several U.S.

cities. Individuals who were unable to participate in

live group sessions were interviewed by telephone.

This direct interaction with current industry 

employees was crucial in producing a study relevant

to today’s motorcoach drivers.

Researchers scheduled focus groups to gain a wide

geographical representation from the four 

operational areas within motorcoach organizations—

owners, operation managers, safety directors, and 

drivers. Approximately 150 people participated in

either a focus group or telephone interview. 

Information gathered during the literature review

served as the basis for the focus group discussions.

During the sessions, participants discussed the unique

causes of fatigue and stress in the motorcoach industry and proposed measures to alleviate the problem.

Industry Advisory Panel

An industry advisory panel reviewed the information

gathered during the focus group sessions and 

provided input and guidance for the study. Members

of the panel included motorcoach owners, safety

directors, operations managers, and drivers; a representative of the insurance industry; representatives of

the major motorcoach associations; a sleep research

scientist; and trucking industry representatives

involved in fatigue-related research. The panel 

prioritized motorcoach driver fatigue issues and

developed recommendations for the OMC. An 

additional focus group made up of tour and travel

industry professionals was convened upon the 

recommendation of the industry advisory panel. 

Findings

Participants in the different focus group sessions

raised many of the same concerns. The focus groups

identified the presence of passengers on the vehicle

as the single most significant factor that is unique to

motorcoach operations and contributes to driver

fatigue and stress. Customers

often put pressure on drivers by

burdening them with questions,

requests, and demands. Based 

on the overall input of focus

group participants, researchers

identified three primary issues—

driver, vehicle, and operations—

that affect motorcoach driver

fatigue and stress.

Driver Issues

Motorcoach driver-related issues

that affect fatigue and stress

include wellness and lifestyle,

personal accountability, and

“exceeding one’s limits.” Drivers’

physical fitness, diet, and personal living habits influence their 

levels of fatigue and stress on the

job. Focus groups identified a 

Vehicle-related issues affecting motorcoach driver fatigue and stress

include driver comfort and interface between the driver and passengers.

photo courtesy of Bus Ride Magazine, Friendship Publications
driver’s level of personal accountability for his or her

actions (i.e., holding one’s self to personal and 

professional standards) as another influence. In 

addition, many motorcoach drivers exceed their 

physical limits in accepting additional work because

of economic benefit or company need, thus delaying

or ignoring their need for rest.

Vehicle Issues

Significant vehicle-related issues that affect 

motorcoach driver fatigue and stress include driver

comfort and interface between the driver and 

passengers. The operation and control of a modern

motorcoach can be accomplished with little physical

exertion—a positive step in reducing fatigue for the

driver. However, a driver’s comfort combined with the

monotony of the driving task could result in a loss of

attention and alertness. 

Although motorcoach seats are adequate for 

extended periods of travel, they do not accommodate

comfortable positions for quality rest or sleep.

Further, motorcoaches do not easily accommodate

acceptable sleeper-berth areas for drivers. In the

absence of passengers, sleeper-berth design may 

provide the means for quality rest, but better options,

such as individual hotel rooms, are available during

off-duty periods. The study report notes that a fully

reclining seat would allow a driver to rest while 

waiting for passengers, thus potentially reducing

fatigue and stress even when the driver is on-duty. 

Interface between a driver and passengers could

affect driver fatigue and stress levels. The driving area

is not physically isolated from the passenger area of a

motorcoach, which encourages passenger conversation with drivers and driver distraction due to 

passenger activities. Regular route drivers must collect

tickets or fares as well as answer passengers’

questions. Drivers on charter and tour trips often deal

with large groups of people socializing. In both cases,

drivers may experience fatigue or stress because they

know passengers are monitoring their driving.

Conversely, passengers may provide an incentive for

drivers to be more diligent. 

Operations Issues

The report cites a wide array of operations-related

issues that affect motorcoach driver fatigue and

stress. Such issues range from driver compensation to

seasonal variations in the demand for motorcoach

services.

The current shortage of motorcoach drivers and lack

of quality drivers—primarily in the tour and charter

segments of the industry—force current drivers to

work longer hours to meet operating schedules and

customer demands, resulting in less off-duty rest time.

Further, because tour and charter drivers earn 

relatively small compensation packages, compared to

regular route drivers, they are forced to work more to

earn tips from tour groups. Some tour and charter

drivers may need to work two jobs in order to meet

their financial needs, which limits opportunities for

rest and increases their chances of feeling drowsy

when driving. Many focus group participants mentioned driver salary increases as a potential solution

to alleviate the driver shortage problem and increase

the pool of qualified drivers. 

The itineraries demanded by tour organizers as well

as spontaneous “off-the-book” runs that are not part

of original plans put pressure on tour bus drivers to

accept requests that could adversely impact their level

of fatigue. In addition, tour and charter drivers must

tend to passengers’ needs when not driving—from

resolving hotel-related problems to handling luggage.

Focus group participants pointed out that tour and

charter drivers often are forced to accommodate their

customers in order to help their employers retain

business even when the requested action is contrary

to federal regulations or company policy. For 

example, if road construction or traffic disrupts a tour

itinerary, the group might ask the driver to violate

hours-of-service rules to maintain the trip schedule. 

Drivers usually sleep in hotel beds on tour and charter

trips, which generally enhances quality rest. However,

they may be required to share rooms with other 

drivers who snore or make them feel uncomfortable,

reducing the quality and quantity of sleep. Individual

rooms for each driver provide a more restful 

environment, but usually require additional expense.

According to the focus groups, communication

between dispatchers and drivers may increase driver

stress, particularly when dispatchers have authoritative and confrontational communication styles,

emphasize completing trips without sensitivity to 

driver needs, or “play favorites” among drivers.

Operations with “first in/first out” dispatch protocols

(i.e., a set of guidelines for scheduling drivers to

ensure fair assignments and help eliminate charges

that a dispatcher arbitrarily punishes or rewards 

certain drivers) cause less stress than those with other

protocols.

Focus group participants identified several other

operations-related issues, including the hours-ofservice regulations, as causes of motorcoach driver

fatigue and stress. Current hours-of-service rules

require 8 consecutive hours off-duty after a maximum

of 10 hours driving or 15 hours on-duty. Under these

regulations, charter and tour drivers often work

“extended days,” when they drive both before and

after a midday off-duty period when passengers are
Researcher

Arrowhead Space &

Telecommunications, Inc.

803 West Broad Street, Suite 400

Falls Church, VA 22046 

Contract No. DTGH61-99-Z-00027

Distribution

This Tech Brief is distributed

according to a standard 

distribution. Direct distribution 

is made to the Service Centers

and Divisions.

Availability

For more information about 

the study final report and

Motorcoach Driver Fatigue videocassette, contact Phil Hanley,

FMCSA’s Office of Bus and Truck

Standards and Operations,

Commercial Passenger Carrier

Safety Division, (202) 366-6811.

Key Words

bus, driver, fatigue, motorcoach,

stress

Notice

This Tech Brief is disseminated

under the sponsorship of the U.S.

Department of Transportation

(USDOT) in the interest of information exchange. The Tech Brief

provides a synopsis of the study’s

final publication. The Tech Brief

does not establish policies or regulations, nor does it imply USDOT

endorsement of the conclusions

or recommendations. The U.S.

Government assumes no liability

for its contents or their use.

Web Site

All FMCSA Tech and Analysis

Briefs are available at

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov. 

Please send us your comments

and suggestions about the 

Tech and Analysis Briefs. 

Technical Writer

Wendy Grzywacz, Avalon

Integrated Services.

away from the motorcoach. Participants also mentioned the inconsistent and insufficient enforcement of federal, state, and local regulations, lack of organization in 

coordinating group itineraries, and seasonal variations in the demand for motorcoach

services as fatigue- and stress-related operations issues. 

Recommendations

Based on input from focus group participants and information gathered in the literature review, researchers outlined countermeasures for motorcoach driver fatigue and

stress. These suggestions, however, do not necessarily represent the position or policies

of the FMCSA. The study report included the following recommendations:

• increase minimum off-duty time for drivers to at least 10 hours between trip 

assignments and improve opportunities for drivers to get better rest during long 

and overnight trips;

• minimize inverted-duty sleep cycles for drivers during extended tours and trips, such

as planning tour group itineraries to allow for consistent sleep schedules for drivers;

• establish “first in/first out” dispatch protocols;

• enhance total compensation packages to attract and retain more quality drivers;

• provide regular training to motorcoach drivers on the causes and countermeasures of

fatigue;

• provide skill training to drivers in passenger management and conflict resolution;

• provide effective outreach on regulatory limitations and the effects of motorcoach

driver fatigue to tour group organizations and the general public;

• consider the motorcoach industry separately from the trucking industry in federal

regulations that affect operations and driver fatigue factors; 

• compile census, accident, vehicle performance, and other data that is specific to the

motorcoach industry;

• increase and enhance federal motorcoach regulation enforcement, including the

number of inspections and compliance reviews; and 

• hold tour group operators responsible for contributing to non-compliance with 

federal motorcoach regulations. 

Further Developments

The study findings were used to develop the FMCSA video, Motorcoach Driver Fatigue,

which incorporates known scientific data about fatigue, physiological issues related to

fatigue, and operational issues that affect motorcoach drivers’ activities and their levels

of fatigue and stress. The video provides drivers with valuable information about what

causes fatigue and how to minimize its effects.

The FMCSA has acknowledged in its proposed revision of the hours-of-service regulations that little is known specifically about the operation of buses and motorcoaches.

Congress has called for further study of the operations, driver practices, and driver

fatigue issues specific to buses and motorcoaches before finalization of the hours-ofservice rulemaking.

Reference

Bus Driver Fatigue and Stress Issues Study Final Report, Federal Highway Administration, Office of

Motor Carriers, Washington, D.C., Dec. 1999.

February 2001

Publication No. FMCSA-MCRT-01-004 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration