Post job

What does a paratransit driver do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a paratransit driver do
On this page

Paratransit driver responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real paratransit driver resumes:

  • Accomplish CDL license with endorsement in doubles/triples.
  • Contract through MTA; drive disabled clients to doctor's appointments, dialysis, and work.
  • Operate hydraulic equipment, GPS and computerize radio communication systems.
  • Respond to medical emergencies include administering first-aid and relay requests for services and transportation of patients to medical emergencies or appointments.
  • Assist with wheelchairs and stretchers during transport.
  • Deliver customers to their destination/homes/doorsteps with luggage/baggage groceries

Paratransit driver skills and personality traits

We calculated that 17% of Paratransit Drivers are proficient in CDL, Transport Passengers, and Vehicle Inspections. They’re also known for soft skills such as Dependability, Initiative, and Customer-service skills.

We break down the percentage of Paratransit Drivers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • CDL, 17%

    Pace approved to drive Pace vehicles and School Buses with a Class B CDL.

  • Transport Passengers, 13%

    Transport passengers with disabilities operate wheelchair lift and secure wheelchair for safe transportation

  • Vehicle Inspections, 11%

    Conducted and maintained daily routine vehicle inspection.

  • GPS, 9%

    Transport customers to and from designated destinations using GPS equipment for adequate directions.

  • Safety Rules, 7%

    Adhered to safety rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to ensure the well-being of customers.

  • Reliable Transportation, 7%

    Ensured timely and quality service, while also ensuring safe and reliable transportation.

"cdl," "transport passengers," and "vehicle inspections" are among the most common skills that paratransit drivers use at work. You can find even more paratransit driver responsibilities below, including:

Dependability. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a paratransit driver to have is dependability. Their role and responsibilities require that "customers rely on taxi drivers, ride-hailing drivers, and chauffeurs to pick them up on time and quickly transport them to their destination." Paratransit drivers often use dependability in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "maintain order and discipline among the students.dependability,avid communicator, and gain excellent customer service skills. "

Initiative. Many paratransit driver duties rely on initiative. "taxi drivers, ride-hailing drivers, and chauffeurs usually work with little or no supervision, so they must self-motivate and take the initiative to earn a living.," so a paratransit driver will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways paratransit driver responsibilities rely on initiative: "provided transportation services to the executive personnel and assisted in department projects including company-wide initiatives. "

Customer-service skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of paratransit drivers is customer-service skills. This skill is critical to many everyday paratransit driver duties, as "taxi drivers, ride-hailing drivers, and chauffeurs regularly interact with their customers and have to represent their company positively and ensure passenger satisfaction with their ride." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "delivered high level customer service to riders through interaction and established relationship with the customers. "

Patience. For certain paratransit driver responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "patience." The day-to-day duties of a paratransit driver rely on this skill, as "drivers must be calm and composed when driving through heavy traffic and congestion or dealing with rude passengers." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what paratransit drivers do: "transport passengers safely to and from all scheduled destinations exercise patience, understanding, and mature judgment. "

Hand-eye coordination. Another common skill required for paratransit driver responsibilities is "hand-eye coordination." This skill comes up in the duties of paratransit drivers all the time, as "taxi drivers, ride-hailing drivers, and chauffeurs must watch their surroundings and avoid obstacles and other hazards while driving a vehicle." An excerpt from a real paratransit driver resume shows how this skill is central to what a paratransit driver does: "operate (trip manager) an electronic transportation system communication coordination of fedex containers with airport ramp. "

Visual ability. Lastly, "visual ability" is an important element of what a paratransit driver does. Paratransit driver responsibilities require this skill because "taxi drivers, ride-hailing drivers, and chauffeurs must be able to pass a state-issued vision test to hold a driver’s license." This resume example highlights how paratransit driver duties rely on this skill: "perform visual vehicle inspection upon pickup. "

Most common paratransit driver skills

The three companies that hire the most paratransit drivers are:

Choose from 10+ customizable paratransit driver resume templates

Build a professional paratransit driver resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your paratransit driver resume.
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume
Paratransit Driver Resume

Compare different paratransit drivers

Paratransit driver vs. Driver assistant

A driver assistant is responsible for helping the lead driver transport people, goods, and services from one place to various destinations as required with utmost safety and security. Driver assistants respond to the customers' delivery inquiries and concerns, update delivery receipts, inspect the quality of the merchandise before loading and unloading, report replacements to the distribution centers, and assist with the road navigation to prevent delivery delays. A driver assistant must have excellent organizational and time-management skills, ensuring smooth delivery operations professionally and efficiently.

If we compare the average paratransit driver annual salary with that of a driver assistant, we find that driver assistants typically earn a $2,409 higher salary than paratransit drivers make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both paratransit driver and driver assistant positions are skilled in cdl, gps, and customer service.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, paratransit driver responsibilities require skills like "transport passengers," "vehicle inspections," "safety rules," and "reliable transportation." Meanwhile a typical driver assistant has skills in areas such as "delivery truck," "safety procedures," "package delivery," and "load trucks." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Driver assistants earn the highest salaries when working in the automotive industry, with an average yearly salary of $50,189. On the other hand, paratransit drivers are paid more in the transportation industry with an average salary of $36,832.The education levels that driver assistants earn slightly differ from paratransit drivers. In particular, driver assistants are 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a paratransit driver. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Paratransit driver vs. School bus driver

A school bus driver is responsible for students' safe transportation during school days or any related events. Aside from ensuring that the students get to their destination on time, a school bus driver must ensure to abide by the traffic laws and regulations at all times and follow particular routes for picking-up and dropping off students. Furthermore, a school bus driver must ensure students' safety at all times by conducting daily bus maintenance and maintaining order inside the vehicle.

School bus driver positions earn higher pay than paratransit driver roles. They earn a $2,221 higher salary than paratransit drivers per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both paratransit drivers and school bus drivers have skills such as "transport passengers," "vehicle inspections," and "safety rules. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that paratransit driver responsibilities requires skills like "cdl," "gps," "reliable transportation," and "disabilities act." But a school bus driver might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "dot," "post-trip inspections," "passenger endorsement," and "pre-trip inspections."

School bus drivers earn a higher average salary than paratransit drivers. But school bus drivers earn the highest pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $39,173. Additionally, paratransit drivers earn the highest salaries in the transportation with average pay of $36,832 annually.In general, school bus drivers achieve similar levels of education than paratransit drivers. They're 0.8% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Paratransit driver vs. Commercial driver

A commercial driver is responsible for transporting people, goods, and services from one place to various destinations as required. Commercial drivers must have a clean driving record to ensure the safety and security of the passengers and the merchandise's quality while on the road. They should also know how to operate a vehicle's engine, inspect system defects, and repair system malfunctions to prevent any delays in transportation and deliveries. A commercial driver must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry and report any problems to management.

On average scale, commercial drivers bring in higher salaries than paratransit drivers. In fact, they earn a $11,466 higher salary per year.paratransit drivers and commercial drivers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "cdl," "vehicle inspections," and "gps," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a paratransit driver is likely to be skilled in "transport passengers," "safety rules," "reliable transportation," and "cpr," while a typical commercial driver is skilled in "ladders," "customer orders," "dot," and "strong customer service."

Commercial drivers make a very good living in the transportation industry with an average annual salary of $47,951. On the other hand, paratransit drivers are paid the highest salary in the transportation industry, with average annual pay of $36,832.When it comes to education, commercial drivers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to paratransit drivers. In fact, they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Paratransit driver vs. Fuel truck driver

A Fuel Truck Driver transports fuel and other petroleum products from one place to another, ensuring safety and timeliness. Their responsibilities include measuring and calculating fuel deliveries, maintaining records, handling documentation, liaising with clients, preparing progress reports, and overseeing the loading and unloading procedures, ensuring adherence to the company's safety standards and regulations. A Fuel Truck Driver must conduct regular vehicle maintenance checks and abide by the traffic laws and regulations to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.

Fuel truck drivers typically earn higher pay than paratransit drivers. On average, fuel truck drivers earn a $21,381 higher salary per year.While their salaries may vary, paratransit drivers and fuel truck drivers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "cdl," "safety rules," and "traffic laws. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "transport passengers," "vehicle inspections," "gps," and "reliable transportation" are skills that commonly show up on paratransit driver resumes. On the other hand, fuel truck drivers use skills like hazmat, dot, math, and basic math on their resumes.fuel truck drivers reach similar levels of education compared to paratransit drivers, in general. The difference is that they're 0.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of paratransit driver

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse transportation jobs