The Loma Linda University Shared Services Transportation Services Department has the privilege of moving hundreds of people every day throughout the campus. The dedicated drivers transport employees, students, patients and visitors between parking lots, to and from airports, for special events, specimen runs, and much more.
Communication and training are key objectives for Transportation Services. During monthly staff meetings, employees discuss customer service initiatives, and drivers training classes are held biannually. Matt Egerer, one of the department’s commercial driver trainers, and Eva Robledo, the department’s dispatcher, train new drivers and also facilitate the biannual driver training and certification reviews for all staff.
Eva Robledo also processes all calls that come into the department requesting service. These requests range from customers calling and asking where a particular shuttle is and how long until it arrives, to handling specimen runs, organizing special events and resolving issues that arise during daily operations. The Transportation department uses Teletrac, a GPS tracking system that locates shuttles as they move across campus, and is currently working on getting this system onto the VIP page to allow employees and staff to follow where the shuttles are at all times.
One of the department’s key responsibilities is to coordinate the transportation of medical personnel to hospitals within a 250-mile radius to for heart, kidney, liver, and pancreas transplants. This requires special training and dedication from the team of drivers, especially since many of these phone calls occur in the middle of the night. Matt Egerer leads the Transplant Transportation team, and coordinates the transportation needs for the medical personnel.
Every day shuttle drivers transport the employees, students, patients, and visitors of Loma Linda safely. In 2012, the Transportation department was awarded the LLUSS Certificate of Appreciation award in recognition of their dedication and commitment to service. The shuttle drivers are the heart and soul of Transportation Services. Passengers that ride the shuttles understand that the shuttle drivers really care when they ask, “How are you doing today?” offer a simple “Good Morning!” or “How was your day today?” The department recognizes this as living the mission one passenger at a time.
