What Do Transportation Attendants Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Transportation Attendants provide services to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard ships, buses, trains, or within the station or terminal. Perform duties such as greeting passengers, explaining the use of safety equipment, serving meals or beverages, or answering questions related to travel. They also secure passengers for transportation by buckling seatbelts or fastening wheelchairs with tie-down straps.

Other tasks include:

• Provide customers with information on routes, gates, prices, timetables, terminals, or concourses.
• Perform equipment safety checks prior to departure.
• Provide boarding assistance to elderly, sick, or injured people.
• Issue and collect passenger boarding passes and transfers, tearing or punching tickets as necessary to prevent reuse.
• Respond to passengers’ questions, requests, or complaints.
• Greet passengers boarding transportation equipment and announce routes and stops.

We asked Transportation Attendants how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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61% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 47% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Transportation Attendants perform equipment safety checks prior to departure. They greet passengers boarding transportation equipment and announce routes and stops.

A typical day for a Transportation Attendant will also include:

• Determine or facilitate seating arrangements.
• Secure passengers for transportation by buckling seatbelts or fastening wheelchairs with tie-down straps.
• Provide boarding assistance to elderly, sick, or injured people.
• Signal transportation operators to stop or to proceed.
• Respond to passengers’ questions, requests, or complaints.

We asked some Transportation Attendants a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	8% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	27% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	52% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	6% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	54% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	61% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Transportation Attendants also explain and demonstrate safety procedures and safety equipment use. They may also adjust window shades or seat cushions at the request of passengers.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Transportation Attendants Transport baggage or coordinate transportation between assigned rooms, terminals, or platforms. They might also Signal transportation operators to stop or to proceed.

In addition, they Issue and collect passenger boarding passes and transfers, tearing or punching tickets as necessary to prevent reuse.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Provide boarding assistance to elderly, sick, or injured people.

To some Transportation Attendants, it is also their responsibility to Determine or facilitate seating arrangements.

Working life

Less than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Transportation Attendant, you can expect to work less than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes536061.htm

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/flight-attendants.htm