BREMERTON, Wash. –
Long before the sun rises over Kitsap County, Sam Pruiett is out in the early morning hours to ensure his bus is ready and safe for him and his fellow Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility workers get to work safely.
Pruiett, operation manager, Shop 11/17, Shipfitters, Forge, Sheet metal, has been a Kitsap Transit Worker/Driver for the last 29 years. It’s a job Pruiett said he loves.
“It’s been a great experience,” he said. “I don't think I have ever missed a planned day of driving all these years. That’s how important it is to me. Think about it, this is how people take care of their families. I wanted to make sure they got safely home every day.”
That has meant ensuring that bus fluids are filled, that the tire pressure is correct and all the vehicle’s lights are in proper working order when most riders are still in bed.
“I tell everyone I do it for two reasons,” he explained with a chuckle. “One: I get a parking spot. Two: the people. I really like the people. You get to know them. You know the stops. When someone isn’t at their stop, I notice. They mean a lot to me.”
To that end, Pruiett has worked 12-hour days for more than two decades to ensure his fellow shipyard workers have a safe and reliable way to and from the shipyard.
“I’ve always looked at it as helping people,” said Pruiett. “I haven’t missed a day of driving due to sleeping through my alarm in all these years because I know riders are counting on me to get to work.”
It’s a sentiment shared by many of his fellow PSNS & IMF worker/drivers.
Chris Wheeler wears a variety of hats at PSNS & IMF. Most of the time, he is the trade superintendent for Shop 71, Painters. But, he was also named the Kitsap Transit 2022 Worker/Driver of the Year.
Wheeler began as an alternate driver four years ago. Despite numerous promotions during his time at PSNS & IMF, he continues to fill in for drivers as an alternate route driver. Some mornings that forces him to get up as early as 3 a.m. to ensure riders make to work by 5 a.m. Most days, it means he will be getting home hours after the sun has gone down. But, he said the service he provides to fellow workers is worth it.
“It’s not about the money for me,” he said. “The shipyard provides a service that helps prevent its workers from having to pay for parking and fuel costs. It’s a tangible benefit that I think our workers rely on.”
Drivers like Pruiett and Wheeler undergo annual certifications to make sure they remain qualified. Staying qualified as a worker/driver requires annual training, a medical assessment every two years and a clean driving record. It’s an important standard, which helps ensure a safe ride to work for our employees. It also means finding new drivers can be difficult.
“In the past, Kitsap Transit has had a hard time recruiting drivers,” said Wheeler. “I struggled with walking away from the responsibilities of being a driver because of that. A lot of times when a driver walks away, a route gets shut down.”
Pruiett understands the requirements and when he is training new bus drivers, he wants to make sure they understand why the position has so many safety regulations.
“When I ride in their buses as a trainer, I always make sure to remind them to look in the mirror and look at their passengers,” he said. “A few get in busses and drive it like it’s their car when they first begin. If they look in the mirror and don’t see anyone napping, I’ll ask them why that is…. They all learn to slow down and be more careful.”
With parking around PSNS & IMF a continuing challenge, both Pruiett and Wheeler remain committed to providing an essential service to the team and getting their fellow shipyard workers to work and back home safely.
“The riders on our routes are our employees and friends,” said Wheeler. “They support our missions and get the work done. This is my way to give back.”