By KIMBERLEY McGEE

Steve Sommers recently updated his driver's license, and it opened a rather large area of potential for his future employment.

"I'm now certified to drive a (professional delivery) truck," Sommers, a former advertising sales executive, said. "I think it's going to be something that will use my customer service skills and definitely add to my family's budget and our hopes to keep paying down our mortgage."

After being laid off from his sales job last year, he looked around for a new career path. He trained for three months and studied the state's laws regarding truck drivers to ensure he could qualify for area jobs. His wife, Lisa, lost her job as a nurse in July. While driving can be stressful and tiring, operating a large machine through traffic on a schedule, so was his rigorous sales job, he said.

"I stayed up late to meet deadlines, stressed over clients every day," Sommers said. "But what I really liked was making the clients happy, relaxed, and I don't see much difference with driving for a tour company or a sales job."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, truck drivers and driver/sales employees counted for 3.2 million jobs in 2008. Locally that number may be increasing.

"It seems like that a (driving) job will see us through the next few years if things don't get better in Las Vegas," Sommers said. "We can't move right now. We need something that can support us no matter what, and people always seem to need drivers for one thing or another. It's an open field."

Through the next decade, the BLS expects that the demand for goods, and therefore truck drivers to deliver those goods, will increase by 9 percent. More than 250,000 jobs will be created through 2018, the government agency predicts.

The BLS expects employment for light or delivery services truck drivers to grow by at least 4 percent over the next decade. Drivers can expect a median hourly wage of around $14 (as of May 2008, according to the BLS). That number can be a bit higher in Las Vegas and the Southwest in general, area managers said. Employment for tour bus drivers is expected to grow 7 percent through 2018, the BLS estimates.

That's good news for Sommers and others looking for jobs in that field, but customer service is playing a bigger part than ever for most local driving positions that deal with the public in any capacity.

It's a big factor in how and why they hire the drivers they do, said Helena Connors, general manager of Swee-Tours, a Grand Canyon and scenic tour company based in Las Vegas. Drivers definitely add to the company's bottom line, she added. In recent years, drivers are an even larger part of increasing the company's sales and customer service areas.

"Drivers are the heart of the tour," Connors said. "Every passenger derives their opinion based on the way a driver presents him or herself. They represent the company and, based on the type of tour they give, passengers may recommend us to others."

SweeTours is a local tour bus company that provides tours to the South Rim and West Rim of the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, as well as provides a shopping tour that is lucrative for both its clients and SweeTours.

The company is continually on the lookout for experienced employees in many of its departments, but in particular drivers. Motor coach operators are responsible for the overall success of each trip, the customer's comfort, curiosity about the scenery and history of places along the tour, safety of the passengers and keeping the preplanned schedule of the paid tour. Drivers also must be prepared for the hours, nights and weekends that some tour operators require.

"We look for qualified drivers with a CDL (commercial driver's license) and passenger endorsement," she said. "It is not necessary for them to be able to give a tour while driving, but it is preferable."

The company is currently looking for drivers based on the Fleet Safety Compliance Manual qualifications.

To prepare for the CDL, many potential drivers turn to driver-training classes or schools, which can train them in safe driving techniques as well as how to inspect their vehicles to meet the state's rigorous regulations.

Conditions for potential applicants for SweeTours include an age limit of 21 years old, an ability to read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public and an understanding of highway traffic signs and signals in the English language. The job also requires that potential drivers, in order to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records, are able to safely operate the type of motor vehicle they drive; are physically qualified to drive a motor vehicle in accordance with Sec. 391.41; have a currently valid commercial motor vehicle operator's license issued only from one state or jurisdiction; have prepared and furnished the motor carrier that employs them with the list of violations or the certificate as required by Sec. 391.27; are not disqualified to drive a motor vehicle under the rules in Sec. 391.1; and have successfully completed a driver's road test and been issued a certificate of driver's road test in accordance with Sec. 391.31. A Class C or higher CDL with passenger endorsement is also required.

SweeTours also trains its drivers to meet the company's personal guidelines and requirements that keeps it competitive above other tour companies in the Southwest region. A good driver creates positive word of mouth, a valuable asset to a tour company.

"Drivers add to the bottom line through their customer service skills," Connors said. "There are a variety of tours available to the general public, but a great tour guide makes all the difference. Professionalism, safety and customer courtesy are part of our mission statement and company expectations."

Drivers often receive cash or other gratuities from passengers who enjoy the tour, which is part of SweeTours overall business plan. The tour company is known for not giving its clients a hard sell; rather the employees are well-known for concentrating on the guests' overall enjoyable experience during the tour, she said.

"A bonus or commission would cause the driver to want to 'sell' other tours or packages on the buses, and we do not want passengers to feel like our tours are 'commercials on wheels,' " Connors said. "We are here to provide the best possible educational tours and provide our customers with experiences while visiting destinations of their dreams."

The company extends bonuses to drivers based on many factors.

"On a case-by-case basis, we will provide our drivers with incentives for referrals of groups for our charters," Connors said.

The company advertises for positions in the Las Vegas Review-Journal as well as receives referrals. They are also open to interview drivers who apply in person. SweeTours employs approximately 30 people at this time and is looking to possibly expand in the next year or so. Applications will be kept on file for future needs.

Another company looking to expand in the area is Schwan's Home Service. Drivers are a large part of Schwan's in Las Vegas, said Chris Honacker, location general manager, Las Vegas North.

"We provide all the training and that takes about four weeks," Honacker said. "A sales background is a plus, but it is not required. Just a great attitude and friendly personality is mostly what I look for. We can always train how to sell our delicious food."

The Las Vegas area Schwan's has 16 routes, which amounts to 16 salespeople, who service the valley and the surrounding cities, such as Pahrump.

Interested applicants must be at least 21 years old, have an active and valid driver's license for the past 12 consecutive months and cannot have more than one moving violation or accident in the past 12 months or more than three moving violations or accidents in the past three years. A GED or high school diploma is preferred, but not required. A CDL is not required for the customer service manager trainee positions, of which there are a few.

Customer service managers for Schwan's can count on a base salary of $32,000, which is annualized during an extensive training period, and $38,000 plus commissions once they are assigned to a specific route.

Applicants can easily apply to positions at Schwan's through the company's website and don't need to apply in person.

"We work very closely with state and local work force centers, diversity sites and organizations, transitioning military members, various Internet job board sites and a variety of other avenues when we are looking for qualified candidates," he said.

Across the nation, Schwan's employs approximately 25,000 people, with many positions available locally.

"Currently in the Las Vegas area, we are looking to fill the customer service manager trainee position," he said. "All of our current open positions can be found at www.schwansjobs.com."