Become a Pace Vanpool Driver
Learn About the Perks, Requirements, and Apply Today.
Travel to work in comfort with your group in a Pace van and save money. By volunteering to drive as part of the Pace Vanpool Program, you can eliminate your commuter costs. Explore further to discover the benefits of becoming a driver, the driver requirements, and how to start vanpooling.
Pace Vanpool Primary Driver Perks
Take Charge of Your Commute:
Save Money on the Way to Work.
If you're one of the Pace primary drivers, you can enjoy a completely FREE commute to work! Pace provides the van, oversees the program, and covers all the operating expenses. You can cut down on car ownership, lower the wear-and-tear on your own vehicle which may result in reduced maintenance costs, decreased auto insurance premiums. You might even qualify for special insurance plans or discounts. Check out our savings calculator.
Create a Better Commute.
Pace primary drivers start shaping the vanpool routing and select travel times that match their work schedule. Specific details are fine-tuned so the riders can join. The group creates and agrees on their commuting logistics. To enhance coordination, consider these simple vanpool rules. As a Pace driver, you can take pride in knowing that you are improving the quality of life, decreasing the number of vehicles on the road and minimizing reliance on oil, thereby making a positive contribution to our environment.
Appreciate Good Company.
Coworkers can meet, share stories, network, and enjoy new friendships. Many groups stay together for years, developing good conversation and companionship.
Make the Pace Van Your 2nd Car.
When the van isn’t taking the group to and from work, primary drivers can use their allotted personal miles. In addition to getting to work with no vanpool fares, Pace Traditional Vanpool drivers get 300 personal miles per month which can be accumulated up to a maximum of 500 miles. Pace Feeder Vanpool drivers receive 600 miles monthly for various purposes, including the commute to work, errands, lunch-hour trips, recreational travel, visiting friends/family and more.
How Does Pace Vanpool Work?
Pace covers all the vanpool costs. The primary drivers take the Pace van for regular maintenance inspections, repairs, refueling and van washes. To facilitate this process, Pace provides fuel and maintenance cards to the drivers. Learn more about the Pace Vanpool Program.
Backup Drivers
A Pace Vanpool backup driver is a rider who volunteers to help with Pace driving when the primary driver is unavailable due to work absence or teleworking. In exchange for driving, the rider monthly vanpool payment is reduced by $25 for riders with full-time participation and by $15 for those with part-time (3 days or less per week) participation.
All Pace Vanpool drivers must complete an application and sign an agreement. There are primary driver forms and backup driver forms which include a complete list of driver requirements and some of the vanpool rules.
To quickly determine if you qualify to be a primary or backup driver, please examine some of the key requirements outlined below.
Applicants must…
- be 21 years old or older; hold a valid, unrestricted, and unexpired Illinois, Indiana, or Wisconsin driver’s license; and have held a valid US driver’s license, without any breaks or suspensions, for at least three consecutive years. Restrictions for glasses or contact lenses are acceptable.
- be employed by the driver’s current employer for one year or provide other indications of stable employment.
- be accident-free for 3 years. An applicant who must file a CFR due to his/her personal driving record will be rejected.
- maintain at least the minimum insurance on the driver’s personal vehicle as required by the State of Illinois, Indiana, or Wisconsin as applicable. Cancellation or non-renewal within the past three years will be closely analyzed. If the action is related to the applicant’s driving behavior, this will result in rejection.
- have a valid Visa, Mastercard, or Discover credit card or debit card issued in the driver’s name and complete the primary driver credit card/debit card authorization form.
- pass a credit check, DOT physical and drug test and complete the Pace Vanpool Defensive Driver Training course.
- lock and properly secure the Pace van in an off-street parking location when the van is not in use. This applies even in Chicago. For Feeder Vanpools, overnight and weekend parking could depend on availability and lot rules.
Learn about Pace Vanpools:
Consider these resources for inviting others to join your vanpool.
After assembling your group, designate the primary and backup drivers, finalize the applicaiton and submit all the forms together.