Commute with Enterprise is a growing ride-share program at Tyson Foods that provides employees a low-cost way to commute to work.
Enterprise works with each location to develop a vanpooling plan, which involves grouping employees based on where they live and the shifts they work. Tyson’s Senior Public Relations Manager Derek Burleson said anywhere from four to eight employees will ride together depending on the type of vehicle Enterprise provides, which include SUVs, minivans, or passenger vans.
Enterprise covers maintenance and insurance, while the riders split the cost of gas and take turns driving.
The cost for employees to participate is anywhere between $15 and $25 per week.
“So often what we hear are there are three challenges for our team members: housing, childcare, and transportation,” Burleson said. “It’s really a low-cost, convenient way for our employees to find transportation to and from work.”
Since starting earlier this year, the program has grown to 26 (out of 140) Tyson Food facilities, including the Claryville plant in Campbell County, impacting more than 1,000 people. An estimated 4 million commuter miles have been saved since they started the program, officials said.
“Our employees are foregoing the cost of buying a car or leasing a car, and then all the other expenses that go along with that,” Burleson said. “There’s insurance, taxes, gas, and regular maintenance. So, when you all add all of that up versus spending $15 to $25 to be part of a ride-share program. It really makes financial sense for a lot of our team members that may not want to take on the cost of owning a car.”
Burleson said employees could drive the vehicle to other places besides work as long as they stay within a specific mile radius.
The Claryville plant location is the only facility in the immediate area. It is in a more rural area of Alexandria and can make accessing public transportation to get to the facility difficult. The commuter program allows people from more urban areas to gain access to work at the plant.
“We find it’s been very popular in areas where there’s maybe a larger urban area that we’re drawing employees from that are going into a more rural area to go to work,” Burleson said.
As a prospective and current employer, Burleson said Tyson is always looking for ways to attract people to work there.
“On their way home, they can take a nap, they can get on their phone and call somebody, they can schedule an appointment,” Burleson said. “It just allows them a little bit extra time to be active in their day, especially on those longer commutes where they can be productive and not have to worry about the driving piece.”
