Trentbarton scheduler Richard Sherratt has taken retirement after 32 years with the business.
The 61-year-old from Hilton in Derbyshire initially joined the East Midlands operator in 1979, although he had a stint elsewhere.
Richard, who will be succeeded by Thomas Fellows, has been responsible for scheduling the rotas of hundreds of drivers and the deployment of countless buses over the years.
In 2020, he became the first winner of the Joe Wood Scheduler of the Year Award. He says: “It was nice to be recognised as schedulers are the glue that hold everything together, satisfying the public’s needs while providing workable shifts and rotas that keep the drivers happy. Schedulers usually work in the background, so it was good to know that we are appreciated.”
The pandemic period meant major changes in how Richard did his job. “In some ways we were doing what we had always done, but the difference was how quickly things changed,” he says. “Instead of reviewing our services and resources every 12 months, we were doing it every six weeks as lockdowns and restrictions changed.”
Richard intends to spend more time enjoying the Peak District on his motorbike and learning via third-age education movement u3a.
Trentbarton Managing Director Tom Morgan says: “In having Richard in our team we have been blessed with one of the best – probably the best – schedulers in the industry. We wish Richard a very happy retirement and he leaves with our heartfelt thanks for such sterling service over so many years.”
