Bus driver, sensible new career choice?
Discussion
Hi all, after trying to sort out canadian residency and looking like i might fail. i've been thinking about what i could, career wise in the uk.
I love driving, loved my nationwide van driving delivery job, and i know i like driving work. I've wanted to do truck driving for ages but decided to wait until i was 25 before even thinking about it (this august) as jobs were always slim on the ground for under 25s. Now it seems that the influx of eastern europeans has pushed the average wage down to 7quid/hour ish.
Then (along with sorting myself a courier franchise) i thought about bus/coach driving. I thought they'd allways need people "oo wot speek english propa" and as the uk gets poorer/s
tter more and more people will be forced to rely on public transport/national express/ megabus/ greyhound etc. So jobs for brits will be avalable.
So, what do the ph masses think? I'm always have career ideas then people piss on my parade. so aside from dealing with a thousand chavs a day, what am i missing from this idea? Does anyone do it?
Thanks
Nick
I love driving, loved my nationwide van driving delivery job, and i know i like driving work. I've wanted to do truck driving for ages but decided to wait until i was 25 before even thinking about it (this august) as jobs were always slim on the ground for under 25s. Now it seems that the influx of eastern europeans has pushed the average wage down to 7quid/hour ish.
Then (along with sorting myself a courier franchise) i thought about bus/coach driving. I thought they'd allways need people "oo wot speek english propa" and as the uk gets poorer/s
tter more and more people will be forced to rely on public transport/national express/ megabus/ greyhound etc. So jobs for brits will be avalable.So, what do the ph masses think? I'm always have career ideas then people piss on my parade. so aside from dealing with a thousand chavs a day, what am i missing from this idea? Does anyone do it?
Thanks
Nick
Mrs Twister currently drives buses in London, and did several years on buses and coaches in Slough and Bracknell prior to this. Now, despite her love of driving, she'd be the first to admit that pretty much every other aspect of bus driving makes it a fairly crappy job - unsociable hours, stroppy, obnoxious and sometimes violent passengers, buses that get only the bare minimum of maintenance required to keep them out of the garage and so are pushed into service with a variety of faults (*) which any normal person would assume meant they were unfit for service, service controllers and depot management who have never driven buses and so don't understand the problems drivers face daily, yet are only too quick to criticise/discipline them for the slightest thing... Oh yes, and outside of London, the buses are often second hand offcasts that were too old to stay in TfL service, the depots are often run by the managers who were too useless to cope at London depots, and the pay is pretty lousy too...
...other than that, it's a wonderful job!
Seriosuly though, if you absolutely adore driving, want the challenge of learning to drive something the size of a bus/coach, have the patience of an entire saintly conference-worth of saints when dealing with the numpties and nob-ends of society, and don't mind what time of day you start or finish working, then you might find it quite a rewarding thing to do. Otherwise, I'd try chatting to some local drivers at whichever garage you'd likely end up working at to see what they think before you take the plunge, especially bearing in mind that if you're going down the route of getting the bus company to pay for your training, you'll almost certainly then be tied into working for them for a minimum period.
* e.g. drivers seats which don't adjust properly so you're left hunched up over the wheel with your knees rammed up under the wheel or having to perch on the very edge of the seat in order to reach the pedals/wheel, cab heating which doesn't come on in the winter or which doesn't turn off in the summer, brakes which decide not to disengage halfway through a route leaving you stranded miles from base waiting for the engineers to come out, passenger doors which decide to open whilst you're moving...
...other than that, it's a wonderful job!
Seriosuly though, if you absolutely adore driving, want the challenge of learning to drive something the size of a bus/coach, have the patience of an entire saintly conference-worth of saints when dealing with the numpties and nob-ends of society, and don't mind what time of day you start or finish working, then you might find it quite a rewarding thing to do. Otherwise, I'd try chatting to some local drivers at whichever garage you'd likely end up working at to see what they think before you take the plunge, especially bearing in mind that if you're going down the route of getting the bus company to pay for your training, you'll almost certainly then be tied into working for them for a minimum period.
* e.g. drivers seats which don't adjust properly so you're left hunched up over the wheel with your knees rammed up under the wheel or having to perch on the very edge of the seat in order to reach the pedals/wheel, cab heating which doesn't come on in the winter or which doesn't turn off in the summer, brakes which decide not to disengage halfway through a route leaving you stranded miles from base waiting for the engineers to come out, passenger doors which decide to open whilst you're moving...
A company I used to work for contracted the local coach hire company to do a run around and pick all the staff up and get them to work on time (fantastic idea IMO!!) and I got talking to one of the drivers once.
He said the best jobs are running old people about on day trips or weekends to the coast, they are friendly and quiet and had a never ending supply of sweets and always bought him a drink in the evenings when he did overnight stays.
He said the school run was not as bad as you would think, they are noisy as hell and you get the odd scrote but he never had any serious trouble. The worst people to drive around were sports teams going on a weekend bender or business groups on a 'business trip'.
I think I would rather do coach tours over driving a regular bus...at least you get to do a variety of trips all over the UK (and in to Europe!) but you would have to put up with being away from home occasionally.
He said the best jobs are running old people about on day trips or weekends to the coast, they are friendly and quiet and had a never ending supply of sweets and always bought him a drink in the evenings when he did overnight stays.
He said the school run was not as bad as you would think, they are noisy as hell and you get the odd scrote but he never had any serious trouble. The worst people to drive around were sports teams going on a weekend bender or business groups on a 'business trip'.
I think I would rather do coach tours over driving a regular bus...at least you get to do a variety of trips all over the UK (and in to Europe!) but you would have to put up with being away from home occasionally.
Sometimes the local bus stations have open days, perhaps you could ring yours and ask if they have one planned in the near future. A friend of mine had a go at driving one and he said he didn't think he could cope with the steering wheel vibrating all the time, so he decided it wasn't the job for him.
grahamw48 said:
Have you considered plant operating ?
Money can be quite good, and you can work all over the world once you have a track record.
Used to drive the big stuff myself.
Is the money that good? I've only ever seen jobs advertised where the pay is less than what a truck driver could earn. Shame really, because getting to play with cranes/diggers all day seems fun Money can be quite good, and you can work all over the world once you have a track record.
Used to drive the big stuff myself.
twister has given a very good description of the job.
Be prepared to be treated like a complete piece of st every working day, by the managers, engineers, cleaners, other motorists, the press, and worst of all the passengers.
Your worst customers will be the elderly (demanding, rude, downright arrogant), closely followed by the chavs (generally complete tts).
Your pay will be derisory. £7-9 p/h, or between £14 - 18k. The only way i've made any decent cash to afford stuff I want or to buy the house has been to do plenty of stuff on the side. London-based drivers get more.
If you are trained by any of the big three (Arriva/Stagecoach/First) you will be given an automatic-only licence and a tied in contract for two years (leave any earlier and you'll be chased for up to £1750). If you really must take up bus driving try to do so with a smaller company who might well put you through your manual licence and not tie you into a contract.
You will have to deal with the fact that the buses themselves are maintained to exactly what is needed to keep them on the roads (and sometimes not even that well). Roadside checks by VOSA will pick up faults (recorded if severe on a PG9 prohibition form), and if you should have seen them on your morning walk round check you are the one who will be in trouble. Complain to the engineers and you'll get told to fk off. Complain to the management and you'll be able to time how quickly it takes to enter the right ear and exit the left ear.
Your work 'mates' will generally be either young blokes who just wanted a short term job and therefore couldn't give a st, or old salts who wistfully remember the glory days of having a militaristic union and the ability to try and bully the management. They'll also be awkward, inflexible, backstabbing, and very much part of a clique. You will need to win them over, and it's not worth it.
With the bigger companies you'll have to deal with inspectors. Don't start thinking of Blakey from on the buses, you'll be shown the door very quickly indeed if the inspectors even slightly suspect you of not throwing straight dice. Companies are more worried about drivers nicking the takings than protecting them against attackers. The inspectors I had to deal with all seemed to have one common rule: All drivers are guilty of something, until proven otherwise.
Speaking of attackers, you WILL be attacked. I've been punched, spat at, threatened with broken bottles, knifes, even an air pistol. Fireworks in late October and early November are also all just in a days stress, not just thrown at the bus, but being let off inside the bus.
You probably won't get onto long distance express work or private hire work until you've had a few years driving experience, and in the bus and coach world coach work is oversubscribed with drivers trying to get out of bus (service) work.
Finally, consider this: We are in a recession. Jobs are hard to come by, with many people searching for a job in the £12-18k bracket. Why then, are companies who will pay for the training (and pay you while you're training), still struggling to get drivers (new or old)? Why are some depots (First especially) really struggling to hold onto drivers when jobs are scarce?
Think about it.
Be prepared to be treated like a complete piece of s
t every working day, by the managers, engineers, cleaners, other motorists, the press, and worst of all the passengers. Your worst customers will be the elderly (demanding, rude, downright arrogant), closely followed by the chavs (generally complete t
ts).Your pay will be derisory. £7-9 p/h, or between £14 - 18k. The only way i've made any decent cash to afford stuff I want or to buy the house has been to do plenty of stuff on the side. London-based drivers get more.
If you are trained by any of the big three (Arriva/Stagecoach/First) you will be given an automatic-only licence and a tied in contract for two years (leave any earlier and you'll be chased for up to £1750). If you really must take up bus driving try to do so with a smaller company who might well put you through your manual licence and not tie you into a contract.
You will have to deal with the fact that the buses themselves are maintained to exactly what is needed to keep them on the roads (and sometimes not even that well). Roadside checks by VOSA will pick up faults (recorded if severe on a PG9 prohibition form), and if you should have seen them on your morning walk round check you are the one who will be in trouble. Complain to the engineers and you'll get told to f
k off. Complain to the management and you'll be able to time how quickly it takes to enter the right ear and exit the left ear.Your work 'mates' will generally be either young blokes who just wanted a short term job and therefore couldn't give a s
t, or old salts who wistfully remember the glory days of having a militaristic union and the ability to try and bully the management. They'll also be awkward, inflexible, backstabbing, and very much part of a clique. You will need to win them over, and it's not worth it.With the bigger companies you'll have to deal with inspectors. Don't start thinking of Blakey from on the buses, you'll be shown the door very quickly indeed if the inspectors even slightly suspect you of not throwing straight dice. Companies are more worried about drivers nicking the takings than protecting them against attackers. The inspectors I had to deal with all seemed to have one common rule: All drivers are guilty of something, until proven otherwise.
Speaking of attackers, you WILL be attacked. I've been punched, spat at, threatened with broken bottles, knifes, even an air pistol. Fireworks in late October and early November are also all just in a days stress, not just thrown at the bus, but being let off inside the bus.
You probably won't get onto long distance express work or private hire work until you've had a few years driving experience, and in the bus and coach world coach work is oversubscribed with drivers trying to get out of bus (service) work.
Finally, consider this: We are in a recession. Jobs are hard to come by, with many people searching for a job in the £12-18k bracket. Why then, are companies who will pay for the training (and pay you while you're training), still struggling to get drivers (new or old)? Why are some depots (First especially) really struggling to hold onto drivers when jobs are scarce?
Think about it.
EDLT said:
grahamw48 said:
Have you considered plant operating ?
Money can be quite good, and you can work all over the world once you have a track record.
Used to drive the big stuff myself.
Is the money that good? I've only ever seen jobs advertised where the pay is less than what a truck driver could earn. Shame really, because getting to play with cranes/diggers all day seems fun Money can be quite good, and you can work all over the world once you have a track record.
Used to drive the big stuff myself.
Thanks for the info guys, another idea down the pan yeah!
Plant driving isn't a bad idea though, thanks for the idea, I've used a mini digger a few times, enjoyed it, could quite happily see me doing that sort of thing. Plus i hear you can earn good money on the more specialist stuff!
Plant driving isn't a bad idea though, thanks for the idea, I've used a mini digger a few times, enjoyed it, could quite happily see me doing that sort of thing. Plus i hear you can earn good money on the more specialist stuff!
Edited by bigfatnick on Friday 15th January 06:15
EDLT said:
grahamw48 said:
Have you considered plant operating ?
Money can be quite good, and you can work all over the world once you have a track record.
Used to drive the big stuff myself.
Is the money that good? I've only ever seen jobs advertised where the pay is less than what a truck driver could earn. Shame really, because getting to play with cranes/diggers all day seems fun Money can be quite good, and you can work all over the world once you have a track record.
Used to drive the big stuff myself.
Somewhatfoolish said:
We need more good bus drivers, 95% of them just aren't capable of driving smoothly - and it can be done.
Or, can't be arsed. When you're treated like st by customers, management and the public at large, is there really any incentive to try your best? I quite agree though, it can be done, and to me there is satisfaction in doing a job well. Unfortunately all the PSV drivers I know who do think positively and try their best are all coach drivers, who have moved on from service work to a more relaxed job where their skills are much more appreciated.
I'm used to be a full time coach driver. Now I'm casual and only drive a few days a month. Lets talk some pluses first.
If you work for a well known company such as Shearings, you vehicle will be in tip top condition in contrast to buses. Modern coaches get features such as a very comfortable drivers seat, air conditioning or climate control, radio/cd/tv , cruise control, smoother brakes, better suspension and a powerful engine for great cruising capabilities. Also I believe there was/is some kudos being a coach driver. In addition to going to some nice places, you are not seen as the typical rude bus driver who cuts up traffic or just pulls out! It's a real career.
Minuses
Hourly pay rate lower than bus driver pay rate. Lots of weekend work. No holidays permitted in summer(busy months). No rota so you can tell your days off weeks in advance. Long days ( up to 15 hours -21 if double manned) and staying away from home for days on end is the norm. Having to do everything from coach maintenance (if on tour) to cleaning ( a good clean in and out takes 2 to 3 hours) to fueling and dropping the toilet.
If you work for a well known company such as Shearings, you vehicle will be in tip top condition in contrast to buses. Modern coaches get features such as a very comfortable drivers seat, air conditioning or climate control, radio/cd/tv , cruise control, smoother brakes, better suspension and a powerful engine for great cruising capabilities. Also I believe there was/is some kudos being a coach driver. In addition to going to some nice places, you are not seen as the typical rude bus driver who cuts up traffic or just pulls out! It's a real career.
Minuses
Hourly pay rate lower than bus driver pay rate. Lots of weekend work. No holidays permitted in summer(busy months). No rota so you can tell your days off weeks in advance. Long days ( up to 15 hours -21 if double manned) and staying away from home for days on end is the norm. Having to do everything from coach maintenance (if on tour) to cleaning ( a good clean in and out takes 2 to 3 hours) to fueling and dropping the toilet.
GTO Scott said:
twister has given a very good description of the job.
Be prepared to be treated like a complete piece of st every working day, by the managers, engineers, cleaners, other motorists, the press, and worst of all the passengers.
Your worst customers will be the elderly (demanding, rude, downright arrogant), closely followed by the chavs (generally complete tts).
Your pay will be derisory. £7-9 p/h, or between £14 - 18k. The only way i've made any decent cash to afford stuff I want or to buy the house has been to do plenty of stuff on the side. London-based drivers get more.
If you are trained by any of the big three (Arriva/Stagecoach/First) you will be given an automatic-only licence and a tied in contract for two years (leave any earlier and you'll be chased for up to £1750). If you really must take up bus driving try to do so with a smaller company who might well put you through your manual licence and not tie you into a contract.
You will have to deal with the fact that the buses themselves are maintained to exactly what is needed to keep them on the roads (and sometimes not even that well). Roadside checks by VOSA will pick up faults (recorded if severe on a PG9 prohibition form), and if you should have seen them on your morning walk round check you are the one who will be in trouble. Complain to the engineers and you'll get told to fk off. Complain to the management and you'll be able to time how quickly it takes to enter the right ear and exit the left ear.
Your work 'mates' will generally be either young blokes who just wanted a short term job and therefore couldn't give a st, or old salts who wistfully remember the glory days of having a militaristic union and the ability to try and bully the management. They'll also be awkward, inflexible, backstabbing, and very much part of a clique. You will need to win them over, and it's not worth it.
With the bigger companies you'll have to deal with inspectors. Don't start thinking of Blakey from on the buses, you'll be shown the door very quickly indeed if the inspectors even slightly suspect you of not throwing straight dice. Companies are more worried about drivers nicking the takings than protecting them against attackers. The inspectors I had to deal with all seemed to have one common rule: All drivers are guilty of something, until proven otherwise.
Speaking of attackers, you WILL be attacked. I've been punched, spat at, threatened with broken bottles, knifes, even an air pistol. Fireworks in late October and early November are also all just in a days stress, not just thrown at the bus, but being let off inside the bus.
You probably won't get onto long distance express work or private hire work until you've had a few years driving experience, and in the bus and coach world coach work is oversubscribed with drivers trying to get out of bus (service) work.
Finally, consider this: We are in a recession. Jobs are hard to come by, with many people searching for a job in the £12-18k bracket. Why then, are companies who will pay for the training (and pay you while you're training), still struggling to get drivers (new or old)? Why are some depots (First especially) really struggling to hold onto drivers when jobs are scarce?
Think about it.
Know I'm a little late on this but . . . . this is so right !, I have just walked out of stagecoach after 10 years on lates, it was normal to have 2 or 3 windows a week smashed by bricks or whatever else ( a scaffold pole one night) came to hand, police dont want to know and management just want you back on the road. Buses are maintained to a very low standard, vehicles can have the same fault for months (not trivial ones either) Be prepared to be treated like a complete piece of s
t every working day, by the managers, engineers, cleaners, other motorists, the press, and worst of all the passengers. Your worst customers will be the elderly (demanding, rude, downright arrogant), closely followed by the chavs (generally complete t
ts).Your pay will be derisory. £7-9 p/h, or between £14 - 18k. The only way i've made any decent cash to afford stuff I want or to buy the house has been to do plenty of stuff on the side. London-based drivers get more.
If you are trained by any of the big three (Arriva/Stagecoach/First) you will be given an automatic-only licence and a tied in contract for two years (leave any earlier and you'll be chased for up to £1750). If you really must take up bus driving try to do so with a smaller company who might well put you through your manual licence and not tie you into a contract.
You will have to deal with the fact that the buses themselves are maintained to exactly what is needed to keep them on the roads (and sometimes not even that well). Roadside checks by VOSA will pick up faults (recorded if severe on a PG9 prohibition form), and if you should have seen them on your morning walk round check you are the one who will be in trouble. Complain to the engineers and you'll get told to f
k off. Complain to the management and you'll be able to time how quickly it takes to enter the right ear and exit the left ear.Your work 'mates' will generally be either young blokes who just wanted a short term job and therefore couldn't give a s
t, or old salts who wistfully remember the glory days of having a militaristic union and the ability to try and bully the management. They'll also be awkward, inflexible, backstabbing, and very much part of a clique. You will need to win them over, and it's not worth it.With the bigger companies you'll have to deal with inspectors. Don't start thinking of Blakey from on the buses, you'll be shown the door very quickly indeed if the inspectors even slightly suspect you of not throwing straight dice. Companies are more worried about drivers nicking the takings than protecting them against attackers. The inspectors I had to deal with all seemed to have one common rule: All drivers are guilty of something, until proven otherwise.
Speaking of attackers, you WILL be attacked. I've been punched, spat at, threatened with broken bottles, knifes, even an air pistol. Fireworks in late October and early November are also all just in a days stress, not just thrown at the bus, but being let off inside the bus.
You probably won't get onto long distance express work or private hire work until you've had a few years driving experience, and in the bus and coach world coach work is oversubscribed with drivers trying to get out of bus (service) work.
Finally, consider this: We are in a recession. Jobs are hard to come by, with many people searching for a job in the £12-18k bracket. Why then, are companies who will pay for the training (and pay you while you're training), still struggling to get drivers (new or old)? Why are some depots (First especially) really struggling to hold onto drivers when jobs are scarce?
Think about it.
My advice to anyone would be to give it a wide berth unless your totally desperate for money !! .
As others have said don't bother, outside of London the pay is rubbish. London rates for new drivers seem to be falling all the time (currently £10.50ph at my garage). They will promise a rise to maybe £13-14ph after x amount of years but if your route gets tendered to another company the in thing is to send you to the new co with the route under TUPE. So to stay at your chosen garage you will have to start from the bottom again @ £10.50. They really do try treating me like a fool, getting me to drive defective buses but with my VOSA book in hand I love to piss them off, I have a massive target on my back as i'm one of the few left with a final salary pension which costs them min £125 pw thats the only reason I stick it as I know I couldn't get a decent pension anywhere else.
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