Go North East interview and assessment day

[Pc86]

I do. Considering they pay for literally all your training/tests and licences as well as continual CPC training it’s not too bad a deal. It goes up after a year


HGV pays more per hour (sometimes) but you can end up paying 3-4K for all your licences. your increased hourly rate will still end up taking years to pay off the initial outlay. You also can and do end up working your driving time to it’s absolute limit. I keep hearing of drivers on £500 a week for a 40 hour week. I’ve yet to see a payslip to back it up.

After working in an office for 13 years I’m looking forward to the change.

 

[Statto]

It’s good to know what the going rate is for the area.

Out of curiosity does anyone here think £9 an hour should be the rate of pay for a highly skilled bus driver ?

That seems pretty poor, bus driver hours are trickyer due to anything like delays, days worked, then shifts themselves, i presume most companies will be something like 4 days on then 2 off, so say 5 day week based on £9.04 an hour, a minimum 8 hour day, you'd get £361.60 a week before any deductions, the higher end at 10 hour day, it goes to £454.50 a week

 

[Eyersey468]

That seems pretty poor, bus driver hours are trickyer due to anything like delays, days worked, then shifts themselves, i presume most companies will be something like 4 days on then 2 off, so say 5 day week based on £9.04 an hour, a minimum 8 hour day, you'd get £361.60 a week before any deductions, the higher end at 10 hour day, it goes to £454.50 a week

Where I work we get 2 or 3 days off a week depending on which week on the rota we are on, though I won't be on local bus much longer as I am transferring to the National Express rota.

 

[Geordie driver]

Mate of mine drives for go-ahead out of gateshead, roughly he is on ten quid an hour. It's not bad but it's not enough. I left bus driving in 2004 as I was sick of the constant grinding down of wages and conditions, plus a management that didn't care a jot for their staff.

Comparing hgv with service pcv driving kind of misses the point, service work is only about 60% driving and the rest is dealing with the punters, you are effectively doing 2 jobs.

I went to the NHS on the bottom grade ( band A), an organization that is not exactly known for its high wages. I was slightly better off in the NHS and the conditions were way better.

 

[CloudDriver]

Anyone know what the hourly wage/salary is for the North East Operators- Go North East, Stagecoach, Arriva?

 

[Redshift]

Just want to say thank you for the help provided in this thread, although posted in 2017 it was still 90% accurate for the assessment day i recently attended. Great preparation!

Out of the 9 or so people in my group I believe 2 had issues with occupational health and 1 failed the driving assessment.

I'll be starting training soon and am really looking forward to it, can't wait to get started

 

[cnjb8]

Just want to say thank you for the help provided in this thread, although posted in 2017 it was still 90% accurate for the assessment day i recently attended. Great preparation!

Out of the 9 or so people in my group I believe 2 had issues with occupational health and 1 failed the driving assessment.

I'll be starting training soon and am really looking forward to it, can't wait to get started

Well done

 

[Eyersey468]

Just want to say thank you for the help provided in this thread, although posted in 2017 it was still 90% accurate for the assessment day i recently attended. Great preparation!

Out of the 9 or so people in my group I believe 2 had issues with occupational health and 1 failed the driving assessment.

I'll be starting training soon and am really looking forward to it, can't wait to get started

Congratulations I hope you enjoy your new role

 

[Pc86]

Does anyone know when you are able to start using the free transport after you start?

I am planning getting the bus to riverside during my training (as its litterally door to door for me!) but dont want to pay out for a week/month bus pass if you are given it straight away? Anyone help?

 

[Tetchytyke]

Anyone know what the hourly wage/salary is for the North East Operators- Go North East, Stagecoach, Arriva?

They're all much of a muchness. Go used to pay slightly better than Busways and slightly worse than Arriva, but there was pence in it. Yardstick for all of them is about £9/hour.

Certainly puts the Metro drivers striking for £50k a year into context!

 

[Eyersey468]

Does anyone know when you are able to start using the free transport after you start?

I am planning getting the bus to riverside during my training (as its litterally door to door for me!) but dont want to pay out for a week/month bus pass if you are given it straight away? Anyone help?

If you are training I would imagine the training school would be able to give you a pass, that's certainly the case at East Yorkshire and I expect GNE will be the same