Stagecoach Newbie

Good evening,

I am due to start with my local stagecoach at the end of this month and I was wondering if anyone can give me and helpful pointers: EG:

How hard is it to pass the training and the theory?
How hard is it to learn the routes? how long do you have?
any other pointers?

I am sure this has been asked THOUSANDS of times over the years on this forum, but I would appreciate any feedback and helpful comments

Kind regards

@mcflappers

Hey there

Granted I work for Arriva and not stagecoach but I will gladly answer the questions

How hard is it to pass the training and the theory?

The multiple choice and hazard perception stuff is fairly straightforward so long you do all the revision they ask you to and listen to all the training. They want everyone to pass as they've already sunk money into their trainees. If they tell you to buy a book, buy it. And read it. If they tell you to swat up on your CPC module 4 at home, do it.

I found the practical driving test to be as straight forward as a car test. Just check your mirrors when you are supposed to and don't do anything stupid.

How hard is it to learn the routes? how long do you have?

I was lucky as I had five days to learn one route but that's London so probably will be different for you. I would expect you'd learn two or three routes in a week. It doesn't hurt to write down street names and landmarks if you can be ***sed(!)

any other pointers?

For me it quickly went from terrifying to easy to a bit boring. After a handful of howler-grade errors, I believe it doesn't hurt to stay a little terrified. Don't make the mistake of thinking you're as competent as your veteran colleagues after a few months

mcflappers said:

Good evening,

I am due to start with my local stagecoach at the end of this month and I was wondering if anyone can give me and helpful pointers: EG:

How hard is it to pass the training and the theory?
How hard is it to learn the routes? how long do you have?
any other pointers?

I am sure this has been asked THOUSANDS of times over the years on this forum, but I would appreciate any feedback and helpful comments

Kind regards

Click to expand...

Go on I’ll jump in too, having started my career 9 years ago at Stagecoach Stockton.
As the previous poster said as long as you do your own bits of revision at home then the theory and hazard perception bits are straight forward and then you’ve got your practical driving test which being Stagecoach you’ll likely learn the local test routes while learning to drive so you’ll probably know where you are going on your test. I know we did.

Route learning - when you start at Stagecoach depending on the size of your depot you’ll likely go onto a ‘newbie’ rota for the first few months with only a handful of routes on it, when I started I had 3 routes to learn and then I just did those for the first 9 months (as they barely recruited anyone after me for ages!).

As above and since you will be them when you pass. After training jump on a bus and see the routes stay on end to end. You will observe. When you pass you will have an idea of the area. Get a small book to write down familiar things in every route.

Try and route learn in the dark as well as the day - things look a lot different between the two, and landmarks obvious at 1000 may not be obvious at 2200, or vice versa!

Hey guys

I am sorry that I have not been around to reply, I have been busy with practising my theory and hazard perception. (of which I am flying on! (almost 100% on everything) not getting carried away, under pressure its a little different)

I just wanted to say a huge thankyou to everyone for your replies and advice, means alot to know that people still look out for the newbie

I work for East Yorkshire but just to add we get around a week of route learning once we are out of training school if that's any help. I've been there over 12 years now.