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Being a Trainee bus driver.

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GazUk

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Just wondering if any of you fellow forumers are bus drivers, who have started at a trainee level especially with Nxbus (or any other big company). Just would like to know how it was when you started and how easy/hard it is to go through the whole training process?

Also :) Are there any other forumites who are looking to become a trainee bus driver or are in the process of being an trainee?
 
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90019

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Just wondering if any of you fellow forumers are bus drivers, who have started at a trainee level especially with Nxbus (or any other big company). Just would like to know how it was when you started and how easy/hard it is to go through the whole training process?

I started as a trainee with Lothian in March last year.

The training lasted 5 weeks - one week in the classroom (including doing the theory and parts of the initial CPC), a week driving before doing the driving test and practical part of the CPC (if you fail, you get another week), then the rest of the time spent mostly route learning, but also learning how to use the Wayfarers, working the screens on the buses, type training, etc.
The last Thursday and Friday you go out with another driver and do part of their shift with them, before going out on your own, usually on the Sunday.


It was a bit daunting the first few days and when we first went out in the training buses, but I enjoyed the training (and my instructor's a legend :D) and still love the job.
Personally, I found the whole process relatively easy, and was comfortable enough driving the buses pretty quickly.
 

156441

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My brother in Law recently went through training with First at Bolton and the training is roughly as described above. Although First assign a 'Mentor driver' to you for a week who you go out with for around a week then you go out route learning for a week before doing a final shift with your mentor.
 

burns20

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I started driving on my own on January 2nd after passing 2nd time. You get upto 3 attempts with Stagecoach. I had a week with a mentor then off out on my own.

Feels like I've been doing it for longer.

Used to work in an office, loving being out on the road.

Just getting up for a nice 12 hour 7 minute day although looking forward to my 4 day weekend (one of two a month).
 

notadriver

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Just wondering if any of you fellow forumers are bus drivers, who have started at a trainee level especially with Nxbus (or any other big company). Just would like to know how it was when you started and how easy/hard it is to go through the whole training process?

Also :) Are there any other forumites who are looking to become a trainee bus driver or are in the process of being an trainee?

Hi Gaz. I have a PCV licence. I wish you the best of luck with your career. How was the vacancy for your position advertised ?
 

anthony263

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Best of Luck I starting learning to drive buses before the cpc came into affect so I would have had grandfather rights when it was introduced althouigh I do now have to do the cpc training like veryone else..

The 1st week was learning to drive the coach we were using and praticing for the theory test. If we past (as I did) we then spent the 2nd week doing more driving pratice ready for the pratical test at the end of that week.

After this it was learning how to use the wayfarers and the destination blinds. Also got some customer service training
 

plymothian

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It very much depends on the company as to their training programme.

I started last July having been expected to have passed CPC modules 1a/b & 2 off my own back (Theory/Hazard Perception and Case Studies). The first 2 weeks were spent learning to pass modules 3 & 4 (practical test and practical knowledge test) - ie actually learning to drive the bus, followed by 2 weeks of route learning, type learning, customer service and ticketing training, followed by 4 days with a mentor and a 1 day classroom review; then in the wide world alone.
 

tramboy

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Good luck!

In terms of training, most operators will put you through the medical, but it is *your* licence, so the cost of attaining the required provisional entitlement is down to you. Once you've got that, then you will usually be given a start date.

It got harder after September 2008, with the introduction of CPC. However, generally training is as described by "plymothian" above - two weeks to do Modules 1A/1B/2 (the theory/hazard perception and CPC Case studies side), another two to three weeks of practical training for Modules 3 and 4 (Practical Test, CPC Practical Test).

Once you've done that, you get released for all manner of things - New Driver Training programmes (Customer Care/Ticket Machine training), Route Learning, followed by a period of mentoring (again, two to three weeks) and then you're on your own!

Bus driving is a great job - but remember you have to like driving, dealing with the general public, and the sometimes random hours (dependant on operator and rostering). I've seen some people who've passed but then gone back to other things as it wasn't for them.

Cheers
 

Shrimper

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I did mine at Stagecoach Manchester. Did all the assessment stages in one morning and they sent me for a medical the same afternoon!

Training was about 5 weeks. The first week was mostly admin and going through the theory, as we took the theory and hazard perception tests on the Friday. I'm a little hazy on specific days/dates but I think I've got most things in the right place!

Week two was driving with a strong emphasis on CPC as well - so walk round checks in detail as well as all the other bits and pieces. We also spent a lot of time learning the reversing manoeuvre as well as a lot of practising around cones before we went on the road on the Monday so we could get used to the overhang/tailswing.

Week three was yet more driving, with the CPC 4 test being done on the Monday (100%:D). I was on a training bus with two others, one with some experience of large vehicles was put forward to his test on the Friday; me and the other lad were told Tuesday would be our day of reckoning - and no pressure, but we were due in the classroom on Wednesday for New Driver Training!

Week 4 was test week (all 3 of us passed first time) with the final 3 days being New Driver Training which also counted towards further CPC credit. This was standard Stagecoach training for all new drivers so we were in with people who had joined from other companies. In this part we learnt about the nitty gritty of driving for a living - customer service, dealing with kids, disabled passengers, diversions, suspicious packages and so on!

Week 5 was two more days of new driver training aimed at those of us new to driving buses - so how to read the rota, use the ticket machine, fill out various forms and also generally a chance to ask any questions we had about doing the job. Wednesday-Friday was spent route learning at our new depots, though we then had to duplicate it the next week as well anyway (which was no bad thing, really!).

Finally, for the first two weeks (3 days for existing PCV holders) we had a mentor driver to assist us and teach us all the tips and tricks.

I found the training enjoyable and not too difficult. Stagecoach organised it well so there was no hanging around feeling like you'd been forgotten about as I've experienced in other industries. The instructors were great and I felt well prepared before hitting the road in service.
 

34D

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I passed my bus test in 2006 (and later my truck test in 2008) both by paying for myself to attend a driving school. I did manual PCV (which I would recommend for anyone paying for themselves).
 

GazUk

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Hi Gaz. I have a PCV licence. I wish you the best of luck with your career. How was the vacancy for your position advertised ?

Thanks all for the responses, @notadriver I was searching to see if i could see any jobs on the midlandmetro and somehow it lead me to the travel west midlands jobsite and saw a listing for a trainee bus driver at /National express/Travel coventry.

I've got to hear back from them before anything happens, and according to Nxbus this i what happens if anyone gets an invite " If you pass the interviews, assessment days, the medical and the DVLA Provisional D application, the process from here looks a little like this:You'll take a theory test, a CPC case study and 12 days of official driver training with a PCV test at the end"

Going to be a tad bit green here, but in these training weeks (thats if you are succesful) Do you actually get paid whilst training? And do some companies offer to pay for the licence test (Aslong as you stay with them for a number of set years?) I am not going to pin my hopes on this job (done alot of that recently with other jobs and not heard anything back!) got to wait and see what happens now :)
 
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plymothian

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If you pass the interviews, assessment days, the medical and the DVLA Provisional D application

Up to this point it is your own time and money.

From then on companies usually pay all test costs incurred and a training wage, as long as you sign a contract stating you will stay employed with them for x months or you pay them back; my situation is 1 year with the amount 'owed' decreasing monthly.
 

Flying Snail

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I passed my bus test in 2006 (and later my truck test in 2008) both by paying for myself to attend a driving school. I did manual PCV (which I would recommend for anyone paying for themselves).

I did the same, wouldn't have got my current job otherwise as they were only taking on fully licenced drivers.

Manual bus licence isn't as big an issue now as it used to be with manuals becoming quite rare now. The last one I drove was on the occasion of my driving test (and a rotten bugger it was too). If one rolled up in the yard tomorrow and someone asked me to take it out in service I would have a two word answer for them, the second word would be off. Good to have it on the licence though. ;)
 

90019

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I did the same, wouldn't have got my current job otherwise as they were only taking on fully licenced drivers.

Manual bus licence isn't as big an issue now as it used to be with manuals becoming quite rare now. The last one I drove was on the occasion of my driving test (and a rotten bugger it was too). If one rolled up in the yard tomorrow and someone asked me to take it out in service I would have a two word answer for them, the second word would be off. Good to have it on the licence though. ;)

I wouldn't have got my job if I had gone and got the licence by myself.
Apparently I was very unusual in getting in to the company at my age without being related to anyone already working there, and if I applied now, I wouldn't get in because I've not had my car licence long enough (only had it 4 years).

I have a manual PCV licence despite doing the test in an automatic bus because I already had a manual class 2 HGV licence (haven't done the class 1 yet). :D
 

mbonwick

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I passed my bus test in 2006 (and later my truck test in 2008) both by paying for myself to attend a driving school. I did manual PCV (which I would recommend for anyone paying for themselves).

Manual PCV is less relevant these days as has been said. I believe there are actually plans to remove the gearbox type from PCV licences altogether.

I.E. if you have a manual car licence, and pass your PCV test in an auto, then you could still drive a manual PCV. However, if your car licence is only an auto, then you can only drive auto coaches.
 

34D

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Manual PCV is less relevant these days as has been said. I believe there are actually plans to remove the gearbox type from PCV licences altogether.

I.E. if you have a manual car licence, and pass your PCV test in an auto, then you could still drive a manual PCV. However, if your car licence is only an auto, then you can only drive auto coaches.

Do you have a source for this, please? I'm very interested to know more. Hadn't heard this.

I agree that for full size coaches it is less of an issue, however for the smaller stuff (ie the 29 seat Merc O814s or 16 seat sprinters) 95% of these vehicles have a manual box, and this is the issue.
 

mbonwick

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I don't have a typed source I'm afraid - this came through a friend who is a driver who knows someone at VOSA. From my understanding the idea is only at the formulation stage so is at least a year awy probably.
 

driver9000

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I passed my PCV 13 years ago in London. My training paralleled the posts by others although I joined the industry before CPC. My on bus training lasted around 6 weeks and after passing I was sent to Camberwell to learn the ticket machines and fare structure along with type training on the fleet. I ended my days as a Driver mentor. As a Mentor I had trainees with me for 2 weeks settling them into the job and showing them the routes. It's a shame to say I lost my enthusiasm for the job and couldn't wait to be offered a way out of the industry. Driving a bus can be fun but it can also be horrible working long hours for low pay and to be honest I haven't been happier since I left.
 

GazUk

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Hello all, just a little update I've heard back from national express saying I do meet their criteria to become a trainee I would like to invite along to attend a recruitment event to discuss your application further. And it also says "At present we only have a very limited number of vacancies so would like to retain your application on file".

Saying the closing date for the application is the 5th April does anyone think ill hear anything in the few weeks or they will keep me on record for the next time?
 

notadriver

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I think you should just wait to hear from them. The problem is many people want the trainee bus driver position so they can be a bit picky. The very best of luck Gaz.
 

william

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Are most long distance coaches manual? The reason I ask is that it may be relevant to anyone who considers driving as career. My brother in law learned to drive a bus with a local operator and was slightly disappointed at passing with an automatic licence as he said he couldn't go on to drive long distance coaches (his original career ambition).
 

notadriver

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Are most long distance coaches manual? The reason I ask is that it may be relevant to anyone who considers driving as career. My brother in law learned to drive a bus with a local operator and was slightly disappointed at passing with an automatic licence as he said he couldn't go on to drive long distance coaches (his original career ambition).

Many older coaches will be manual. I think it's because manuals were easier to maintain, used less fuel and were cheaper to buy. Now most modern coaches are automatic (fully auto or i-shift/astronic) unless a mini coach is used in which case its likely to be a manual.
 
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