If your child wanted to become a bus driver, would you encourage them?

[Christophe]

In which case why not, er, become a bus driver? (I actually see coach driving, though I don't want to do city bus as it's too stressful, as something I'd quite fancy as a "step down" type job assuming I'd fulfil the health requirements by the time I've paid my mortgage off).

Assuming you're not disqualified through health and can actually do the driving bit, it's quite easy to get into because there's always a shortage.



A million times this.



The biggest threat automation and AI pose, and always have posed, are to "low-end" jobs.

Yes, GPT can write JavaScript. It isn't however going to necessarily write *good* JavaScript, nor deal with the situation where the customer doesn't really know what they want. That's where high-value consulting comes in (in IT).

IT has killed a load of jobs but also created a whole industry that simply didn't exist 60 years ago.



It might be easier to do it full time for a few years first to get the training paid for. I doubt a bus company would pay for the training for someone wanting to e.g. do 2 evenings a week and every other Sunday.

Oh I will. In the intervening years marriage, kids, mortgage etc have all come along; and as much as I'd like to go driving now, working mon-fri flexi time is a lot easier family wise than shift work. However, kids are nearly at an age where I'll be able to change that.

Everybody's wired up differently, but I guess what I was trying to say is that if you're in the industry from the outset before 'life' gets in the way it can be easier than doing it after following a different path for a few years.

 

[NorwichRailFan]

Thank you all for your responses. I have read through all of them and they have really helped. I think @burns20 's idea of doing something like Transport and Logistics Management at Uni is a great idea as this is another part of the industry that interests me. I know that at my age I have got to keep my options open for other careers but I feel that the transport/travel industry is 100% what I want to work in.

 

[WibbleWobble]

@NorwichRailFan you've gone down a similar route to what I did 20 years ago. The difference is that for varying reasons it didn't work out for me - but don't let that stop you if journalism is what you want to do! I was fortunate that I got a part time job for a bus company whilst I was at uni, which worked as a fall back.

One thing to remember is that a job as a bus driver is NOT a dead end job. There are so many people who started off as drivers, then worked their way up. You could look at going into scheduling, or maybe even look at management trainee routes that are often available via the major groups - that could put you in good stead to become an Operations Manager, then into more senior management roles from there (take Go Ahead's Alex Chutter for example).

Doing a transport related degree* is also a great approach - maybe go down the route of Business Studies at A-Level. That will give you the possibility of getting onto a graduate management trainee placement, and from there go towards management roles.

* - that's what Andrew Jarvis did when he was at university, hence Yorkshire Blue Bus, and look where he is now!

 

[Herefordian]

A friend of mine has an eight year old daughter who wants to be a bus driver one day.

From what I can gather, it's a family tradition (of sorts). Her Dad (my friend) and two ancestors on her mother's side, all bus drivers.

So, my friend's in a good position to help if she still wishes to drive buses in the future.

From what my friend's said, it's far from a "dead end job". There are plenty of opportunities for advancement, if desired.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Lots of decent advice for @NorwichRailFan

To add in my two penneth... Many senior bus managers were enthusiasts as kids, and they still are now. Some did come through the ranks, whilst others went to university and they all ended up on some type of management programme (either graduate or otherwise). Fellow uni alumni did just that and whilst they now hold senior management positions, they still get behind the wheel from time to time to help out and also to make sure that a) they still know what it's like at the coal face, b) staff see active, visible management and c) they enjoy it!

It's definitely easier to develop your career in that way, than coming up through the ranks. I'd certainly advise getting your exams and qualifications, and then think about going to university. In fact, you may discover that there's something else you fancy doing as well.

Bus driving is not an easy job. The days can be long and tiring, you have a lot of responsibility, there's shift working and unattractive hours so I'd caution on looking through rose-tinted spectacles. However, my father was a driver and despite the above, he enjoyed it. He was also clear that he didn't want me doing it

 

[anthony263]

I always wanted to be a bus driver growing up like my grandfather. My parents encouraged me to go into the forces or go to University.

I went to the University of Huddersfield to study Transport and Logistics Management and went into Commercial Department Roles at Stagecoach before doing my test and becoming a Bus Driver!

Now working as an Assistant Operations Manager for a family firm which offers a mix of office work plus bus and coach driving, never been happier.


Daniel King
Assistant Operations Manager
Lloyds Coaches

Same as me in a few ways, yet I've seen enough of the industry to be put off climbing up the ladder to management.

I'm lucky Adventure Travel employ weekend drivers. It works very well for me; I cover a different shift every Saturday and have my own static shift on Sundays.

My 3 year daughter has got quite a interest in buses and trains - oh, and Paw Patrol!

The Little lady is a regular visit to daddy's bus when I'm driving the 404s to Pontypridd or Porthcawl.

 

[Lewisham2221]

Bus driver of 12 years here. Was always quite academic at school etc. Went to uni at 18, hated it, quite after 18 months and spent a couple of years doing other jobs before becoming a bus driver.

As some others have said, there is usually chance for further career progression - especially within larger companies - even without a degree, particularly if you've gained experience within that company. Of course, once you have experience within a "higher" role, it's easier to move into other roles within other companies, without formal qualifications being as important.

For me, it's about enjoying the job I'm doing, rather than worrying about how anybody else perceives my career choice. If I'm going to spend 40-50 years of my life working, I'd rather spend those years doing a job I like rather than doing a job I hate, just because it's perceived by others as a "better" career.

For what it's worth, I achieved promotion within the company I work for. Didn't enjoy it - actually enjoyed going in to drive as rest day work more than my main job - so demoted myself and am now happy again!

Finally, re: comments about a "job for life" - is there even such a thing anymore? Surely the past 50-ish years, and the onward march of technology in the last 20-30 years, has shown us all by now that in time, we are almost all replaceable?

 

[RJ]

Why not?

My uncle was a bus driver for over 40 years and called it time when the Routemasters were withdrawn - he has always been one of the happiest guys I know!

I started as a part time bus driver 12 years ago while doing a degree in transport management. I’m still a driver and very happy driving - the work I so suits me. In the intervening years I gained experience as a bus network planner, acquired a few buses, have several o-discs and manage an operation. All that stemmed from driving.

The job is what you make it - it doesn’t have to make you miserable and it doesn’t have to be a “dead end career”. With a PCV driving licence, it will always be possible to get work fairly quickly and there are various different types of work you can do - stage carriage, private hire, rail replacement, school runs, tour buses, industrial shuttles and other closed door contract work, trade plating and so on, then there are coaches too.

So if a child shows an enthusiasm for something that isn’t destructive, why not encourage them? They can earn a living, be happy and progression is entirely possible.

My advice would be to seek advice from people who are where you’d like to be. If you ask people who are miserable with the job then it’s not going to sound good. You could ask the people who are on well into 6 figures a year driving buses, you’ll probably get a different response - or you could ask the people who own the companies who started off driving and they’ll say something else.

 

[BJames]

You're welcome to PM me if you want more information on that. I'll gladly tell you all you need to know.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

But 100% not this. Since commencing undergraduate studies at both Cardiff University and University of Sydney, this has enabled me to become a newsreader and then news editor at a South Wales radio station, and columnist and features editor of a national tabloid. Several of my friends from older years recently accepted jobs at the BBC, GB News and The Independent, and indeed I myself only declined an offer to study at BBC Cymru so that I could study in Australia. One of our external professors at Cardiff is actually Huw Edwards, who presents BBC News at Ten and did the same degree there himself.

Don't knock what we do, because a journalism degree from a good Russell Group uni (Cardiff and Sheffield are regularly voted the best for Journalism) combined with a passionate drive to succeed in the industry can get you to good places. Think what you want of the BBC, but I certainly don't consider working for them to be something other employers would "laugh at."

As I say, the OP is welcome to message me should he want to know more information.

I want to throw my support behind this as well. I am currently doing my master's at a Russell Group uni, doing International Relations, having done a different (but also non-STEM) undergraduate degree. I wouldn't have chosen a STEM degree because I knew where my interests, and skills, lie.

Follow your interests, but don't knock academia either. If it really isn't for you then that is ok, as it is a lot of money (although this is basically a graduate tax at this point - but that's a matter for another thread) - but my four years at university have been the best time of my life. Others will have other opinions, and you certainly don't need to go to university to be a success. But if there's something of interest then go for it. And if you want to talk more Russell Group, applications etc when the time comes, I would also be more than willing to chat over PM.

 

[Springs Branch]

Bus driving is not an easy job. The days can be long and tiring, you have a lot of responsibility, there's shift working and unattractive hours so I'd caution on looking through rose-tinted spectacles. However, my father was a driver and despite the above, he enjoyed it. He was also clear that he didn't want me doing it

I can't add much that hasn't already been said, except to recount my own experience in the 1960s as a youngster interested in trains. . . .

One of my friend's dad was a train driver (based at Springs Branch, naturally) at the time of transition from steam to diesel. When he heard that I was 'interested in trains' and 'wanted to be a train driver when I grew up', he cautioned me against this.

His main objections included low pay (compared to most other occupations at the time) and having to work in all weather conditions - but mainly seemed to focus on ever-changing shift work and the long, antisocial hours, which meant he was often not around for family activities at the weekend.

I suppose some of these factors will apply to bus driving today - especially the antisocial hours. Some people seem to cope better than others with rolling out of bed at 3:30am one week and signing off duty at 1:30am the next week (although I suppose most bus driving shifts outside big cities will not involve such extremes).


Finally - in view of comments regarding academic careers - several times I've read memoirs & accounts of life on the buses (from several generations ago) where the protagonist mentioned that moving to a driving or conducting job seemed to be something of a favourite bolt-hole or escape route for failed or disillusioned academics. For example, a Liverpool bus conductor recounting how his quietly-spoken and bookish driver always spent the break time at the end of the route with his nose buried in some heavy-duty tome. And a similar story from one of the 'Greenstaff' at Glasgow Corporation.

 

[37114]

Thank you all for your responses. I have read through all of them and they have really helped. I think @burns20 's idea of doing something like Transport and Logistics Management at Uni is a great idea as this is another part of the industry that interests me. I know that at my age I have got to keep my options open for other careers but I feel that the transport/travel industry is 100% what I want to work in.

To add to the recommendation, I was in a similar position to you when I was 15; All I wanted to be was a lorry driver but my parents both had good jobs and had I gone to private school which was reasonably academic but I didn't really have the motivation at school (obviously I am not saying that applies to you but it is important context). My parents were adamant university was the right thing for me so I got curious about the courses and found I could do International Transport Management at what is now Southampton Solent University with the added bonus of the entry grades being quite low and because it was something I was motivated in I tried harder at school and got to do the course. It was a great 3 year course (plus a sandwich year in indusTry) and touched on all parts of transport.

At the end I was torn between public or freight transport (I got to the last round of First Group gradate recruitment that year but fell at the last hurdle), but long story short I have made a good career for myself and now have a good senior level job heading up the Home Delivery network for a major retailer. I have managed to drive a lorry a few times so scratched that itch and to behonest my job is interesting/rewarding in a different way.

If you go down the uni route, good places to look at for Graduate logistics courses are Huddersfield, Aston and Southampton Solent Universities, also research NOVUS trust who can support graduates, likewise explore affiliate membership of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), they focus on all transport disciplines and have some good articles in their Magazine. Linked to your question, I recently attended the CILT corporate members day and Grant Palmer travel were there with the Open University talking about how they are facilitating their bus drivers to study for a degree while working for them and funding the degree so I expect that to become more common over the next few years.

 

[LucyP]

I think most parents would be disappointed. Most are more ambitious for their children than taking a job with a rate of pay that is close to the average rate for an unskilled worker. What parent wants their child to be an unskilled worker? What career progression is there for most drivers?

If they are paying private school fees, then it is to be hoped that the child tells their parents quickly. The cheapest private schools are close to £14K per annum presently. So rather than pay from 4-18, send the child to a state school, buy them some buses, and they can drive for their own bus company!

 

[RJ]

I think most parents would be disappointed. Most are more ambitious for their children than taking a job with a rate of pay that is close to the average rate for an unskilled worker. What parent wants their child to be an unskilled worker? What career progression is there for most drivers?

If they are paying private school fees, then it is to be hoped that the child tells their parents quickly. The cheapest private schools are close to £14K per annum presently. So rather than pay from 4-18, send the child to a state school, buy them some buses, and they can drive for their own bus company!

What happens if you do all that then it turns out they’re not interested after all?

 

[Egg Centric]

And a similar story from one of the 'Greenstaff' at Glasgow Corporation.

The mention of Glasgow reminds me of this brilliant book that the OP may enjoy. No idea if it's actually what driving a Glaswegian bus is like but it's hilarious nonetheless: The Bloodbus: Tales from the Glasgow Night Bus

 

[GusB]

I think most parents would be disappointed. Most are more ambitious for their children than taking a job with a rate of pay that is close to the average rate for an unskilled worker. What parent wants their child to be an unskilled worker? What career progression is there for most drivers?

Driving buses is unskilled work? Many people will disagree with you, myself included.

I think most parents would be disappointed. Most are more ambitious for their children than taking a job with a rate of pay that is close to the average rate for an unskilled worker. What parent wants their child to be an unskilled worker? What career progression is there for most drivers?

That's just job snobbery. While parents may be ambitious for their children, and it's only natural to want the best for your offspring, most will be supportive as long as their child is happy. You can't force your kid into the career path that you choose, and if you try to it will likely end up with an unhappy relationship further down the line.

As for examples of career progression, a few forum members have already mentioned this earlier in the thread; you may wish to read it from the beginning to find out.

If they are paying private school fees, then it is to be hoped that the child tells their parents quickly. The cheapest private schools are close to £14K per annum presently. So rather than pay from 4-18, send the child to a state school, buy them some buses, and they can drive for their own bus company!

We don't know if school fees are actually involved here, and the situation you made up here is purely hypothetical. If it was to be taken seriously, you'll find that a few years of cumulative school fees isn't going to scratch the surface when starting a bus company!

 

[LucyP]

I didn't say that bus driving was unskilled work. I said the pay rates were similar to unskilled work.

£14K a year for 14 years is nearly £200K, plus interest on invested money. That will buy quite a few used buses.

 

[NorwichRailFan]

If they are paying private school fees, then it is to be hoped that the child tells their parents quickly. The cheapest private schools are close to £14K per annum presently. So rather than pay from 4-18, send the child to a state school, buy them some buses, and they can drive for their own bus company!

Ok, for context I go to state school and have done all my life. My parents are far from rich.

The mention of Glasgow reminds me of this brilliant book that the OP may enjoy. No idea if it's actually what driving a Glaswegian bus is like but it's hilarious nonetheless: The Bloodbus: Tales from the Glasgow Night Bus

Thanks, I'll give it a read.

I also agree with everyone who says about being miserable that it is all about what you make of the job. I recall an incident when I was younger (Probably about 9) when I said 'I'd like to be a bus driver' to a First Eastern Counties driver and he responded with 'No you bloody well don't'

 

[820KDV]

To add to the above, especially @37114 ‘s post there are plenty of opportunities in transport. I went to Northumbria Polytechnic (yes, it was a long time ago) and studied HND Business & Finance with Transport and Physical Distribution (which included two 6-month placements in industry) and got a place on the Badgerline Group Senior Management Training Scheme at the end. Such schemes were far less developed back then as each of the small (by today’s standards) bus groups worked out how they would survive, management wise, following the end of the National Bus Company and its training system.

While that didn’t lead to a job for me at the time, it was excellent practical grounding to back-up the HND, and has served me well ever since. I got a job in the commercial department of my local bus company and ended up scheduling one of the biggest and most diverse depots (with numerous out-stations for added “fun”) in the country. That led, in turn, to being involved in the implementation of computer scheduling at subsidiaries across the country. Whilst the union agreement at the company didn’t allow non-drivers to drive in service, I had a license from my management training days (where driving a shift for a whole week, and doing some local private hires was part of the course) which was very useful as I could take buses on route tests, and so on and, as I was happy to do so, the inspectors would often come to me in the late afternoon and ask if I could take such-and-such bus “out the depot” and catch my bus home from there. Just like @37114 , that scratched the itch.

Now I am nearing 20 years working for my local transport authority, having done various roles including planning school transport, designing supported bus networks, reviewing other’s work and now being National Bus Strategy Project Officer, building on my HND, management training and 12 years' practical experience.

Was this where my 15-year-old self, interested in transport, but not seeing prospects in BR for a career, expected to be in my mid-50s? No, probably not, but it is fair to say that I’ve had a good life, not hugely well paid, but have always enjoyed my work, which, once the bills are covered, is probably more important.

Another thing to consider, although exactly how it will work is at present unknown, is that the government’s “Bus Back Better” policy has seen the creation of the Bus Centre of Excellence which aims to up-skill people working in admin/management roles in “bus” within both bus companies and local authorities. This will open up more opportunities and allow qualifications to be gained.

If its where your interest lies, the bus industry, in all its facets, is well worth researching and exploring for a career.

 

[GusB]

I didn't say that bus driving was unskilled work. I said the pay rates were similar to unskilled work.

£14K a year for 14 years is nearly £200K, plus interest on invested money. That will buy quite a few used buses.

It's not as simple as having enough money to buy a few used buses. Anyway, let's stop this line of discussion here as it's getting off-topic.

 

[rg177]

I can be somewhat helpful from the journalism perspective...

I studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield from 2017 to 2020 - I loved it for the most part. Its a highly-rated course and has lots of staff who know their stuff. A lot of practical experience in the field and the chance to do a lot of placements - not just as a reporter, either. I did a placement in PR.

I did it because I wanted to do a writing-based subject but wanted something that was a bit more "active" and applicable to the modern world rather than studying a purely academic subject.

Now, I also love the railways and buses too. When I was younger I'd have happily skipped out on a degree and gone straight into driving or a guard's job, for example.

After I graduated, I did a brief stint as an RPI (or similar - that wasn't my official title) and also worked in a call centre for the railway. The enthusiasm helped, but they weren't for me. I ended up moving into SEO and copywriting, and now I'm lucky enough to have a job that melds my degree experience and the railways together.

My advice is that firstly, you're still young, but it does no harm to think about these things. Consider all of your options, too. Maybe you'd prefer to do an apprenticeship in something for practical, or maybe you'll take the degree route. Of course, don't just do a degree for the sake of it.

If you do pick journalism, aim for a degree that's NCTJ-accredited and has you do the industry qualification, too. They're usually the better courses and you'll get a better idea of what the job is actually like.

As others have said, transport planning etc is a fairly common degree at some universities, too.

About three of us out of 65 in my year actually became journalists. Its a pretty thankless job at a local level, miserably paid and full of SEO-oriented nonsense online articles aimed at garnering rage clicks for ad revenue. That said, everyone I know has slotted themselves into a career. My friends are PR executives, some have become teachers, one is an ITV producer and one has his dream job working at the Racing Post.

Just think about what you enjoy doing. Nothing is stopping you becoming a bus driver at any point in your life - you could even get yourself involved with preservation groups and the like.

Best of luck with whatever you choose.

 

[RJ]

I didn't say that bus driving was unskilled work. I said the pay rates were similar to unskilled work.

£14K a year for 14 years is nearly £200K, plus interest on invested money. That will buy quite a few used buses.

It will buy a few old buses.

Then you need to pay at least £10k on each one to get them mechanically sound and tart them up and it will be a constant battle to keep them serviceable. And quite a bit of work needs to be done to be able to make any money from them legally.

It’s a bit of a jump from driving and assumes the finance is readily available, which it isn’t to everyone!

 

[Urobach]

Ex bus driver.

I was proud to get my licence and my parents supported me (as they would in almost any career I joined, though I really don't think bus driving is one to look down on but there we go).

Pros: Big toy, pay isn't bad, scope for furthering your career if you choose and you make can make some fantastic friends. No two days are the same and often you'd be on different routes during the day or week to keep variety. The vast vast majority of passengers are decent (though you'll soon be saying "sorry you're twirly ")

Cons: You need the patience of a saint, sitting in the same traffic jams over and over, especially at roadworks or rush hours. You also soon learn just how little respect most cars have for large vehicles, though of course you learn how to play them at places such as where lanes merge, and it's incredibly satisfying whizzing past in a bus lane. Sadly, one bad passenger can seriously ruin your day as well, as can your first 3 fares turning up with £20 notes for a £2 fare wiping out your cash float (probably less of an issue with contactless payments these days). Workplace politics can be draining too though that could be the same for any company.

It wasn't for me ultimately, but the experience helped me join the railway as a driver, though I should stress the jobs are not as similar as it seems on the surface.

Should my child want to join the buses, I'd absolutely support them, as I would if they wanted to follow a journalism career, or work on the railways, or in business, or be a plumber etc

 

[GalaxyDog]

Have a backup. Always have a backup. This is not a post saying no to becoming a bus driver. It's a thought ensuring you have something in your sleeve should life decide to treat you badly in the job, continually so.

Yes it'd be good, you think, to get into transport industry and the buses and there are a lot of optimistic fellows here claiming that there's career advancement by becoming a planner, getting a promotion, or becoming management. But what happens if you can't get those advancements? Not every bus driver can become a manager, there's just not enough room. Let's run an apocalyptic hypothetical scenario here.
Become a bus driver. Decide you want to go further. Apply for several roles. You just don't get them. You're coming close but there's always "someone better" or worse, there's nepotism or a case of the interviewing manager's mate getting the role. Or, maybe you join a company that's good for progression, likes to progress those who've worked on the ground and gained experience - and then they get taken over by another company or a megacorp that basically decides that the ground staff are the scum of the crop (a massively wrong assumption to make, in some sectors, it's tangible...) and basically ruins a good job for you.


A'ight, you think you'll just try other bus companies or depots. Afterall, your sickness is fine, you have no disciplinaries, you've got plenty of safe driving experience and you've likely had a few out of course situations where you've saved the day, helped the customer above and beyond, worked as a team with your colleages - and yet somehow, you just don't get the offers. So say after five, six, seven years of trying to go further, you're still marooned as a bus driver, at your original company and you've had enough. What's your next move?

 

[notadriver]

I’m a driver - PCV licence is a great get and keep up. One of the great things is very easy to get work. Leave one company. Start productively the next day. It would have been great to have as a summer job at university.

What I’m unsure about is how high you can go. Sure there are director opportunities but don’t the majority of operations managers job top out at 45k whereas if you go into finance or become a doctor engineer lawyer you’ll easily go into 6 figures and have most weekends / evenings off the higher up you go.

 

[TheManWho]

So much good advice here. Absolutely, go for it. Chase your dreams- if your dream job is to be a bus driver, then go for it.

 

[MotCO]

What a fascinating thread; @GusB 's fears in post #5 certainly did not materialise .

The only thing I would add is that there is probably a world of difference between working for a small independent bus company, and one of the 'big boys'. In a small company, you will probably have a wide variety of tasks, and if everyone 'mucks in together', you may find a better working environment. On the other hand, one awkward so and so in a small company can sour it for everyone.

 

[Egg Centric]

Ok, for context I go to state school and have done all my life. My parents are far from rich.

Going to make another potentially controversial post here but it is my genuine view.

If you want to know a secret, there are basically five advantages of private education (IMO - @yorkie and others who know more about this may pipe in here):

1. Keeps you away from certain awful schools full of bullies - only relevant in very particular circumstances
2. At the very best public schools, gives you contacts useful in future life
3. If "thick but a good egg" then many more resources can be expended on you by the school in bringing you "up to standard"
4. Crazy opportunities to do things simply impossible elsewhere (like those Etonians a couple of years ago that met Putin)
5. Gives you initially unwarranted self confidence

Notice what I haven't said here - I haven't said it will educate you better (in the academic sense) - even given its freedom to avoid the national curriculum. That was probably the case 20 years ago, but now everything is on the internet with a bit of smarts you can do that bit yourself.

So taking the points above in turn:

1. I've no clue how or if this applies to you but it's irrelevant at this point
2. You've missed out there but it pales compared to the contacts you can make at university - you seem to be coming to the idea of doing a transport / logistics degree at university and that will have far more useful contacts anyway
3. You write excellently for a fifteen year old so also probably doesn't apply
4. You're stuffed there but bluntly never mind
5. This seems to be where you are lacking

The great thing about 5 is that it's redeemable and honestly in a very simple way - fake it till you make it. You started out this thread with bugger all ambition, thinking about just getting a job - and are already setting your sights on getting a career. Keep this momentum.

The sky is the limit and please don't try to "be realistic" or similar such stuff - develop some arrogance and hubris, which you will only manage by faking it initially. By the age of 20, Alexander the Great ran the largest empire the world had ever seen....

 

[Eyersey468]

I'm also a driver, on the National Express coach side now but did local bus for many years previously. I can't add anything that hasn't already been said but good luck in whatever job you end up doing OP

 

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

For context, me (15) and my mum have been in an argument about my future career. I really want to become a bus driver, however she is set against it saying it is a dead end career and saying 'if it is a good career why do bus drivers look miserable all the time?' She wants me to go a more academic route (Journalism specifically because I expressed a mild interest in at about a year ago) but I don't feel like it is for me. I would like to ask all current and former bus drivers what the positives and negatives of the job and whether you would recommend it to someone like me. Thanks.

You’ll be in the job for a couple of years before starting to resent it but it will happen.

I’d recommend an academic route for sure; bus driving is a dead end job unless becoming a business manager of a transport firm would be a goal, by which point all your underlings will eventually look at you with a sense of confusion on poor decision making based on the training you got to become a public bus transport manager.

It’s a multi faceted question you’ve asked, each to there own I say.

The hours are pretty long; you’re usually 5 over 7 days without any real structure to the shift pattern. You can be on shift for up to 12hrs finishing at 12am, 8.5hrs off, then back in early doors for 9am. There is no great pay parity between bus drivers and many other jobs now. The vehicles are often ill looked after depending on where you work and many electric buses are freezing in the winter. Buses in the UK are also not fitted with full Air Con systems so it’s boiling in the summer. Do remember that you're driving a bus for up to 10 hrs per day; you're not just a passenger for 1 hour.

If you give it a go; great, if you don’t like it; I completely understand.

 

[Aviator88]

If it's driving large vehicles that tickles your fancy, I'd recommend doing your HGV licence as opposed to your PCV for three reasons -

1) HGV drivers earn about 50% more than bus/coach drivers on average.

2) The freight doesn't abuse you, and you don't feel eyes piercing into the back of your head as you drive.

3) It's more interesting - you'll be visiting new places practically every day!

The main downside is that you'll likely have to fork out the £2-3k for training yourself, whereas bus operators tend to put you through the licence and tie you in for a certain amount of time.