Stagecoach rota question

[Bucephalus]

Hey there. I just got offered a bus driver job with stagecoach Manchester and they gave me a printout with a shift pattern.

There are some days with letters on them and no times and I don't know what they mean.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

SPS
SPZ
SPL
SPM
SPE

 

[Megafuss]

Don't work for Manchester but spare early, mid, late. Not sure about spz or sps though.

 

[Bucephalus]

Don't work for Manchester but spare early, mid, late. Not sure about spz or sps though.

Thankyou Megafuss. That's really helpful. Would that mean I would be on any route at an early time, TBA?

 

[Megafuss]

Thankyou Megafuss. That's really helpful. Would that mean I would be on any route at an early time, TBA?

It would depend on what duty the detailer needs covering that day when the schedules are loaded few days before. You may end up doing a mish mash of two duties to help out. I would hope they would pick a suitable duty that you have already route learned the contents of, or they would need to send you out with a jockey. Manchester might be different to other locations.

I hazard a guess that SPS means Spare Split Shift and SPZ I presume is Spare anytime

 

[Mwanesh]

If i were you i would look at an area i know better and look at the routes there .At least you will have an idea of where to go.When i started i in a different area i was asked which area i knew .Thats the rota i went on .With time i learnt all the other routes in case overtime was available .

 

[Dentonian]

It would depend on what duty the detailer needs covering that day when the schedules are loaded few days before. You may end up doing a mish mash of two duties to help out. I would hope they would pick a suitable duty that you have already route learned the contents of, or they would need to send you out with a jockey. Manchester might be different to other locations.

I hazard a guess that SPS means Spare Split Shift and SPZ I presume is Spare anytime

I wonder if Z could mean "semi late". At a guess semi-lates are more common at Ashton, Stockport and Middleton depots with some contracts finishing mid evening (esp. on Sundays), whilst Splits are more common (or should that be; less rare nowadays) at Hyde Road or Sharston. Do you know which depot you are working at, btw?

 

[Bucephalus]

I wonder if Z could mean "semi late". At a guess semi-lates are more common at Ashton, Stockport and Middleton depots with some contracts finishing mid evening (esp. on Sundays), whilst Splits are more common (or should that be; less rare nowadays) at Hyde Road or Sharston. Do you know which depot you are working at, btw?

Thanks for shedding some light on this. It is hyde road. I was checking so we could figure out chidcare and the recruitment person had already gone home

 

[Dentonian]

Thanks for shedding some light on this. It is hyde road. I was checking so we could figure out chidcare and the recruitment person had already gone home

Hyde Road eh! Well, you won't get bored carrying fresh air very often then - apart from the 38s, of course. And you'll have to get used to the variation in running times, especially off peak; 76s you'll be pulling up at every timing point for two or three minutes, but on 203s you won't have time to breath on a lot of journeys - and that includes Sunday mornings. And on Hyde Road corridor itself, don't be fooled into thinking its just the Manchester end of the route that's tight.

Seriously though, I worked there (not as a driver) in GMT/GMB days and if local management is the same as then, you just need to keep your nose clean, treat the customers well, and they will see you right. There was no "them and us" and it was a "Will you (please)?" culture, compared to certain other depots that were acquired by a certain the company, where it was a "You will" - as in demanded, culture.