Trainee Bus Driving

[blankBook]

So about 6-8 months ago I applied to be a Trainee Bus Driver with Rotala and it's a very long process. At the moment I am training to be a Bus Driver and I am just wondering as to whether I can actually make it. The practical bus test is next Thursday buts it already been a week and I'm still not confident with driving such a large bus as I'm making so many mistakes. I have found that driving a bus does not come very naturally to me and its not easy and there is so much to look out.

I cannot believe that Bus companies only give you a week and then you have your practical bus test. I feel like I won't be able to pass it next week. But you know what I had to leave a part-time job for this and they cannot guarantee employment until I pass the practical test.

My questions is what if I cannot make the grade? I'm a bit annoyed that I left my previous job for this and there are no guarantees.

 

[notadriver]

So about 6-8 months ago I applied to be a Trainee Bus Driver with Rotala and it's a very long process. At the moment I am training to be a Bus Driver and I am just wondering as to whether I can actually make it. The practical bus test is next Thursday buts it already been a week and I'm still not confident with driving such a large bus as I'm making so many mistakes. I have found that driving a bus does not come very naturally to me and its not easy and there is so much to look out.

I cannot believe that Bus companies only give you a week and then you have your practical bus test. I feel like I won't be able to pass it next week. But you know what I had to leave a part-time job for this and they cannot guarantee employment until I pass the practical test.

My questions is what if I cannot make the grade? I'm a bit annoyed that I left my previous job for this and there are no guarantees.

I'm not sure if this helps but I will tell you my experience. I took a driving assessment in a car for one company but was told I lacked enough car driving experience and I should try next year despite flying through the arithmetic and written tests. A few months later I applied for and was successful with another company. I had two weeks tuition but 3 of us shared a vehicle and instructor. My instructor told me I would never pass and I should look for another career. After two fails I was given the sack for failing to reach an acceptable standard. I waited another few months, applied for another company and had a really nice instructor and passed first time thanks to him.

If you fail you'll get another ekes tuition and another go at the test. Just don't fail that one.

 

[BestWestern]

Sadly this is typical of the industry, most firms really don't care a great deal about your standard of driving and just want to rush you through a joke 'driving school' and test and get you out there. When I started for one of the big groups we had two instructors' groups on the one bus, as the other guy was on holiday. I can't have had more than a few hours' worth behind the wheel, and when I did my test I fully expected to fail it - we got back to base and I was about to apologise for wasting the examiner's time when he commented "hmm, not a bad drive"! I think the policy with that particular outfit was that you got a couple of attempts at the test and after that you could keep trying but would be paying for it yourself.

To be fair to the operators, they can't 'guarantee' that anybody will make it, unless they pass even the worst drivers; it's just expected that most will pass the test. What I would say is try and focus on your weak spots, ask your instructor to help you concentrate on those areas during what training you have left. You could always ask if they can squeeze you in any extra sessions, they might be able to help you out - obviously it depends on their policy, but perhaps a regular driver who acts as a mentor or training buddy might be able to accompany you for example? Another good tactic if you haven't already tried, is to focus on a driving scenario when you go to bed, or if you have some 'downtime' during the day (works best at night I find). Just close your eyes and place yourself in the seat, driving a route you've gone over, and think through in realtime as if you're there driving. It often helps to be able to do things in 'simulator' mode where you can consider every step carefully without the pressure of actually being there.

On the big day try not to panic, and just remember that even if the worst happens there absolutely nothing to stop you applying elsewhere and trying again. Very best of luck, keep us updated!

 

[anthony263]

First are pretty good I have found with training new drivers the same with Stagecoach. The instructers really want all their trainiee's to pass so are always willing to help is one of the trainiee's is struggling in a particular area.

It could be that the trainiee is truggling to drive a large vehicle which has a manual gearbox in which case they will try you in a autmotaic which personally I dont find to be all that great as I feel you have more control with a manual.,

That said a good number of operators tend to use coaches such as dennis javelins which all credit to them are well built and can take a lot of beating so are peferct to learn to drive in even if the gearboxes dont like to play ball a lot of times (an example one I learned in wouldnt go into 2nd gear unless you got the speed down to 20-25mph)

First have started using Dennis darts for training vehicles, Bristol has a few marshal bodied examples from London which in turn displaced the Alexander bodied Volvo B10M elsewhere. Stagecoach wales use one of the Palxton Premier bodied Volvo's which they used to use on the Service X4 Cardiff - Merthyr - Hereford service which I believe are automatics.

Anyway having been in your situation years ago my piece of advice is dont give up hope even if you fail, you can fail easily on something silly (which I did), keep yourself positive

 

[mbonwick]

Stagecoach generally train on B10M coaches, the idea being that the higher driving position makes for better visibility. That and the fact that coaches are what has been available for the last few years.

 

[anthony263]

I agree about the visibility aspect of using coaches especially when you are trying to reverse

 

[34D]

Just take it all nice and steady. I failed first time (self funded) too.

When you drive your car, try to drive it as smoothly/safely as you can

 

[BestWestern]

I agree about the visibility aspect of using coaches especially when you are trying to reverse

It also makes sense to learn in something that's about as big as you are ever likely to be driving; very little point IMHO in training somebody on a tiny little Dart that's a piece of cake to drive, and then expecting them to go out in service on something that's nearly twice the size and a pig to handle. Most old coaches tend to be pretty abysmal things to drive which also helps to develop those 'worst case scenario' skills so that once qualified, a driver isn't flustered when the worst motor in the fleet turns up!

 

[blankBook]

So I went for my PCV practical bus driving test today and I didn't make the cut. I wasn't even ready for the test but I did my best but it wasn't good enough. Rotala (Preston Bus) said to me were terminating your contract I am a bit gutted by this. How can bus companies get away with this? One week to train you to drive a bus and be competent at it is ridiculous. Seems like bus companies just want to cut and keep costs down.

Is it even worth my while to apply to stagecoach? Will it be the same training period only one week. By the way I have passed my hazard perception, theory and case studies. test.

What do I do next?

 

[radamfi]

You could pay for your own lessons and test. I'm thinking of doing this myself, as it is an ambition of mine to be able to drive a bus. Obviously that may be prohibitively expensive in your circumstances. But (I assume) you would then be more attractive to a prospective employer as they don't need to train you.

 

[mbonwick]

Is it even worth my while to apply to stagecoach? Will it be the same training period only one week.

I'd say it is worth applying to Stagecoach, and from what I know they'll train you for more than a week. I think its normally 2-3weeks.

 

[Shrimper]

I underwent training at Stagecoach Manchester. We got a week purely on theory, then two weeks driving in a group of three - one of our number took his test at the end of the second week; the other two the following Tuesday. We all passed first time, as did two others with a different trainer who started at the same time. I never felt rushed or pressured, and it was standard to give people a second attempt if they failed, though I believe this was at the discretion of the training department.

I also knew a Stagecoach Preston instructor and from what I could tell their procedures were similar - they certainly got more than a week before the test.

 

[Titfield]

From a theoretical perspective:

If a driver is given one weeks training and passes the test he has cost the company one weeks training.

Likewise if a driver is given one weeks training and fails the test he has cost the company one weeks training.

As regards the failed driver The company then has two options:

a) terminate the contract of the driver and employ a new trainee driver.
b) give the driver a second weeks worth of training.

In both scenarios if the driver then passes the test the cost to the company of "producing" one passed driver is the same ie two weeks wages.(ignoring any minor cost issues).

The attitude of companies (indeed individual instructors) varies:
some take the view that if you cant pass the test in one week you will never reach an acceptable standard (and thus terminate the contract)
some take the view they would rather work on a "part trained" driver rather than take someone new (and thus give the driver a second weeks training).

The vehicle used for the test must meet a minimum specification which includes the length and width of the vehicle. At one time double deckers and single deckers were treated differently ie if you passed in a single decker you were only licensed for single deckers. That has now changed.

 

[blankBook]

No wonder there's such a shortage of bus drivers.

 

[notadriver]

No wonder there's such a shortage of bus drivers.

I'm an ex full time bus driver. Look at this as a sign. Just my 2p worth.

 

[pompeyfan]

Personally I think you were very badly treated, we were led to the impression that nothing less then 3/4 weeks would be fair and that the first 2 tests were on the company, the 3rd one was at the discretion of the examiner but the cost of the trainee. My theory test was about 11 days after I started and my test was exactly 1 calendar month which I passed first time. My old instructor uses a cup of water on the dash of a manual coach, keep the water in the cup and he has to drink it, even on the hottest day of the year!

Try and try again if it's an industry you're trying to break in to, this clown company shouldn't get you down!

 

[RJ]

I learned to drive buses privately. I had next to no experience driving cars and only got a car licence as a necessary stepping stone to get a PCV licence, which I wanted very much for vocational reasons.

I went to a PCV driving school and did eight days of training, four hours of driving in each. Although the instructor was bad tempered and late every day (resulting in me missing my first test slot,) he was effective and I passed the test first time. The vehicle was a 10.8m Dennis Dart. After six months, I was able to secure a weekend driving job with a London bus operator, which was a perfect arrangement to tie in with university in the East Mids on weekdays.

The way some bus companies work, if some people can pass the test after one week of training then they feel they can't justify spending more on people who aren't able to do so. These are frugal times unfortunately. In London especially, there are many operators available. It is the case that many drivers have been sacked (or jumping before being pushed) from other operators, but find it easy to get work with another operator. Some of the stories I've heard from the drivers themselves include;

- Being an 18 year old driver and letting their 16 year old friend drive the bus, with passengers on board
- Crashing a double decker bus into a bridge
- Being cut up by a Mercedes and when catching the Mercedes at the next set of lights, deliberately letting off the handbrake, writing it off and causing knock on damage to several cars ahead in the queue
- Driving a single decker bus at 80mph on a downhill section of the A1(M) (Barnet Way) in the rain, slamming on the brakes and aquaplaning, with passengers on board

They go on and on. They all got sacked or resigned then found work with another operator within weeks. So I wouldn't worry too much about being unlucky with the driving test

 

[Titfield]

Increasing use of both CCTV and Telematics though does assist in identifying the drivers who do not meet the requirement to drive safely, in accordance with the rules and regulations at all times, and with due consideration for passengers and all other road users.

 

[34D]

I also think it's harsh? What did you fail on?

Would you consider relocating?

 

[PermitToTravel]

- Driving a single decker bus at 80mph on a downhill section of the A1(M) (Barnet Way) in the rain, slamming on the brakes and aquaplaning, with passengers on board

(my emphasis)
That'd be the A1. Barnet Way is not a motorway.