Hi,
I worked for Stagecoach South Wales for 6 months. Had to take out a £2000 bond with them lasts over 2 years (If u stay with them). Theory and practical were in house, but after 3 attempts if you fail they won’t give you another chance unless your instructor really believes in you. (Not that often). And it seems that the Inspectors working for Stagecoach are only after one thing, to get drivers into trouble. They never gave us any help. The money is crap, we had to do 60hr weeks just to take home £300. If i were you, either look at another bus/coach company or stick with the trucks. Plus the company hate it if u VOR a vehicle. We were always arguing with them. The company care more about making money, than the drivers and passengers safety.
Dont do it been flicking betwen busses and hgv for years the only good thing about bus driving is the shift patterns thats if you can get on a four day week its spot on with rest days and the five weeks holiday’s you get it works out that you dont work more than 7 months of the year
As mentioned the liecence you get in house is only an auto and you will proberbly have to sign an agreement that if you leave you have to pay back the training and liecence which at First Bus will cost you £3000 
Pay wise dont expect double time or over time rate, its is payed flat rate across the board, only the old timers on the old contracts get those perks 
as for £8.50 that is what you expect to get in London but will pushed elsewhere and it is true about the spread overs you may end up working 16 hours for only 5 hours pay
its the easiest job in the world but the money is very poor up her in Norfolk after working a 52 hour week we would expect to put a huge £270 in the bank!!!
Now back on HGV and my money has doubled bus driving is very good for the social and home life but it doesnt pay the bills !!!
eccleshall driver:
i have class 1, 2 and auto bus, but i cant drive a manual bus!! without another test…
Your cat D. (bus) should be upgraded to manuals when you pass manual class 2.
When I contacted a bus operator who does in-house testing about a test I was told that if I took my test on an auto bus I would get manual PCV licence if I had manual LGV licence.
It also works if you have a C+E and pass PCV you get a D+E licence.
Apparently the goods test is superior to the passenger one, although you have to take both tests to drive both types of vehicle.
DSA also make a lot of money out of it.
eccleshall driver wrote:
i have class 1, 2 and auto bus, but i cant drive a manual bus!! without another test…Your cat D. (bus) should be upgraded to manuals when you pass manual class 2.
Yes this is correct.
Mothertrucker:
mrpj wrote:
Could a competent class 2 driver pass a PCV test with no or little instruction?Unlikely
Highly unlikely - I have to agree.
Problem is that mosts people get into bad habits when driving - not necesserily dangerous but just not ‘to the book’ - and apart from those of us who work in Driver Training and are in Test Mode all the time I think most drivers would have their work cut out to re-pass the test. and of course with PCV its the extras as I mentioned earlier that you would have to swot up on.
although as I said earlier - with the in house training all sorts get through the test - which is a sore point with me so please dont set me off
Me thinks you need to pay a visit to our in house trainers/examiners,they may be the exception to your idea, but they certainly dont pull no punches and many have failed,all credit to them they were okay but a lot of their good work is eroded when the drivers get to the depots and then pressurised into well shall i say bending standards to the limit,
Mr Bean:
Pay wise dont expect double time or over time rate, its is payed flat rate across the board, only the old timers on the old contracts get those perksits the easiest job in the world but the money is very poor up her in Norfolk after working a 52 hour week we would expect to put a huge £270 in the bank!!!
Now back on HGV and my money has doubled bus driving is very good for the social and home life but it doesnt pay the bills !!!
I work for Arriva Yorkshire and have done for 2 years since leaving Brian Yeardleys,the job is OK ,38-9 hours over 5 days £9.36(£9.78 from jan1st). 1 week of early shifts then 1 week of lates(2 late turns,3 middles). Flat rate for weekends and O/T. Final Salary pension too.If you have low overheads the job is good,if you need to take home in excess of £300 its not the job for you as O/T is limited. I take home £270 on a flat 38hr week.
I forgot to add no spilt shifts and only 30 mins stopped a day. If i get time later i will post 2 weeks of my rota up to give you an idea
roddersdad:
… but a lot of their good work is eroded when the drivers get to the depots and then pressurised into well shall i say bending standards to the limit,
Too true. The standard of instruction is very good.
Remember, bus company’s, at best, run on a 50/50 insurance policy and a lot of time, when learning, is spent on defensive driving.
Stan
mrpj:
Could a competent class 2 driver pass a PCV test with no or little instruction?
As someone with an All Types PSV licence of many years I was glad of the instruction when learning HGV.
The vehicles look similar but behave completely different - especially when loaded.
Stan
ROG, where are you?
If for any reason I decide to do my PSV, would I need to do the driver CPC?
I think it comes in by September 2008 for buses. But do my grandfather rights for a truck help me?
After all my man management skills as a bus driver are well honed and I understand how to reassure a nervous passengers.
Sit down and STFU 
I wouldnt go near the buses, i would last a few days before i killed a chav.
Was speaking to a coach driver the other week, was asking him about the test etc… i asked him watch the coaches were like. He said he liked it doing the continent whenever he wanted Italy, France etc…
Said wages were ok but you made loads of extras in other ways, tips and other ways. Which could make it a better wage than class 1 driving.
I asked him what if i got my PCV, would i get to drive a coach, he said yeah my boss needs drivers and because you have class 1 and class 2 experience and checkable references the boss would put me straight on to coaches.
The only thing about going down the Stagecoach etc… route is you sit the test in a automatic. I know going the other way having an automatic PCV then passing in a class 2 you get a full manual PCV, but not sure if it works the same the other way round.
I’m thinking going for a PCV assessment drive, see how it goes maybe do two or three days training, use the ILA fund money and put the rest to it myself.
everything is so negative
would appreciate a paste of them shifts johnboy.
Perhaps it would be better me taking a test privatley and paying the instalment off weekly on crdit card keep my current job and jump on a bus agency.
■■■■■■00:
everything is so negative
would appreciate a paste of them shifts johnboy.Perhaps it would be better me taking a test privatley and paying the instalment off weekly on crdit card keep my current job and jump on a bus agency.
I will post them in the morning,the wife is nagging me to get off the computer 
Plus i will also add an insight to doing Euro on coaches for the previous poster
I have just spent 45 mins typing out a reply only to loose it when i submitted it 
I will redo it this after i have been to the Asda and copy and paste it this time
Was it me our was the site down all afternoon 
Just a Quickie with my shift times for last week and next
Mon 1524-0009 8.15hrs
1544-1845
1945-0009
Tues 1312-2039 7hrs
1332-1744
1834-2039
Wed Spare Middle 7.24 Minimum
Allocated 1318-2050 7.02 paid 7.24hr
1338-1402
1425-1510
1616-2025
Thur 1318-2050 7.02hrs
1338-1402
1425-1510
1616-2025
Fri 1505-0005
1525-1840
1950-0005
Sat/Sun Rest Day
Mon
Allocated Staff bus 0310-1042 swopped for
0455-1245 7.20hrs
0455-0920
1030-1225
Tues 0432-1152 7hrs
0432-0904
1000-1132
Wed Rest day
0456-1220 7hrs Overtime
0456-0842
0937-1200
Thur 0617-1546 8.59hrs
0617-1039
1131-1526
Fri 0512-1324 7.42hrs
0512-0945
1047-1304
Sat 0530-1320 7.20hrs
0530-0755
0905-1300
Sun Rest Day
I will but some more info up tomorrow as i have to go out tonight
Hi ■■■■■■00,
I can’t speak for Stagecoach but have worked for FirstGroup/ Badgerline/Bristol Omnibus Co since 1979 and the job is what you make it. There is usually a choice of working patterns in most depots once you get established. I happen to work split shifts, mainly taking students to and from Weston-super-Mud to Bridgwater College, with local work thrown in when not doing the college run. This suits me as I don’t have to work after 7pm and have every Sunday off, with every other Saturday off as well. I can (usually) get some overtime in when on my break between morning and afternoon sessions, and don’t usually have any trouble with the IQ Zeros who seem to travel on the late buses, although there is no time limit on ■■■■■■■■■■ Under our wage conditions this pays time and a half, whereas if I were to work a rest day I would only get 2p per hour enhanced payment !! (so I don’t work rest days ) From what I hear First in Manchester pay quite a bit more per hour than we get down here in the sticks at W-s-M. I am on the top rate in our depot at £8.41 per hour. This rate applies to all days worked, with no extra for Sat or Sun working, although other depots have different wage systems in place and some do get enhanced payments for weekend working. You can also expect to get free travel on your chosen firms buses for yourself and wife and children too, which can be quite a saving if you have kids who use the bus to get to school etc.
Some years ago I used to be the branch secretary for the T&G in our depot and at that time the perceived conditions and pay reported throughout the union seemed to say that First generally were better to work for than Stagecoach, at least pay and working condition wise.
As has been reported on this forum, you will probably have to sign an indemnity to repay your training costs if you join either company without a PCV licence and leave within 2 years.
I would say that you would be well advised to check out First (and also any other operators in your area) before committing to Stagecoach.
If you do decide to go down the PCV route (sorry about the pun) you can expect to have to go through some crap duties and work patterns until you get established, but that is probably true of any job nowadays, and at least you will be home in your own bed every night (assuming you think that’s an advantage 
)
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
You will still be able to go back to wagon driving if the buses don’t work out for you.
thanks for the insight into your rota and the comments have now made me take a informed descion which is a definate no i shall be emailing stagcoach with my appolagies thanks people
jon boy 100:
Was it me our was the site down all afternoonJust a Quickie with my shift times for last week and next
Mon 1524-0009 8.15hrs
1544-1845
1945-0009Tues 1312-2039 7hrs
1332-1744
1834-2039Wed Spare Middle 7.24 Minimum
Allocated 1318-2050 7.02 paid 7.24hr
1338-1402
1425-1510
1616-2025Thur 1318-2050 7.02hrs
1338-1402
1425-1510
1616-2025Fri 1505-0005
1525-1840
1950-0005Sat/Sun Rest Day
Mon
Allocated Staff bus 0310-1042 swopped for
0455-1245 7.20hrs
0455-0920
1030-1225Tues 0432-1152 7hrs
0432-0904
1000-1132Wed Rest day
0456-1220 7hrs Overtime
0456-0842
0937-1200Thur 0617-1546 8.59hrs
0617-1039
1131-1526Fri 0512-1324 7.42hrs
0512-0945
1047-1304Sat 0530-1320 7.20hrs
0530-0755
0905-1300Sun Rest Day
I will but some more info up tomorrow as i have to go out tonight
Cracking shifts !!! and all for the same rate of pay presumably
What is that 3:10 start all about
The 0310 start is one of two staff buses the drivers cover.There are also two regular night drivers.Mick who did my shift this morning picked one driver up from home and fetched him into work.then at 0700 went up to the canteen for his breakie before doing 2 1/2 hours driving the midi buses around wakefield.
It`s a very easy shift but i dislike getting up at 0230 and then doing nothing but sit in the depot till about 0530 when you might have to go pick up a driver from home.
Yes it is all one rate of pay £9.36 with next years pay rise agreed at £9.78.
If anyone is looking at bus driving for a living,just like trucks you need to shop around to find the good jobs,I live close to a First Leeds depot as well,but driving across Leeds is no fun with the high traffic levels and high passenger numbers.Driving in smaller towns is a lot less stressful and easier.We also have the best facilites at our depot(Wakefield),than others like Dewsbury and Castleford who have limited facilities.
There are not many decent Class one jobs going around here at the moment so i can`t see me using it soon.
Also coach driving is not really a job,its a way of life.You end up spending all your time with the punters rather than your family/friends,and that can put a strain on your life.I quit coaching when my eldest lad then aged about 5 said to me “what are you telling me what to do your never here” .
It only took until the second day of that tour for me to pick the coach phone up and give my notice,i have never driven a coach since returning from Italy with that tour.
I might add for BY`s spys i have never driven a wagon since returning from Italy for them,maybe there is something in the water in Italy
I have been doing Class I agency delivering palletted goods to large superstores in the Home Counties, off and on for the last couple of months.
Got a call last Thursday, would I like to take a 48 seater to Cite Europe Calais on a day trip on Sunday.
Yes, how much? pay Class II rates enhanced for Sunday. OK I say.
Got a call on Friday. reduced numbers (probably as I told them that the Hypermarkets are shut on Sundays)
Ended up with a 24 seater started 0430 finished 1930.
Had a great time, something completely different and ended up with enough tips to offset the rates of pay.
I say go for it…