Hi,
I currently work for Eddie Stobarts driving class 1 vehicles in the chilled division. I am considering getting my cat D licence and moving into coach driving. Do you think this is a good idea?
Only if you like less money
Split days, unpaid breaks etc
You WILL have to drive school kids too
claretmatt:
Only if you like less money how much less■■?Split days, unpaid breaks etc I thought everywhere had unpaid breaks
You WILL have to drive school kids tooI can cope with that, I have 3 at home
PM daf95xf
he has got his PSV and LGV licences
he has also worked for most of the coach companies throughout the country, and is currently working his way through the haulage companies as we speak 
No I would never do livestock.
haribo4000:
claretmatt:
Only if you like less money how much less■■? Much Less !!!Split days, unpaid breaks etc I thought everywhere had unpaid breaks Waiting araound for hours for your cargo to come back, and there is always a couple how forgot what time you said and come back an hour late !!
You WILL have to drive school kids tooI can cope with that, I have 3 at home
COMPLETLY DIFFERENT you can tell your kids off if they misbehave, YOU CANNOT TELL THE KIDS, your not even allowed to tell them to sit down anymore, and when 52 kids get together trust me thats nothing like having 3 at home.
I remember once picking up my brand new coach (scania double decker) and was going to france the next day for two weeks, boss asked me to do a school run on the wat back from collecting it, three hours later, £3500 worth of damage including setting fire to the back seat and ripping the toilet door off, and you think im joking.
Madguy 
Ouch!! no wonder your called Madguy
LOL. thank you.
I PM’d Peter Smythe, just waiting on a reply from him.
The like driving, I just dont like having no one to chat to all day. I’m a fan of interaction. lol
haribo4000:
Ouch!! no wonder your called MadguyLOL. thank you.
I PM’d Peter Smythe, just waiting on a reply from him.
The like driving, I just dont like having no one to chat to all day. I’m a fan of interaction. lol
you won’t really be able to ‘chat’ to your passengers either, seeing as they will be higher up and behind you
but he can sing to them over the PA system 
shuttlespanker:
you won’t really be able to ‘chat’ to your passengers either, seeing as they will be higher up and behind you
Not forgetting they’ll on occasion tell you to turn the music off, close your window and stop talking to them and concentrate on the road.
And it’s too hot/cold, what time will we be there (when stuck in stationary traffic), there’s a guy smoking weed at the back…
Then there’s the kids who know you can’t do or say anything to them so they’ll throw stuff at you, spit at you, abuse you, fight each other etc
It’s NOT a good move, seriously. Don’t do it.
Surely it has its good points? 
haribo4000:
Surely it has its good points?
Yeh, when you drop them off and get some time to chill out on your own…
And your not allowed to speak to them over the PA anymore, we used to say the best passengers are the ones that are asleep, the reason most coach drivers try to make it a comfterble ride is so that the passengers will fall asleep as soon as possible.
The school run is definatly the worst, 1 hour with kids on and theres more mess than a week tour of France, and i’m not kidding.
Madguy (not so mad, i got out of it !!!)
Why so negative I drove a wedding party to Pitlochry on Saturday evening dropped them off ,went and climbed Ben Vrackie got down was given a glass of orange juice and a tip when I took them back home.How many hairy Rsed truckers get paid to go hill walking?
I have both Class 1 and cat D. there is bugger all hgv work around here so I’m back on the coaches.
The money is crap most of the time, no doubt about it (£7-£7.50 is the going rate down here) BUT if you get a long day away somewhere you are paid all day to go and wander round nice places, do a bit of shopping ( I got a ton of stuff in B&Q last week), catch up on paperwork or just read and snooze.
You will be called ‘bus driver’ even tho you drive a coach. It used to annoy me but not any more.
I do the odd week for Just Coach Drivers in Exeter every now and then ( basically an agency to the coach industry). Good money, good companies = good motors, good jobs and away for a week all expenses paid. Nice not to have to cook for a week - 10 days.
If you do get your D don’t expect to get a tip from every job, most people are tighter than a duck’s behind.
The choice is yours, if you do get your licence you should be able to work all the time if you want to.
I was offered £30 to do two school runs a day. For some reason I turned it down.
ouch peter symthe ROB DOG
I enjoy the little coach driving I do. Doesn’t pay well but it’s not all about the money.
Definitely a mixed response from this. I’m very unsure what to do at the minute. My problem is that I came from a construction background into driving. I am used to grafting, so getting used to sitting around in RDC’s all day is taking time.
I enjoy driving but don’t get any job satisfaction from this work. I need something to get my teeth into and keep my mind occupied.
Only mental cases want to drive buses
haribo4000:
I just dont like having no one to chat to all day. I’m a fan of interaction. lol
Thats the big advantage of truck driving, peace and quiet & nobody trying to chat to you.