I was planning to do my class one, but as I still awaiting compensation for accident and ZB McLellan’s still owes me money, it’s has to be put back.
So as I can’t DO nothing, I have time to THINK. And what I got today: as I need some part time / weekend job during the studies (which will be for at least 3 years), I wonder if going for buses would not be a good idea?
Altough we all know, that driving a city bus must be a terrible experience, I think I should survive on doing it one-two days per week… otherwise I can forget about doing long distance job, as I can only spare two days per week (including weekend) so for class one will be propably some local multidrop (driving artic in the city for newbie might be not the smartest idea) or drink deliveries (lifting kegs it’s not my cup of tea) or trunking ( there and back on the motorway - BOOOOOORING…
Also there is lot of adverts for bus drivers - guides, that should be not so bad to drive arround HIghlands showing people nice places…
And last but not least (I hope ROG will confirm if that’s true) as I am experienced rigid driver, driving a bus should be not too difficult for me (I could pass the theory test only and than I could take maybe only one or two lessons and that’s it, saves huge amount of money)
I tried bus driving many years ago, probably the worst experience of my driving career since I hate dealing with people , the first week I was driving a half cab double decker so didnt have any passenger contact apart from a [zb] bell dinging in my ear every few minutes. On the second week they put me on ‘one man operation’, by half past seven of the first morning I’d had enough, drove the bus back to the depot and jacked it in (the bus was full of passengers ), never again. When I renew my HGV every 5 years I always make a point of leaving the PSV bit off the application - but the [zb]'s at Swansea always keep it on my licence.
I like people, so that would be not a problem for me, but off course I would prefer not driving some antic double decker full of some neds arround Govan in Glasgow for example…
To drive buses now requires you to do the new PCV driver cpc and yes, experience of driving large trucks will help but not to the extent that I believe you think it will.
I do not teach PCV so my actual expertise is VERY limited on this.
orys:
I like people, so that would be not a problem for me, but off course I would prefer not driving some antic double decker full of some neds arround Govan in Glasgow for example…
If you like working with the public Orys then you would probably get on fine, you sound a polite sort of guy and I’m sure you wouldn’t have a problem getting a job, the test was dead easy compared to HGV. I was just saying that bus driving is not for everyone. I have mates that have been on the buses for 40 odd years and they love it (or maybe too old to do anything else ).
I think that depends if you take your test with a bus company or with a DSA examiner at DSA test centre.
IMHO the PCV test is much harder than the HGV if taken at a DSA test centre as the examiners require a much higher standard than the HGV. Elsewhere on Trucknet is the pass rates for both PCV and HGV, so you can see for yourself.
Many bus companies have what I think are called ‘designated examiners’, in other words they work for the bus company, but are supposed to test to DSA standards. However i’m rather cynical about them in as much as if their boss tells them he needs another 3 drivers next week, how many do you think will pass their test? - I have no proof of that of course, although when a bus company started to bring their trainees into my local test centre a couple or so years ago following the retirement of their examiner, they soon got another ‘designated examiner’!
If you can do it Orys you would be better trying to sign up with a bus company and get them to train you.
I think that depends if you take your test with a bus company or with a DSA examiner at DSA test centre.
This was well over 30 years ago, the HGV test was pretty tough compared to the couple of days training for PSV, but times change so my knowledge of present day PSV training is a little lacking. The PSV training in those days was on double deckers with manual gearbox where double de-clutching was absolutely necessary, something I doubt is taught nowadays
Ive been doing buses for 6 years, Class 2 on and off for small periods in between but always end up on buses.
Ive found that driving buses is a bit of a nightmare, You have the usual companies about, Stagecoach and First, oh and Arriva - all pay well… but shifts can be a nightmare. First your out early and lates, and can be a 10-11 hour shift, and some your lucky if they pay 8 hours for that. Stagecoach isnt much better, but they can have you working till 11pm then in the following morning at 8am. I noticed you mentioned McKindless too… 12 hour shifts, with no proper break, just 15 mins every time you get to the terminus! with optimistic timings, you never get the full 15 mins.
One thing to think about is coach companies want experiance of driving coaches and buses, So you will need to do your time for a while at a company doing service work! Even I struggle to get some coach work, get it in small batches like an odd weekend stint like im doing this weekend doing rail replacement work in an old leyland tiger!
If you want any info on the job, or where to work drop me a PM… been everywhere who runs vans with more than 6 seats in Glasgow lol!
Im a bus driver with Stagecoach and it has its good days and bad days, sometimes so bad Ive felt like leaving the bus at the side of the road (when my windscreen wipers packed up in a torrential downpour and I was told to just push it back on and carry on )
Or when you get a standing load full and not one of them has paid for a ticket (OAPs).
The good bits are when a passenger tells you how well you drove (got told that they expected a rough ride when they saw a “young” driver turn up - Im 26!!) or handled a situation (chavs just walked straight and when challenged showed me a London travel card - not valid in Odiham) so I asked them to get off, they refused so I switched off the engine and told them Im not moving until their off, still refused so I went to call the police - they quickly got off then, but only after calling me all the names under the sun, in that situation just smile, nod and agree with everything they say, they get bored and give up then
With bus driving, at least you know that you’ll be home every night…
Im lucky in that the rota Im on gets me out of Basingstoke, I do the 32A to Newbury, 200 to Camberley (3 hour round trip that is now ), 28 to Alton , 201/211 from Hartley Wintney/Hook to Alton College ( ), 207 from/to Fleet/Hook, 430 to Farnborough (confusing when you do the 430 430 ) , and very very occasionally a 76 from Andover back to Basingstoke, but as I cant stand being in Basingstoke for longer than I have to (mainly just to have the only just legal 40 minutes, minimum break on Domestic hours is 30 mins) .
They can, and do, shaft you when you run late and have a break as they say they pay you for the amount of time you run late and just give you a 30 min break (they tried that on me last year so I said Im taking my full break and the response was “we havent got anybody to cover your next run”, so I told them Im taking my full break, so I was told to go home, which I did so instead of one Camberley run they had to cover both, and amazingly they found somebody )
If you do decide to go bus driving, I will say this - get the phone number for the local police station and store the number on your mobile
At the end of the day the job is what you make it, some love it, some dont…
DAF95XF:
Im a bus driver with Stagecoach and it has its good days and bad days
How are Stagecoach to drive for mate?? I have been toying with the idea of approaching SC here in Scunny. The only thing really about stage work was the cash handling.
There’s nothing worse than the finger of suspicion being pointed for no reason.
I used to work around Retford and Doncaster areas a few years ago before SC took over and I enjoyed it, but I did need a change after a couple of years so got the HGV.
AND to boot, I got my PCV restriction taken off without taking a manual test.
Im 26!!) or handled a situation (chavs just walked straight and when challenged showed me a London travel card - not valid in Odiham) so I asked them to get off, they refused so I switched off the engine and told them Im not moving until their off, still refused so I went to call the police - they quickly got off then, but only after calling me all the names under the sun, in that situation just smile, nod and agree with everything they say, they get bored and give up then
I’d say 10 out of 10 for the way you handled that young man!
Bit of calmness & common sense, all that was required. With the wrong, know it all, driver with the wrong attitude, i’d say could have turned very ugly very quick.
DAF95XF:
Im a bus driver with Stagecoach and it has its good days and bad days
How are Stagecoach to drive for mate?? I have been toying with the idea of approaching SC here in Scunny. The only thing really about stage work was the cash handling.
There’s nothing worse than the finger of suspicion being pointed for no reason.
I used to work around Retford and Doncaster areas a few years ago before SC took over and I enjoyed it, but I did need a change after a couple of years so got the HGV.
AND to boot, I got my PCV restriction taken off without taking a manual test.
Their not to bad, like anywhere else really as long as you do what you have to do then they leave you alone.
If they suspect your fiddling then they do a module download (the module is issued to each driver and is what makes the ticket machine works and is very much like a black box), and if they see a pattern emerging then you’ll get pulled up for it, but otherwise they leave you alone.
They use the module download to check for early running as well as each and every button you press on the ticket machine is recorded.
Im 26!!) or handled a situation (chavs just walked straight and when challenged showed me a London travel card - not valid in Odiham) so I asked them to get off, they refused so I switched off the engine and told them Im not moving until their off, still refused so I went to call the police - they quickly got off then, but only after calling me all the names under the sun, in that situation just smile, nod and agree with everything they say, they get bored and give up then
I’d say 10 out of 10 for the way you handled that young man!
Bit of calmness & common sense, all that was required. With the wrong, know it all, driver with the wrong attitude, i’d say could have turned very ugly very quick.
Thanks
It could have turned very ugly and nasty as there were 3 of them…
DAF95XF:
It could have turned very ugly and nasty as there were 3 of them…
, I had a bloke one night going into Lincoln, he got on and was obviously already half cut. He started buggering about in his pockets and in the state he was in couldnt grab his change and get his hand out of his pocket.
As it was obvious he had money, I told him to sit down and sort it out and I’d stop at the next village to sort it. (I was a tad late anyway).
We got a few miles down the road and I stopped and asked him if he was sorted. he just laughed and said he hadnt got any money. Well I knew he had but wasnt gonna try and search him. “OK”, I said, “Lincoln was it?”. Yeah, was the ■■■■■■ up reply so I took him to Lincoln.
He started moaning when I went past the bus station and was demanding to know where I was going. He found out when I pulled up next to a police car in the city centre,
ORYS, If you can handle those pillocks smoking and stuff in your truck, just keep yer cool and get on with it.
Like its been said, I passed my test with a bus company so it was really a foregone conclusion, but the DSA tests are a bit harder.
I’m sure anyone that has had dealings at Leicester test station will know of Ms Sweet. Failed my first attempt at manual busses with her,
newmercman:
Orys, i know you got a few replies, but what part of the title TRUCKNETUK did you not understand? The clue is all in the 1st part of the word!
Be fair - he is a truck driver - he’s just looking to jump ship
Orys - I’ve never driven a bus, but I used to go to school on one, and some poor bugger has to drive that too
newmercman:
Orys, i know you got a few replies, but what part of the title TRUCKNETUK did you not understand? The clue is all in the 1st part of the word!
So as I am a truck driver I can’t ask these questions on the BUSNETUK, can I?
newmercman:
Orys, i know you got a few replies, but what part of the title TRUCKNETUK did you not understand? The clue is all in the 1st part of the word!
I would assume there are a fair few bus / coach drivers on here that now drive trucks.
So asking advice on here about busses is proably just as relevant as asking about trucking, and lets face it, if you are out of work at the minute, you are going to have to keep all options open for consideration.
otherwise I can forget about doing long distance job, as I can only spare two days per week (including weekend) so for class one will be propably some local multidrop (driving artic in the city for newbie might be not the smartest idea) or drink deliveries (lifting kegs it’s not my cup of tea) or trunking ( there and back on the motorway - BOOOOOORING…
, the first week I was driving a half cab double decker so didnt have any passenger contact apart from a [zb] bell dinging in my ear every few minutes. On the second week they put me on ‘one man operation’, by half past seven of the first morning I’d had enough, drove the bus back to the depot and jacked it in (the bus was full of passengers 
), never again. When I renew my HGV every 5 years I always make a point of leaving the PSV bit off the application - but the [zb]'s at Swansea always keep it on my licence.
).
), 28 to Alton , 201/211 from Hartley Wintney/Hook to Alton College ( 
), 207 from/to Fleet/Hook, 430 to Farnborough (confusing when you do the 430 430 
