Transit Jobs NOW!!! Coast Mountain Bus is HIRING!

It's a little bit less intense if you already have your class 2 with air. But you are still given tests for your air brakes and the same road test as everyone else. But it's the homework that takes up a lot of your time. For me, it was 8 hours there, 3 hour commute in rush hour, and 3-4 hours of homework. So you are looking at a 12-15 hour days for a month!!

They take you through about 1/2 of the routes in training and the others you need to learn on your own. Either going out on the routes or by looking them up on the translink website. The computer on the bus basically tells you where the next stop is, but it can go down on occasion.

 

If you are waiting on a training class to start, read the commercial driving guide a few times, especially the air brakes portion.

Training is not easy by any stretch and can be stressful. Not everyone is suited to be a bus driver.

For the first month of training, you will get very little sleep and start early. Then your shifts will be all over the place.

To give an idea of how hard the training is:
- Last training class 11/13 passed
- Class before 10/16 passed

So make sure to put in the work and study!!

Good luck

 

So what happens to those that dont pass the train class? do they go back to the beginning of the Stages again. Video test. then Interview etc? or are they banned for life from applying again? or do they just have to repeat the training?

Training is Paid correct?

 

If you fail the training class, you would have to start the whole process again from application stage. The first week they hammer you with air brake so you can get your endorsement on day 5. Then on day 9 is your full class 2 road test. You get 2 chances on each of the tests. So you will know within the first 2 weeks if you've failed or not (although you can still fail training if you don't pass the quizzes or the trolley training but the failure rate drops significantly after the 2 weeks).

My tip to new potential trainees is if its possible, don't give up your second job until the first 2 weeks of training are over. That way you have something to fall back on. I have seen some pretty devastated trainees in my years.

But the feeling when you complete training is un-describable. And the friendships you'll make with your classmates will last your whole career because you have all shared and experienced the same intense training and situations. You will get to know each other really well after 6 weeks.

Good luck to all and enjoy the ride!

 

[QUOTEpeople TW, post: 22157, member: 3889"]So what happens to those that dont pass the train class? do they go back to the beginning of the Stages again. Video test. then Interview etc? or are they banned for life from applying again? or do they just have to repeat the training?

Training is Paid correct?[/QUOTE]

Yes, people who don't pass, go back to applying in 6 months and starting the
process again. You do not get to start the training again. After the first 3-4 weeks, you are usually safe, once your air brakes and road test is done.

It's not as easy as just driving a bus, lots of other stuff to know. Learning and driving trolley buses is a whole other ball game!!

 

Yes, training is paid. Training is 6 weeks and then probation is roughly 4.5 months. So basically 6 months of probation.

 

So i went to go for a ride on the route they suggested to ride on before going to the interview:
(Quote from Interview E-Mail)
We suggest you ride and observe a trip for at least two of the following transit routes:
- Route #14 Kootenay Loop to UBC via downtown (Monday to Friday, after 4:30pm)
- Route #20 Victoria Drive/Downtown (Monday to Friday, after 4:30pm)
- Route #3 Main Street/Downtown (Friday or Saturday after 11:30pm)

So i get on the bus, and i start conversation with the driver.. and it turns out to be "John riley" what are the odds, that I some how managed to get on his bus out of all the bus's that are running that route on a bus monday at around 4pm.

anyways we had a good chat, he is fresh out of training so had some very good insight. so we will see how that goes.

 

So i did the Panel interview today. At the Surrey Depot.

It seemed fine, i hope i did better then last time.. but who knows.. this time it was only 2 people doing the interview not 3.

I will report back when i know the results.

 

Good Luck!

 

I'll just mention again that Driving is NOT the only opportunity at Coast Mountain Bus/TransLink.... AND: NOT everyone is cut out to be a bus driver either...

Currently approx 20 job postings up at TransLink... About a dozen more at Coast Mountain Bus... Transit Police still wants more Police Officers...

 

Just noticing INTERNAL job postings for LOST PROPERTY CLERK- PTR- $19.96 an hour.... and for FAREBOX RECEIPTS ATTENDANT- PTT, (DAYS) $20.51 an hour...

 

Just noticing that the External/public posting for CONVENTIONAL TRANSIT OPERATOR TRAINEES has now E-N-D-E-D-!-

It was re-posted INTERNALLY again as of this date.... Maybe to give the current Shuttle drivers a chance to apply for Conventional (?)

STAY TUNED!!

They recently put hundreds of ads on the backs of many of the buses, so I doubt that this posting is over for good... Maybe a week or so and then re-posted again...

 

Yes I noticed that this AM all kinds of those adds and they're starting to draw my interest.....

 

There are still plenty of other job opportunities posted...

www.translink.ca/drive alone has approx 20 postings up this morning....
Coast Mountain Bus has another 12 or so....
Transit Police & AirCare each have one...
HandyDART has 2....

Over at www.protransbc.com/ they also have one active posting as well!

Postings/Opportunities come and go almost daily!! DON'T just look once and think that's all there ever is... Many new opportunities only get posted for 5 business days.... Then they are gone!

Some should jump at a-n-y- chance to "get their foot in the door", and then move around with Internal vacancies...

 

As of April 1/14: 6 week Training rate, for Conventional, is $21.27 an hour...
Then: $22.79 for the next 8 months...
Then: $24.30 for the next 8 months...
Then $27.34 for the next 8 months....
Then current top rate is $30.38 an hour...

 

Yes they phoned about a week after and booked the panel review apt for the next week - making it 16days from test date - and now another 8 days for a total of 24 days (since testing) still waiting to hear if going to next step ( medical and References) .. Im getting calls for other jobs so I hope I hear soon either way as I don't want to mislead new employers. patiently waiting

 

sounds good - not on the external list yet though
- at least that means more staff moving up from ptt maybe and therefor more openings again for us trying to get in

 

These would be posted internally for one week, then MAYBE go external if not filled internally.... So check like after Tuesday or so....

 

Thank-you I believe all training classes are now full for the summer. I will have to patiently wait. It will be worth it . I applied in Jan. 2014 originally for Shuttle.

 

The Shuttle division is currently dealing with a cut of 30,000 service hours this September.... No Layoffs BUT approx 43 Full Timers are being reduced down to Part Time hours...

While you are waiting for a start date, there are plenty of things you could be studying such as the Air Brakes manual, Pre trip inspection, Company rules around Fares & Zones... If you know any drivers, they could give you a "paddle" to familiarize yourself with drivers schedules... Maybe go out and ride some of the city trolley routes... Get a feel for the routes you will be driving...
When training does start: You can count on 3 to 4 hours of homework every night.... 6 weeks of very intense training... There are TONS of things to digest in a short period of time...