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

Hello everyone!! Everybody enjoying the weather?! Anyways I'm just waiting for a call from the benefits administrator to book a time to go down to Sapperton and sign some paperwork and to get my employee compass card. Also need to call Omega Frontline Apparel and book an appointment for my uniform. So excited!!

 

Hey guys, hopefully someone will be able to answer my question. When they assign you routes, routes that you've never done before or are brand new like me, do they train you? Or are you expected to do it on your own? Regardless, I'd go beforehand and learn the route on my own just for my own piece of mind. But I'm really concerned about this part. How the hell do you know where to go, especially in a city where you are not familiar with at all?? I know you follow the paddles, or you can study a bus schedule. Is there any other tips or advice anybody is willing to share?? You will be my hero

 

I know conventional ops get route training. Not sure about shuttle.

The paddles do tell you where to turn left and right. The TMac radio system tells you the locations of the next 3 bus stops and how many metres away you are.

 

Okay. Thank you

 

ConventionalMan drove shuttle, maybe he can shed some info on his experience.

 

Apparently the bus drivers union is holding a strike vote next Thursday. Don't panic, it's just a negotiation tactic.

 

That would suck

 

Hello Kr6505! Almost there!

As far as your question goes...

Once you have graduated class, your work is assigned to you (as you are likely on the spareboard my guess is you'll let the depot rate you for work at first) and you're basically on your own. There is no formal route training as most of your operator training took you around the city on various routes already. The exception is if you transfer depots, there is some additional route training in whatever area you've moved to.

I was in the same boat. The last time I had been in Vancouver was about 15 years ago and I didn't know the city. Here's the method to my madness when it cam to finding my way around...

First of all, go to the Translink website and print off the map of the route you will be doing. These are under the" Bus Schedules" section. It is a great guideline for knowing roughly where you have to go.

Second, go to the myCMBC website and download the paddles for the current sheet. They are located in the "Spareboard & Sheet Paddles" section under the "Transit Centres" tab at the top of the page. These pdf's are extremely valuable to look at ahead of time.

Third, I make my own version of the paddle by writing the directions for each route on 4x6 index cards. For example:

It's no magic but what I found works best when learning new routes is to make "cheat sheets". Everyone can agree that even when you have learned to read a paddle, it is still a pain in the ass to actually read how it's laid out, especially while driving! My trick is to take each route and rewrite it out on a separate index card - 4x6 works fine. It is in my own writing, sized and formatted so I can see and read it easily while driving...even in the dark! lol

I lay it out something like this, using the 130 To Hastings...


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 130NB1WX_______________ "130 TO HASTINGS"_______________________ Sign #1153
|
| 1) START METROTOWN STN BAY 4
|
| 2) RT CENTRAL BLVD
|
| 3) RT WILLINGDON
|
| 4) LEFT PENDER to TERMINUS
|
|
|
|
|________________________________________________________________________|

Very simple to read, has the route number and name to confirm you're going the right way and also the sign number in case the automatic system doesn't switch it.

Each route has it's own and you can use the back for longer directions. I keep them in order of my shift so when one route interlines with the next, I know where I am going! You can tuck them into anywhere that is in your view without it getting in the way too much.

Hope this helps, everyone has their own system but a few people I know do this and it works great.

If you want more info, ask away or private message me and I'll be happy to help!

Have fun!

 

You'll get better with practice. But I suppose it's better to leave a gap than pulling in too close and coming into contact with something! Best of luck with rest of your training.

 

In addition to @ConventionalMan's super helpful reply above:

You will have to learn most of the routes on your own I'm afraid. During training, you do get to drive a few of the routes, and visit the transit loops, but the training period was a bit short for me. I was still unfamiliar with the area after training that I had to (re-)learn the routes myself using maps (Google Street View) and actually took the time to ride some of the buses before my shift. ConventionalMan's "cheat sheet" method did help me out as well. I also taped a route map on the side of the farebox as a backup. Lol...

Best of luck with your training!

 

Thank you so much!!! This is very helpful information and will follow your advice. I haven't started my training yet, May 9th is my first day. But thank you soo much, I feel a bit more at ease now. You will definitely hear more from me soon as there is bound to be more questions!! Take care!!

 

Thank you as well for your helpful advice!! Everybody is so helpful in this forum, I'm so glad I found it!! You guys are the best!!!!!

 

"Bus drivers, SeaBus workers and other Metro Vancouver transit operators are taking a strike vote after the collapse of contract talks, according to Unifor, the union representing 4,700 transit workers. The strike vote is scheduled for April 28."

 

Mentioned above, just part of the negotiations.

 

Riding the routes is definitely a great way to learn too! I would sometimes go before my shift started and ride along on the actual bus I was going to take over. It was helpful if you have the luxury of time!

 

Last day of line training! A bit nervous....

 

Wow; Has that been 6 weeks already???

You'll do just fine out there! Just relax and let your training kick in.

There will be times you feel like you are the ONLY bus out there. All you can do is your best with what they give you.

It's all pensionable my friend!

 

Hello all! I got the call from the benefits administrator about my employee I'd and to register with mycmbc. It looks like a very complicated website. Does anyone know if they will go over how to use it and what we can access? I hope so. I will need to get a new PC too.I just have my smartphone and a tablet to access the internet and that won't do.
I need to go to Sapperton May 4 to sign my documents and my employee compass card.....Getting nervous!! Sorry about the rambling

 

FYI: most depot bullpens have computers for employee use, as well as WiFi.

 

www.mycmbc.ca/ is a GREAT "employees only" website.

Access to Company news; facts; policy and procedures; work site addresses; bulletins; latest training alerts; Operator Safety Code; Company Buy & Sell; Operators have access to paddles, and sign up information; Conventional Op's can see the overnight spareboard assignments; Internal job postings; Career Development; links to uniform ordering; benefits; online pay stubs (PeopleSoft Self Serve); online forms; Emergency Management; Health & Wellness; Employee announcements; Employee discounts; links to union websites; and the list go's on!

Most Conventional Ops primarily use it for Sign Up info and the Overnight Spareboard assignments. AND to view their bi weekly pay stubs.

In 2009 I had an extra car to sell, and I sold it thru the employee Buy and Sell to a Maintenance worker in Burnaby.

And while many job opportunities do pop up on the main TransLink website: There are often postings that only go Internal for existing employees only. OR when the public sees a "temp" Customer Information job posting; the "Internal" one might be "Regular" status.