bus driver

operator trainee

operator

mechanic

attendant

Coast Mountain Bus Company

I don't understand some of the 4 or 5 star reviews. They must either be written by management or some employees who've never had any other good job. 

Pros:
Pay is decent after 2 years, but take home is only average because of a lot of deductions. You’ll make money if you do lots of overtime, which means you’ll basically be driving all day. (Can’t do OT on your days off, only same day)

Cons:
Everything else.
-Terrible shifts, terrible work/life balance. You'll have no life during your work days. Majority of the work is Split shifts, which means your day will atleast be 12 hours. If you live close by, you can go home, if you live far away, well then you can sit at the depot and kill time there without getting paid.

-No official breaks other than your split (which you don’t get paid for). You might have some recovery time after finishing a trip, but if you're already running late (which you always will be) then you're outta luck. You MIGHT have enough time just to go pi-pi.

-Not enough running time which means you’ll be always late. Run times are constantly being cut down. (They say safety is their no.1 priority but how can you be safe when you're constantly under duress and there are no breaks?)

-If anything goes wrong, management will always try to find some way to blame you and tell you what you could’ve/should’ve done and discipline you. (You're expected to keep notes from each shift and if something comes back after months, i.e a complaint, you're expected to remember it all and you cannot claim you don't remember).

-Benefits are average at best. Most of the stuff is not covered a 100%.

-Only get 6 sick days a year, which are not enough considering you basically work in a germ factory.  Sick days are not covered 100% unless you take all 6 at once.

-Have to call in twice (once to operations, then your supervisor) if you’re sick. Getting paid for sick days is even harder as you have to get forms from your supervisor, which you need to fill out and send to Great West Life. It takes almost a month to get paid for sick time. Extremely outdated system, like mostly everything with this company.

-Operator is basically responsible for EVERYTHING. You'll get called in for just about every complaint, even if it's something unreasonable. You'll have to explain yourself to your supervisor who'll act like a judge.

-Union is weak. A lot  of the union reps are clueless, most of them are in management's back pocket.

-This might've been a good job 15-20 years ago and it seems its carried that reputation amongst the public. However, thats no longer the case as operators have less and less rights and benefits. 

-There's a reason they're having trouble finding people. A lot of people realize how bad it is during training or soon thereafter once you're on your own. A lot of people quit, and a lot get fired during probation over the slightest mistakes.

-If having a life doesn’t matter to you and If a paycheque is all you care about and you're really desperate, then go ahead do it. Consider yourself warned.

It is a very difficult and stressful job.  In an effort to increase service the job of Transit Operator has become increasingly difficult.  Running time, the time it takes to complete a trip has been cut and Recovery time, the time between trips has been slashed leaving very little time to eat or go to the washroom between trips.  This leads to service running late and passengers getting grumpy, angry or worse.

If you are considering this job be aware that you must be prepared to be verbally or physically assaulted by passengers.  I am verbally assaulted on a weekly basis and in my 10+ year career I had a passenger spit in my face.  The company has shown signs of becoming more proactive in protecting bus drivers but it is very slow in coming.  More security is needed and barriers to protect drivers.

After all that if you are still interested I must say that the Transit Operators I work with are some of the finest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.  We all share a bond and consider ourselves brothers and sisters regardless of race or religion.  It is a very challenging and stressful job, but a few minutes with another driver between trips can be an absolute joy.

We also have the opportunity to help people, in my career I have found several runaway children, lost seniors and one robbery suspect.  If you like a challenge, diversity in your day, and the thrill of not knowing whats coming next, then this is your job.  You also must like driving.  

The salary is very good, training is paid, benefits are excellent.  Starting vacation time can be five weeks if you choose to bank your stat holidays, which is very nice.  Be Aware - if you want to start with full time work DO NOT apply for Community Shuttle.  Apply for Conventional (aka Big Buses).  Conventional bus drivers are paid better and have more benefits (travel time, Sunday shift premium) than Shuttle drivers and receive full time hours right away.  Shuttle drivers start on-call or part time.

They spend up to a year to hire you, and they will spend the remainder of your career trying to discipline, suspend and threaten to fire you - the company culture is built upon fear and punishment - keep your head low, keep your mouth shut, show up to work everyday, try to smile and drive the bus - nothing more and nothing less. Management needs to show they are hitting their targets on managing frontline employees, so expect to get called in and punished for little things like leaving late from the terminus because you had to take a dump or finish your sandwich, having a conversation with another fellow passenger, cutting in front of a car that didn't want to let you pull out of your bus stop, being sick for over 3 times in a calendar year, etc. If you ever get verbally or physically assaulted on the job, you are expected to stay in your seat and take the abuse, then deal with the aftermath later on by yourself. Operations will call you at home to "fill out the paperwork" and "go through the standard procedure", once they hand in their papers, check their Ts and dot their Is, you're then on your own......you're just a number on the computer for all that they care.  

Everyone pick their work hours and routes based on seniority, expect to go to work twice everyday over a span of 12 hours, or work late nights over the first 1-2 years, and the work hours gradually become more consistent as you earn seniority. Work quality is going downhill as quickly as your seniority goes up, so don't expect to land yourself on cushy runs anytime soon at all, as they are becoming increasingly rare these days. Run and recovery times are getting cut left right and centre, and guess who definitely gets yelled at by passengers if the bus is late? Lol. 

Statistically proven - over 40% of all sick book-offs are due to mental stress and depression - the number speaks for itself about what kind of job and employer this organization represents.

Seems like a decent company, but the training is very tough and fast paced - you need to be able to learn very quickly. If you already have your class 1 or 2 license and air, you STILL have to do the ICBC courses and tests for them over again. Count on 1 to 3 hours of homework every night. Instructors are very good, company culture is 100% by the book - if you don't get with the program and be a team player, you're out. You'll be scrutinized very closely, every little thing you do that isn't company policy or procedure will be recorded and held against you. Any prior transit or bus driving experience means nothing to this company...very arrogant attitude, as if they're the cream of the crop, and they monitor employees Facebook accounts - if you say anything negative about CMBC on FB, it will land you in the managers office. Major Big Brother syndrome. Trolley training is very tough, and they expect you to learn how to drive them on route in revenue service within just a few hours behind the wheel, and they don't have A/C (none of the buses do, except the very new ones). Also, everyone goes on about how you can make 100K per year, but the deductions are around 30% per cheque. Average cheque during training is $1225 every 2 weeks, at $22.85/hour, 75 hours. Do the math. 14 Hastings route is an absolute freakshow, and driving a trolley around downtown can be harrowing, especially in Granville Mall. During the recruitment process it's all roses and sunshine, but that changes as soon as your training starts.

It is a job where they want to to become immune to things, loose your personality, keep working and never get sick.. especially during probation. All the time you would be given a feeling that  you should thank the Lord for getting this job. Work culture is fear based. You do this .. they will fire you . You do that they would fire you... they invest time and money to hire and train and then want people to work in fear. Guess they want scared drivers not confident drivers. 

The environment is for someone who doesn't want to have a life. The aspect of work and life is far fetched and operator is treated like lesser mortal. 

Money isn't great either... for 1/10 th of the stress you would get similar pay in any other company or field. 

Hiring new people doesn't mean culture would change. It's an old school culture and they seem to be not interested in changing it. If you are new you have to live with split shifts.. basically you are at the depot all day, do a small run and then after couple of hours do the second run. Keep listening to the stories of old timers at the bull pen who have nothing fruitful to talk. Everyone wants to be a trainer and keeps telling you things everyday, Union... let's not even talk about them.

Most people leave in training and few in the first few months. It is certainly not what they talk about during the interview and training.

Hiring too many people. If someone wants to leave they dont even bother (the HR) to call and do an exit interview for feedback. They are living in a myth and shall keep doing so. Wake up.. next century is here.

I drove tour buses in the private sector for a few years before applying to CMBC. Lengthy application process  when I put in my application to when I was hired it was approximately one year.

Training is provided by the company, and they will issue you a class 2 license. Once you pass training, you’ll be on your own.

The advantages to being an operator are you choose the work (based on seniority) that coincides with your life. For example my partner worked early mornings, so I was able to choose night shifts or afternoons to avoid childcare expenses. Wide variety of locations and shift times. I treated the operations supervisor’s office like the principal’s office in high school and avoided it as much as possible. Management can be hostile towards employees, and a seemingly minor incident can turn into a full blown investigation which could result in termination. There is no such thing as a casual conversation with managers. Union representatives were for the most part passionate and knowledgeable.

I drove a conventional bus for 3 years, then became an acting supervisor. After 5 years of service I became a full time supervisor. There’s plenty of room for advancement. Pension is excellent, and vacation time and benefits are decent.  I plan to retire here. 

I LOVE the split-shifts! As a newer employee I get these. I live by a skytrain station so my typical day involves early morning starts and then return home for a 3 hour respite to play with my dog, go for a nice walk, have lunch or whatever, then return to work to complete a quick 2 hour shift....I'm done by around 3pm. Schedules - you can choose evenings, afternoons  or early mornings. The work is pretty predictable - maybe too routine. I have a professional background and switched careers in order to escape unrelenting toxic stress, so my perspective is very different. Somebody said it was STRESSFUL but I doubt they've had a career that involved real stress. This job is what you make it - it's just you and of course the passengers. If anything negative could be said it would be to say its simply not a challenging job however there are many opportunities for advancements throughout the enterprise. There's no performance reviews, I haven't spoken with a supervisor for many months, and it truly feels like I'm on my own running my own business. The only thing I miss from my previous career that I lack here is camaraderie. You are truly on your own. My regular passengers are fantastic - we communicate well with each other. I've received 5 commendations from my passengers - that is pretty much it for the reviews you'd get. If you're a negative type personality then you'll get complaints from the passengers - no different than working at any business. 

The security services department is run by a cruel and incompetent management team. The management is out to get you and the morale of the security officers is really bad. They brought in a specialist to diagnose the issues with the department but it has done no good. I feel really bad for my colleagues to he working in such a toxic environment.  As i was leaving i went to management to address the concerns of my co workers but this did nothing to help. Security operations supervisors have no skills 9r leadership training.  The motto in transit security is you get paid well for the job you do. If you dont like they way your treated quit. There are a 100 people behind you that will take your spot. Casual employees are expected to put their lives on hold to be available 24/7 for shift availability. They don't care if you are going to school ot have family commitments.  I personally got fired for being sick during covid and was not able to fill a shift. Inwas a full time employee for 5 years was in the acting management pool and after i went to a casual status i lost all union protection even though i was still paying union dues...worst run department in all of CMBC due to no leadership or management skills..only good thing is the pay and the fellow security officers..

-Long split shifts take time from family and friends. Makes it feel like you’re working 11-13 hours for 8 hours pay. 10 years before this starts to change.
-Overcrowding leads to angry customers who take it out on you day in and day out, hour after hour.
-Feels like management is against you and not working with you. Harrasment and intimidation from them is not uncommon.
-Nova Bus heating system exhausts out the bottom rear of the bus. These fumes are breathed in every morning as the buses are pre-tripped gassing the driver in the bus behind and beside you. Throughout the day these fumes also enter the bus through open doors and windows leaving both the passengers and driver at risk.
-There are some really great and interesting people enduring these conditions and I made some great friendships over the years. I wish them all well and hope things improve but after working there for more than a decade I don’t see it unless the union starts to address these issues with more wherewithal.

What is the best part of working at the company?

Pay and Vacation, Paid training and refreshers.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Abuse from the public, figure on being assaulted at least twice in ten years... It's getting worse... The Employer will suspend you if you speak out or even get out of your seat to cope with a passenger issue. You're expected to take it.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
A lot of administrative climbers. LOTS of turnover. They hire hundreds of drivers a year. Not a lot of real support, liability is paramount. The culture is eroding like many companies after Covid.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I drive for about 8 hours a day with a 3-hour "split". I leave the house at 4:30am and return at 6:30pm. Tiring. While on the bus my longest break is 12 minutes. The other drivers are indifferent, and the passengers are a split between nice people, fare evaders,  and deeply troubled people.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Bus driver 7 salaries reported	$35.46 per hour
Operator trainee 5 salaries reported	$30.21 per hour
Operator 3 salaries reported	$40.79 per hour
Mechanic 4 salaries reported	$60.02 per hour
Attendant 3 salaries reported	$27.93 per hour

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