According to the American Public Transit Association, in early 1997 local transit bus drivers in metropolitan areas with more than two million inhabitants were paid an average hourly wage rate of $17.06 by companies with over 1,000 employees and $15.43 by those with fewer than 1,000 employees. In smaller metropolitan areas, they had an average hourly wage rate of $14.04 in areas with between 250,000 and 500,000 residents, and $11.76 in areas with populations below 50,000. Generally, drivers can reach the top rate in three or four years.
According to a survey by the Educational Research Service, the average rate for school bus drivers employed by public school systems was $11.50 an hour during the 1996-97 school years. Lowest hourly rates averaged $9.93, while highest hourly rates averaged $13.06.
The fringe benefits bus drivers receive from their employers vary greatly. Most intercity and local transit bus drivers receive paid health and life insurance, sick leave, and free bus rides on any of the regular routes of their line or system. Drivers who work full-time also get as much as four weeks of vacation annually.
Most local transit bus drivers are also covered by dental insurance and pension plans. School bus drivers receive sick leave, and many are covered by health and life insurance and pension plans. Because they generally do not work when school is not in session, they do not get vacation leave. In a number of states, local transit and school bus drivers who are employed by local governments are covered by a state-wide public employee pension system.
RELATED FIELDS
Other workers who drive vehicles on highways and city streets are taxi drivers, chauffeurs, and truck drivers.
INTERVIEW
Heinz Hammer
Transit Operator
Heinz Hammer has been a bus driver for British Columbia Transit in Vancouver for more than thirty years. He is originally from Germany and has a degree in psychology. He is also the author of Routes: The Lighter Side of Public Transit.
How Heinz Hammer Got Started
"I have always enjoyed working with people, always been interested in what makes them tick, and what makes them do the things they do. This interest has always helped me in any situation on a one-to-one basis or working with groups of people.
"I got my job through a friend I knew who worked for BC Transit as a driver. He suggested that I would make a good bus driver. I took his advice, applied, and eventually was hired.
"BC Transit provides an extensive training program, covering how to get used to the size of the vehicle you are operating, the routes, procedures, tips in public relations, learning patience and compassion, spotting cheaters, and recognizing people with genuine needs. The training takes approximately two months'.
What the Jobs Really Like
"Being a bus driver involves shift work. One has to remember that buses have to be out very early to get even the earliest-starting worker to his job on time. Therefore, driving to work usually happens between 3:00 A.M. and 5:30 A.M., especially for me, since I chose to work the early shift. As a single parent it is important to me to get home early so my boys won't come home to an empty house.
"There are many different shifts: some early, some are mid-runs (usually relieving the early shift and finishing around supper time or later), and there are the so called 'owls' which is a shift that starts usually after supper and ends in the wee hours of the morning. It is common for an owl to finish after the first morning runs have already gone out.
"Upon arrival at the depot, you have to sign in. This tells the dispatcher that your particular route is covered. Extra drivers are on hand in case someone sleeps in or books off sick. The runs have to be covered. It is rare that a run has to be canceled due to lack of manpower, but it does happen on occasion.
"Sleeping in as a bus driver is not a trivial occurrence it is always documented and can result in serious disciplinary action if it happens too frequently. The average driver might sleep in approximately once every year. Some never have.
"After signing in, you find out what particular bus has been assigned to your route. You prepare your transfers, get the bus ready by setting all the signs, doing a thorough pre-check of the bus to make sure all systems are functioning, and you leave the yard about twenty minutes after signing in.
"A paddle clipped to a board tells the driver which routes to follow, what time to leave the different timing points, where connections are made, and any other useful information necessary to complete your day. At the end of your shift it is always nice to see your relief taking over.
'The hardest part of the job is putting up with unruly passengers, uneducated and aggressive drivers, being cut off, or passengers making unreasonable demands, such as: 'Do you go to my Doctor's?', or 'Can you take me home?'.
"Most people never appreciate how hard some drivers have to work. After a few years of driving you acquire the following expertise: You have become a chauffeur, baby-sitter, tour guide, announcer, referee, negotiator, psychologist, psychic, fortune teller, peacemaker, doctor, nurse, mechanic, organizer, expert on local and world affairs, politician, expert on personal development, guide to the underprivileged, teacher, parent, and shoulder to cry on.
"Working a steady run you get to know some of your passengers which, makes your day much easier because it allows for informal interaction with all kinds of people. I also like being outside, seeing the world go by, and not being touched by the elements. Another plus is that you never have to take your job home. The minute you walk away from the bus, your work is done."
