Why do bus drivers earn so much more than truck drivers?
robbbie:
Why do bus drivers earn so much more than truck drivers?
when was the last time yor load beat the living bejesus out of ya ■■?
no further questions ya onar … 
when was the last time yor load beat the living bejesus out of ya ■■?
especially the old men with their canes ouch.
UNION
I dont know any bus drivers that earn more than me, looking at the adverts on the back of buses i always find the wage ■■■■. The fact they put the wage on the back of buses is also insulting to the drivers IMO.
Don’t belive the ‘advertised’ pay rate!!!
EX-bus driver myself. What thy don’t tell you is that you start at the bottom (mini buses) on a ‘MINI’ bus rate! And it takes YEARS to get on that rate. It take someone to either DIE or retire before you get up onto the deckers. As for unions? They’re in the managements pockets. (they were where I worked, can I name and shame??)
And why do they advertise all the time?? Because they can’t keep the staff to start with due to crap rates / conditions / hours etc, the list is endless.
Here’s an example: They really take the pish out of ‘domestic’ driving regulations: Your on a middle shift starting at 12:17 and ending at 20:37.
Then you’d be back in at 05:45 for your next shift!!
You’ve read right, A) your shift does not have a ‘square’ start or end time and, B) that is the bare minimum 9 hours off between your shift.
I would not even recommend the job to my worse enemy!! 
merc0447:
I dont know any bus drivers that earn more than me, looking at the adverts on the back of buses i always find the wage [zb]. The fact they put the wage on the back of buses is also insulting to the drivers IMO.
same here, got two brothers who done the buses and they both jacked cause the pay is dire
The decent wages ended years ago when deregulation started , how many of the old drivers carried on working for First & Stagecoach etc.
I’m a london bus driver.
Been doing it 18 months.
Basic=£11.02 per hour.
This can go up to £14.33 if I work a rest day late.
We have a minimum of 10hrs between shifts.
I get a long weekend once a month, thurs/fri/sat/sun off.
The biggest drawback?
the public
How many truckers would want to drive 400 yards then stop, load drive 400 yards argue with old woman who travels free wanting her moneys worth .You get to drive an 30 year old motor that sheds bits every now and then.You are not allowed to drive whilst wearing Hi= Vis as its bad for the companys image.You also get to work split shifts.Though you dont get any of the 2 years experience nonsense.
Bus drivers are on crap money, I used to be a London bus driver and then a bus driver in Lincolnshire and neither were much good! I’m on at least double now driving an artic, not only that it’s a mind numbingly boring job and you have a load of A hole’s to deal with all day! Then I went on coaches and that’s even worse money than the buses but has allot of advantages like posh hotels, extra way’s of earning money while on tours and between £50 and £100 a week in tip’s. After all of them artic driving is the one for me! I could never earn £500+ on the buses for 6 day’s!
rambo19:
I’m a london bus driver.
Been doing it 18 months.
Basic=£11.02 per hour.
This can go up to £14.33 if I work a rest day late.
We have a minimum of 10hrs between shifts.
I get a long weekend once a month, thurs/fri/sat/sun off.The biggest drawback?
the public
Up here slightly less, around £9.80 / hr + a little ‘anti social hours’ extra rate at weird times…
BUT, it’s the same money sun - sat, bank hols, xmas eve etc etc etc.
You’re paid by the MINUTE, so if your duty’s 8hrs 14 mins, that’s what you get paid, not the 11hrs or whatever that we put in.
You’re also docked breaks by the MINUTE, so if you have a 48 minute break, that’s what you’re docked.
Then you’ve got the public, the ■■■■■ vehicles, the crappy heaters, worse mirrors, more rattles and bangs than a 7.5t with nails in the back and no headboard between driver + goods.
Schedules that are a joke, 17mins from Manchester to Ashton - and they want you to pick passengers up too.
If you hit a set of roadworks in a day, you know in your head you’re going to hit it another 20 times that day, with the cars cutting in at the same point etc.
Bus station supervisor hitlers telling you that you must wear a hi-vis in the bus station on your break (even though the public don’t?) and that you can’t smoke on the bus station grounds (even though the public can smoke outside buildings)
Need I continue?
They can stick the job, I’m financially, health wise and hours wise better off on truck, and I’m a tramper.
alamcculloch:
How many truckers would want to drive 400 yards then stop, load drive 400 yards argue with old woman who travels free wanting her moneys worth .You get to drive an 30 year old motor that sheds bits every now and then.You are not allowed to drive whilst wearing Hi= Vis as its bad for the companys image.You also get to work split shifts.Though you dont get any of the 2 years experience nonsense.
Not allowed to drive in your hi-vis! Ah, that’s must be what puts most of the truckers out 
I suppose the only advantage of being a coach driver is the free tips, in haulage you have to open the pallets yourself
At least in a lorry if you need to take a dump you can stop & go- what happens when youv’e a bus load of passengers & your’e dying? 
Having worked in a bus garage for a few years, them bus drivers don’t paid enough. 
Wheel Nut:
I suppose the only advantage of being a coach driver is the free tips, in haulage you have to open the pallets yourself
I got a £50 tip 4 monthes ago for turning a blind eye to a stag parties drinking on the way to Newcastle
Im quite happy driving coaches than trucks to be honest, unless something bad happens like I get the sack (the coach industry has quite a big grapevine and companies big and small find out how good/bad you are) then I’ll continue driving coaches, besides that Ive got a really good boss - how many bosses would take their drivers out for a meal when you’re on quite a big and important job and pay for it out of his own pocket?
Yes coach driving has it downsides like cleaning up peoples puke at 03:00 (last week), and cleaning the vehicle everyday (unlike just cleaning your cab as when you feel like) and it has its good sides, like my job was today was cancelled by the company and I was told that I have a few days holiday left to use up so Im still getting paid for this weekend
After Christmas I should be getting my own vehicle, whether its the coach that Ive been driving a lot lately - a Plaxton bodied Iveco, or the brand new Volvo/Plaxton Elite thing arriving in the next few weeks…
Oh yeah, and Im only on £9.50 an hour
mazz:
At least in a lorry if you need to take a dump you can stop & go- what happens when youv’e a bus load of passengers & your’e dying?
On service work, just pull over and go into a shop, on the coaches pull into the next services and say its a 15 min ■■■ break 
quite enjoyed driving buses most the time, esp the collage and school runs, the ticket machine always seemed to breakdown, unless blakey was hanging about 
always remember nr mansfield, i was on my own, only been driving a week or so alone, and some villagers going to another village pub asked for a special group ticket,and was told to stop printing tickets i soon learned the score,
I enjoyed bus driving in London. Theres only 2 fares (Adult/child) and most people have oyster cards so there is not much contact with the public, and you get 11 ph + . Only problem with London is that your more likely to be on a diverstion due to road closures, Student protestors etc
I would never be a bus driver outside London with all the different fares and different passes to learn, monthly tickets to issue etc all for £7 hr