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Trained to care: New bus
drivers undergo rigorous training
Under the supervision of a training instructor, driver
trainees get behind the wheel on their second day of
class. Their intensive training takes three weeks.
Metro Transit hired more than 300 new bus drivers last year to keep up with expanding service, contracts to operate Sound
Transit routes and retiring drivers. Each of those drivers will have
spent three weeks in a rigorous training program before being certified as road
ready.
Their training requires personal
evaluations, classroom instruction and lots of time behind the wheel of the
training coaches--on both a closed course and the open road.
Because
Metro service peaks in the morning and evening rush hours, the system
relies heavily on part-time drivers whose workweek consists of a morning or
evening rush-hour shift.
"Due to the hot job market, it's
getting harder to find people interested in this type of
part-time work, but the ones we do hire are excellent
employees," said Michael List, supervisor of
operations training. "We have a broad range of
part-time drivers--retired Metro drivers, other young
retirees, students, artists, mothers of school-age
children and those who want to step up to become
a full-time driver."
List is proud of the success rate
of Metro's training program. Of those 300 drivers hired in 2000, very
few failed to successfully complete their one-year probation.
Driving a
bus for Metro Transit is an important job. Not only do
bus drivers have to navigate a 2,134-square-mile region
filled with driving challenges, but they also interact with a
variety of people every day. They need good driving
skills, confidence, the ability to communicate, flexibility,
common sense and patience.
The hiring
process begins with a brief overview orientation and a
video test that evaluates customer relations skills. If job candidates pass the video test, they are
fingerprinted, given an in-depth interview and told to obtain a commercial
driver's license.
In the interview their driving
record is scrutinized. They are asked about their work
habits --particularly attendance and punctuality. The candidates
are also given theoretical questions involving customer service to answer and
asked to read and answer questions about Metro policy.
All
applicants are required to pass a drug test before
employment, and once they are hired, they will be subject
to random, post-accident and follow-up drug testing.
Those who
pass the interview and initial screening then begin an
intensive three-week training program.
Eight days
during the training period are spent in the classroom
covering policies, procedures and customer service, and
becoming familiar with the six different kinds of buses
Metro operates.
By the
second day of training, the candidates are behind the
wheel for eight hours of practice starting out on Metro's
training course in Tukwila. Driving a big articulated bus
isn't hard; it operates very much like a car. What is
difficult is maneuvering 60 feet of metal and rubber
around corners, up to curbs, and in and out of lane
changes. Still, most driver candidates are ready to take
an empty bus out on the real road that first day under
the guidance of a supervisor.
Most practice driving is done on weekends. By the last week of training, the trainee is driving an actual route with an
instructing operator. Then
it's time to meet the customers during rush hour for an additional three
days of instructor-supervised training.
"Our
training program has an 80 percent success rate,"
List said. "We're very proud of the quality of
drivers who graduate from our program."
Related
links
Steer Your Future --
Drive for Metro Part-Time
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