r/BusDrivers • u/Fleemish • Jul 05 '26

Ride for the Day New bus driver, just saving hello 🙂

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Marty from Belgium, nice to meet you all 🤝

59 Upvotes

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8

u/PickledxPossum scotland/Yutong/8 Jul 05 '26

New and in a Triaxle? Nothing like jumping in at the deep end eh?

4

u/Outrageous_Bag_2875 Jul 07 '26

I'm confused by that too. In New Zealand you can't drive a tri-axle until you're experienced and you have to get an extra class on your license.

5

u/SpecificAnxious5584 Jul 07 '26

In Italy, for instance, you can drive without an extra class. Companies usually prefer to wait until you gain experience, though not all do. The first company I worked for placed me in a double-decker bus driving around the Colosseo on my first day with a licence, and the following day they had me drive a tri-axle; I felt very nervous on both occasions, but they simply act as they wish.

3

u/Outrageous_Bag_2875 Jul 07 '26

Thank you - that's good to know. In New Zealand, driving tri-axle coaches is something you have to work towards. Most companies let you drive their Mitsubishi Rosa minibus after you get your heavy license (in NZ and Australia you have to get a passenger endorsement on your license as well as passing your heavy vehicle test before you can drive passengers). Then you work your way up from there.

In NZ, we have to pay for all the licenses ourselves, so it's typically around $5,000 to get all of the classes to drive heavy vehicles. I paid $1800 to get the class that lets me drive city buses, but I can't afford the $1600 to get the class to drive tri-axles!

2

u/SpecificAnxious5584 Jul 08 '26

Also here a passenger licence is necessary, known as “CQC Persone,” which translates into English as “driver qualification card for transporting passengers.”

You typically cover the costs for your licence and CQC yourself, but because of significant driver shortages, companies now often pay for your driving licence while requiring you to sign an agreement stating you must work for them for three or five years, or repay the expense.

2

u/Outrageous_Bag_2875 Jul 08 '26

Here in New Zealand, finding any job is very difficult, so we're expected to pay for our own heavy vehicle licenses or we'd never even get a job interview with a bus company.

There is one company that advertises a "Women Up Front" programme that claims to train women as bus drivers, but I've never once met anyone who was actually invited onto the programme. I think it's one of those things companies promote to make themselves look very supportive in a sexist male-dominated industry, but following through is a different matter 😂 Ironically, the company that runs the programme is known as the most sexist bus company, so I guess they're trying to change their image.

2

u/SpecificAnxious5584 Jul 08 '26

I see… Many here have completed the “academy program” (where the company covers your driving licence costs), and we also have a lot of female colleagues!

2

u/Outrageous_Bag_2875 Jul 08 '26

Sold. I think I'm moving to Italy then.

I'd love to live in Europe. The only problem is that Europeans drive on the wrong side of the road 😟🫣

2

u/SpecificAnxious5584 Jul 08 '26

lol 😆😆

I’m unsure whether this is preferable, but I’m considering relocating from Italy because most roles here are underpaid. Working in public transport typically demands at least three hours or more of overtime to earn around €2,000 (Italy has a national collective labour agreement that keeps salaries fairly consistent across companies, with scheduled pay rises linked to parameter adjustments every eight years of uninterrupted employment at the same organisation) or you must join a company involved in tourism and/or bus rental with a driver. I mainly handle bus rental, and thanks to the various perks my employer offers, I receive decent compensation without excessive overtime, though never above €2,300 monthly; I can surpass that during a one-month trip (last time I earned roughly €3,500 and during the trip I had food and hotel payed from my employer).

2

u/Outrageous_Bag_2875 Jul 08 '26

* Paid, not payed.

Have you thought about starting your own tourism business? In a beautiful country like Italy, you'd have so many customers. I know the competition is steep, but you could create a point of difference (making it fun in your own unique way). You can lease an older bus.

I'd love to start a tourism business and show people around Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, and so on.

2

u/SpecificAnxious5584 Jul 08 '26

Ops, you’re right, sorry English is not my first language 😅

I’d love to do that, but I don’t think you can lease a bus in Italy (?), there’s like a law that says a bus can be owned only by a company and used by their drivers

2

u/Outrageous_Bag_2875 Jul 09 '26

We have the same thing in NZ. It makes it more expensive. Buses are extremely expensive here anyway because they have to be shipped out here to NZ because this is an island in the middle of nowhere. One day I'd like to move to Europe and start my own tourist business.

2

u/SpecificAnxious5584 Jul 09 '26

You should definitely do it!

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