James I would just like to add, that know matter what part of the country you live and work in, Charter drivers are underpaid for the responsibility that they are given.
@@MotorcoachWorld Yeah some years ago I had a Greyhound bus driver actually tell me he only made $ 75 .00 per day going and coming ....... And I'm like what ? Where the Greyhound company forces bus drivers to rest up approximately one to two days before heading back into they're scheduled trip tour, I've always admired Greyhound drivers for the long hours they put in and people they have to deal with.... Common sense would say Greyhound bus drivers actually deserve an pay of up to $ 125 or $ 200 per day driving a bus some times full of Looney people and the hectic schedules they are forced to keep from point A to point B .....
I am a class B driver I recently just got hired with a motorcoach company training is $31 an hour after you receive your own route you are paid $37 an hour. I am in San Bruno California that is next to San Francisco.🎉🎉🎉
Another great video. I have to say the best tip I ever received was from a 4th grade student, who let me cut in line at an ice cream shop then paid for my milkshake a thanked me for being such a nice driver.
I started out at age 19 in 2011 in the motorcoach world. I made a measly $11 per hour per hour with Wade Tours. People were shocked on how low I got paid when I told them. Of course it was only a part-time job as I worked for the state of New York full-time. I did it more as a hobby and for some extra pocket change. I kept that job for 10 years part time but worked less and less as the years when on. When I finally left for good I hadn’t driven in over a year (due to covid) and pay was $14.50 an hour. In 2013 the state had budget cuts and myself and 19 people were laid off so I decided then I would be going into driving transit buses. That’s where I made good money. I made $27 and change an hour there at top rate. I started out around $18 an hour. That was in 2013 when I started. I worked there for just over 6 years. I decided to go back into driving a motorcoach. Transit can be dirty work and I didn’t care for the buses being that they are low floor. the high floor buses were nice but were all phased out. I didn’t like sitting so low to the ground in a bus. Felt like you sat up about the height of the average pick up truck while driving a long vehicle. Was really awkward and I was always worried about getting in a head on collision. Driving a motorcoach made you feel like you’re actually driving a true coach. You sit up high like an airplane pilot and are much more comfortable. Also, you don’t feel as vulnerable sitting so low to the ground with nothing in front of you besides a windshield. I just recently accepted a job with Trailways in NY. They are a union company And pay well. I am excited to start this new chapter of my life and hope to like the job for years to come.
Tip your drivers! Another great video, James! Love your channel and your research. Didn't know I was a bus fan until your channel. I really hope the motorcoach industry can pull through the pandemic and get back on its feet soon.
You missed the part where you never tell Dispatch that you're down to work as much as you can. Because Dispatch WILL fulfill that wish 🤣🤣🤣 But in all seriousness, very spot on video and info. As a younger new driver, I definitely don't mind being handed local work as I think the longer runs deserve to be given to senior guys. But I've also noticed drivers kinda get mad when they recieve no tip or small tip. Since starting, I've just thought it's cool to get a tip and that the group is happy. Whatever you get at the end, just know you got more than what you started with at the beginning of the day!
Wow dude, you explained tips and pay sooooo well. Been driving 20+ years and I really dont want to meet you because we would have war stories like craaaazzzzzy! I see most companies are different as are many charters. I would NEVER ask for a tip...Tacky...Also one must factor in the restaurants, games, concerts, and other events we are invited into, the hotels we stay in when our "work" for the day is drop in the am and P/U tonight. We meet fantastic people, many more than the occasional jerks. Good and bad with all jobs, but gimme the highway.
Absolutely loved driving a couch before the pandemic lost my job and went to food service logistics for a bit and found myself sticking there since the pay was so great (80k+). But I just moved to Dallas where the cost of living is much lower and got offered a gig at 25 an hour! (High for couch drivers) plus a 15% gratuity requirement from cliental! Super happy to be back in the industry with great pay!
In the Seattle area. I work my buns off driving motorcoach. We average, with tips and overtime $50-70k a year. More if you're a great driver like myself and says "YES!" to any hours he can get. I am also of the opinion that motorcoach operators are severely underpaid industry wide and under-represented in the US. 😁
You get overtime? My company does not pay overtime due to some obscure federal law regarding transportation. I have read the law multiple times and it is pretty obscure. We have set routes in state and never cross over state lines. 13-14 hour shifts. And because traffic is such an issue I rarely get more than a 15 to 20 minute break.
I was thinking about that meal allowance, wouldn’t it be easier to just give the drivers a debit card of some kind and the company could just keep putting money on it.
I always wanted to drive motor coach sense the age of 5. I would take my mother shopping cart turn it on its side with one of the wheels as my steering wheel , and have my brothers and sister sit on our couch and they will be my passengers lol.
That is a great video. A lot of bus companies are hurting. A lot of prospects can’t pass the drug test, some don’t like the low pay. Being a coach operator is like being on vacation all the time. I remember early in my life going on a school field trip. That is what did it for me. Some of my peers in high school thought I was having low expectations, but I did alright. Doing a job that is fun, and getting paid for it! What a life! Taking a group to the Super Bowl, or a high school band to March in the Rose Parade. Other highlights include going to 6 different National Parks. I retired from coach operations in 2001 in favor of operating a city bus. Between the 2 jobs I did 48 years. When I drove charter and tour bus, I owned a Cadillac, so it was enough money at the time. Now, from talking with friends in the industry, not so much. The bus line owners need to recognize and value the employee. If I have a request charter, give it to me. If the customer includes a tip, when paying for the charter, pass it onto the driver. And finally, give me a good unit to drive. I don’t care if it’s an MC9 or 4106. Oh, and the full time, part time thing? Don’t tell me that if I don’t work 7 days a week, that I am considered a part time employee. I do understand the “busy” season. The new electronic log books have cured some of the cheating, but companies shouldn’t “double dispatch” drivers out either.
Feel asleep to your videos last night. Needed something interesting enough to distract my mind but something I know nothing about so I can’t question any of your statements. Love your stuff man
Your channel is fascinating. There were 3 jobs I wanted as a kid. Bus driver. Trucker. Garbage man. I did 2 of them but never drove buses however I do love buses. It’s crazy how similar the motor coach industry is to the trucking industry
I started driving in 1989 and not much has changed in the pay scale since. In my area, starting pay is 17 - 20 per hour. You are spot on with your assessment of the pay rates and pay schemes. I do want to add that exceptional drivers will be snapped up if they want to change companies. That's a fancy way of saying that reputation matters. Driver's see and hear a lot about other drivers and companies and talk - a lot to each other and to the company. There is also a slightly different skill set between line runs and charter. Both require smooth driving but the charter demands exceptionally customer service as well.
Hey Trucker John. Yes I am. Im sorry its been a while I know. I have not been doing any trips and trying to give everything to my drivers so Im not taking food off the table for them. I should be doing a trip next week in which i will vlog.
Being a line driver and a charter driver, Both have good and bad days. Charter driver, I made far more in tips, Doing trips like the Kentucky derby, Major sporting event (NASCAR, NHL, NFL,MLB, NBA.) in and around Chicago. and even out of state games. Concerts, Rolling Stones and Metallica come to mind. The funnest group are any Senior group going to a horse race track. Who wanna help bet your money. LOL And any request (return) groups. I was always busy with return groups. Being a line driver.....OMG ! Once they were gone, they were gone! Had some weird ones on Greyhound. Met some really cool people as well.
In Norway, you get the same hourly pay as a city bus driver, a school bus driver ( And they both drive with the same buses and the same company in that city/town), and also if you drive an express route. You only get a tip if you drive a tour bus (Motorcoach) And people from Japan or the USA are the those giving the most. Me as a bus driver in the city, I make 212 Norwegian krone's About 26,5 US dollars. (2019) We get a union-negotiated raise/increase pay every year. You need to be hired for at least 9 years to get to top hourly pay. A full-time job is 7,5 hours a day, 163 hours per month, or about 1950 hours in a year. After "office" hours, (evenings) we get 25% extra, 50% on weekends (Saturday and Sunday,) and 100% (double pay) if we work overtime. We do get 5 weeks of paid holiday/vacation every year from the very first year you get hired. If you are above 62, you get 1 extra week. Personally, I drive both school and ordinary routes on my shift, and I have the same shift every day. But, it is a split shift, and I get as compensation for that, paid a little more than one hour extra pay per shift/day. Many drivers have different shifts in a week and drive on a rotation that can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or even 6 weeks rotation with different shifts. I on the other hand have two hours more than I'm "supposed" to have every day, (11-hour total with split) but that's so I can have free whenever schools do. 8 weeks in summer, usually starts around June 20., and I have one week off in autumn, 1 week and sometimes a few days around Christmas, 1 week in the winter, and one week and a day or so at easter. And a day like 1. May if it's not on the weekend, and our national day 17. Mai and a couple of days here and there. In one year, you have a pay everything from about 50.000 68.750 US dollars depending on your rotation, and what type of extra % you have each day. When you think about that you can not close your eyes for just 3 seconds, and the responsibility you have as a driver, not having a "co-pilot" if something goes wrong, the pay is very bad. Norway is expensive! Stay safe, your bus friend from Norway. ( I do apologize for misprints. English isn't my language)
Love reading your posts B Noname! Much Appreciated! I love knowing more about drivers in other parts. I've visited Finland but never Norway! Would love to one day!
Pretty much spot on for Portland and Seattle too. Some pay structures over here don’t pay overtime but keep you on the clock all day even on split runs where you can go home for the whole split shift. Max paycheck hours for a busy driver out here is about 130 hrs a ppd.
@@stevedavenport1202 I drive north of Seattle and was surprised to see in the video that Washington is #2 in the country. I think I was affected by not living near a large city.
Man that’s a lot of work and responsibility for $12 an hour (at the low end). I’d say drivers deserve at least $25USD an hour. I’d imagine there is a lot of skill, responsibility and pressure put in the driver, $12 is honestly insulting. Makes me a bit more thankful for the job I do have. I’m an electrician but I hate it hahah.
Hi James, great intro on bus industry which often overlooked and never get recognitions for this line of work. Bus industry is not glamorous and not for everyone. There's so many variables when driving heavy vehicles and carrying passengers such road objects e.g. trees, light poles and road barriers, pedestrian and other motorists and trucks. Plus, you have drive in a safe manner so the passengers feel safe and secure in their seats. Then there's issue of employment and depending on each individual capable of doing their work.
Thought I'd add some UK numbers to this... get ready... We've just had a pay rise and our standard charter work pay rate is now £10.75 per hour ($14.80) in August 2021. And remember the cost of living here in the UK is generallyy higher than the US. Yep, we're badly paid...
While there is a ton of responsibility and headache that goes along with being a driver, there is something to be said for a job where the freight walks on and off by itself...😆
The passengers may walk off by them selves but their luggage does not not. And there are no pallet jacks or dolly's to move the luggage on or off either. All by hand. On top of that, the passengers are capible of judging and complaining. There are trade offs to both.
Your research and attention to detail in your videos are very impressive. Now, the Motorcoach Industry needs a few lobbyists in DC with some pull. Our Motorcoach Operators are afterthoughts for the average politician until they are campaigning or need to score political points for finding some coaches to move the National Guard. Keep illuminating the industry, you have created a nice platform to inform 👍🏻
Somehow the industry had the political pull to keep the old hours of service regs for drivers when the rules were changed/modernized for truck drivers back in the early 2000's.
It is always a pleasure to watch your videos. I have two retired full-time bus drivers in the neighborhood (Germany here) and both have done line-service in their active careers mostly. This means regional transfers within a radius of approx. 100 km. We never talked about salary (it's just not common in Germany), but both built nice houses and started families with two or more children. So her salary was certainly not bad. Both return to their old jobs quite often for scheduled services or charter trips. They say, they do it just for fun and that they miss driving around in "their" Setra's. As far as I can tell: happy men :)
Hi Matt. Thanks for your kind words. Yes we stay in hotels all the time for long trips. The company pays for the rooms. It's usually built into the cost of chartering a bus.
I worked for a limousine/ charter bus company in California wine country. We were generally paid a base hourly wage, no less than minimum wage plus received a built in gratuity of 15-20% of the hourly rate of the vehicle. On average you were earning $20+/hr. For school trips it was a fixed $18/hr. Occasionally you were tipped more by the passengers. For tours and charters the hourly rate the vehicle went for governed your pay rate.
Honestly motor coach operators deserve a much higher pay for putting up with the majority of stupid people they are forced to deal with........ But it also depends on the motor coach operator and his or her attitude towards passengers to something to not forget about, A bad attitude gets you no where but a driver who respects they're passengers goes far in the end .......
Some great information! Can you touch upon whether relief drivers are paid for their time while traveling in the company van to relieve another driver on long distance charters?
Hi Adam! Absolutely. Our relief drivers get paid regular hourly rates when in vans going to switch out points. They make the same driving vans or buses. Great question and thank you!
What about perks? For instance if you’re taking fans or a team to a ballgame are you comped with a hotel room and sideline passes? Also, unrelated but I’m a trucker for 27 years and I am amazed at how many motorcoach drivers speed and tailgate.
Hey J, your vids are awesome! You really have a great manner, which I hope translates to lots of tips on the road. I have been curious about the coach industry but disappointed to learn a couple of years ago about the abysmal pay of a local operator - not a lot over min wage. I guess he's not alone. I have been a so-called pro driver for years and always assumed human cargo in a tour or school bus was much more valuable and harder to manage than 30 tons of paper, pigs, or peat moss and hence paid much better. Guess I was wrong ;-) I ALMOST went across the country last feb to buy a bus for the local cruise ship business as I love showing off my area. Being delayed somewhat was a real blessing as our cruise season was cancelled last summer AND this year as well. Dodged a bullet! Anyway, let me say again your vids are informative, well planned, and with a great presenter to boot. Maybe you missed your calling. Stay safe and shiny side up.
Hi Al! Thank you for your kind words. Really appreciate it. Yeah pay needs to go up a bit in the industry. Its been an especially tough year due to this pandemic. Thank you for your comment. Stay tuned for more!
Hi James! I have the same passion as you do only for trucks! Ever since I saw my grandpa stop home with his tractor trailer for lunch I've known I was going to be a truck driver.
James, your videos, that I’ve just stumbled on are such great help. A wealth of information 👍. I’m going to be a newbie very soon. I have a lot of questions. Should I worry about getting sued God forbid I have an accident? Or does the insurance from the company cover me?
As a former occasional traveler pre-Covid, I had no idea that tipping a professional driver was expected. But I also had no idea how little drivers and airline pilots for that matter make these days. It's almost as though inflation has driven up costs on everything but not wages. Back to tipping: I hate it. Putting this expectation in writing before booking might make it more tolerable. But if the company thinks that the driver needs a certain compensation for the job, it would be better if they include that in the charter estimate. Tipping drivers for good driving or pleasant personality as though they are wait staff seems a tad demeaning and almost insulting. Giving someone $3 extra for getting a human being there alive safely is both redundant and seems illogical. Could they do less? Isn't safe driving and courtesy part of being a professional? Do you tip your doctor, dentist, nurse, and pharmacist? Do you tip your plumber, supermarket clerk, and postal clerk? How about the airline reservation staff or flight stewards? Do you tip the pilot? What about the staff at Disneyland? Must be a cultural thing, but I would hope that bus drivers could be compensated more professionally and fairly up front. They deserve much better than porters and bell boys for the difficult job they are doing. The whole travel industry seems to be organized around these little pay-for-niceness traditions and it just feels wrong - like little paper cuts where people on vacation are constantly reminded of the importance of money. Maybe that was why Club Med includes tips in the cost of the vacation. And let's not talk about those leased white "Ghost Bus" charters that hire sketchy drivers, skimp on maintenance, and save terminal expenses by doing pickups on the side walks. And have 7x's the rate of vehicle collisions as bigger charters.
Very true. The US has very low regard for service based industries. From bus drivers to cashiers to weight staff to janitors and even teachers. They are all kind of treated very poorly
Hello there! I’m 23 and im currently a school bus driver driver and I think I want to try something new! Would you say this would be something I could do still being in college?
Yes! Absolutely. I drove only on Friday evenings and Sundays and used Saturdays to study. I did this my entire college career even my masters. Go for it!
Thanks for the in-depth information. I agree - it's not a route to quick riches. My impression is that (A) you work REALLY hard for the money, and (B) the most successful drivers will be the ones who love what they do and communicate that positively to their passengers.
I hope that Motor Coach Operators globally can survive the global travel restrictions and reduced demand for Motor Coaches due to decreased overall demand for Motor Coach Charters.
I always wondered what coach drivers made. I remember even inquiring about a job once in the early nineties. I don't remember the proposed pay setting a fire under me to go for the job. When you think about it it really is not well enough paid for the responsibility involved.
while this goes for any line of work, bottom line is you need to love this job. period. the money isn’t always there. the folks that survive long term in this industry are the people that love what they do, even on the days that they hate it. it absolutely helps if someone is like you or me and drools over buses, but not necessary 😂 and in regards to seniority, i think that a lot of drivers that were low on the totem pole a year ago are going to find themselves a bit more valuable as things pick up. soooooo many drivers tried to stick it out through the shutdowns, but either retired, or moved on to other gigs driving garbage trucks etc, making more money and having a better schedule. while this is great as far as hours available goes, the downside is that companies don’t have the revenue yet to pay the drivers that stuck it out what they’re worth. and unfortunately the pool of available drivers for hire is pretty dead. usually this means we can demand MORE money, but as i said it’s a very weird time in this industry. like i said, you need to LOVE what you do if you are in this line of work.
Always great explanations, and I'm not just saying that because my picture was at the beginning of the video. For people who are aware - MC9's, and 8's and 7's, there was a "button" beneath the center of the windshield that you could press and open the door. I was on a charter in high school - from Milwaukee to DC. At one point, everyone was antsy to get on the bus, and i mentioned to our driver that i knew i could push the button, but i didn't have permission to do so. He got the biggest smile ever, and said, " If there isn't a padlock on it, go ahead and let them in." That's when i asked him why the bus company bought an MC9 with a Jersey Cap. His Smile got even bigger.
A bit off topic but you seem like the right person to ask this. What happens if a driver for Megabus or Greyhound starts feeling tired/sleepy mid-trip, to the point where they need a nap? How would that work since the schedule will now be in jeopardy? This is also considering that the driver had sufficient off-duty time but for whatever reason, still feels sleepy mid-trip. (Perhaps had a bad night of sleep) In the trucking industry, we have bunks that would allow us to take a nap mid-trip, should the need arise. But I’m assuming it’s not the same for Coach bus drivers.
In the company I work in, I tell all my drivers that in the interest of safety, even if you are late, you are still on time. I encourage them not to be afraid to pull over and get out of the bus to do some jumping jacks or stretches if they feel woozy. Professional drivers should never feel the pressure where they will get in trouble if they have to stop and wake up a bit. Even if the group complains about it, Management will never punish the driver. Great question by the way! Thank yoU!
@@MotorcoachWorld I appreciate your reply. But if the driver feels tired enough to where he needs a nap, what would happen? Would they stop at a hotel?
@@hehehe_6874 If this came up more than once that driver would probably never again get long trips, and he already screwed up by attempting one. If a nap is needed and a trip greatly delayed, the owner would probably find a replacement driver somewhere in the area. When I drove for Megabus they sometimes had two drivers onboard.
You did a great job! I used to take the bus line that you're talking about to go gambling. That stopped in 2020 maybe again soon my retirement hasn't stopped yet. It'll restart. And yes please tip your driver they treat you very well especially as you get older!
@@MotorcoachWorld how'd you guess LOL it's generally the Illini swallow but we have got the Peoria coaches. And if you go a little further south we Turner coaches. I'm sure we've taken several day trips with your company. And I know multiple day trips with you at least three times. All of those have been super.
As a truck driver for 24 years its sounds lot of fun when you layover you sleep on a hotel room and not in you truck paid meals but the pay is very little.
hi - just found your channel today - i was a line driver for 8 years on buses - which we would call "service". Buses were you follow a route and people can hop on and off. I drove single, double deck and bendi (articulated ) buses. Then i moved over to charter coach driving. We just call that a coach driver here - all in i have been doing it for about 12 years. It seems much the same where you are from. I do want to move over to the USA at some point. I live in Glasgow Scotland UK. I dont think i will get into the USA with coach driving but i do work for a fiber cable company now. have been doing that for some years. so never know . great channel
Hi David. Thank you for taking the time to write a comment. I love hearing from drivers from other parts of the world. Love the insight. Never say never. You may end up here one day driving a coach. I would hire you!
@@MotorcoachWorld i always visit my "family" in Indianapolis quite often. they said they would help me to come over. I am also a Funeral Operative . so maybe a embalming course to qualify me . who knows. but i would never rule driving buses/coaches out. I love the USA . totally - love your chinese backgound also. i would love to visit hong kong some time
Very informative. I may actually begin training to a motorcoach company. Currently leaving NY post pandemic so getting my CDL seams like the best way for me to provide for my family. You earned a sub from me bud
Just want to ask, like Mentour Pilot when he talk about how much it cost to fuel up an airliner. He mentioned, sometimes pilots are stuff with company credit card to buy fuel for next flight. I wonder if coach drivers also carry company card for fuel.
@@MotorcoachWorld Does the fuel up coincide with bathroom break and meal time? I'm sure fueling an almost empty bus size fuel tank will take much a while, compare fueling a car.
@@malang73 yes we tried to take advantage of the time by utilizing fuel stops at the same time as meal stops at the same time as driver switchouts if the trip requires one. This however doesn't always work and sometimes we have to do one or the other at different times costing the group and the driver more time until the destination.
THANK YOU JAMES AND ARE YOU THE BUS COMPANY THAT IS TAKING US AROUND BIRMINGHAM MISSSIPPI GEORGIA LOUISIANA JUNE 2022 IF YOU ARE LET ME KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE I DID NOT GET WRITTEN BACK NO ONE DID
Nice video. I work in San Antonio Tx & my limo company is shifting to more coach bus business. The owner just bought 4 MCI buses from Illinois. I m starting to learn how to drive them. Any tips would be appreciated 😊
Amazon kills us and our dsp don't even provide actual amazon vehicles. Get stuck driving broken down garbage a third of the time. Im actually looking to get into a paid training bus program. At least I won't have to eat like an athlete or suffer bad consequences.
I just found your videos and find them very informative and interesting. It is surprising the pay is not higher when you consider the responsibility to passengers and for the coach operators equipment. I hope some companies offer good benefits though.
Good question. No. Our drivers are trained not to expect tips. It's not mandatory for our customers to tip our drivers. But appreciated if they do. Our drivers are expected to give the same service with or without tip.
I did a 3 day trip back in 2012 it was a travel agency from london ontario to geneseo new york for hiking in a state park. I picked them up from different hiking points and shuttled food and water and ended up with a 600 dollar tip the best tip I ever got driving buses to this date
This is the #BEST TH-cam ever! 3 years old. Me too. Actually, I took the Civil Service test in NYC. I passed the test right at the time NYC was bankrupt. So like millions of White folks from New York, I moved to Florida. I wanted to be a Motorman on the Subway but wound up driving city buses and charted coaches for over a half century. ~~~~~~~ You are correct. Grabbing overtime is required to claim slightly higher paychecks but the destinations and venues visited were much more exiting. I got to meet Leonard Bernstein in Wolftrap. Bobby Hebb in concert and other celebrities. ~~~~~~~~~~ Free food. When you drive s charter. you get meals comped at the restaurant your group eats at. Everywhere from the buffets at casinos to the Delaware House in the middle of the Northeast Corridor. ~~~~~~~~~ Sometimes, if you're good, your tips on a charter can easily be greater that your pay. I got stuck in a blizzard upstate NY and was FIVE HOURS late returning to Brooklyn NY. The passengers pass a paper bag around like a church collection plate to collect the tip for the driver. Standing at the door helping the last passenger to "watch your step," I gratiously accepted the paper bag. I stuffed the bag into my coat pocket and dumped the contents on the kitchen table when I got home. I had gotten off the NYS Thruway to travel on secondary state roads for safety's sake. I wound up driving through downtown Siracuse. There were no tire tracks or footprints on the freshly fallen snow. The scene was spectacular. The Christmas decorations on the storefronts were even more bedazzling as reflections against the unmolested fallen Snow. ~~~~~ There was $148 and some change on the kitchen table. Almost twice what my pay was for the two day charter. The tour guide ( I met the same guide on another job for BISS Tours) said the passengers thought I detoured from the Thruway so they could see the extraordinary Christ display. Nope! Hadn't a clue we'd see those lights! On one trip with three coaches, someone forgot the drivers' sleeping arrangements. We thought we were deadheading back to the garage when the customer said he wanted the buses to remain at the hotel with the group for the pre-dawn departure. The hotel was booked full. There was a roadside motel down the road, we told the group's representative. "NO" she said. "You're staying here." We three drivers wound up sharing the Honeymoon Suite. I spent two hours in the Jacuzzi Bathtub! ~~~~~~~ No I am not rich and I'm too sick to hold a CDL but I'm still looking out for my passengers in cyberspace. Get your seats online at Facebook.com/groups/PatriotsParticipate or at VOTUS.us ~~~~~~ Happy Motoring!
Every company I have worked for in Canada would have fired me if I let the passengers load thier luggage, Even if I offered to help them do it. The only time it was permissible to let them do it was if there were special items that need to be loaded a certain way. Something a concert band where the have a lot of lot of big items. Even then We are to make it clear that we are in charge.
I know some companies only pay for "live" (with passengers) hours/miles. Example -> from the yard to the pick-up point (in congested downtown traffic) is 20 miles but takes 1.5 hours to arrive. At the end of the trip the mileage & driving time to the yard is the same. Does your company and/or most other carriers pay for that time & what method? Also, in the unlikely event of a breakdown, how is a driver paid for "sitting"? I ask these questions because I've seen it handled in different ways. Some places pay "deadhead" miles/time but on a different scale then "live" miles/time OR not at all (paid only when passengers are on the bus). Also breakdowns are paid differently (similar to above) OR not at all. I've personally seen drivers abandon empty broken down buses because of "no pay" status.
Not surprised we are the worst paid. My company seniority plays a big roll in Tour work us charter guys usually make our hours busy season lots of OT. And if your a dependable worker dispatch will reward you with good bus and when available special assignments. And yes tips makes a big difference for our tour drivers. A good tour driver will make more from tips then their pay.
I left the industry in 2005. I never made it high enough on the totem pole to be put to work reliably. I was always part time and the work was very seasonal. If I had actually been tipped $1/person per day I may still be driving. At the time I left I figured I was lucky to get much more than $100 to $120 per day. Some of those days were long and fatiguing, with unpaid downtime in the middle that weren't counted as duty hours even though you weren't getting rest. My best job was my last, I worked for a limo company that also had 1 motorcoach and a few mini-buses. They paid by the hour so I was at least fairly compensated for the time spent at work versus being paid solely by the mile, and if the coach wasn't booked there was nothing wrong with grabbing a sedan and doing a few airport runs to bring in extra income. I sure did enjoy and do miss the best of the charters and tours with great groups.
@@MotorcoachWorld Not a bad experience, just not good enough to continue. One night, not far from your home base, I came to a determination to do something different with my life. I had a hockey club at the ice arena in Danville on one of those long days that finish after 3am. I packed a sleeping bag hoping to catch a nap during the game before facing the 4+ hour drive home to Iowa. As circadian rhythms go, the nap never came and at some point I thought to myself, "I have a college degree. Why am I sleeping on the floor of a bus in Danville, Illinois?"
@@MotorcoachWorld One other time I had the same club out there late in the hockey season. Thankfully they hotel-ed it since it was a multi game playoff series and even better they decided to stay in Champaign instead of Danville. On that trip I stopped into Illini-Swallow Lines' garage to dump the lav. I guess they're long gone.
👍👍👍Thanks for the video. What is the average hours per week do part time vs full time and what are the slow months? Ive never rode in a charter buy if I do I will definitely tip the driver. 🇺🇸
So for part timers it depends on the time of the year. Some weeks they have 0 hours. Some weeks they work just as much as a full timer. For Full timers the can expect 11 to 15 hour days for up to 4 days I think. Then they have to have a day off because they can only work up to 70 hours a week.
I started out a 1986 truck driver I came to buses and 2000 I totally love buses all the tourist I made you some money doing this not as much as I made driving truck but I love my job I wouldn't give it up or anyting
How often do drivers get a free meal when they take their group somewhere? I've also heard that if the trip is catered with box lunches or there's something like a wedding buffet, the driver is usually offered the extras.
Hey thanks for the kind words. Appreciate you taking the time to write to me. No I didn't have any kind of training. Just started talking to a camera one day wondering if this channel would get any interests... I guess it did lol
@@raygrinders3918 Yes I started to use a Teleprompter after my 4th video. I realized that a typed out script allowed me to keep the topic more organized.
I have a class a cdl.I am getting a job has a motor coach operator.What is the cdl passenger skill test maneuvers can you make a video of it.Thankyou very much.
Hey best of luck my friend! Getting a P endorsement is just a test on a computer. At least in Illinois it is. Yes I will definitely do a video on what you need to become a CDL driver in the US.
was noticing the placement of the cell phone in the window....wouldn't that be an obstruction to the view in that spot? why not off to the side so its not in the path of the view?
In the end its about safety. I guess it could be considered a obstruction, but my logic is, if I have to look at my GPS, I'd rather turn my eyes slightly down and to the left rather than completely off the road to look off to the side. If you think about it, Modern day cars have Heads up displays that shines the graphic on the lower side of the drivers window instead of having the driver look down at the dash. Same concept.
Drivers in our area are underpaid, companies do not compensate based on the responsibility the drivers have. Most drivers are retired from other jobs, so they can get away with it. The fringe benefits are few. Tips are seldom received because the majority of our work is "kid trips", such as high school or college day trips where tips are nonexistent. All companies say that they are short drivers, I wonder why... (sarcasm). The other frustration is that out company pays the same for a trip whether you've worked for them 20 years or 1 year. It might be a job that is OK for a single person, but you wouldn't be able to raise a family on your income.
@@MotorcoachWorld, the charter companies are in a very competitive industry. The companies undercut each other to get business. The charter companies have no control over equipment costs, fuel costs, insurance costs, etc. One area where they do have control is wages. Hence, wages are depressed and will stay that way.
What a really informative video! I was thinking of doing part time work as a coach driver when I retire (in my profession retirement at 65 is mandatory here in Australia).
Got a question about this industry. I work for a company that does not pay overtime. 99 percent of the drivers drive locally 12-13 hrs. a day 4-5 days a week. Only a select few drivers do charters and cross state lines. The company though puts us all under an umbrella as over the road drivers. Is this complete BS?
I made almost 90k last year driving a motor coach. I enjoy it. It’s a fun job.
I just applied. How much were the average tips per week?
James I would just like to add, that know matter what part of the country you live and work in, Charter drivers are underpaid for the responsibility that they are given.
Hey Brian. You are right. Everyone in the transportation industry feels that way. Including Airline Pilots. Its sad really.
@@MotorcoachWorld Yeah some years ago I had a Greyhound bus driver actually tell me he only made $ 75 .00 per day going and coming ....... And I'm like what ? Where the Greyhound company forces bus drivers to rest up approximately one to two days before heading back into they're scheduled trip tour, I've always admired Greyhound drivers for the long hours they put in and people they have to deal with.... Common sense would say Greyhound bus drivers actually deserve an pay of up to $ 125 or $ 200 per day driving a bus some times full of Looney people and the hectic schedules they are forced to keep from point A to point B .....
I am a class B driver I recently just got hired with a motorcoach company training is $31 an hour after you receive your own route you are paid $37 an hour. I am in San Bruno California that is next to San Francisco.🎉🎉🎉
Congratulations! I hope you love your job
What company are you driving for?
Another great video.
I have to say the best tip I ever received was from a 4th grade student, who let me cut in line at an ice cream shop then paid for my milkshake a thanked me for being such a nice driver.
WOW What a nice kid! That is touching man! Thank you for that! Appreciate it Damon!
Hi James, can you please do a detailed video on how your company handles the waste removal for the lavatory and maybe a fueling video?
Hey that is a great suggestion. I will definitely add it to my line up of topics. Much appreciated
Would be cool to see
That would be cool
Just pay the $40 at Hansen's Bus World!
I would like to see it too.
I started out at age 19 in 2011 in the motorcoach world. I made a measly $11 per hour per hour with Wade Tours. People were shocked on how low I got paid when I told them. Of course it was only a part-time job as I worked for the state of New York full-time. I did it more as a hobby and for some extra pocket change. I kept that job for 10 years part time but worked less and less as the years when on. When I finally left for good I hadn’t driven in over a year (due to covid) and pay was $14.50 an hour. In 2013 the state had budget cuts and myself and 19 people were laid off so I decided then I would be going into driving transit buses. That’s where I made good money. I made $27 and change an hour there at top rate. I started out around $18 an hour. That was in 2013 when I started. I worked there for just over 6 years. I decided to go back into driving a motorcoach. Transit can be dirty work and I didn’t care for the buses being that they are low floor. the high floor buses were nice but were all phased out. I didn’t like sitting so low to the ground in a bus. Felt like you sat up about the height of the average pick up truck while driving a long vehicle. Was really awkward and I was always worried about getting in a head on collision. Driving a motorcoach made you feel like you’re actually driving a true coach. You sit up high like an airplane pilot and are much more comfortable. Also, you don’t feel as vulnerable sitting so low to the ground with nothing in front of you besides a windshield. I just recently accepted a job with Trailways in NY. They are a union company And pay well. I am excited to start this new chapter of my life and hope to like the job for years to come.
Hello, Do you know anything about Trailways Burlington Iowa? Are they different than Trailways in NY ? Also how is it going with in your current role?
Tip your drivers! Another great video, James! Love your channel and your research. Didn't know I was a bus fan until your channel. I really hope the motorcoach industry can pull through the pandemic and get back on its feet soon.
Thank you so much. Means a lot to me reading comments like these. Appreciate the positive support!
You missed the part where you never tell Dispatch that you're down to work as much as you can. Because Dispatch WILL fulfill that wish 🤣🤣🤣 But in all seriousness, very spot on video and info. As a younger new driver, I definitely don't mind being handed local work as I think the longer runs deserve to be given to senior guys. But I've also noticed drivers kinda get mad when they recieve no tip or small tip. Since starting, I've just thought it's cool to get a tip and that the group is happy. Whatever you get at the end, just know you got more than what you started with at the beginning of the day!
LOL! Thanks for the comment Danny 29
Hate the American culture of "tipping".
Cue SpongeBob clip
Krabs “one, two, three….”
“MR KRABS! I WANT TO GO TO BED!”
Wow dude, you explained tips and pay sooooo well. Been driving 20+ years and I really dont want to meet you because we would have war stories like craaaazzzzzy! I see most companies are different as are many charters. I would NEVER ask for a tip...Tacky...Also one must factor in the restaurants, games, concerts, and other events we are invited into, the hotels we stay in when our "work" for the day is drop in the am and P/U tonight. We meet fantastic people, many more than the occasional jerks. Good and bad with all jobs, but gimme the highway.
Absolutely loved driving a couch before the pandemic lost my job and went to food service logistics for a bit and found myself sticking there since the pay was so great (80k+). But I just moved to Dallas where the cost of living is much lower and got offered a gig at 25 an hour! (High for couch drivers) plus a 15% gratuity requirement from cliental! Super happy to be back in the industry with great pay!
In the Seattle area. I work my buns off driving motorcoach. We average, with tips and overtime $50-70k a year. More if you're a great driver like myself and says "YES!" to any hours he can get. I am also of the opinion that motorcoach operators are severely underpaid industry wide and under-represented in the US. 😁
Yes agreed! Thanks for your comment!
Which company do you work your buns off for?
Stop begging for "tips". Customers should not have to tip.
@@areguapiri on charters they do and they usually put a tip in the fee. Just don't ride the bus.
You get overtime? My company does not pay overtime due to some obscure federal law regarding transportation. I have read the law multiple times and it is pretty obscure. We have set routes in state and never cross over state lines. 13-14 hour shifts. And because traffic is such an issue I rarely get more than a 15 to 20 minute break.
I was thinking about that meal allowance, wouldn’t it be easier to just give the drivers a debit card of some kind and the company could just keep putting money on it.
Great channel and content! From one Bus Nut to Another!
Thanks Andy! Always glad to meet a fellow bus nut! Thank you for taking the time to comment!
I always wanted to drive motor coach sense the age of 5. I would take my mother shopping cart turn it on its side with one of the wheels as my steering wheel , and have my brothers and sister sit on our couch and they will be my passengers lol.
That is a great video. A lot of bus companies are hurting. A lot of prospects can’t pass the drug test, some don’t like the low pay. Being a coach operator is like being on vacation all the time. I remember early in my life going on a school field trip. That is what did it for me. Some of my peers in high school thought I was having low expectations, but I did alright. Doing a job that is fun, and getting paid for it! What a life! Taking a group to the Super Bowl, or a high school band to March in the Rose Parade. Other highlights include going to 6 different National Parks. I retired from coach operations in 2001 in favor of operating a city bus. Between the 2 jobs I did 48 years. When I drove charter and tour bus, I owned a Cadillac, so it was enough money at the time. Now, from talking with friends in the industry, not so much.
The bus line owners need to recognize and value the employee. If I have a request charter, give it to me. If the customer includes a tip, when paying for the charter, pass it onto the driver. And finally, give me a good unit to drive. I don’t care if it’s an MC9 or 4106.
Oh, and the full time, part time thing? Don’t tell me that if I don’t work 7 days a week, that I am considered a part time employee. I do understand the “busy” season. The new electronic log books have cured some of the cheating, but companies shouldn’t “double dispatch” drivers out either.
Feel asleep to your videos last night. Needed something interesting enough to distract my mind but something I know nothing about so I can’t question any of your statements. Love your stuff man
Your channel is fascinating. There were 3 jobs I wanted as a kid. Bus driver. Trucker. Garbage man. I did 2 of them but never drove buses however I do love buses. It’s crazy how similar the motor coach industry is to the trucking industry
I started driving in 1989 and not much has changed in the pay scale since. In my area, starting pay is 17 - 20 per hour. You are spot on with your assessment of the pay rates and pay schemes. I do want to add that exceptional drivers will be snapped up if they want to change companies. That's a fancy way of saying that reputation matters. Driver's see and hear a lot about other drivers and companies and talk - a lot to each other and to the company.
There is also a slightly different skill set between line runs and charter. Both require smooth driving but the charter demands exceptionally customer service as well.
Hi Kim. Thank you for your comment. Well said.
All those precovid faces waddling to the bus, never knew I could miss it.
Good to see your comments on here! Appreciate it! Hope you are well!
I enjoy your videos. Very informative!
Thanks Jin! Appreciate that man!
Another great video James! Are you still uploading on your other channel?
Hey Trucker John. Yes I am. Im sorry its been a while I know. I have not been doing any trips and trying to give everything to my drivers so Im not taking food off the table for them. I should be doing a trip next week in which i will vlog.
Being a line driver and a charter driver, Both have good and bad days. Charter driver, I made far more in tips, Doing trips like the Kentucky derby, Major sporting event (NASCAR, NHL, NFL,MLB, NBA.) in and around Chicago. and even out of state games.
Concerts, Rolling Stones and Metallica come to mind.
The funnest group are any Senior group going to a horse race track. Who wanna help bet your money. LOL
And any request (return) groups. I was always busy with return groups.
Being a line driver.....OMG ! Once they were gone, they were gone! Had some weird ones on Greyhound. Met some really cool people as well.
In Norway, you get the same hourly pay as a city bus driver, a school bus driver ( And they both drive with the same buses and the same company in that city/town), and also if you drive an express route. You only get a tip if you drive a tour bus (Motorcoach) And people from Japan or the USA are the those giving the most. Me as a bus driver in the city, I make 212 Norwegian krone's About 26,5 US dollars. (2019) We get a union-negotiated raise/increase pay every year. You need to be hired for at least 9 years to get to top hourly pay. A full-time job is 7,5 hours a day, 163 hours per month, or about 1950 hours in a year. After "office" hours, (evenings) we get 25% extra, 50% on weekends (Saturday and Sunday,) and 100% (double pay) if we work overtime. We do get 5 weeks of paid holiday/vacation every year from the very first year you get hired. If you are above 62, you get 1 extra week. Personally, I drive both school and ordinary routes on my shift, and I have the same shift every day. But, it is a split shift, and I get as compensation for that, paid a little more than one hour extra pay per shift/day. Many drivers have different shifts in a week and drive on a rotation that can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or even 6 weeks rotation with different shifts. I on the other hand have two hours more than I'm "supposed" to have every day, (11-hour total with split) but that's so I can have free whenever schools do. 8 weeks in summer, usually starts around June 20., and I have one week off in autumn, 1 week and sometimes a few days around Christmas, 1 week in the winter, and one week and a day or so at easter. And a day like 1. May if it's not on the weekend, and our national day 17. Mai and a couple of days here and there. In one year, you have a pay everything from about 50.000 68.750 US dollars depending on your rotation, and what type of extra % you have each day. When you think about that you can not close your eyes for just 3 seconds, and the responsibility you have as a driver, not having a "co-pilot" if something goes wrong, the pay is very bad. Norway is expensive! Stay safe, your bus friend from Norway. ( I do apologize for misprints. English isn't my language)
Thanks for the details, fascinating to see a different country’s approach.
Love reading your posts B Noname! Much Appreciated! I love knowing more about drivers in other parts. I've visited Finland but never Norway! Would love to one day!
It is sometimes hard to compare internationally however due to wide differences in other perks like health insurance costs or taxes.
Pretty much spot on for Portland and Seattle too. Some pay structures over here don’t pay overtime but keep you on the clock all day even on split runs where you can go home for the whole split shift. Max paycheck hours for a busy driver out here is about 130 hrs a ppd.
Hi Kevin Snell. Thank you for writing. Appreciate the info! Stay safe
Which company do you work for?
@@stevedavenport1202 I drive north of Seattle and was surprised to see in the video that Washington is #2 in the country. I think I was affected by not living near a large city.
Man that’s a lot of work and responsibility for $12 an hour (at the low end). I’d say drivers deserve at least $25USD an hour. I’d imagine there is a lot of skill, responsibility and pressure put in the driver, $12 is honestly insulting.
Makes me a bit more thankful for the job I do have. I’m an electrician but I hate it hahah.
Depends on the company my job pays over 25.00
Hi James, great intro on bus industry which often overlooked and never get recognitions for this line of work. Bus industry is not glamorous and not for everyone. There's so many variables when driving heavy vehicles and carrying passengers such road objects e.g. trees, light poles and road barriers, pedestrian and other motorists and trucks. Plus, you have drive in a safe manner so the passengers feel safe and secure in their seats. Then there's issue of employment and depending on each individual capable of doing their work.
Thanks Victor!
Coach operators don’t get paid enough to put up with all those passengers. That’s fact.
Thought I'd add some UK numbers to this... get ready...
We've just had a pay rise and our standard charter work pay rate is now £10.75 per hour ($14.80) in August 2021. And remember the cost of living here in the UK is generallyy higher than the US. Yep, we're badly paid...
Hey Robin. Thanks man. I love reading about our industry from other countries! Appreciate the post
While there is a ton of responsibility and headache that goes along with being a driver, there is something to be said for a job where the freight walks on and off by itself...😆
The passengers may walk off by them selves but their luggage does not not. And there are no pallet jacks or dolly's to move the luggage on or off either. All by hand. On top of that, the passengers are capible of judging and complaining. There are trade offs to both.
Your research and attention to detail in your videos are very impressive. Now, the Motorcoach Industry needs a few lobbyists in DC with some pull.
Our Motorcoach Operators are afterthoughts for the average politician until they are campaigning or need to score political points for finding some coaches to move the National Guard. Keep illuminating the industry, you have created a nice platform to inform 👍🏻
Somehow the industry had the political pull to keep the old hours of service regs for drivers when the rules were changed/modernized for truck drivers back in the early 2000's.
Thank you for your kind words. This gives me the drive to do what I do. Thanks for taking the time to write to me!
They pay 275-300 a day where I’m at
It is always a pleasure to watch your videos. I have two retired full-time bus drivers in the neighborhood (Germany here) and both have done line-service in their active careers mostly. This means regional transfers within a radius of approx. 100 km. We never talked about salary (it's just not common in Germany), but both built nice houses and started families with two or more children. So her salary was certainly not bad.
Both return to their old jobs quite often for scheduled services or charter trips. They say, they do it just for fun and that they miss driving around in "their" Setra's.
As far as I can tell: happy men :)
I really enjoy your channel, thank you so much for the videos. Do coach bus drivers for long distance routes often get to stay in hotels?
Hi Matt. Thanks for your kind words. Yes we stay in hotels all the time for long trips. The company pays for the rooms. It's usually built into the cost of chartering a bus.
I worked for a limousine/ charter bus company in California wine country. We were generally paid a base hourly wage, no less than minimum wage plus received a built in gratuity of 15-20% of the hourly rate of the vehicle. On average you were earning $20+/hr. For school trips it was a fixed $18/hr. Occasionally you were tipped more by the passengers. For tours and charters the hourly rate the vehicle went for governed your pay rate.
Honestly motor coach operators deserve a much higher pay for putting up with the majority of stupid people they are forced to deal with........ But it also depends on the motor coach operator and his or her attitude towards passengers to something to not forget about, A bad attitude gets you no where but a driver who respects they're passengers goes far in the end .......
One Million Mile Driver here .National Safety Council Awarded.Retired PPBL
Some great information! Can you touch upon whether relief drivers are paid for their time while traveling in the company van to relieve another driver on long distance charters?
Hi Adam! Absolutely. Our relief drivers get paid regular hourly rates when in vans going to switch out points. They make the same driving vans or buses. Great question and thank you!
@@MotorcoachWorld And those fees are charged to the customer, right?
What about perks? For instance if you’re taking fans or a team to a ballgame are you comped with a hotel room and sideline passes? Also, unrelated but I’m a trucker for 27 years and I am amazed at how many motorcoach drivers speed and tailgate.
Hey J, your vids are awesome! You really have a great manner, which I hope translates to lots of tips on the road. I have been curious about the coach industry but disappointed to learn a couple of years ago about the abysmal pay of a local operator - not a lot over min wage. I guess he's not alone. I have been a so-called pro driver for years and always assumed human cargo in a tour or school bus was much more valuable and harder to manage than 30 tons of paper, pigs, or peat moss and hence paid much better. Guess I was wrong ;-) I ALMOST went across the country last feb to buy a bus for the local cruise ship business as I love showing off my area. Being delayed somewhat was a real blessing as our cruise season was cancelled last summer AND this year as well. Dodged a bullet! Anyway, let me say again your vids are informative, well planned, and with a great presenter to boot. Maybe you missed your calling. Stay safe and shiny side up.
Hi Al! Thank you for your kind words. Really appreciate it. Yeah pay needs to go up a bit in the industry. Its been an especially tough year due to this pandemic. Thank you for your comment. Stay tuned for more!
next week we’re getting a raise from 25.40 an hour to 26.50 an hour😃
Hi James! I have the same passion as you do only for trucks! Ever since I saw my grandpa stop home with his tractor trailer for lunch I've known I was going to be a truck driver.
James, your videos, that I’ve just stumbled on are such great help. A wealth of information 👍. I’m going to be a newbie very soon. I have a lot of questions. Should I worry about getting sued God forbid I have an accident? Or does the insurance from the company cover me?
As a former occasional traveler pre-Covid, I had no idea that tipping a professional driver was expected. But I also had no idea how little drivers and airline pilots for that matter make these days. It's almost as though inflation has driven up costs on everything but not wages. Back to tipping: I hate it. Putting this expectation in writing before booking might make it more tolerable.
But if the company thinks that the driver needs a certain compensation for the job, it would be better if they include that in the charter estimate. Tipping drivers for good driving or pleasant personality as though they are wait staff seems a tad demeaning and almost insulting. Giving someone $3 extra for getting a human being there alive safely is both redundant and seems illogical. Could they do less? Isn't safe driving and courtesy part of being a professional? Do you tip your doctor, dentist, nurse, and pharmacist? Do you tip your plumber, supermarket clerk, and postal clerk? How about the airline reservation staff or flight stewards? Do you tip the pilot? What about the staff at Disneyland? Must be a cultural thing, but I would hope that bus drivers could be compensated more professionally and fairly up front. They deserve much better than porters and bell boys for the difficult job they are doing.
The whole travel industry seems to be organized around these little pay-for-niceness traditions and it just feels wrong - like little paper cuts where people on vacation are constantly reminded of the importance of money. Maybe that was why Club Med includes tips in the cost of the vacation.
And let's not talk about those leased white "Ghost Bus" charters that hire sketchy drivers, skimp on maintenance, and save terminal expenses by doing pickups on the side walks. And have 7x's the rate of vehicle collisions as bigger charters.
Very true. The US has very low regard for service based industries. From bus drivers to cashiers to weight staff to janitors and even teachers. They are all kind of treated very poorly
Hello there! I’m 23 and im currently a school bus driver driver and I think I want to try something new! Would you say this would be something I could do still being in college?
Yes! Absolutely. I drove only on Friday evenings and Sundays and used Saturdays to study. I did this my entire college career even my masters. Go for it!
@@MotorcoachWorld Thanks for the reply! Definitely something to think about
Thanks for the in-depth information. I agree - it's not a route to quick riches. My impression is that (A) you work REALLY hard for the money, and (B) the most successful drivers will be the ones who love what they do and communicate that positively to their passengers.
I hope that Motor Coach Operators globally can survive the global travel restrictions and reduced demand for Motor Coaches due to decreased overall demand for Motor Coach Charters.
Agreed! Thank you for your positive wishes. Appreciate the comment
I always wondered what coach drivers made. I remember even inquiring about a job once in the early nineties. I don't remember the proposed pay setting a fire under me to go for the job.
When you think about it it really is not well enough paid for the responsibility involved.
while this goes for any line of work, bottom line is you need to love this job. period. the money isn’t always there. the folks that survive long term in this industry are the people that love what they do, even on the days that they hate it. it absolutely helps if someone is like you or me and drools over buses, but not necessary 😂
and in regards to seniority, i think that a lot of drivers that were low on the totem pole a year ago are going to find themselves a bit more valuable as things pick up. soooooo many drivers tried to stick it out through the shutdowns, but either retired, or moved on to other gigs driving garbage trucks etc, making more money and having a better schedule. while this is great as far as hours available goes, the downside is that companies don’t have the revenue yet to pay the drivers that stuck it out what they’re worth. and unfortunately the pool of available drivers for hire is pretty dead. usually this means we can demand MORE money, but as i said it’s a very weird time in this industry.
like i said, you need to LOVE what you do if you are in this line of work.
Well said Kyle. Thanks for your comment.
@@MotorcoachWorld thanks for your videos james. they really are great.
Always great explanations, and I'm not just saying that because my picture was at the beginning of the video.
For people who are aware - MC9's, and 8's and 7's, there was a "button" beneath the center of the windshield that you could press and open the door. I was on a charter in high school - from Milwaukee to DC. At one point, everyone was antsy to get on the bus, and i mentioned to our driver that i knew i could push the button, but i didn't have permission to do so. He got the biggest smile ever, and said, " If there isn't a padlock on it, go ahead and let them in."
That's when i asked him why the bus company bought an MC9 with a Jersey Cap. His Smile got even bigger.
Lol thanks Mark!
Great job James thanks 🙏🏽 I was just like you 30 years ago and still Love Motor Coach life.
Hey Thanks James! Love your name too by the way! LOL. Always love meeting a fellow bus nut! Keep on bussing my friend! Stay safe!
A bit off topic but you seem like the right person to ask this.
What happens if a driver for Megabus or Greyhound starts feeling tired/sleepy mid-trip, to the point where they need a nap? How would that work since the schedule will now be in jeopardy? This is also considering that the driver had sufficient off-duty time but for whatever reason, still feels sleepy mid-trip. (Perhaps had a bad night of sleep)
In the trucking industry, we have bunks that would allow us to take a nap mid-trip, should the need arise. But I’m assuming it’s not the same for Coach bus drivers.
In the company I work in, I tell all my drivers that in the interest of safety, even if you are late, you are still on time. I encourage them not to be afraid to pull over and get out of the bus to do some jumping jacks or stretches if they feel woozy. Professional drivers should never feel the pressure where they will get in trouble if they have to stop and wake up a bit. Even if the group complains about it, Management will never punish the driver. Great question by the way! Thank yoU!
@@MotorcoachWorld I appreciate your reply. But if the driver feels tired enough to where he needs a nap, what would happen? Would they stop at a hotel?
@@hehehe_6874 If this came up more than once that driver would probably never again get long trips, and he already screwed up by attempting one. If a nap is needed and a trip greatly delayed, the owner would probably find a replacement driver somewhere in the area. When I drove for Megabus they sometimes had two drivers onboard.
@@raygrinders3918 appreciate the reply 👍
Driving Coach in Ny at around $60,000-$70,000
Tipping is not common here in Australia where I drive a bus.
You did a great job! I used to take the bus line that you're talking about to go gambling. That stopped in 2020 maybe again soon my retirement hasn't stopped yet. It'll restart. And yes please tip your driver they treat you very well especially as you get older!
Thank you Beryl White. Do you live near Urbana IL?
@@MotorcoachWorld how'd you guess LOL it's generally the Illini swallow but we have got the Peoria coaches. And if you go a little further south we Turner coaches. I'm sure we've taken several day trips with your company. And I know multiple day trips with you at least three times. All of those have been super.
As a truck driver for 24 years its sounds lot of fun when you layover you sleep on a hotel room and not in you truck paid meals but the pay is very little.
Commercial drivers in general are under paid and under appreciated by this country and society.
Such a theoretically simple topic, but so much depth still to it! Great video as always :D
Thanks Albert! Really appreciate it!
)
I drive city bus. Not gonna lie. Motorcoach has intrigued me. I live in CA.
hi - just found your channel today - i was a line driver for 8 years on buses - which we would call "service". Buses were you follow a route and people can hop on and off. I drove single, double deck and bendi (articulated ) buses. Then i moved over to charter coach driving. We just call that a coach driver here - all in i have been doing it for about 12 years. It seems much the same where you are from. I do want to move over to the USA at some point. I live in Glasgow Scotland UK. I dont think i will get into the USA with coach driving but i do work for a fiber cable company now. have been doing that for some years. so never know . great channel
Hi David. Thank you for taking the time to write a comment. I love hearing from drivers from other parts of the world. Love the insight. Never say never. You may end up here one day driving a coach. I would hire you!
@@MotorcoachWorld i always visit my "family" in Indianapolis quite often. they said they would help me to come over. I am also a Funeral Operative . so maybe a embalming course to qualify me . who knows. but i would never rule driving buses/coaches out. I love the USA . totally - love your chinese backgound also. i would love to visit hong kong some time
Pre covid in Hawaii that sounds about right add in the cost of living here we have to live on OT and Tips.
We don't make enough.
Amen to that!
Very informative. I may actually begin training to a motorcoach company. Currently leaving NY post pandemic so getting my CDL seams like the best way for me to provide for my family. You earned a sub from me bud
7:40 Not when my English teacher did it. She successfully shoved her 46’ bus into a McDonald’s drive-thru, and the bus came out fully intact.
James made a video on this! (Under "J Wang".)
Just want to ask, like Mentour Pilot when he talk about how much it cost to fuel up an airliner. He mentioned, sometimes pilots are stuff with company credit card to buy fuel for next flight. I wonder if coach drivers also carry company card for fuel.
Great question! I watch Mentor Pilot too! We give our drivers company cards so they can take care of fuel over the road as well as other necessities.
@@MotorcoachWorld Does the fuel up coincide with bathroom break and meal time? I'm sure fueling an almost empty bus size fuel tank will take much a while, compare fueling a car.
@@malang73 yes we tried to take advantage of the time by utilizing fuel stops at the same time as meal stops at the same time as driver switchouts if the trip requires one.
This however doesn't always work and sometimes we have to do one or the other at different times costing the group and the driver more time until the destination.
@@MotorcoachWorld I know you mentioned before on other video, but do you like to stop at truck stop?
THANK YOU JAMES AND ARE YOU THE BUS COMPANY THAT IS TAKING US AROUND BIRMINGHAM MISSSIPPI GEORGIA LOUISIANA JUNE 2022 IF YOU ARE LET ME KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE I DID NOT GET WRITTEN BACK NO ONE DID
Nice video. I work in San Antonio Tx & my limo company is shifting to more coach bus business. The owner just bought 4 MCI buses from Illinois. I m starting to learn how to drive them. Any tips would be appreciated 😊
Our coach drivers made only UI last year and this year would almost be the same.
This job requires a professional license with a great amount of responsibility. You can make more at Amazon in a lot of places.
Thanks for the comment! Yes you can but Its more fun to drive a coach bus
@@MotorcoachWorld We agree on that.
If you don't need the money I suppose,but I don't drive for fun.
Amazon kills us and our dsp don't even provide actual amazon vehicles. Get stuck driving broken down garbage a third of the time. Im actually looking to get into a paid training bus program. At least I won't have to eat like an athlete or suffer bad consequences.
I just found your videos and find them very informative and interesting. It is surprising the pay is not higher when you consider the responsibility to passengers and for the coach operators equipment. I hope some companies offer good benefits though.
Thanks for the comment. Its like that for the entire transportation industry.
the good oh boy system i see. ive talked to a few of your drivers at Ohare and ive been told about your company.
In America the pay is quite low - in Australia you can easily make $55k USD per year as a metro driver, more if you do overtime regularly
Some parts pay lower than others. Most motorcoach operators make a comfortable living prior to COVID
The cost of living is very high in Australia. You will need the $55k to survive on.
Just curious.if you did a job with no tip do you ask the dispatch not to send you that group again?
Good question. No. Our drivers are trained not to expect tips. It's not mandatory for our customers to tip our drivers. But appreciated if they do. Our drivers are expected to give the same service with or without tip.
I did a 3 day trip back in 2012 it was a travel agency from london ontario to geneseo new york for hiking in a state park. I picked them up from different hiking points and shuttled food and water and ended up with a 600 dollar tip the best tip I ever got driving buses to this date
That is a good tip Brian! You are probably a good driver! Would love have you over here driving for us! maybe some day! LOL
@@MotorcoachWorld I will apply someday
This is the #BEST TH-cam ever!
3 years old. Me too.
Actually, I took the Civil Service test in NYC. I passed the test right at the time NYC was bankrupt. So like millions of White folks from New York, I moved to Florida. I wanted to be a Motorman on the Subway but wound up driving city buses and charted coaches for over a half century.
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You are correct. Grabbing overtime is required to claim slightly higher paychecks but the destinations and venues visited were much more exiting. I got to meet Leonard Bernstein in Wolftrap. Bobby Hebb in concert and other celebrities.
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Free food. When you drive s charter. you get meals comped at the restaurant your group eats at.
Everywhere from the buffets at casinos to the Delaware House in the middle of the Northeast Corridor.
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Sometimes, if you're good, your tips on a charter can easily be greater that your pay. I got stuck in a blizzard upstate NY and was FIVE HOURS late returning to Brooklyn NY.
The passengers pass a paper bag around like a church collection plate to collect the tip for the driver.
Standing at the door helping the last passenger to "watch your step," I gratiously accepted the paper bag. I stuffed the bag into my coat pocket and dumped the contents on the kitchen table when I got home.
I had gotten off the NYS Thruway to travel on secondary state roads for safety's sake. I wound up driving through downtown Siracuse. There were no tire tracks or footprints on the freshly fallen snow. The scene was spectacular. The Christmas decorations on the storefronts were even more bedazzling as reflections against the unmolested fallen Snow.
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There was $148 and some change on the kitchen table. Almost twice what my pay was for the two day charter.
The tour guide ( I met the same guide on another job for BISS Tours)
said the passengers thought I detoured from the Thruway so they could see the extraordinary Christ display. Nope! Hadn't a clue we'd see those lights!
On one trip with three coaches, someone forgot the drivers' sleeping arrangements. We thought we were deadheading back to the garage when the customer said he wanted the buses to remain at the hotel with the group for the pre-dawn departure.
The hotel was booked full.
There was a roadside motel down the road, we told the group's representative. "NO" she said. "You're staying here."
We three drivers wound up sharing the Honeymoon Suite. I spent two hours in the Jacuzzi Bathtub!
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No I am not rich and I'm too sick to hold a CDL but I'm still looking out for my passengers in cyberspace.
Get your seats online at
Facebook.com/groups/PatriotsParticipate or at
VOTUS.us
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Happy Motoring!
Thanks for taking the time to write this. I enjoyed reading it.
What about driving w your knee ?
Every company I have worked for in Canada would have fired me if I let the passengers load thier luggage, Even if I offered to help them do it. The only time it was permissible to let them do it was if there were special items that need to be loaded a certain way. Something a concert band where the have a lot of lot of big items. Even then We are to make it clear that we are in charge.
During COVID we are not allowed to touch passengers luggage. before COVID we assigned drivers luggage handlers when passenger volume is high
I know some companies only pay for "live" (with passengers) hours/miles. Example -> from the yard to the pick-up point (in congested downtown traffic) is 20 miles but takes 1.5 hours to arrive. At the end of the trip the mileage & driving time to the yard is the same. Does your company and/or most other carriers pay for that time & what method?
Also, in the unlikely event of a breakdown, how is a driver paid for "sitting"?
I ask these questions because I've seen it handled in different ways. Some places pay "deadhead" miles/time but on a different scale then "live" miles/time OR not at all (paid only when passengers are on the bus). Also breakdowns are paid differently (similar to above) OR not at all. I've personally seen drivers abandon empty broken down buses because of "no pay" status.
Yes this is a great quesiton. Our drivers are paid from the time they show up to the garage to the time they get back.
YOU HAVE SUCH A COOL PEERSONALITY
Well thank you Kahlil.. appreciate the kind words.
Not surprised we are the worst paid. My company seniority plays a big roll in Tour work us charter guys usually make our hours busy season lots of OT. And if your a dependable worker dispatch will reward you with good bus and when available special assignments. And yes tips makes a big difference for our tour drivers. A good tour driver will make more from tips then their pay.
The US does not hold high regards to us coach operators. Its sad really. Considering all the responsibility we have we should be making more.
The food is everything. I love food! LOL
Such great information, and your presentation is stellar.
Thank you Jason! Really appreciate the kind words
I left the industry in 2005. I never made it high enough on the totem pole to be put to work reliably. I was always part time and the work was very seasonal. If I had actually been tipped $1/person per day I may still be driving. At the time I left I figured I was lucky to get much more than $100 to $120 per day. Some of those days were long and fatiguing, with unpaid downtime in the middle that weren't counted as duty hours even though you weren't getting rest. My best job was my last, I worked for a limo company that also had 1 motorcoach and a few mini-buses. They paid by the hour so I was at least fairly compensated for the time spent at work versus being paid solely by the mile, and if the coach wasn't booked there was nothing wrong with grabbing a sedan and doing a few airport runs to bring in extra income. I sure did enjoy and do miss the best of the charters and tours with great groups.
Yeah I hear you. In some companies its hard to move up. I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience. I appreciate you taking the time to write!
@@MotorcoachWorld Not a bad experience, just not good enough to continue. One night, not far from your home base, I came to a determination to do something different with my life. I had a hockey club at the ice arena in Danville on one of those long days that finish after 3am. I packed a sleeping bag hoping to catch a nap during the game before facing the 4+ hour drive home to Iowa. As circadian rhythms go, the nap never came and at some point I thought to myself, "I have a college degree. Why am I sleeping on the floor of a bus in Danville, Illinois?"
@@mls515 😆 lol I can totally understand!!! That was a great story. Yes you were very close that day to me.
@@MotorcoachWorld One other time I had the same club out there late in the hockey season. Thankfully they hotel-ed it since it was a multi game playoff series and even better they decided to stay in Champaign instead of Danville. On that trip I stopped into Illini-Swallow Lines' garage to dump the lav. I guess they're long gone.
@@mls515 yeah they closed down long time ago.
👍👍👍Thanks for the video. What is the average hours per week do part time vs full time and what are the slow months? Ive never rode in a charter buy if I do I will definitely tip the driver. 🇺🇸
So for part timers it depends on the time of the year. Some weeks they have 0 hours. Some weeks they work just as much as a full timer. For Full timers the can expect 11 to 15 hour days for up to 4 days I think. Then they have to have a day off because they can only work up to 70 hours a week.
Perfect! Thank you!
Thanks John! Appreciate the comment! Means a lot!
I started out a 1986 truck driver I came to buses and 2000 I totally love buses all the tourist I made you some money doing this not as much as I made driving truck but I love my job I wouldn't give it up or anyting
Adam! Thanks for writing. Love reading your comments.
Our tour bus driver got a $300 tip for a 4 day run.
Not too shabby!
Could someone get pay hourly one trip and get get paid by the miles on the next trip during the same week?
imagin jankish khane sees his desendant a bus driver !!!
How often do drivers get a free meal when they take their group somewhere? I've also heard that if the trip is catered with box lunches or there's something like a wedding buffet, the driver is usually offered the extras.
Usually fast food chains will offer our drivers free lunches if we bring groups. Otherwise, we provide our drivers meal allowances.
You are very good presenter. Did you have professional training? Also, very interesting videos.
Hey thanks for the kind words. Appreciate you taking the time to write to me. No I didn't have any kind of training. Just started talking to a camera one day wondering if this channel would get any interests... I guess it did lol
@@MotorcoachWorld Teleprompter?
@@raygrinders3918 Yes I started to use a Teleprompter after my 4th video. I realized that a typed out script allowed me to keep the topic more organized.
What education would you recommend to succeed in Coach Operation?
I got my Masters in business and administration. It opens a lot of doors.
Would commerce be of any use?
This job Fits only retirees.
I have a class a cdl.I am getting a job has a motor coach operator.What is the cdl passenger skill test maneuvers can you make a video of it.Thankyou very much.
Hey best of luck my friend! Getting a P endorsement is just a test on a computer. At least in Illinois it is. Yes I will definitely do a video on what you need to become a CDL driver in the US.
Normally I got about $2.00 per passenger on vacation charter.
Very Nice! Where are you out of?
was noticing the placement of the cell phone in the window....wouldn't that be an obstruction to the view in that spot? why not off to the side so its not in the path of the view?
In the end its about safety. I guess it could be considered a obstruction, but my logic is, if I have to look at my GPS, I'd rather turn my eyes slightly down and to the left rather than completely off the road to look off to the side. If you think about it, Modern day cars have Heads up displays that shines the graphic on the lower side of the drivers window instead of having the driver look down at the dash. Same concept.
Drivers in our area are underpaid, companies do not compensate based on the responsibility the drivers have. Most drivers are retired from other jobs, so they can get away with it. The fringe benefits are few. Tips are seldom received because the majority of our work is "kid trips", such as high school or college day trips where tips are nonexistent. All companies say that they are short drivers, I wonder why... (sarcasm). The other frustration is that out company pays the same for a trip whether you've worked for them 20 years or 1 year. It might be a job that is OK for a single person, but you wouldn't be able to raise a family on your income.
Yes you are right. I do feel like the transportation industry as a whole, Including pilots too should be given higher regards!
@@MotorcoachWorld, the charter companies are in a very competitive industry. The companies undercut each other to get business. The charter companies have no control over equipment costs, fuel costs, insurance costs, etc. One area where they do have control is wages. Hence, wages are depressed and will stay that way.
What a really informative video! I was thinking of doing part time work as a coach driver when I retire (in my profession retirement at 65 is mandatory here in Australia).
Hi Coover. That is interesting to know. There is no mandatory retirement here for Motor Coach drivers. Thanks for your comment!
just out of curiosity which have the highest pay salary grehound or a charter company?
Got a question about this industry. I work for a company that does not pay overtime. 99 percent of the drivers drive locally 12-13 hrs. a day 4-5 days a week. Only a select few drivers do charters and cross state lines. The company though puts us all under an umbrella as over the road drivers. Is this complete BS?
James? I just want to know what you get paid.
Enough to keep my wife and kids happy. That's what matters the most.