Express Bus Operator

Bori, Inbox me when you have the chance. You are not giving up! When you’re free inbox me.... You’re not going to give up that easy. You’re almost to the next chapter.

Hi, Welcome to the NYC Transit Forum. If you’re applying a civil service title, which this exam is, Your time served from NYPD will carry over. That also applies for Sanitation, FDNY and other civil service agency. Did you apply for this bus operator exam?

Day 6 and 7 are testing days. They will not give you any pointers while you’re trying to be qualified.

Yes, upper Manhattan. Did you correct the drifting? EL Pillars technique is very important and will be used most of the times throughout your operating career. When you become shifter qualify you will see why EL pillars are important to know and understand how to maneuver especially when working at areas that has Pillars.

Okay, try to correct yourself with the drifting. I know it's a habit you have developed with your car. When you’re off the bus and heading home or this weekend, try practicing turning without drifting. Day 4 you will be learning EL pillars/pre trips and more turns and servicing bus stops.

Wow! I hope you all make it. That would be awesome!

Anybody training out of Flatbush depot? We have 2 training buses assigned for the entire week. This must be a big class.

Sadly, I know that dude on the video that's doing the stunts. Yes, as long the bus is in motion, they will ruled it preventable. The only way they can't charge you is only if the bus is not moving. Being extended will be determined by the Zerega Probationary officers or your depot GST. But usually if it's your first offense you may get away by not getting extended. More like a slap on the wrist and warning. Keep in mind they fully review the cameras on the bus to see what happened and they can see everything you was doing as far operating the bus and the speed og the bus. When I first started, on 6th day being on my own, A ConED utility truck was speeding while I was serving a bus stop , But I wasn't able to pull in to the bus stop because there was a tire obstructing the bus stop so I parallel straight along with the tire and let passenger off. The ConED truck ended up taking my driver side mirror and never stop. I panic and the first thing I did was got off the bus and called my union rep for further instruction. "They consider your depot lawyer" I ended up calling it in and started taking pictures of the damage and the obstruction object that made me not come close to the curb. Long story short, I had to go see the Probation officer at Zerega that week, and Thank god they did not extend me because I did the right thing, plus they had no intention to extend any probies for their first offense. Keep in mind, not everything will quickly get you extended.

Are you referring to the video that has spread across the social media of this dude who does these stunts video?..... Non-Preventable Vs. Preventable.... DOB Safety and training division always lean more toward Preventable unless it's proven that it was non preventable. What's considered non-preventable - If you're at the bus stop and properly parallel with the curb and a car randomly run the back of the bus or the side of the bus. That was out of your control to prevent that. You're standing at the traffic light and a car loses control and takes your mirrors, or hit head on the front of you bus. If your bus is in motion, they will rule it Preventable. If your at the bus stop and the bus is angled and you get rear ended, it will be ruled out Preventable. A passenger fells in your bus while in motion, it will be ruled preventable. A Passenger is boarding the bus, and they trip while stepping in the bus, If you did not kneel the bus or properly parallel with the curb, It will be ruled as Preventable. A vehicle ran a red light as you're entering the intersection, and contact were made, Zerega will ruled it as Preventable. Don't ask me why, but that's how the game is played out. If you notice the non preventable list is shorter compared to preventable....

What do you mean by "They passed me already because I don't have my full CDL(NJ)"? Do you currently have a CDL permit or no CDL at all?

The line trainer operator is just your instructor for the route. He/She will give you feedback and teach you more about the route and driving tips. No more testing until your next birthday. Every birthday year, you have to be 19A recertified. Depending which borough you’re in, you have to attend to either Zerega, Spring Creek or ((Jackie Gleason/East NY for Brooklyn Operators)). You watch safety videos, get behind the wheel with a 19A dispatcher, and after take a 15 question 19A CDL DMV written test. It's not hard and no you won’t lose your job if you fail the written test. If you fail, you have to come back the next day to retake the short written exam.

Your schedule will reflect according to a senior operators route daily. Normally it's Monday to Friday at different hours, but it's up to the depot's discretion. The first week you will learn routes in an AM Rush hour settings. The following week, you will learn the same routes in a PM rush hour settings just to get a feel of operating in passengers service in different type of settings. Staten Island you have to learn all the routes out there. @SevenEleven can elaborate on the Staten Island line training operation. After line training Is successfully completed and you and your class graduate , you are place on the Extra List (XL). Everyday except on your RDO you’re covering a run. Some days you may not get a run but are place on report/standby. Your RDO’s maybe T/W, W/T, or if you’re lucky M/T, Th/Fri.

A high seniority depot is presumed when majority percentage of operators has 15+ years. Let's say the depot has 600 operators and out of 600, 350 to 400 has 15 plus years under their belt. As a TA operator, you are allowed to pick within an OA Depot. OA operators are only allowed to pick within The Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn depot. Keep in mind this only happens once a year during the system pick which starts during the fall season “October - December” Also, as a TA Operator if you decide to transfer to Queens TA or Staten Island depots, you won’t be able to pick out for the rest of your B/O career unless you get promoted to SLD or Superintendent.

Best stable career right now besides Sanitation, FDNY and NYPD. We have some flaws, but hopefully the union get the right leadership in place to shake up some things. Picking a desirable run all depends on the depot. Some depots are considered “High seniority” where you may never see a decent paying run with good rdo’s until you reach 10-15 years. I currently have 5 years on the job, and I can say I’m able to work AM’s instead of PM’s. Right now I can get a SS or SM RDO but I would have to work late PM run in order to get that RDO versus a high seniority operator who can work AM and still get weekends off. If I had to leave and go someplace else, it would probably be a court officer. But right now I’m already at top pay and have opportunities to move forward up the ladders within the transit system when the time is right.

😵@10 days all over

Nobody knows. It hasn't been effective yet.

Medical and drug test yes. 10-day training no, but you will have to report to Zerega for 2-3 days for a refresher behind-the-wheel driving.

Starting September, all MTA employees will be required to either be vaccinated or have to take a weekly Covid test.

Normally, you can resign and return back within a year and still keep your seniority. Being back at the same depot will be up to management. Now since your friend was still on probation, she will need to contact Zerega for further information. She technically still belong to “Zerega” since she didn't finish probation.

Affirmative.......Whoever has the lowest list number within that class will have higher seniority within the class group for the rest of their career unless they get promoted. For instance, I have a lower list number than you, I will pick or do anything when it comes to seniority rank before you do. Within our class it will remain that way until one of us either depart from the graduating class. And this goes for the same way for the entire system. When you come on board, whoever has a month to year(s)on the job will have higher seniority than you.

Late responding, I apologize for that. To jump position instead of climbing the ladder, You need to have managerial experience from a previous job that is related to buses and etc with an college degree versus you being a supervisor role "Dispatcher". To be honest, They rather promote within the supervisory role because you already know the function of supervisory role. And also it is who knows who with referral. But you won't be able to jump straight from B/O into AGS. Its baby step and you need experience first as a Superintendent rank. Ranks by ladder: Supervisor "Dispatcher" Superintendent Asst Gen Supt Gen Supt Asst Gen Manager Gen Manager Regional Gen Mgr

Most likely, or the date you were appointed which was the day you first attended Zerega. But don't lose hope, from the way things are looking, you just never know what the outcome will turn out. Both Department of Buses and Rails are on high demands for new hires. Its to the point, during the epidemic, a lot of probies passed probation without even getting observation rides or without being extended because of days they missed due to illness. So just keep your finger cross.

Yes, if you were disqualified from training at MTA bus, you won't be eligible for a rehire as a bus operator for the next 5 years.

When they’re are ready, you will be notified by mail with an admission to when to come to take the BOSS (Bus Operator Selective Survey) exam. As far as school goes, this is a full-time position that requires a minimum of 40+ hours a week. Schedules are based on routes and run you either pick or random timing if you’re on the extra list. Being a probation operator or less time on the job, your hours most likely will be late schedules. 12pm, 2pm, 3 pm to midnight.

Training is a total of 6 weeks: Day 1 - 7 is the first-round qualification. From day 1 to 5 is instruction teaching. Day 6 is Pre-Qualification. You must do good on day 6 to qualify for day 7. On day 7 if you do good, you’re officially qualified from the first initial qualification round and move forward learning other type of buses. If you fail day 6 and/or 7, you will have to go to day 8 and 9 with another Supt instructor at another depot. Day 8 is instruction learning Day 9 is Qualification day. If you pass, you move forward with the others that Qualified on day 7 and learn other type of buses. If you failed day 9, you will get one more chance by going to day 10. Day 10 is qualification testing but this time back at Zerega with 2 Supt Instructor on the bus determining whether or not you will move forward or get disqualified. By now all who has been qualified for the job will move forward. Your next training will be on day 14 at the depot you pick or forced to go based on seniority order within your class to learn the routes with a senior operator at the depot you will be working for the next 2/3 weeks until you graduate. Oh by the way it's called “Line Training”. After you successfully complete line training, You will go back to Zerega for graduation and you will receive a certificate and a bus operator badge. Once you receive a badge, you are officially a Probie and will be operating a bus on your own within the depot you line trained out of. You will be on probation for one year. The probation starts from the day you was appointed which is the day you first attended Zerega.