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Training info


bknitti

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I'm sure this has been addressed here before but I am new to the forums and the job. I was hired earlier today and was curious as to what training will be like for those first 10 days. I will be reporting to Zerega ave. on Monday the 3rd.

 

Congrats! Do you know what depot you will be out of? From what I know it's mostly saftey, on the road, and simulator driver training. Im sure there is more, but I don't remember. My brother is a B/O out of ENY, but it's been years since we talked about the training process. I'm sure DOB2RTO can give you more info on that. I would ask my brother, but as of right now he's out on the B25 somewhere.

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I hope I enjoy it too. Though it seems a lot of bus operators on this site don't think too highly of the job.

Probably because all the crazyness that comes with the job.Like crazy ass high school kids,traffic,overcrowing etc.And maybe it depends on what type of bus you operate.But im just guessing though im not sure.

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I hope I enjoy it too. Though it seems a lot of bus operators on this site don't think too highly of the job.

 

I guess it's different for different people. My brother has been with the TA for almost 11 years since he was 18, and he loves it. But he also says that he wouldn't want to work at any other depot than East New York. I've personally heard a few Brooklyn and Manhattan drivers say they injoy their jobs. I haven't really heard a lot of that out of Staten Island, Queens or the Bronx. But to each is own! Hopefully you too will enjoy!

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I'm sure this has been addressed here before but I am new to the forums and the job. I was hired earlier today and was curious as to what training will be like for those first 10 days. I will be reporting to Zerega ave. on Monday the 3rd.

 

 

It's 7-10 days. If you make it in 7, you get on the Orion V for the remainder of the 3 days. You have day 7, 9, and 10 to qualify. You will train in the RTS bus. You will drive for the first few days close to the depot you will train out of. You don't pick the depot you do your qualification out of, they pick it for you. So possibly be prepared to travel. I live in Yonkers and had to go the Fresh Ponds for qualification. 1:30a.m., I was getting up to be there by 5:15a.m. (we left at 6 though). I drove to my old job on Bruckner Blvd (Campus Coach), parked my car, then took either the 4 or 6 train to Canal St, to get the J, to get the M shuttle. Back to the days, after those few days, you will drive in Manhattan for 2 days (IIRC). Then you will do the El pillars, along Westchester Ave. 6 train. The El pillars are going in and out of them, like cars do through cones. Before all of this though, they will teach you how to do a pre-trip, and how to set your mirrors their way. They will grade you everyday on how well you do. You will also go into one of the several bus simulators at Zerega.

 

Good Luck, and if I get into the T/O March 17 class, then 1 less senior person in front of you. Don't forget anyone who started for OA and TA after December 2002, is part of both systems, even though your check will say either or. Don't forget to use this info. It helped the websites administrator's cousin pass:

 

Print the info below this and study it, unless you already know this:

 

It's all MTA and the stuff is the same. I don't have the book they gave me (they take them back), but amazingly I remembered it.

 

ALSAPS = 1. Air leakage, 2. Low air alarm/buzzer 3. Spring brake (pop up), 4. Air compressor, 5. Parking brake (same as spring brakes, but different use here), and 6. Service brakes.

 

1. Air leakage: They are going to ask you to get behind the wheel for this test. The bus will be off, and must be off for 1-3. To do the air leakage rate you look at the air pressure gauge. Tell the instructor how much air is in the gauge. You then depress the brake pedal. This gives you your initial air loss. Tell the instructor this, immediately. You keep your foot on the brake pedal for two minutes, to get the air leakage rate. So it's like 3 parts for #1.

 

*example is when you get behind the wheel and read the gauge it says 120lbs of air. You say I have 120lbs of air. You step on the brake pedal, and it immediately drops to 115lbs psi, you say "it's at 115psi my initial air loss is 5lbs psi". You then keep your foot on the brake pedal for 2 minutes (alot don't let you wait that long), and you should lose no more that 2lbs per minute. If it goes down to 113lbs, you say "it's at 113lbs psi, my air leakage rate is 2lbs psi in 2 minutes*.

 

2. Low Air Buzzer: You turn the control knob to lights, but don't start the engine. You pump the brake pedal until the buzzer goes off. When you hear it you tell the instructor at what PSI did it go off. That should be at around 80-60PSI.

 

3. Spring brake: You make sure the bus is on level ground, release the parking brake (aka spring brake), and continue depressing the brake pedal. The parking brake should pop up at around 40-30 psi. When it pops up, you tell the instructor "spring brakes engaged at whatever it is, PSI".

 

4. Air Compressor: Now you turn on the bus, and let it run (with fast idle on). (They may make you do a wrap around during this time (pointing things out in front that should be there and not broken)). Pay attention to the PSSSHHHHH sound. That would be the compressor cutting off, and that should be at 120-130lbs psi in the RTS they train everyone on. Tell the instructor "the compressor cut out at whatever it is, PSI".

 

5. Parking Brake: With bus still running you shut off the fast idle, and then put the bus in drive (DO NOT RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKES). You give the bus a little gas, and the bus should lean to the right (door side), but not move. Say "bus leaned to the right, bus didn't move, parking brakes work properly".

 

6. Service Brakes: You now disengage the parking brakes, and let the bus roll 20-40ft (do it length of bus to be safe....40ft). Press the brake pedal, and bus should stop without pulling to the left or to the right. Say "bus stopped normally, no pulling to the left or right. That means the brakes are aligned properly.

 

PSI=Pound Per Square inch.

 

It's alot, but if somehow you could print this and take it with you, you and your classmates can do what is on this paper, when the instructor is not around, or when you are on break. Just don't move the bus without the instructor telling you to.

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Congrats! Do you know what depot you will be out of?

 

That know one ever knows until they tell you where you will do your qualification from. I'm surprised they are sending him to Zerega. My first day was at 180 Livingston (orientation), second day Zerega (more blabber), that is when they tell you who your trainer will be, and where you will report to for the 3rd day, which is the beginning of the 7-10 day.

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I guess it's different for different people. My brother has been with the TA for almost 11 years since he was 18, and he loves it. But he also says that he wouldn't want to work at any other depot than East New York. I've personally heard a few Brooklyn and Manhattan drivers say they injoy their jobs. I haven't really heard a lot of that out of Staten Island, Queens or the Bronx. But to each is own! Hopefully you too will enjoy!

 

Da Boggie down has its own reputation for B/Os. Everyone rides for free (unlike Brooklyn where they will throw them off), and it's one of the Boroughs where one is most likely to get assaulted (like Brooklyn).

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Probably because all the crazyness that comes with the job.Like crazy ass high school kids,traffic,overcrowing etc.And maybe it depends on what type of bus you operate.But im just guessing though im not sure.

 

 

The job can be unpredictable, and does turn former good mannered people into angry B/Os. It's a combo of being scrutinized by superiors when they were once drivers and know how the public is, the public doing things to make the bus late, but want to blame you when the bus is late, traffic, people constantly cutting you off, pulling in and out of stops, with other drivers who don't want to let you out of the stop, no support from the job (they pretend to care), and even though I pay my dues, a weak union who hasn't put a stop to alot of the unnecessary DAN's. They pretend to fight for you, but all they want is your money.

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Thanks for the info. After training are you alowed to pick your depot or do they assign you anywhere?

 

Good luck with T/O!

 

You pick your depot when the training is done. The exception is if you are the last to pick, then you get what is left. Last, a little something to remember. Only the #1 person in the depot picks during the regular pick, everyone else gets the leftover. During the General Pick only the # 1 person in the system picks, everyone else gets the leftovers B):D:D:D.......

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