Got called from NICE and it wasnt soooo NICE

[Turbo19]

Thanks. I hope college works out and I'm able to get a good job. Who knows when the job market will really pick up? I could always go and get a b/o career if it doesn't work out, but I really don't wanna go down that road. I'm sure some people here would agree, given some of the things we've seen.

 

Fair enough. But if college or whatever doesn't work for me, I'd have no problem entering the transit industry.

[lilbluefoxie]

Have you considered going to a college that has a campus bus service and hires student operators? UMass in Amherst MA, University of Maryland, Kent State in Ohio and numerous others do this. You may not get to drive Orions but these and others do operate transit buses and they offer work schedules that are based around your class schedules.

 

 

my friend does that at a college in MA, he likes it. The college bus company he works at has an RTS.

[CDTA]

To echo VG8's question, do the part-timers get to pick the hours/days they work? If so, it's possible to be a B/O during college.

 

Also, not to get OT here, but how does NICE compare to the MTA in terms of part-timers?

[Burrstone]

I'm not in this for the money, I want an enjoyable job for the summer. Going around the airport all day isn't enjoyable. Driving a limo is not enjoyable to me either. I'm fine with $15 an hour, no benefits, 25 hours a week because I'll still be living at home every summer until I graduate. There's just something about driving a 40 foot transit bus that interests me.

 

 

We all have diff things that interest us, but driving a 40 foot transit bus on a tight schedule in some of the busiest areas of Long Island isn't exactly what I'd call enjoyable. The traffic, a**hole drivers, pax, the constant pressure of time and being on schedule, getting bitched at by dispatchers and pax for being late through no fault of your own. Maybe it's my taste but that doesn't sound very enjoyable.

 

I mentioned the airport only because I know you enjoy and they have a lot of Orions, driving around the airport doesn't sound that enjoyable but you don't have to deal with the same shit as a nice b/o and you get your Orion's. Plus you share a lot with the company that works on the new buses for the MTA, your odds of seeing and getting pics of things up just went up 1000%!

 

BTW where did you plan on getting your CDL?

 

Fair enough. But if college or whatever doesn't work for me, I'd have no problem entering the transit industry.

 

 

Me too! Or drive a truck, the pay is better and you could be a independent contractor down the road if you wanted.

 

To echo VG8's question, do the part-timers get to pick the hours/days they work? If so, it's possible to be a B/O during college.

 

 

I would aslo love to know the answer to these questions, in addition do part-timers get to pick the route they drive?

[User]

We all have diff things that interest us, but driving a 40 foot transit bus on a tight schedule in some of the busiest areas of Long Island isn't exactly what I'd call enjoyable. The traffic, a**hole drivers, pax, the constant pressure of time and being on schedule, getting bitched at by dispatchers and pax for being late through no fault of your own. Maybe it's my taste but that doesn't sound very enjoyable.

 

I mentioned the airport only because I know you enjoy and they have a lot of Orions, driving around the airport doesn't sound that enjoyable but you don't have to deal with the same shit as a nice b/o and you get your Orion's. Plus you share a lot with the company that works on the new buses for the MTA, your odds of seeing and getting pics of things up just went up 1000%!

 

BTW where did you plan on getting your CDL?

 

Well any idea on what training is like and how long if I did apply to drive shuttle buses for the airport? I haven't really "planned" my CDL yet since there are choices. I could just read the book and practice myself somehow then take the tests, or I've heard of places that do training in a day or two days then you take the test the next day and you're done. Any recommendations for a certain training type or class?

[Burrstone]

Yea, there are def. CDL schools that you could go to I heard Commercial Driver Training in Babylon is good, they even pick you up at the train station (from what I was told.) I don't really know how the schedule works for CDL B with P/S but I think most of their schedules are m-f all day and they have weekend classes (but it takes a lot longer to get your CDL as you are only training two days a week) for people that work m-f. UPS gives $1500 per semester for tuition to any "approved" school whether you you are getting a BA, masters, or "career school" I'm pretty sure CDT in Babylon Qualifies. You could spend your first summer working on getting your CDL, work for UPS in one of their facilities part time for cash and use their tuition reimbursement, get your CDL from a good school, get it paid for (or mostly paid for) and owe no company (1 year work commitment) anything. We were all talking about if things didn't work in school, I've thought about it and I'd probably work at UPS part time, use their reimbursement to get my class A from CDT in Babylon for free and go from there. A lot of trucking companies pay their "trainees" (you must have a CDL though) as much as new transit bus driver makes to go over the road, this is also known as "finishing school" but if you want to get your CDL from a company the options are slimmer, worse companies, and you must stay for a year or you will owe upwards of thousands. With a years expereince you can make good money elsewhere, we've talked about the trash business before, I have friends who make over $50,000 hauling trash and they are home everyweekend even every night I alos know people who own thier own truck pulling walking floor trailers for the bigger companies who easily clear $100,000! That's my plan B. http//http://www.cdtschool.com/

 

As far as places where you can get your CDL in a day, becareful of places like that. Just because you can memorize your pre trip in a day and get lucky enough to pass the road test doesn't mean you're ready to take be on the road. These places are a rip off, I've learned many things in training that I've used in real life. I went through training twice, once for a district to drive a school and once through Greyhound's Driver Training School (everyone who works for greyhound had to go through their training, they don't care if you have a learners permit or 20 years expereince driving a bus) the people who went thorugh these schools were you could get your CDL in a week or whatever were stuck back with people who didn't have a CDL yet. They only judged everyone on thier driving abilities and who you handled the bus, the first two days everyone had to spend on the "skills course" (parking lot with cones) then we got to get on the road, guess who was stuck in the parking lot learning basic moves? The people with learners permits and people who went to these rinky dink "schools."

[youngblaze]

log on to www.cristcdl.com they have free practice test that actually ask the same exact questions that are on the NYSDMV general knowledge, passenger and air brake endorsement written exams. Plus the practice test are FREE lol.

[Burrstone]

That's a nice study tool but don't rely on just memorizing those answers? Does the DMV ever change or add new questions?

 

People don't need to pay a CDL school to get a permit, I read the CDL manual twice and had no problems.

 

http://www.dmv.ny.gov/broch/cdlmanual.htm

[Turbo19]

That's a nice study tool but don't rely on just memorizing those answers? Does the DMV ever change or add new questions?

 

People don't need to pay a CDL school to get a permit, I read the CDL manual twice and had no problems.

 

http://www.dmv.ny.go...h/cdlmanual.htm

 

Most of it is common sense and should be familiar to even those with elementary knowledge of commercial vehicles.

[Burrstone]

I'll agree the questions are very easy and the questions are formatted in a level below below any HS test, with that being said I know of a few people who went into the test with the attitude that it's just common sense and common knowledge after I advised them to read through the manual. They failed, I'd advise to read through the manual, I did it twice it didn't take very long and I had no problems. The test was EASY maybe it was common sense but IMHO there is no reason to be looking like a fool at the DMV because they couldn't take the time to read through the manual. There's also no harm in reading through the manual if you want to be a commercial driver, then again there are people who will take shortcuts to pass an easy test and take a week's CDL class to pass the road test, that's why there so many unprofessional drivers on the road with a CDL.

[Burrstone]

Oh f**k... I just seen I'm arguing NY CDL tests with kid who lives in Cali., who hasn't even graduated HS yet... Stop advising people on shit you have no clue about!

[Turbo19]

Oh f**k... I just seen I'm arguing NY CDL tests with kid who lives in Cali., who hasn't even graduated HS yet... Stop advising people on shit you have no clue about!

 

What the f**k did I do to you? I'm just stating my opinion. No one is forced to take my posts as advice.

 

I understand you to an extent why my age may be a factor on the relavance of any my advice, but that doesn't mean you should view it as worthless.

 

I've held myself, but really chill the f**k out.

 

Have a great evening.

[Vistausss]

You could try and look the other way around. Maybe they're hiring part-timers because they already have enough full-timers? You can call yourself lucky. Here in my country the situation is worse. The number of people taking the bus is seriously increasing but the number of people becoming a b/o is seriously decreasing. They even have to make some lines not show up at all at certain times because of the lack of b/o.

 

And $1500 isn't that bad for a part-time job. You'll get more the longer you work for them. Every agency outside of my country is hiring part-timers so it's not really strange for NICE to follow that path if they already have enough full-timers.

[PinePower]

Well, I am looking to stay in the state and will most likely be in an upstate SUNY. I'll be in the city for the summers but during the school year, I wanna focus on schoolwork and thats it. Summers will be the time when I work for a CDL and get a b/o job. I figure by the time I get my CDL, NICE will still be desperate for drivers and training there is a joke its so short, so I apply and then next thing you know, I'm on the street.

 

Well I know you will show up, unlike some of these other guys they are hiring who cant even read.

[Burrstone]

What the f**k did I do to you? I'm just stating my opinion. No one is forced to take my posts as advice.

 

I understand you to an extent why my age may be a factor on the relavance of any my advice, but that doesn't mean you should view it as worthless.

 

I've held myself, but really chill the f**k out.

 

Have a great evening.

 

Most of it is common sense and should be familiar to even those with elementary knowledge of commercial vehicles.

 

 

You are trying to talk about what you have no idea about in a real conversation for people who are intereste in getting their CDL in a forum full of people of people who have done it and can give advice, What they don't need is some 16 year old kid giving advice because they feel froggy becaue mom let them borrowthe mini van once. What you call an "opinion" confuses peope and offers tainted advice because again you know nothing about the conversation. People are looking for real advice and they don't know your "opinion" means nothing because it comes from a teenager on the other side of the country. I don't go into the bus building threads and pass my opinion off as if I know something about it, I don't go, "excuse me East New York, the building of these engines boils down to xyz" Because I don't know anything about it. The same way you know nothing about taking a NY CDL test or getting your CDL. As far as me chiiling out, I wouldn't need to chill out if know it all little teenagers who know nothing about the topic want to play Mr. Know it all, and then give me anattitude about it. Here's my "opinion" keep out of conversations you know nothing about.

[User]

Alright, lets not fight over my future. I take all your comments and opinions into consideration!

 

Anyway, I got my regular drivers license in a months worth of classes that I had two days a week. I then took the driving test not long after and passed. Even if it was a short class, I got a lot out of it and getting a CDL seems different, because you know the basic rules of the road already, and you're just building on it by learning about a bigger different vehicle. I plan to pick up the manual, study it for a bit, take some practice tests, go to the DMV, get my permit, take a CDL training class, and then hopefully pass the CDL test. I'll look into the site youngblaze recommended and the school you suggested Burrstone. How long does a CDL last in NY before you have to renew it? How does renewing work?

[Burrstone]

Alright, lets not fight over my future.

 

 

[Burrstone]

How long does a CDL last in NY before you have to renew it? How does renewing work?

 

 

A CDL in NY lasts 8 years just like a regualr license, you renew it like any license by paying a fee. When you first get your CDL it is good for as long as your class D license was good for. Let's say you have 2 years left on your regualar license the CDL you get will expire on the same date. You have to pay a fee for the amount of time you time you have lefton your license to convert it to a CDL. They charge you per year and will not charge for a partial year just a full one, in my case I had two years and like a month and a half (or something?) so I got the fee for 3 years. I'm telling you this because no one ever told me this and was surprised I owed the DMV money when I went to surrender my regular license and pick up my CDL (it takes like a week after you pass your road test before the DMV lets you pick up your CDL, they said to give them time to put it in the computer, I dunno). My fee wasn't that bad maybe $100 bucks for 3 years, I could imagine the shock if you had 7 or 8 years left and had to pay the fee on that.

 

The permit is good for a year or two and if memory serves me correctly you can renew it twice. It's not much money from what I remember...

 

Sorry if this didn't make much sense, I'm really sick and feel out of it.

[RailBus63]

I'm not in this for the money, I want an enjoyable job for the summer. Going around the airport all day isn't enjoyable. Driving a limo is not enjoyable to me either.

 

 

With all due respect - you really need to talk with some transit bus drivers. There is much, much more to operating a transit bus than the actual bus driving. It is a huge responsibility. Operating a bus full of passengers safely down busy streets while keeping a schedule is tough enough. Now ask yourself how you would react to the other stresses of the job that inevitably pop up. Someone refusing to pay their fare, or yelling at you because the previous bus never showed up, or because they hate NICE and you are a uniformed representative of the system. It would even probably be worse for you because you are young - it's an unfortunate aspect of human nature that some people will see a young person and try to pull crap they'd never pull with an older person in the same job.

 

Better yet - spend eight hours some day riding NICE buses on the busiest routes from one end to the other (the ones that a low-seniority guy would likely have to drive - senior drivers will take all the decent runs in the 'burbs). Sit up near the front and pay attention to the interaction with the customers at each stop, and imagine you are in the seat dealing with them.

 

I'm not trying to scare you - you just need to have a realistic view of what you would experience. The 'fun' for most bus fans I know who became transit bus operators wore off pretty quickly.

 

In my opinion, you're dismissing an airport shuttle job too quickly. You get to operate a transit-type bus but with a better class of passengers and with no need to collect fares. You'd get a good taste of what's involved in being a bus operator.

[User]

A CDL lasts 8 years like my license? Why the hell did I read somewhere it was two years? lol just more money that has to come out of my wallet.

 

With all due respect - you really need to talk with some transit bus drivers. There is much, much more to operating a transit bus than the actual bus driving. It is a huge responsibility. Operating a bus full of passengers safely down busy streets while keeping a schedule is tough enough. Now ask yourself how you would react to the other stresses of the job that inevitably pop up. Someone refusing to pay their fare, or yelling at you because the previous bus never showed up, or because they hate NICE and you are a uniformed representative of the system. It would even probably be worse for you because you are young - it's an unfortunate aspect of human nature that some people will see a young person and try to pull crap they'd never pull with an older person in the same job.

 

Better yet - spend eight hours some day riding NICE buses on the busiest routes from one end to the other (the ones that a low-seniority guy would likely have to drive - senior drivers will take all the decent runs in the 'burbs). Sit up near the front and pay attention to the interaction with the customers at each stop, and imagine you are in the seat dealing with them.

 

I'm not trying to scare you - you just need to have a realistic view of what you would experience. The 'fun' for most bus fans I know who became transit bus operators wore off pretty quickly.

 

In my opinion, you're dismissing an airport shuttle job too quickly. You get to operate a transit-type bus but with a better class of passengers and with no need to collect fares. You'd get a good taste of what's involved in being a bus operator.

 

I've spent entire days on NICE buses, not one bus, but I've seen what its like. I'm gonna live up to the word NICE though and go with things. Refusal to pay fare, look if its one person, who the hell cares, NICE is losing money anyway. Want a transfer, here take a transfer. I'm not gonna argue with people because my responsibility is to drive the bus and to be honest, I see this happen on city buses way more often than it happens on NICE. It's like they're two very different systems when it comes to that. And I haven't ruled out the airport shuttle job. I'm still looking into it.

[Burrstone]

No offense either but riding buses all day is nothing like driving them. Driving them wares on you more, and it's not like driving a car either with comfy seats and a suspension that's easy on ur body. Slightly different topic but I meet ppl all the time who are like "ur jobs not hard, I love a long road trip, it must be like that." lol No!

[Burrstone]

BTW as far as the airport gigs go and talking about places that are desperate. . Some of these places have contracts with Delta and such, I've seen a lot of RTS'!

 

As far as the job it must not be too bad, I've talked to senior drivers who are very happy! ...from my experiences of riding the shuttles they the employees by name on the employee shuttles.

[Turbo19]

I'm sorry everyone, but I need to conclude this.

 

You are trying to talk about what you have no idea about in a real conversation for people who are intereste in getting their CDL in a forum full of people of people who have done it and can give advice, What they don't need is some 16 year old kid giving advice because they feel froggy becaue mom let them borrowthe mini van once. What you call an "opinion" confuses peope and offers tainted advice because again you know nothing about the conversation. People are looking for real advice and they don't know your "opinion" means nothing because it comes from a teenager on the other side of the country. I don't go into the bus building threads and pass my opinion off as if I know something about it, I don't go, "excuse me East New York, the building of these engines boils down to xyz" Because I don't know anything about it. The same way you know nothing about taking a NY CDL test or getting your CDL. As far as me chiiling out, I wouldn't need to chill out if know it all little teenagers who know nothing about the topic want to play Mr. Know it all, and then give me anattitude about it. Here's my "opinion" keep out of conversations you know nothing about.

 

 

Did it ever not cross your mind that I'm also interested in obtaining a Commercial Driver's Licence? Minivan? I wouldn't be caught dead in one of those, and I don't think my ability in operating a personal vehicle is reflective on how well I can operate a commercial vehicle as there are many factors that differenciate the two.

 

As I said before, this is a public forum and you can post nearly anything you'd like, whether or not it is immediately relavant to the topic at hand.

 

I don't try to pass myself off as a "know-it-all". I just try my best to provide relevant information to whichever topic is at hand. If you found one of my posts useless, then by all means you could have debated it, and in a less vulgar manner.

 

Regarding attitude, it is you that lashed out at me with a profanity laced post. It's a two way street, I show everyone the same amount of respect they show me.

 

Lastly, I'm not a member for the purpose of arguing or fighting. I'm going to continue posting as usual. If you find my posts useless, annoying, irrelevant, ex cetra, feel free to respond in a more courteous manner.

 

I'm done here. Reply if you'd like. I'm not going to clog this thread with more posts.

[User]

I'm sure Orion makes the seats comfortable lol. Anyway, who even knows if the Port Authority will need drivers when I'm ready to get a B/O job. I just have a strong feeling that NICE will, so I brought them up in the first place.

[Burrstone]

I'm sorry everyone, but I need to conclude this.

 

 

 

Did it ever not cross your mind that I'm also interested in obtaining a Commercial Driver's Licence? Minivan? I wouldn't be caught dead in one of those, and I don't think my ability in operating a personal vehicle is reflective on how well I can operate a commercial vehicle as there are many factors that differenciate the two.

 

As I said before, this is a public forum and you can post nearly anything you'd like, whether or not it is immediately relavant to the topic at hand.

 

I don't try to pass myself off as a "know-it-all". I just try my best to provide relevant information to whichever topic is at hand. If you found one of my posts useless, then by all means you could have debated it, and in a less vulgar manner.

 

Regarding attitude, it is you that lashed out at me with a profanity laced post. It's a two way street, I show everyone the same amount of respect they show me.

 

Lastly, I'm not a member for the purpose of arguing or fighting. I'm going to continue posting as usual. If you find my posts useless, annoying, irrelevant, ex cetra, feel free to respond in a more courteous manner.

 

I'm done here. Reply if you'd like. I'm not going to clog this thread with more posts.

 

 

You're a waste of my time! Just don't open your mouth about things you have no idea about and you'll be fine in my book...