Salaries for Coach Tour Drivers, City Link, other private operators

soapbloggs

Hi,

When I see advertised positions for bus drivers, rarely have I found ones that disclose the salaries. So far I've found coach drivers earning €10 p/h for part-time jobs or on the other end of the spectrum the average salary of Bus Eireann drivers which were generous salaries compared to the Irish industrial average wage. I am wondering what is a typical salary for coach drivers who say do Tours in Europe (Irish company) or within Ireland or other private coach companies that are part of the public transport system, be it City Link or GoBus etc.

I'm not a coach driver but I'm considering getting a licence if its worth my while financially to do it.

Thank you in advance for any information.

Del2005

Don't know the rates but if they are anything like the HGV drivers I'd consider a different way to spend your money.

Losty Dublin

Two friends of mine have husbands and partners who have D licences and are working in the trade.

One survives by driving work shuttles and school runs. These are early starts (Some sub 6AM shifts and some spins afternoon but it's working out as 4-5 hours a day, excluding getting to and from the bus depot. The school work isn't there for 4 months and trips are very prone to poaching so you rarely can rely on work being there on anything better than 2-3 months at a time. This sort of work is poorly paid and is paid on a shift or even an hourly basis.

The other drives a lot of tours around the country. Again, early starts are par for the course and long days are to be expected, especially in the high season. As a result he often works weeks at a time with no day off or one day off; she jokes that she is widowed from Easter to October. There's a lot of living out of suitcases and eating out of hotels and resorts, which isn't ideal in the main. Money wise he does okay and his costs are covered when out but again the work is unreliable and can't be easily be relied on. Tips help but again they can't be relied on; many a time he's gotten a few € from week long trips.

In both cases you are self employed so more goes out on PRSI and holiday pay is out of the question. There's also your CPC which is essential and, if you want to get work on the tours, well you will need to train up in this area as well. Like the last poster said you should save your cash

Crumbs868

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Again, early starts are par for the course and long days are to be expected, especially in the high season. As a result he often works weeks at a time with no day off or one day off; she jokes that she is widowed from Easter to October.

You can only drive a certain number of hours a day (waiting around is counted as driving) and a certain number of days a week so I would be suspicious that this friend knows what she is talking about

Losty Dublin wrote: »

In both cases you are self employed so more goes out on PRSI and holiday pay is out of the question.

In both your scenarios being self employed is definitely not the norm in the industry. Again suspicious of your friends advice

cdebru

Crumbs868 wrote: »

You can only drive a certain number of hours a day (waiting around is counted as driving) and a certain number of days a week so I would be suspicious that this friend knows what she is talking about



In both your scenarios being self employed is definitely not the norm in the industry. Again suspicious of your friends advice

Waiting isn't counted as driving, it can be counted as available or break time, and the norm is for drivers to put it down as break time at the operators request.

On drivers maximum hours it depends on the company some are far less stringent in maintaining proper records.

On self employed it again Depends on the company some use drivers on a casual basis and pay them cash in hand as "self employed" they work when asked or generally they don't get asked again.

There are a lot of fly by nights out there larger operators would be more prone to operating correctly.

soapbloggs

Well, if one were to drive, it sounds like it would be best to stick to larger operators. If small operators are breaking the rules/laws, I don't wouldn't want to go down that road, excuse the pun. I guess with the proliferation of small 'fly by nights' that would indicate there's a shortage of proper jobs circulating. So with that in mind and the generally negative impression of the industry so far, it seems like it'll be best to not catch that bus.

macroman

I worked in the private industry for a number of years - the salary and conditions vary widely between operators and the type of work you do.

School work was usually €10 p.h. maybe 25 hrs a week. Possibly bumped up if there were runs to do in between school hours or in the evenings -- all depends on the operator. May involve cleaning & fueling the coach. Involves dealing with self-important teachers though, the kids are usually grand.

Expessway work is around €100-€140 a day, depending on the run and operator it may involve split shifts, early starts and late finishes. Won't involve cleaning or fueling the coach though. No tips and you'll be dealing with the public!

Tour work can vary depending on the type of work and your involvement. Expect €80-€110 a day as a driver and €90-€160 a day as a driver guide. Spending weeks at a time away from home, but you will earn tips and if you're inclined you can earn kickbacks from restaurants and attractions. Definitely involves cleaning & fueling the vehicle as well as smart appearance. Tour work mostly April to October but a lot of operators work for Interski during the winter so plenty of winter work around France, Italy, Germany, Austria & Switzerland if you want it.

I used to work for Contiki driving tours of 18-30 year old Aussie, Kiwi, Canadian and Americans around Europe and further east to Greece, Turkey & Croatia. A great gig if you were young and unattached like me. Good earner, you're paid to see the travel and you won't put your hand in your pocket from the time you leave London until you get back around 45 days later. TopDeck, their competition regularly holds recruitment drives in Ireland. With either of these companies you are self-employed - most Irish companies will have you as salaried staff however.

If you're a people person and can keep an immaculate coach then tour work is what you want as you can earn well on it. Portobello college run the guiding course alongside Failte Ireland and is well worth doing

soapbloggs

Thank you so much for your comprehensive reply Macroman, it's much appreciated!