Hi from from sunny Port Stephens

Started by Kramden, November 08, 2012, 12:18:30 PM

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Kramden

Knowing you guys have got your new artics at ACTION I thought you'd like to see what I've been driving around in yesterday.  Note how the (CB80) body shape looks on a different livery and the features in common with your new Scanias.  BTW, this one - their newest - is 18 months old.

Gotta say, I'm loving the Volvos up here.  They fly.  Seriously, they do 100 kph and have cruise control.  That said, their old school buses are an OH&S nightmare.  The shed shot is just random.  We don't have an A, B or C shed like Belco...it's just a shed.  Besides, the last few buses in at night don't even fit in the shed.

(Moderator: Photos attached)

Busnerd

Do you mean newest CB80? Cause Port Stevens have newer buses than that, for one they have a new Bustech Lowfloor in TNSW livery I saw a couple of months ago in Newcastle

Kramden

#2
Absolutely correct my friend, I just didn't want to confuse the issue by mentioning that odd bus out.  I say 'odd' because it's not in the company livery, it's not a Volvo, it's housed at a different depot and used sparingly. We don't get to see it much let alone drive it.  Of course one day in our lifetime the whole yard will be full of these blue TNSW units. I can't wait for the confusion that it will lead to for our main route #130 which travels along Maitland Rd along with Hunter Valley, Rover, Busways and State Transit.  The poor punters won't know which bus to hail.  Mind you, up here I've found more people seem to actually read/understand destos than in Canberra.  Kind of amazing given the higher proportion of bogans.

Now with all that out of the way, a couple more pics that might be of interest.  You mention Bustech.  There are a few of these in the fleet. One is PSC's version of a Dart...in that it's a smaller bus.  It was purchased to be used on local bay area routes, 132, 133 and 134.  I've had it out a few times in the past week.  Not bad to drive in that it's easy on tight turns due to a smaller wheel base. However, it has a few annoying operational features.  Anyway, check out our littlest bus.  MO 4660.

Busnerd

Love the MDi's, always so cute! Yet powerful, generally a little TOO powerful

Kramden

Quote from: Busnerd on November 13, 2012, 09:28:12 PM
Love the MDi's, always so cute! Yet powerful, generally a little TOO powerful
I find them slow off the mark.  Really slow.  But once they open up, it's all good.  Remember, the buses here are not governed to 85 kph due to the fact that we often drive on roads where the speed limit is 100 kph.

belcodriver

Quote from: Kramden on November 14, 2012, 02:49:19 PM
I find them slow off the mark.  Really slow.  But once they open up, it's all good.  Remember, the buses here are not governed to 85 kph due to the fact that we often drive on roads where the speed limit is 100 kph.

So do the passengers get seat belts? I'm pretty sure the speed governing is because of the lack of passenger seatbelts.

How long have you been up there Kramden? I was just thinking the other day I hadn't seen you at work for quite a while.

Kramden

Quote from: belcodriver on November 17, 2012, 08:14:04 AM
So do the passengers get seat belts? I'm pretty sure the speed governing is because of the lack of passenger seatbelts.

How long have you been up there Kramden? I was just thinking the other day I hadn't seen you at work for quite a while.

No passenger seat belts and much to my horror, two of the school buses have no drivers' belt.  NOT happy Jan!

Arrived here in July just after I finished with ACTION.  I did look around for you in my last week there but couldn't see you around.  I took a bit of break so as to try and settle in to the new house and the different lifestyle up here, e.g. it's warmer!

Put an application in with PSC in Oct thinking they might give me some shifts over Christmas, but no, I've been working 5 days a week for the past five weeks. Plenty of work.  My wife and I are heading off on a cruise next week so I won't be working again till after Christmas.  Have to see what the new year brings.

They're a VERY different outfit to ACTION.  Not surprising though: a small private company compared with a taxpayer-funded juggernaut.  I miss ACTION and the many people I met there.  It was a good time for me.  Wish I'd started there earlier.

Anyway, all is good and I hope it is with you too.  Cheers... 

CNG

so how does schedulling work? do drivers prick shifts or everyone floats or there are lines?

Kramden

There are 12 permanent rotating roster lines and 4 full time/casual lines.  My understanding is that when they put you on as a fulltimer you work on one of the 12 lines.  Each of these 'lines' contain shifts for a particular week.  So, roster 1 is different to roster 2 and so on right through to roster 12.

Some of the lines are M-F, others are Wed to Sun, some are days, some are nights.  Some shifts are 7hr 30 others are 9 hrs plus.

The good thing is that it takes 3 months before you repeat the same set of routes/times/days.  Mind you there's not that much variety here becuase there are only six route numbers and each of these have somethin in common with each other.  There's a lot of route connections not only with PSC service but we also do connections with CDC services, routes 136 and 137.  BTW, our routes are numbered 130 to 135 inclusive.

The thing to remember about working here is that you don't start as a perm part-time (like ACTION) and wait for people to die/retire.  If they have work to do and they like you, there's a chance you'll move up very quickly.  Whether they like me hasn't been fully established yet...  We'll see.

Hope that answers your question CNG.