Some people want to drive a bus from the time they are young. If that is you, then perhaps you admired the local bus driver and this made you wish you could be the one driving. For others, they might not have dreamed about it from childhood but when considering making a career change they entertain the idea of driving people around in a bus. Regardless of whether you dreamed about it from childhood or just started thinking about it after contemplating a career change, it is something that a lot of people choose to do.
Driving a bus is a popular job and for many it is rewarding. There are thousands of people that take a bus or a coach every day. It helps them get to shops they want to go to and it can equally help them go cross-country; many do it while travelling abroad. for the trip to be made safely a qualified driver is required. For that reason, you may be wondering what specific qualifications are necessary and what training you will need to get started in this profession.
Understanding the Licensing Requirements
With all jobs that require HGV driving qualifications, it will be necessary to get a CPC. This demonstrates that you can safely drive as a professional and that you have an understanding of the importance of safety when driving on the roads. It includes both a practical test and a test on theory along with a large dose of basic training, and you will have some medical exams as well.
Once you’ve attained your CPC you’ll have gained the basic understanding of how to operate a large vehicle in a safe manner along with meeting all required regulations set for HGV driving. Once you finish that you only need to top itup. Getting the driver CPC shows that you are a competent professional but it doesn’t give you the right to legally drive an HGV professionally. The final step will be getting a licence that is for the particular vehicle type that you want to drive. In this case, it will be a bus.
To begin you will be required to get a cat D licence because it gives you the right to drive large vehicles that can weigh as much as 3500kg and can carry as many as eight passengers. This means you’ll be qualified to drive cars and trailers. Once you have a cat B licence you would then be able to take your cat D licence; this allows you to drive a bus that can have over eight passengers and it is also the same licence required to drive a tracked vehicle such as a tank. Once you’ve obtained all the necessary licences you can drive a bus professionally.
Training for the Cat D Licence
The D1 training is specifically designed to help you understand how to drive minibuses and regular buses professionally. After getting your CPC you will first need to take the cat D training course. In the course, you will be taught the regulations and rules that you will need to follow on the road while being an HGV driver. It will also be necessary for you to understand basic maintenance and fixtures of HGVs as well as buses.
There are customer service skills that need to be learned along with how to be safe, both for your own benefit and the benefit of the passengers along with others that are on the road. You will learn risk management along with additional driving skills, practical skills training, theory, and training specifically for driving large and multi-seated vehicles. Once you have successfully completed the training you are then legally qualified to drive all passenger vehicles including those with more than 8 seats, and this qualifies you to drive a bus.
How Can I Get Started Training for a Cat D Licence?
We recommend you speak with us. At our HGV Training Centre we have a selection of HGV training courses and these include the cat D and Driver CPC courses for any new driver. We will provide a crash course in driving large vehicles and specifically for driving a bus. Once you’ve finished then we will help you to get your first job as a bus driver to get you started quickly in your new career.