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Metro’s training staff rolls seven days a week
"Our instructors have to be up to date on every aspect of operating a bus and customer service,” said Training Supervisor Doug Johnson. “They are committed to making sure all transit operators have the best tools and knowledge to perform their job well." Between the classroom and on-road sessions, Johnson, his three chiefs, and 21 instructors log hundreds of hours of instruction every month. All of the instructors rise from the bus-driving ranks. Before they can teach anyone else, they must qualify as first-line supervisors. Metro’s “first-liners” serve in four key areas: Training; Base Operations; Service Communications; and Service Quality. If a first-liner chooses to work in the training unit, they have to go to “school” themselves for six to eight weeks of instruction that includes lessons beyond the nuts-and-bolts of the Metro system. “Not only do we make sure the instructors know all of Metro’s policies and procedures, but we also teach them how to teach,” said Johnson.
Johnson said the new drivers receive lessons that go well beyond how to operate the fare box or change the destination sign on the bus. “Our instruction is not just about how to drive a bus,” he said. “Our instructors also teach operators how to interact with the public, their co-workers, and provide service that we can all be proud of.” Once qualified to carry passengers, drivers are still under the watchful eyes of the training staff. Each new hire receives a refresher course after 30 days on the job, and all bus drivers receive continuing education on a regular basis. In addition, the instructors do annual ride checks with each of the 2,700 bus drivers, and also do checks if the operator has been in an accident or been off work for an extended period of time. There is also special training for special circumstances, such as when a new route, new transit facility, or new bus type is added to Metro’s system. For example, prior to the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel reopening last September, Johnson’s staff logged more than 3,600 hours training more than 1,500 operators on how to drive through the renovated tunnel. So, every day of the week, at almost any time, the training staff is at the chalkboard or on the road teaching. This Saturday, Johnson will volunteer in Metro’s annual “roadeo” competition as a judge. He’ll be there with a stopwatch in hand, but will also have an eye out for former students. After a total of nine years in the training unit, he’s got more than a few out on the road. “I like attending the roadeo every year,” said Johnson. “You get a chance to see how our work as a training staff is paying off. It’s particularly good when you see someone you personally trained doing well out on the course.” |
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