Arriva Group
Trainee Bus Driver
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Trainee Bus Driver – Durham
Pay Rate: £12.60 – £15.30 per hour
Weekdays:
- £12.60 (first 6 months)
- £12.65 (6–18 months service)
- £15.00 per hour (after 18 months)
Weekends:
- £12.90 (first 6 months)
- £13.30 (6–18 months service)
- £15.30 per hour (after 18 months)
Bank Holiday: £40 bonus paid per shift
About the Role
Start your bus driving career with Arriva at our Durham depot, where you'll play a vital role in connecting your community. Whether supporting commuters, helping with shopping trips, or ensuring children reach school safely—your work provides essential transportation for what matters most to customers.
As a Bus Driver, you’ll build relationships with passengers, potentially becoming a highlight of their day. Did you know Bus Drivers are one of the most thanked jobs in the UK? At Arriva, we take pride in exceptional customer service and empowering drivers to serve their community—ideal for like-minded individuals!
Responsibilities
- Provide safe and reliable transportation for passengers.
- Build strong relationships with regular customers on assigned routes.
- Assist with customer requests (e.g., shopping trips, school runs).
- Drive efficiently and professionally throughout shifting hours.
- Engage with passengers with empathy and good people skills.
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Core Training & Development
Arriva offers comprehensive training to ensure success:
- Full paid training covering the PCV licence (approx. 4 weeks at Stockton depot).
- Hands-on guidance with a mentor post-training.
- Ongoing Driver CPC training to maintain certification.
Benefits
Arriva invests in its drivers with an array of benefits:
- Career progression – Opportunities in management, specialist training, or expert driver roles.
- 28 days annual leave, rising to 33 days after qualifying.
- Free-to-use staff bus connecting drivers to Durham depot early shifts/late finishes.
- Shuttle service to the City Centre bus station.
- Access to ‘Arriva Village’ for staff discounts.
- Free bus travel for you and your family (within households) or assign up to one other person.
- Enhanced Workplace Pension plus long service awards.
- Mydrive app – Monthly rewards (£50 vouchers) for top drivers.
- Competitive pay rates with progression incentives.
Hours & Shift Pattern
- Rotating shifts: 5 days working, 2 days off (pattern published 6–8 weeks in advance).
- Shift variations start:
- Mornings: as early as 05:00
- Afternoons: from 12:00
- Evenings: from 18:00
- Note: Fixed early, afternoon, or evening-only roles are not available.
- Overtime work available by request/availability.
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Requirements
- Must be over 18.
- At least 6 months’ driving experience.
- No more than 6 points on your driving licence.
- Pass a drug & alcohol test before assessment.
- Fulfil an English comprehension test.
- Strong people skills and flexibility to manage early/late shifts (sixty-fullest 04:00–23:59 depending on start time).
Company Mission & Diversity
Arriva connects over 1.6 billion passengers per year across 11 countries, with a commitment to safety, reliability, and sustainability. Our passenger transport includes buses, trains, trains, trams, waterbuses, and more, focusing on transformation through community-driven service.
We embrace inclusion and diversity, fostering a community that values everyone—both drivers and passengers alike. With epic transport networks in countries including the UK, Netherlands, and neighbouring Europe, Arriva is shaping transport for the future.
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