If you’ve got a passion for people, we’ve got the perfect job for you! Metro is currently hiring part-time employees to operate the transit buses and interact with the public during commuter hours, Monday through Friday.
You get: medical, dental, vision, paid vacation and sick leave, and start at $20.25 an hour. King County offers additional benefits and resources to its employees—for a full list, visit www.kingcounty.gov/employees.
No commercial driving experience required-we offer PAID training ($10.89/hr., 26 consecutive days) to take your Commercial Driver’s License exam!
Folks who do well in this job have a strong customer service background, love people, and have a general aversion to cubicles.
To be eligible, you must…
Be at least 21 years old at the time you apply
Hold a valid Washington driver’s license, and have the ability to obtain a CDL Learner’s Permit with Air Brake and Passenger Endorsements
Have a minimum of two years of experience providing customer service to the general public
Have an acceptable driving record at the time of offer. Any of the following violations within the last five years will automatically disqualify you from consideration:
reckless or negligent driving
DWI/DUI (driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs)
hit-and-run incident
vehicular homicide or vehicular assault
open container violation
more than one “at fault” accident within the past year
suspended license for moving violations
Have reliable transportation to work
Be able to speak and write in English
Have an acceptable work history and employment references
Check out this overview of the pre-trip inspection—a required part of the Commercial Driver’s License test, which all part-time transit operators must pass.
Working conditions
Transit operators must be able to meet the Federal Physical Qualifications for Commercial Drivers License (CDL) holders as found in the Code of Federal Regulations at 49 CFR 391.41. Medical waivers will be accepted only for insulin-dependent diabetes.
The job also includes:
Sitting for extended periods of time
Lifting or pulling up to 40 pounds
Performing repetitive body movements to operate controls
Working independently with a minimum of breaks
Operating a transit vehicle in heavy traffic and (rarely) in emergency or hazardous situations or conditions
Hours of work
Monday through Friday only, with weekends and most holidays off
Minimum guaranteed pay is two hours and 30 minutes per day
Work shifts fall during commuter rush hours. Morning assignments typically occur between 5 and 8:30 a.m.; afternoon/evening assignments typically occur between 3 and 6:30 p.m.
Assignments change every four months and are chosen by operators in order of seniority. Metro cannot guarantee that you will work the hours, routes, or base location of your choice.
Union membership
Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 587 represents this job. An initiation fee and monthly dues are required for union representation.
Successful candidates will be invited to participate in a customer service video test and a written test. The most competitive applicants will then be invited to interview for the position, with successful applicants being issued conditional offers of employment. At that time, more details about the following requirements will be provided:
Physical and drug screen
CDL Learner’s Permit with Air Brake and Passenger endorsements
Criminal conviction record evaluation
Current five-year complete driving record abstract
Training
All newly hired drivers must complete Metro’s 26-day training program, which includes classroom and coach practice instruction from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Metro does not require new hires to already have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) or prior transit driving experience. Attendance is required at every class; no make-up classes are allowed.
