transiteer23 Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Hi, Recently I was asked to come down to CTA HQ for some testing for PTBO. I was wondering what to expect after the skill testing? What's the process? Thnx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transiteer23 Posted February 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Also what does it mean to be part time temporary according to CTA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethebusman Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Also what does it mean to be part time temporary according to CTA?I have not heard of the term "part time temporary" since the summer drivers 20 years ago. Part timers are considered "permanent".Under current procedures, you will not work more than 30 hours per week. This often means you work only 4 days in a week if you end up with a couple of full runs. But mostly you get swings, am and pm rush, maybe 5 hours total but spread over 10 or so. Clerk can assign anything they want to you as there are no rules for assigning work to part timers like there are for full timers, where it has to be basically in time order. Only stipulation is 8 hours from quit to report. Also, you can be transferred to another garage at any time with basically no warning. Today you are at 103rd, Monday show up at North Park (happened to me).However, pay is exactly the same as if you were full time. I don't know for sure what starting rate is now, but every 2040 hours worked, regardless of how long that takes, you get a step increase and after five, you are at top rate, which is now $32.25. In almost four years as PT, I made it thru three step increases, when I was made full time, I made the other two in less than two years. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transiteer23 Posted February 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Some of the questions I have are still about the hiring process. But now I'd like to know what the term swing means and the phrase 8 hours for quit to report.The ladder sounds like a endurance test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.cta85 Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 I have not heard of the term "part time temporary" since the summer drivers 20 years ago. Part timers are considered "permanent". Under current procedures, you will not work more than 30 hours per week. This often means you work only 4 days in a week if you end up with a couple of full runs. But mostly you get swings, am and pm rush, maybe 5 hours total but spread over 10 or so. Clerk can assign anything they want to you as there are no rules for assigning work to part timers like there are for full timers, where it has to be basically in time order. Only stipulation is 8 hours from quit to report. Also, you can be transferred to another garage at any time with basically no warning. Today you are at 103rd, Monday show up at North Park (happened to me). However, pay is exactly the same as if you were full time. I don't know for sure what starting rate is now, but every 2040 hours worked, regardless of how long that takes, you get a step increase and after five, you are at top rate, which is now $32.25. In almost four years as PT, I made it thru three step increases, when I was made full time, I made the other two in less than two years. it's 2080 now. And they can't send you to any garage at any time now unless one is short of part timers. But that rarely happens unless it's the system pick which is every 2yrs. The starting rate for part timers now is 15-16 a hr between that range. Im full time now but I was part time for 2yrs before I turned over. But I came in under the old contract which started out at 19.27 a hour the new one starts them 15-16 a hr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.cta85 Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Some of the questions I have are still about the hiring process. But now I'd like to know what the term swing means and the phrase 8 hours for quit to report.The ladder sounds like a endurance test. this is how it goes, 1st you have to take a test at the headquarters which is a video you have to watch then you answer the questions later. Now you have to pass that test 1st to go to the next step. After you Pass then you fill out paper work, then you come back to the headquarters to pick your garage,interview,get your badge #, physical and drug test and etc. Thats called orientation believe it or not lol, once that's over they send you over to Chicago garage which is the training center where you're in a classroom for that week. They'll teach you about the fare system, the buses and etc you'll see when you get there you're there for a week or 2 I forget how long is been a min since I was there. On the last day of class training you have to take another test. After that's over then the next week you go to your assigned garage Where the instructors will show you about the bus and they'll take you out and go over all the routes now this is all in a weeks span. Thefollowing week your in line instruction which means you go with an actual operator on his or her route but you're in the drivers seat. They show you the route and monitor how you're doing,after about a week of that then your on your own and a official cta operator lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Some of the questions I have are still about the hiring process. But now I'd like to know what the term swing means and the phrase 8 hours for quit to report.The ladder sounds like a endurance test. Andre was referring to the scheduling process, which appears to be that the bottom of seniority gets what's left, as opposed to full time with more seniority who get to pick what they want and more than 30 hours/week, but there has to be a certain amount of rest time. There is also the extra board, for drivers to fill in when another is absent, but Claypool has been trying to cut back on that, like by firing the absentees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Some of the questions I have are still about the hiring process. But now I'd like to know what the term swing means and the phrase 8 hours for quit to report.The ladder sounds like a endurance test. Federal law says you must be off duty from a full shift (8 or more hours) 8 hours before you can work again. For example, if your shift ends at 9 p,m,, you can't be legally scheduled back to work before 5 a.m. the next day. Swing or split shifts are when you do a few hours of work with a few hours off and then a few more hours of work. Generally that means you are working a,m, and p.m rush hour runs and/or school trippers only with a midday break ((non paid). After the second shift though, you are still required to have 8 consecutive hours off duty before starting work again. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transiteer23 Posted February 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Another question is I looked on my MVR and I got two violations. 1 from '11 improper lane usage and another from '12 speeding of 15 mph. Will those hinder me from getting hired? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 this is how it goes, 1st you have to take a test at the headquarters which is a video you have to watch then you answer the questions later. Now you have to pass that test 1st to go to the next step. After you Pass then you fill out paper work, then you come back to the headquarters to pick your garage,interview,get your badge #, physical and drug test and etc. Thats called orientation believe it or not lol, once that's over they send you over to Chicago garage which is the training center where you're in a classroom for that week. They'll teach you about the fare system, the buses and etc you'll see when you get there you're there for a week or 2 I forget how long is been a min since I was there. On the last day of class training you have to take another test. After that's over then the next week you go to your assigned garage Where the instructors will show you about the bus and they'll take you out and go over all the routes now this is all in a weeks span. Thefollowing week your in line instruction which means you go with an actual operator on his or her route but you're in the drivers seat. They show you the route and monitor how you're doing,after about a week of that then your on your own and a official cta operator lol. I still remember my training when I started at CTA back in 1997. Paperwork and other things were at the time handled at CTAs previous headquarters in the Merchandise Mart. I will never forget my very first time after driver familiarization, taking the bus out onto Pulaski Rd. for the first time. We were in a Flx Metro #5485! I still remember the bus number! LOL! I also remember having a couple of issues during my CTA training. Our classroom training was fun. We had an awesome instructor. He was very patient and helpful with us. But be prepared, there are instructors who can make your day a living hell! We had another one who constantly yelled at us like we were little kids for the smallest issues! He lacked people skills and really made us feel uncomfortable behind the wheel. You will also remember the guys and gals who were there in training alongside you. My first day out with a line instructor. He was a total jerk with me! I had the #12 Roosevelt on a saturday. Another time I was driving #52 Kedzie Calif. I was driving the #6000 Flxs which were still brand new then, Heading SB on Kedzie at the Stevenson Expy, my bus died out. Turned out the bus ran out of fuel at the top of the bridge over the sanitary canal. I had to coast it down to the bottom! LOL! My very first assignment on my own. I was assigned to Kedzie Garage. A morning AM tripper on the #156 LaSalle/#125 Water Tower My bus which I recall was a MAN Americana broke down on me. On my first day solo! LOL! But all in all I had fun and enjoyed the training period when I was at Chicago Ave. Take it seriously! Study hard, they throw a lot of info at you in a short period of time! You get homework too!!! LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Another question is I looked on my MVR and I got two violations. 1 from '11 improper lane usage and another from '12 speeding of 15 mph. Will those hinder me from getting hired? That depends on CTA. Ideally you would have no moving violations within the last three years. The speeding one may or may not be a problem.I think it won't hurt you, but I don't work for CTA so I can't say for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.cta85 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 I still remember my training when I started at CTA. Paperwork and other things were at the time handled at CTAs previous headquarters in the Merchandise Mart. I will never forget my very first time taking that bus out onto Pulaski Rd. We were in a Flx Metro #5485! I still remember the bus number! LOL! I also remember having a couple of issues during my CTA training. Our classroom training was fun. We had an awesome instructor. He was very patient and helpful with us. But be prepared, there are instructors who can make your day a living hell! We had another one who constantly yelled at us like we were little kids for the smallest issues! He lacked people skills and really made us feel uncomfortable behind the wheel. You will also remember the guys and gals who were there in training alongside you. My first day out with a line instructor. He was a total jerk with me! I had the #12 Roosevelt on a saturday. Another time I was driving #52 Kedzie Calif. I was driving the #6000 Flxs which were still brand new then, Heading SB on Kedzie at the Stevenson Expy, my bus died out. Turned out the bus ran out of fuel at the top of the bridge over the sanitary canal. I had to coast it down to the bottom! LOL! My very first assignment on my own. I was assigned to Kedzie Garage. A morning AM tripper on the #156 LaSalle/#125 Water Tower My bus which I recall was a MAN Americana broke down on me. On my first day solo! LOL! But all in all I had fun and enjoyed the training period when I was at Chicago Ave. Take it seriously! Study hard, they throw a lot of info at you in a short period of time! You get homework too!!! LOL! Lol that's true he will have homework to do lol. The 1st cta bus I drove was NF #1285 out of 77th garage, every time I see that bus I always smile cause you never forget the 1st bus you drive. I only wish I could've had the chance to drive a 6000 series flixible bus. I came in 2yrs after their retirement lol. I love the way those buses lean when they turn aka the flixible lean. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Lol that's true he will have homework to do lol. The 1st cta bus I drove was NF #1285 out of 77th garage, every time I see that bus I always smile cause you never forget the 1st bus you drive. I only wish I could've had the chance to drive a 6000 series flixible bus. I came in 2yrs after their retirement lol. I love the way those buses lean when they turn aka the flixible lean. Just finished driving our Flx #6163 down to Chicago Ave. for storage. Its parked with the Chicago Police Flixble bus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimball401 Posted February 14, 2015 Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 Well quick question as a former railcar cleaner (hired by CTA ) what are the chances of a transfer to the bus division and I'm only part time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiio Posted December 26, 2017 Report Share Posted December 26, 2017 Hello! I have prehire tomorrow, I have everything except my clp permit, due to me losing my license, renewing it and waiting for it to process I could not take my clp test in time. Will I get turned away at pre hire? Any help is appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pace831 Posted December 26, 2017 Report Share Posted December 26, 2017 6 hours ago, chiio said: Hello! I have prehire tomorrow, I have everything except my clp permit, due to me losing my license, renewing it and waiting for it to process I could not take my clp test in time. Will I get turned away at pre hire? Any help is appreciated! The best thing to do is call them to ask and keep them informed of your situation. What is "pre hire"? It sounds like an orientation session where applicants are screened while getting some basic training. If that is the case, they may be able to delay your start date. Although I don't know the inner workings of CTA, I would bet you need the CLP to start. Also, can you clarify what you mean by "losing your license"? Did you just get it reinstated after having it suspended or revoked, or do you mean you once had a CDL and you are now retaking the test to get it back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiio Posted December 26, 2017 Report Share Posted December 26, 2017 Hello again:) Prehire is before orientation. Its to fill out tax docs and other forms. I lost my license physically. And orientation is on a different day not yet specified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pace831 Posted December 27, 2017 Report Share Posted December 27, 2017 2 hours ago, chiio said: Hello again:) Prehire is before orientation. Its to fill out tax docs and other forms. I lost my license physically. And orientation is on a different day not yet specified. You'll probably be OK as long as you can get the CLP before they want you to actually drive a bus. They recommend allowing 2 weeks for the license to be mailed to you. I had almost the same problem as you, not being able to take the CLP test until the physical copy of my license arrived in the mail. I was at the DMV on Friday, got the license the second Monday after that, and took the test the following (Tuesday). Just be sure to keep CTA informed of your status and they can probably accommodate you. This seems to be a fairly common problem now when hiring drivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiio Posted December 27, 2017 Report Share Posted December 27, 2017 5 minutes ago, Pace831 said: You'll probably be OK as long as you can get the CLP before they want you to actually drive a bus. They recommend allowing 2 weeks for the license to be mailed to you. I had almost the same problem as you, not being able to take the CLP test until the physical copy of my license arrived in the mail. I was at the DMV on Friday, got the license the second Monday after that, and took the test the following (Tuesday). Just be sure to keep CTA informed of your status and they can probably accommodate you. This seems to be a fairly common problem now when hiring drivers. Ok! Thank you so much for the bit of hope you gave me pace831 ! I will definetely keep them posted, I have to go in tomorrow and hopefully they wont turn me away! Thank you once again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pace831 Posted December 27, 2017 Report Share Posted December 27, 2017 19 minutes ago, chiio said: Ok! Thank you so much for the bit of hope you gave me pace831 ! I will definetely keep them posted, I have to go in tomorrow and hopefully they wont turn me away! Thank you once again! Good luck! Let us know how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiio Posted December 27, 2017 Report Share Posted December 27, 2017 Thank you. I definetely will! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiio Posted January 18, 2018 Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 sorry for late response. I was able to turn in my proof of cpl, im set to start! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pace831 Posted January 18, 2018 Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 2 hours ago, chiio said: sorry for late response. I was able to turn in my proof of cpl, im set to start! Thanks for the update, that's great to hear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtmartin2 Posted February 21, 2018 Report Share Posted February 21, 2018 I applied for the PT Operator position and have to take the 1st test. Anything documents I should bring along ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiio Posted February 22, 2018 Report Share Posted February 22, 2018 1 hour ago, jtmartin2 said: I applied for the PT Operator position and have to take the 1st test. Anything documents I should bring along ? Hi! Just your Driver Abstract from the secretary of state and your license and state ID I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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