bus driver

mechanic helper

mechanic

program administrator

intern

PACE BUS

the operator's position would vary in quality from each garage.  I worked out of the des plaines garage and never had one problem.  there is a culture though of you and them meaning the operators generally tend to stay together and the management which includes dispatchers are on the other side.  the money is great for a labor type job and I did meet and still miss some really good people on the operator side.  the job security is there and the people that get booted don't follow company policy of which there are many.  as far as training and taking you from a car license to a bus endorsement the training prior to and at your garage is very high level.  I did this for two years as I had an in and out time frame for the position.  would I go back?  no in that the stress will come from many sources you won't see while training or getting your cdl.

Driving and dealing with customers are fairly ok. Its the management, its like being a new comer you’re being hazed. Then there is 150 day (only working days) probation which mean any little thing you do they will fire you at the drop of a dime. Then they make you pay Union dues,  which anything happens the union can’t do anything to help you. So you paying Union dues for no reason. Not to mention there is no clock in and out, they write your time with a pencil in a notebook. They promise you 40+ hours but being new you only get a 35 hour pick. And you have to work on your off days to get 40+. Then they tell you all these good things to join them, but a lot it are lies. Management is horrible!  Most enjoyable thing about working there is driving the bus picking up customers.

When you start as a driver you will be on the extra board, meaning you fill in for other drivers with days off. At Fox Valley division, at least, you may be doing this for years. You don't know what weekly day off you have until the Saturday before. You don't know what your next day's start time is until 1pm. You will be expected to frequently work from 5am until 11pm. You have no say in this. Your first 4-5 years the only time you can take vacation is January - February. You will never be able to schedule a single appointment for anything. You do not know what you will be doing from hour to hour. Management will try and fire you over every infraction, the union will likely keep them from doing so.

I started as a mechanic and was promoted quickly into management. I was in management for almost 30 years. As a minority, and without “knowing anyone,” I was able to have a very successful career. If you follow the rules, work hard and want to succeed, the opportunity is there. If you are lazy, miss days, and are constantly late, pass on Pace. I am now retired from Pace, I have great retirement benefits and thank Pace for every day for everything I have. 

No growth with this company. No opportunity to advance. If you come in as a servicer you will die a servicer unless you apply to be a driver. You can apply for driver if you dare but you will be put on a waiting list. No opportunities to grow with this company don’t get let your age catch you at this place. Get to old there won’t no other company want you. So while you’re working there keep applying elsewhere cause you won’t advance here. (Beware) And the union is terrible I swear I don’t have enough space to describe those guys. (A gang of dummies)

If you are not rolling or kissing butt with upper management, you can forget it.  Not going to lose my integrity over it.  Not worth it.  No clear instructions  on how to handle things.  They have let a lot of good workers go.  Upper management is all over the place.  You represent yourself incorrectly when you train a person, only to turn it around when the drive officially get out in the work field.  NO support at all if you get into an accident.  And you wonder why moral is low and the turn around is high.

Don't waste your time. Hours are terrible if you're partime. Money is terrible average pay 315.00 a week. Work a few hours in AM Rush and then you are off work and return in late Afternoon Rush. You are at work 12-15 hours a day and only get paid for 8. You start part time with no benefits and may be part time for almost 2 years. You are scheduled for 30 hours but not guaranteed because they will take your schedule and give it to full-time employees. High TURNOVER!!! people are FIRED 75% of the time the other 25% QUIT!!!

PACE Paratransit does not care about their employees. Despite your job title or responsibility, their main issue is having you cover the busy front desk and telephone. They actually fired a girl who got sick and couldn't handle the busy phone because she had no voice. They have a high turnover rate because of this, when all they can do is just hire a second receptionist. Pretty simple, right?

What is the best part of working at the company?
Pace don’t care about employees. Stay away!  looks good, but you won’t have a certainty of having a secure job ever,  You’re disposable always. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Terrible management, they always make the impossible to keep you unhappy. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
They don’t want you to have a social life with coworkers more than say hi in the garage. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
The job is easy to be honest.

Like working at pace, but I and many many others believe of the waste of tax payers dollars to train someone and send them out and as soon as they make 1 or 2 mistakes their being fired. Pace has a big revolving door policy, as soon as some go in some are going out as well., that's why I'm convinced that they really don't give you a chance to learn the job real good before you get the X, It's a waste of tax payers dollars, and their not fair.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Bus driver 10 salaries reported	$22.47 per hour
Mechanic helper 6 salaries reported	$28.12 per hour
Mechanic 7 salaries reported	$32.89 per hour
Program administrator 1 salary reported	$82,500 per year
Intern 3 salaries reported	$23.33 per hour

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