mechanical technician

cleaner

bus driver

truck driver

maintenance mechanic

SAN-Diego-Metropolitan-Transit-System

Prior to employment with San Diego Transit, I worked for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Authority from 1997 to 2000.

We begin in the morning by calling for our bus.  We then clear the coach (inspections) for pull-out.  After dead-heading to the terminal, the "run" begins.  Usually there is a break at each end, before you turn the bus around to work the other end of the schedule.

After the run is completed, you dead-head back to the division and again inspect the bus for lost and found objects, or any other problems/damages.

The hardest part of this job is dealing with traffic, making sure all safety issues have been addressed.

The most enjoyable part of the job is (usually) working with and meeting the customers.

Responsive management is always an asset, especially in this job.

Operators are a very social group, often with picnics, parties and company get-togethers.




Great opportunity for anyone looking for an apprenticeship program but be prepared to work very hard. First couple of years wasn’t easy pulling night shift and going to college, which SDMTS pays for (4 years). A few apprentices washed out because of the hours (esp if you’re juggling family life), the Electromechanic courses at SDCC, or both. If you are capable of surviving this apprenticeship, salary increases (every 6 months) and the hours get much better; there’s also overtime which pays 1.5x.

Typical workday is solving electromechanical problems, going to school, being deployed for field work to deal with breakdowns or mechanical issues. I was never bored, learned something new every shift and enjoyed the company of my coworkers and supervisors. 

SDMTS apprenticeship was a great experience but not for the weak of heart, 

Overall, I enjoyed working at MTS. It was very professional and organized there. I enjoyed most of the routes and my coworkers. The training was great, very punctual, yet quite intense at the same time. The pay was great, but it takes forever to get to top pay. When I worked there, they were super strict about minor things such as curbing your tires at layover locations and yellow lights. You also would get complaints from customers about really trivial things. Some of the road supervisors acted like they literally were the police. Management was okay, but there were some people you didn't want to approach. If you made serious complaints about this company that they didn't like, they will find a way to get rid of you. 

You wot get weekends of for a long time. You be extra board for a while before getting a route. Health insurance you have to paid for your family and you have union dues on top of that.

 You are responsible if something happen on that bus you will be cuss at by passengers everyone rides for free even though you can get into trouble by management. When you call radio they will not have your back .you will have passenger vomited go to the bathroom etc.  you will work up too 12 hours you have to work overtime to make the money that is taking out in union dues and health. 
 You have the homeless the stick so bad that you have to let them ride .

My job starts at 0345 hours every morning Monday Tuesday Friday Saturday and Sunday. It is a extremely busy industry no down time only when your off. Everyone works on one day off. All days are 12 hour platforms. Extremely busy at all times with passenger interaction from 150 people to approx. 350 a day if not more. The most enjoyable part of my day is dealing with public. In my three years of being employed here I have received 6 Customer Compliments. What I have learned from this job is that I have learned to deal with  all different types of people and their day to day needs and personalities.I have also been taught how to drive 41 foot and 61 foot artic buses.

This company is a great organization to build a career, comes with amazing benefits and decent pay. Unfortunately, management there wasn't as good as it was projected to be.
 My jobs duties varies depending on what management wanted me to do for the day, whether it was cleaning parts in the shop, dispatching, or taking buses to different locations. The most enjoyable part of the job was that i met a few co workers that showed me the ropes and how to remain successful within the company. Working at San Diego Transit taught me how to become more professional and enhanced my business minded mentally.

This job is not for everyone. Must be very thick skinned and able to deal with all kinds of people from all walks of life. You will encounter everything between homeless to CEO, you could have the opportunity to save someone's life who is overdosing on narcotics or simply helping somebody find their lost property that was left on a trolley or bus. Must have excellent communication skills and enjoy working with the public. I would say that of the hundreds of people you will encounter in a day only about 1 to 2% are difficult. Can be a very good career or a stepping stone to further law enforcement. Great benefits. 

It was a constant battle being a new employee at this place, most of the people working there had been doing so for many years, so most of the time you were feeling more unwelcome than welcome. It was a struggle because most of the time people were already divided in groups and apparently had made up their mind about the 'newcomer' before you even had the chance to branch out, so most of the time work was not something you looked forward to in your everyday life, and although the job was not that complicated everything around it made it so.

Too much to type. So plain and simple the pay is good starting out and it'll take a good 3 to 5 years before you can get in the seniority to get a straight run or off semi early before 5pm if you work early mornings. The offer split runs were your off 4 hours during the day to go do what you want as long as your back before your second half of work. Do not be 1 second late clocking in or it's a point but sometimes you'll get off with a warning depending the manager at the time of shift.

The company leadership is determined to contract out all operations eventually. This means that bus drivers and mechanics will have no bargaining unit when dealing with foreign transportation companies that will inevitably take over all day to day work. If you truly don't believe in public transportation and love playing golf with your vendor buddies, this is the place for you.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Mechanical technician 2 salaries reported	$35.90 per hour
Cleaner 3 salaries reported	$22.73 per hour
Bus driver 1 salary reported	$31.88 per hour
Truck driver 1 salary reported	$35.10 per hour
Maintenance mechanic 6 salaries reported	$21.42 per hour

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