Does your desire to drive a bus go back to when you were a child? 
Maybe your younger self looked up at local bus drivers with a feeling of awe, dreaming of the day you too could be responsible for driving such a magnificent vehicle? Or it’s possible that your adult self would like a career change, and you’ve warmed up to the idea of joining the transportation industry so you can help folks get around.
Don’t fret, because you’re far from the only one! Bus driving is quite a popular job, and it’s also a very rewarding one. Consider that thousands of folks take a coach or bus daily for their travel, be it quick errands to some shops, a cross-country road trip, and even travel from one country to the next. Whatever the case may be, they all need good drivers who can safely make these trips happen. So, do you want to be one of these bus drivers, or take on a similar HGV-size vehicle? Is so, just what specific training are you going to need?
Licence Requirements
As with any other HGV driving qualification, you must first get your individual Driver CPC qualification. This will prove you can drive safely in a professional capacity as well as demonstrating your understanding of how important roadway safety is. It involves a combination of practical tests, lots of basic training, theory, and even some medical exams.
The Driver CPC offers you a fundamental understanding of driving large vehicles, what safety issues are involved with them, and how you can meet HGV driving regulations. Once you finish all of this, then a top-up is all you need. As you can see, the only thing that a Driver CPC proves is your professional-level competence; it’s not something that you lets you legally or professionally drive an HGV just yet. In order to do that, you have to get a specific licence for the kind of vehicle that you would like to drive. In the case of a bus, a Cat D licence is what you’re going to need.
Things are a little more complex than just that, however, as you also need a Cat B licence, and you have to get that one first. A Cat B licence is what lets you drive vehicles with as many as 8 passenger seats and as much as 3,500kg Maximum Authorised Mass. Basically, these are cars and trailers. After that, you can get your Cat D licence, and that lets you drive any bus that has 9 passenger seats or more. You can also drive tracked vehicles, just on the off-chance you’d like to go drive a tank. The combination of these three licenses lets you now be a bus driver.
Cat D Training
Cat D as well as D1 training are both programmes particularly designed for teaching you how you can drive buses and even minibuses as a professional service. There’s plenty of places where you can undergo HGV training. Once you get your individual Driver CPC qualification, you’ll need to also take Cat D training coursework too.
When going through Cat D training, you’re going to learn:
- Rules and regulations of roadways, in particular how they relate to HGVs
- The general fixtures and maintenance of both buses and HGVs
- Customer service skills
- Everything regarding the safety of your passengers, yourself, and those you share the roadways with
- Future sightedness and risk management
- The theory, practical skills, driving skills, and training necessary for multi-seated and large vehicles
Once the training is complete, you’ll then be legally allowed to drive passenger vehicles that have 9 seats or more. You’re finally ready to be the bus driver you’ve dreamed of.
How Can I Train for My Cat D Licence?
Just come and talk to us! We offer a variety of different HGV training courses, such as Driver CPC and Cat D courses for all new drivers. With our guidance, you’ll go through a crash course in general driving of large vehicles with a particular emphasis on bus driving. On top of that, our team will assist you in getting your first bus driver job, so your new career will get the best possible launch.