Maintenance FAQ

What is a Drivers’ Abstract?

This is a document available to BC residents by request from ICBC and is free of charge for the licence holder. It provides details about your licence status and driving history for the past 5 (five) years.

Please include the Provincial (P) abstract as well as the National (N) abstract in your application.

If you have not resided in BC for the past 5 (five) years or have not held ICBC motor vehicle insurance for the past five years, please attach an unaltered copy of your insurance claims history letter from the insurance company with which you have previously held vehicle insurance.

For more information, go to: http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/getting-licensed/Pages/Your-driving-record.aspx

What is a Claims Experience Summary?

This is a document available to BC residents by request from ICBC and is free of charge for the licence holder. It provides details about your insurance claims as a driver or registered owner of a vehicle. Be sure to include all provided pages.

If you currently live, or have previously lived, in another driving jurisdiction within the past 5 (five) years, you will be required to include a letter from your insurance provider disclosing any insurance claims made related to vehicle ownership or operation.

Am I able to apply with a licence from a province other than BC for a Mechanic position?

You are able to submit an application and participate in the recruitment process with your out of province licence, however if you are successful and offered a position, you will be required to obtain a BC Class 2 Learners by your first day of employment.

Am I able to apply with a licence from a province other than BC for a Service Person position?

Do I need to have a commercial driver’s licence and #15 air brake endorsement to apply for a Mechanic position?

You will need to provide your Class 2 Learners Licence and the #15 air brake endorsement as part of your application if you are not currently a holder of a Class 2 Licence.

Both the Class 2 Learners Licence and the #15 air brake endorsement are available through ICBC. You must ask for the #15 endorsement to be placed onto your Learners Licence so that you can be evaluated on BC Transit’s air brake equipped vehicles during the recruitment process.

For more information, go to: http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/types-licences/Pages/Get-your-commercial-driver-licence.aspx

If you are offered a Mechanic position, BC Transit is licensed to train and then arrange ICBC testing for Transit Operator commercial licensing and will also provide the air brake training course and arrange for air brake testing.

Do Maintenance staff belong to a union?

Mechanics, Service Persons, Utility Persons, Tire Persons, Body Persons and Interior Bus Cleaners are represented by Unifor Local 333. Visit their website for more information: http://www.unifor333bc.ca/

What kinds of past driving violations will disqualify me from being considered?

Your driving record over the past 5 (five) years will be reviewed as part of the application process. You must demonstrate a safe driving history as assessed by BC Transit in order to qualify for any position that involves the operation of a Company vehicle.

Even if you are able to meet the minimum requirements, an excessive number of violations, prohibitions, suspensions and/or accidents in the past may exclude you from consideration.

Any 24 hour prohibition for alcohol or drugs, any recent criminal driving convictions or charges, or any administrative prohibitions may eliminate you from consideration.

What is the recruitment process for a maintenance position?

When you apply for a maintenance position, there are several steps in the recruitment process. If you meet our pre-screening requirements, and are successful at each stage of the process, you can expect the following:

In-person interview
Trainability session
Post Offer Employment Testing (POET)
Criminal Record Check (CRC)

If you are offered a position with BC Transit, your offer is conditional on satisfactory completion of both the POET and CRC.

What is a trainability session?

The trainability session is a step of the recruitment process where BC Transit’s Safety & Training team assess a candidate’s abilities in several key areas as indicators for success in operating a BC Transit bus. The Trainability drive can be divided into two parts:

Pre-Trip Explanation and Demonstration by Safety & Training Officer: The Safety & Training Officer will discuss the length, width, and wheel-base of the bus and their relationship to handling the vehicle on the road. The Safety & Training Officer will point out all the operating controls that the applicant will need to use, and demonstrate their use. The Safety & Training Officer will then drive the first portion of the standard trainability route and demonstrate the basic driving practices the applicant will be expected to follow.

Driving Demonstration by Applicant: The applicant will drive the remainder of the route as directed by the Safety & Training Officer. The length of the route and the routing itself will depend on the proficiency displayed by the applicant at the outset of the demonstration. The Safety & Training Officer will pay special attention to the applicant’s ability to follow instructions, multi task, and general attitude towards learning and other motorists.

What is Post Offer Employment Testing?

POET is physical ability testing. It is used to determine an individual’s physical abilities in relation to identified physical demands of a job. This information is used in job placement as part of the hiring process to ensure that an individual’s physical capabilities match the requirements of a particular job description.

What is a Criminal Record Check?

A Criminal Record Check is a process that verifies whether an individual has a criminal record and provides the applicant with the detailed information that can be legally disclosed.

If you have the same gender and date-of-birth as a recorded suspended sex offender, you will receive a letter from the Criminal Records Review Program informing you that your fingerprints are required. The letter will include forms and instructions on what to do. You will be required to visit your local police agency to take your fingerprints, which will then be submitted to the RCMP’s Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services to confirm whether or not they match those of a person with a record suspension for a sexual offence.

Can I apply even if I have a criminal record?

Offers of employment with BC Transit are conditional upon a satisfactory criminal record search. A criminal charge or conviction will not necessarily preclude employment with BC Transit, however, a recent criminal or motor vehicle charge or conviction which is found to be related to the intended employment may result in the loss of an employment opportunity.