New intercity and local transit drivers usually are placed on an ?extra? list to drive chartered runs, extra buses on regular runs and special runs, such as those during morning and evening rush hours and to sports events. New drivers also substitute for regular drivers who are ill or on vacation. New drivers remain on the extra list and may work only part-time, perhaps for several years, until they have enough seniority to get a regular run.
Senior drivers may bid for the runs that they prefer, such as those with more work hours, lighter traffic, weekends off or ? in the case of intercity bus drivers ? higher earnings or fewer workdays per week.
Opportunities for promotion are generally limited, but experienced drivers may become supervisors or dispatchers. In transit agencies with rail systems, drivers may become train operators or station attendants. Some bus drivers become either instructors of new bus drivers or master-instructors, who train new instructors. Few drivers become managers. Promotion in publicly owned bus systems is often determined by competitive civil service examination. Some motor coach drivers purchase their own equipment and open their own business.