maintenance

  • (VIDEO) Join TriMet’s maintenance team and make over $90,000 in year one

    (VIDEO) Join TriMet’s maintenance team and make over $90,000 in year one

    Workers receive excellent benefits, union representation and opportunities for advancement

    Image of a TriMet maintenance worker operating machinery at the Ruby Junction Rail Operations Facility.

    Are you a mechanic or vehicle technician looking for a new job?

    Come join the team that keeps our region moving! TriMet is hiring bus mechanics, light rail vehicle technicians and other important positions that are eligible for a $7,500 hiring bonus!

    Buses, trains and streetcars get thousands of people in the Portland metro area where they need to go, every day. These big vehicles are a big responsibility, though. TriMet’s maintenance team keeps them rolling along — tuning up the diesel engines and electric motors that drive our bus fleet, tending to the power supply for our zero-emissions MAX trains, and much more.

    What TriMet offers

    New mechanics, technicians and maintainers start at $43.83 an hour. Working full time, a maintenance worker at TriMet can make over $90,000 in their first year on the job.

    These positions are represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757. Under a new labor agreement between TriMet and the union, workers get a pay increase each year — as well as a 9% employer contribution to their 401(a) retirement plan, which will increase to 10% in 2028. The contract includes a 13.64% increase over four years.

    Union employees are also entitled to important benefits, which include:

    • Affordable, flexible health care coverage options, including dental and vision care plans.
    • A tuition reimbursement of up to $5,250 annually, supporting employees as they work toward a degree or certificate.
    • A child care subsidy of up to $150 monthly, helping employees to support their families.

    We support our employees who are looking for opportunities to progress in their careers! TriMet hires supervisors from within. Additionally, leadership and learning courses are available to all TriMet employees, at no cost to them.

    Speaking from experience

    Joe Ruffin has worked at TriMet’s Ruby Junction Rail Operations Facility in Gresham for nearly 30 years. He’s now seen six generations of MAX vehicles come through his maintenance shop.

    “I never thought I’d be here this long,” Joe laughs.

    But, he adds, “I love it. From the start, I fell in love with it.”

    Joe is one of many hardworking light rail vehicle technicians at Ruby Junction and the Elmonica Rail Operations Facility in Beaverton. TriMet’s approximately 150 light rail vehicles call these two facilities home.

    It takes a lot of work to keep our MAX trains in good working condition. In a typical month, our train cars log about 700,000 miles in total, crisscrossing the region on 60 miles of trackway. That’s enough to wrap around the Earth 28 times!

    But while our maintenance team works with machinery, their priority is people.

    “We’re doing a public service, and we’re doing a good thing for the public. And that’s what I always tell everyone: Look at all the people we’re helping,” Joe explains. “We want to make sure they have a nice, safe, comfortable ride.”

    Joe is active in the union, too. He’s passionate about the pay and benefits that he and other employees earn at TriMet.

    “It’s a good place to work. It’s a good place to build a career,” Joe says. “We’ve got a really good Working and Wage Agreement and working relationship with management.”

    Apply today!

    TriMet is hiring! Check out our current job openings at trimet.org/careers.

    Details about each open position are available, including the job description and requirements, an explanation of the pay and benefits, and information on how to apply and what to expect during the hiring process.

    Our website also lists which positions are eligible for a $7,500 hiring bonus. That includes new bus mechanics, light rail vehicle technicians, transit operators and more!

    You can apply online! Find the details on what you need to apply on our website.

  • TriMet now offers $7,500 hiring bonus for mechanics and other select maintenance positions

    Increased bonus for many union maintenance positions and training opportunities aims to bolster TriMet’s ability to provide reliable transit service

    At TriMet, we are dedicated to providing safe and reliable transit service. The backbone to that is our amazing Maintenance team. To increase its ranks, we are increasing our hiring bonus for select maintenance positions to $7,500, up from $2,500. Eligible maintenance jobs include mechanic, technician and maintainer positions, along with apprentices and trainees for those positions. 

    The increased hiring bonus comes as pay increases go into effect for all TriMet union positions Dec. 1, 2024, as part of our new Working and Wage Agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 757. In addition to medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance plans at low or no monthly cost, the new four-year contract brings new benefits and opportunities:

    • Increased employer contribution to union employees’ 401(a) retirement plans.
    • Tuition reimbursement of up to $5,250
    • Child care subsidy of up to $150 per month

    TriMet also supports employees by offering pathways for career advancement. In-person and virtual learning classes are offered throughout the year, free of charge, to all employees. Mentoring opportunities are available for many employees. Certain jobs, like transportation supervisor, are 100% filled through internal promotions.

    Building our workforce to keep region moving

    Earning a $7,500 bonus is a fantastic way to start a career at TriMet. We continue to offer it to both bus and MAX operators. As we bring more operators on board, we must increase our staffing at maintenance positions that support bus, MAX, WES and Portland Streetcar operations too.

    TriMet is committed to providing a transit system that meets the needs of our regions, both now and in the future. That’s why we are investing in a skilled workforce that supports bus and rail service throughout our service area. We plan to add more service in the coming months and years, even after extending the MAX Red Line and creating new bus lines in August — one of the biggest service expansions in TriMet’s history.

    Join the top-rated Oregon-based employer!

    Forbes Magazine recently ranked TriMet as the No. 1 Oregon-based employer in the state, as well as Oregon’s best “Transportation and Logistics” employer. That ranking is based on a survey of employees in each state.

    With well over 3,500 employees, TriMet isn’t just one of Oregon’s best-rated employers — we’re one of Oregon’s largest employers, too.

    TriMet provides transit service throughout a 533-square-mile area, which includes parts of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties. That service includes bus lines, five MAX light rail lines, the WES commuter rail line and LIFT paratransit service. We also provide employees and training for the Portland Streetcar, which is owned by the City of Portland and operated separately from TriMet.

    Buses and trains don’t run by themselves! We count on our more than 2,800 union workers not only to operate our vehicles, but also to maintain them and keep our system ship-shape.

    From bus mechanics to rail technicians and beyond, many of the jobs that keep TriMet and our community moving now offer a $7,500 hiring bonus. You can see a full list of open positions at trimet.org/careers.

  • Now hiring! TriMet welcomes applicants for maintenance, operator jobs

    Jobseekers can learn more about opportunities — and maybe even land an offer — at our Feb. 29 hiring event at DoubleTree Lloyd Center

    What’s it like to work for TriMet?

    Come find out at our next big hiring event Thursday, Feb. 29, at DoubleTree by Hilton in Northeast Portland.

    TriMet is hiring for a whole range of positions, including maintenance service workers, mechanics, technicians and bus operators. New hires for some of these positions are eligible for a hiring bonus!

    If you’re thinking about a career with TriMet, this is your chance to learn about the opportunities we offer and apply for a job! We may even extend conditional job offers at this hiring event to certain applicants.

    TriMet is offering $2,500 hiring bonuses for many maintenance positions and $7,500 hiring bonuses for bus operators.

    What to expect

    The hiring event is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It includes hour-long information sessions:

    • 11:15 a.m.: Maintenance Service Worker Job Presentation
    • 12:15 p.m.: Q&A with TriMet Panel
    • 1:15 p.m.: Bus Driver Job Presentation

    If you’re interested in learning more about the available positions, you can hear from current TriMet employees about their experience, as well as ask questions of your own.

    You might even leave this hiring event with a conditional job offer! We’ll be interviewing applicants for diesel mechanic and maintenance service positions at the event. If we identify one or more of our maintenance service workers of the future, we could make an offer on the spot!

    Be savvy

    If you want to apply for a position, you can save some time at the hiring event by filling out an application online before you go. Just visit trimet.org/careers.

    You’re welcome to stay for the whole event or just show up for a session that interests you. Drop-ins welcome!

    Applicants should plan on bringing a valid driver’s license. A resume is not required.

    There’s no formal dress code for this hiring event. You’re welcome to wear casual attire or work clothes.

    Getting there

    The DoubleTree by Hilton is located in the Lloyd Center neighborhood in Northeast Portland, at 1000 NE Multnomah St. in Portland. It is accessible via transit.

    Currently, the venue is served by MAX Blue Line trains and shuttle buses, as well as by Portland Streetcar’s A and B Loops, as well as TriMet bus lines 8, 70 and 77. Plan your trip at trimet.org.

    For jobseekers driving to the event, free parking will be available on-site.

    About TriMet

    TriMet is the Portland metro area’s transit agency. We operate more than 75 bus lines; MAX light rail service between Portland and major suburbs like Beaverton, Clackamas, Gresham, Hillsboro and Milwaukie; and WES commuter rail and LIFT paratransit service as well.

    We’ve been around since 1969. TriMet is a municipal corporation of the State of Oregon, and our more than 3,000 workers are public employees.

    TriMet offers great benefits for employees, job stability and a welcoming, supportive work environment. Some of our operators have been driving for TriMet for more than 30 years! TriMet has generous retirement options, affordable medical, dental and vision plans, and other amenities for employees.

    Check out trimet.org/careers to learn more, or drop by and meet us at the Feb. 29 hiring event.