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  • (VIDEO) TriMet’s 2024 Rail Operator of the Year: ‘You should apply here!’

    Shana Peck says it ‘makes my day to make people happy,’ getting riders to their destination on MAX

    TriMet Rail Operator of the Year Shana Peck.

    ***UPDATE (June 2025): Hiring bonuses for new operators have now closed.***

    TriMet is hiring bus and MAX operators!

    These positions come with a $7,500 hiring bonus! TriMet is also giving operators a raise and expanding benefits under our new Working and Wage Agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 757. The union represents most of our employees, including all operators. Under the new contract, the hourly wage for operators starts at $29.35 and increases to $42.75 within three years.

    Learn more about being a TriMet bus operator at trimet.org/driveforus. Those interested in operating MAX should check out trimet.org/maxoperator. Applications are being accepted now at trimet.org/careers.

    TriMet recently honored outstanding employees with our Employee Choice Awards. Our 2024 Rail Operator of the Year, Shana Peck, was excited to be recognized even though she’s only been with TriMet for a little over two years.

    For Shana, joining TriMet was a great way to advance her career and serve her community. She says others should consider making the same leap.

    Beginning a ‘real career’ with TriMet

    Shana Peck officially joined TriMet in 2022. She had been working closely with the organization for nearly a decade, including six years as a supervisor for LIFT, TriMet’s paratransit service. LIFT operators and supervisors are contractors, but TriMet oversees operations.

    “I just decided TriMet’s where I wanted to begin my real career,” Shana says.

    Her dream was to run MAX trains. At the time Shana joined TriMet, only employees who had driven a TriMet bus were eligible to apply for MAX operator jobs. With her previous experience driving for LIFT, Shana took the wheel for TriMet before soon moving to MAX.

    This year, TriMet has a new policy. We’re now accepting MAX operator applicants from outside TriMet. Applicants should have at least one year of experience in the transportation industry, one year of customer service experience and three years of driving experience. Find details at trimet.org/maxoperator.

    “I think it’s fun operating the trains,” Shana says. “And I’m excited to see where I grow in my career here.”

    Opportunities and possibilities

    TriMet invests in our employees, helping them succeed, excel and thrive.

    “There’s lots of room for growth,” Shana says, speaking from personal experience.

    TriMet offers learning and development courses for employees, as well as financial support for employees who enroll in higher and continuing education courses outside of TriMet. The new Working and Wage Agreement increases that support, also offering a child care subsidy and more expanded benefits.

    “You should apply here!” Shana says. Joining TriMet is a “great opportunity,” she adds, with family-wage jobs and excellent benefits. Having moved from bus to MAX, it makes Shana feel good to know TriMet supports employees in reaching their goals. TriMet often promotes from within the organization, so employees with leadership skills can further advance in their careers.

    Applying with TriMet

    TriMet has big plans to expand and improve service throughout our 533-square-mile service district, which covers parts of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties. In August, we rolled out one of the biggest service updates in our 55-year history. We want to build on that momentum!

    Right now, though, we need more operators to provide the level of service we envision. That includes more Frequent Service bus lines, better connections between neighborhoods and job centers, and extended service to growing communities in places like Beaverton, Happy Valley and Hillsboro.

    Visit trimet.org/careers to browse available jobs and apply online. We now offer a $7,500 hiring bonus for new mechanics, technicians and maintainers, as well as operators! We’re also hiring for many other positions.

    TriMet was recently ranked by Forbes Magazine as the top Oregon-based employer in the state, as well as Oregon’s top “Transportation and Logistics” employer. Forbes’ ranking is based on a survey of employees in each state.

  • Considering a career with TriMet? Learn more, apply, even interview at hiring event

    Join our team! We’re looking for operators, maintenance workers, mechanics and more — and offering big hiring bonuses for some jobs

    Join the TriMet team and jump start a career with opportunities for advancement.

    ***UPDATE (June 2025): Hiring bonuses for new operators have now closed.***

    Competitive pay. Great benefits. Opportunities for advancement.

    That’s what’s waiting for you when you join Oregon’s largest transportation service provider — TriMet.

    We’re eager to continue improving and expanding our service, and that depends on bringing more operators, mechanics and support staff on board. Find out what it’s like to work for TriMet, ask questions, apply for open positions and maybe even interview on the spot on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at our hiring event. See if you have what it takes to join our team of nearly 3,500 employees and counting!

    What’s on offer?

    Whether you’ve pictured yourself behind the controls of a MAX train, at the wheel of a bus or tuning up a diesel engine, TriMet’s big hiring event is for you! We also have entry level jobs too, including service worker positions starting at $22.62/an hour.

    We invite anyone interested in a job with TriMet to join us for this hiring event. It runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 1000 NE Multnomah St. in Portland. This venue in the Lloyd District is accessible by the MAX Blue, Green and Red lines, TriMet bus lines 8, 70 and 77, and Portland Streetcar’s A and B loops. Plan your trip at trimet.org!

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

    Check out our complete list of open positions at trimet.org/careers. Job descriptions are available, including salary ranges, minimum qualifications and areas of responsibility.

    We’re hiring transit operators, maintenance service workers, mechanics and technicians, among other positions. These serve vital functions at TriMet, allowing us to provide and add service throughout our tri-county service area.

    New hires at certain positions are eligible for hiring bonuses, including a $7,500 bonus for new bus and MAX operators, and a $2,500 for select maintenance positions!

    TriMet approved a new Working and Wage Agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 757 last month. Under this new contract, the hourly wage for operators starts at $29.35 and increases to $42.75 within three years!

    About TriMet

    TriMet provides transit service throughout much of the Portland metro area. We operate bus, MAX light rail, WES commuter rail and LIFT paratransit service across parts of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties.

    Established in 1969, TriMet is a municipal corporation of the State of Oregon. Our nearly 3,500 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 us for more than 30 years! TriMet provides affordable medical, dental and vision plans, and other amenities for employees. Coming in the years ahead are new perks for union employees, including $150 monthly childcare subsidy, $5,200 in annual tuition reimbursement and an increase to 10% for the employer contribution to each union employee’s 401(a) retirement plan.

    Check out trimet.org/careers to learn more, or drop by and meet us at the hiring event on Oct. 9.