Nick Weiss, a student at Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, recently completed his first internship in the bus industry with Northeast Charter & Tour Company in Lewiston.
This opportunity was made possible through the Maine Tourism Association’s workforce development program, which connects students to the job market.
Scott Riccio, CEO of Northeast Charter, initially had reservations about taking on an intern.
“To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know I wanted one,” said Riccio, who is on the MTA board, “but the Maine Tourism Association has a great workforce development program that works hard and connects students to the job force. Nick had an interest in transportation, specifically buses. The more we talked about it, the more it made sense.”
Riccio’s experience as an intern at a large bus company in Portland during college, which led to his current career, influenced his decision.
“I had no idea if it would work, but it worked well,” Riccio said. “Nick’s been incredibly busy, as we are, and he’s been a great asset to us. He’s worked in all the departments, including operations, sales, accounting, and maintenance, to give him a little flavor of everything.”
For Weiss, the internship has been a revelation.
“It’s opened my eyes to see how each department works together,” he said.
He recounted a lesson learned about the hours of service regulations, which mandate that drivers must rest for at least eight hours after driving for 10 hours. During his first week, Weiss experienced an incident where a driver had to stop due to reaching the maximum driving hours, necessitating a new driver to complete the route.
Riccio emphasized the importance of preparation to avoid emergencies related to hours of operation.
“These are really good experiences for Nick,” he said.
Always interested in buses
Weiss has always had a passion for buses.
“I’ve always just enjoyed them as a kid, and I always had little model buses. I was very close to my childhood bus driver, Paul Bard,” said Weiss. “I rode the bus through high school. I still talk to him every once in a while.”
He plans to obtain his commercial driver’s license after turning 21 in September so he can get behind the wheel himself.
Riccio praised Weiss’s performance.
“He’s touched all the different departments to learn what needs to be done to run a bus company from soup to nuts. We were impressed with his abilities and willingness right out of the gate,” Riccio said.
Weiss, whose internship ended on July 18, has already had conversations with Riccio about returning to help out with shifts when he’s available.
“I’ve been very grateful that Scott took a chance on me. I know this is his busy season,” Weiss said.
Riccio, a United Motorcoach Association board member, encouraged other operators to consider interns.
“We’ve won and won big, having a great intern here,” said Riccio. “He understands what we’re trying to accomplish, and it’s been a good experience for him.”
