The new stars behind the wheel

Over a million people have watched Kamilla on TikTok

With over 42,000 followers on TikTok, Kamilla Strømmen is in a class of her own among bus drivers who have invested in social media. One of her videos has been viewed by 1.2 million users.

It started with a little trial and testing, but then it suddenly took off for Kamilla Strømmen (27) on TikTok.

– I have always been interested in photography and video, and I like making short films. I started with TikTok in the spring of 2022, and it quickly became a great platform where I could be creative and try different ideas, Strømmen tells Yrkestrafikk.

When she started bus driver training in Os in January 2023, she posted videos from the training.

– I filmed, among other things, when I was practicing putting on a chain, and I got a lot of positive feedback. Then I noticed that there was a lot of interest out there for bus drivers in general and perhaps especially for seeing a young woman in a profession that is traditionally male-dominated.

– I usually show an honest and varied everyday life as a bus driver. It can be anything from putting on chains, different types of buses and what everyday life is like in general. Then I add a little humor and also some dance videos.

– What reactions have you received to what you post?

– It's mostly very positive. I get a lot of nice comments and messages from people who follow me. I also get recognized when I'm out among people, and that's really nice. It shows that the content actually means something to people.

Strømmen also notices that the content is spreading far beyond its home location.

– When I drive to Sogndal or with the Fjordekspressen to Bergen, sometimes young people come up who recognize me and want to take a picture. I think that's really funny.

– What do your colleagues say?

– I find that my colleagues think it's a bit of a feat. Many appreciate that I present both the profession and Firda Billag in a positive way. You know, Firda Billag now has over 100 years of history and I'm quite proud to showcase this company to the public.

– But are any of them willing to join?

– Hehe, no, but now most of my colleagues are men in their 60s and 70s, so they'd rather not join in. But they say they think what I do is fun.

Camilla has been YTF -member for three years and has participated in the national meeting in Molde and YTF's women's meeting. She is clearly committed to raising awareness of the profession she has chosen.

– I am proud of the profession. I am proud of my colleagues. And I am proud of Firda Billag. TikTok gives me the opportunity to showcase a profession that many people use every day, but that many may not think about. I think it is important to be visible, and if a young person wants to try the profession, I think it is very good, says Strømmen.

Life as a "TikTok user" has given Strømmen contact with many new people. The driver has also received messages from young people who say they have seen her films and are now starting driver's education.

– I think that's really nice. That makes me happy.

For those who are technically interested: Kamilla films the videos herself with her iPhone 14 Pro. She has not invested in any more equipment than a tripod that can hold the phone. She edits the films in the app CapCut. In the past year, she has had help from her boyfriend Magne Håheim on some films. Håheim is a professional photographer and bus driver.

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Traveling around the world to film buses

The Norwegian Bus Magazine has built up a following from all over the world after the editorial team decided to focus on YouTube eight years ago. Behind and in front of the camera you can find Magne Håheim.

He describes himself as Norway's biggest bus enthusiast and has been "extremely attached" to the vehicles ever since he was a little boy.

– The first word I said in childhood was “bus”. And a little later, when the other boys were playing football, I stood at the bus terminal and looked at buses. I was an early bus spotter, says Magne Håheim.

Alongside a career in singing, acting and film production, Håheim has cultivated a passion for buses. Since 2010, he has been associated with Bussmagasinet, a magazine that follows the bus industry with a focus on bus models and technology.

– We have been traveling around for 16 years now, taking photos and making films about buses. We cover around five continents every year with photo and video production, says Håheim.

Publishing on YouTube has – with a few exceptions – not provided direct income to Bussmagasinet, but the films have been an effective marketing channel for the magazine and Håheim himself. For the latter, the channel is an excellent showcase for what he can create visually.

– Everything you see on YouTube is free work from my side. But when the bus manufacturers see the films, they book me in to create content for them, explains Håheim.

In addition to his job at Bussmagasinet, Håheim runs his own production company. And it is through this business that he is now able to earn enough money to live on what started as a hobby.

The content Håheim creates on behalf of bus manufacturers is used for marketing on the manufacturers' own channels. This can be on the manufacturers' own websites or on social media. Some manufacturers also hire Håheim as an "influencer". In 2024, Håheim recorded a series of short films for MAN where viewers could follow the driver on a drive in a brand new bus from MAN's factory in Munich and to the Mediterranean coast in Italy.

In addition to his YouTube videos, Håheim also publishes videos on TikTok and Instagram via his own accounts. In these videos, he shows, among other things, the everyday life of tour bus drivers in Norway.

– I got the bus pass in 2012 and initially planned to only use it to drive the buses I would be photographing and writing about. But while I was doing reports and testing buses on different routes, I got a lot of questions from different bus owners about whether I could also drive for them.

And so it was. Håheim took the YSK, stepped down from his artistic career and in recent years has driven a bus for the tour bus operator Bussring during the high season and other periods.

– Driving a tour bus is one of the best things I do. In many ways it is my hobby, while at the same time it is a responsible and important job. But compared to photography, it has the advantage that when the working day is over, you are finished. When I work with photography and video, there is always a good dose of preparatory work and even more post-production work to be done in connection with each job.

Håheim's films have also received attention in the media. In May, the driver published a film in which he showed how difficult it is to find parking for tour buses in Bergen. A few days later, he was contacted by Bergensavisen, which wanted to do a story about the issue.

– I think it's really great to be able to give the bus industry a face, and also highlight some of the challenges we who work in the industry face.

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Julianne uses Snap to show off the job she loves

Julianne Brox wishes she could have followed someone like herself on social media when she was 13.

Truck driver Julianne Brox (34) from Tromsø has become a familiar face to many through the TV series Norske Truckers on Viaplay. Over three seasons, viewers have been able to follow Brox in her hectic and exciting job at Troms Assistanse.

In addition to her participation in the TV series, Brox is followed by thousands on social media. She spends most of her time on Snapchat, but also has many followers on Instagram and TikTok.

– For me, it's about having a job that I want to show off. I know that there are a lot of prejudices around the profession, and I want to correct that, says Brox.

She believes many truck drivers have talked down to the profession.

– People say it's hard and that you have to be away from home a lot. When I've been on a stand with the training office or with the Truck Owners' Association and "Folg drømmen, ikke stroemnen", I meet young people who think that as a truck driver you have to drive long-distance transport. They think it's a lonely profession where you're all alone. But that's not the case. I want to correct that impression and show how cool a job this can be.

Overall, the social media presence has been a very good experience for Brox.

– I get much more positive feedback than negative.

– What positive feedback do you get?

– There is a lot to the work we do in the company. Some like to call us the heroes or angels of the winter road. Some wonder what they would do without us, those of us who are out in all kinds of weather to help those who may not listen as well to what the meteorologists say.

Brox also gets feedback that it looks like an exciting job and that it's cool that a girl works as a car attendant. She wishes that when she was young, she could have seen and followed a driver like she is today.

– I wish 13-year-old Julianne could see me as I am now. Back then I was so insecure, shy and afraid of making mistakes. The sense of accomplishment I have gained through this job is incredible.

– Are there any considerations you need to take into account when creating content for social media?

– Yes, I have to think about privacy. I rescue a lot of people who might not want to have pictures from the rescue posted on social media. If I had shared everything I did at work, people wouldn't have dared to call us anymore, says Brox.

She has not received any rules from her employer about what she can and cannot post.

– But we have a very good dialogue at work, and I think I have enough self-awareness to understand what is okay and what is not. If I have been unsure, I have always asked. It usually depends on the type of assignment. For example, I would never make something up when we pick up a car for the bailiff or do an assignment for the police.

It also happens that those who are rescued by Brox themselves want to immortalize the moment.

– Then I say "yes" and maybe ask them if I can take a picture and post it, of course with the registration number blurred.

This fall marks nine years since Brox started his job as a car mechanic.

– I have to say I've been involved in a lot. I don't want to do anything else, says Brox, adding that the profession is more than a job, it's a lifestyle.

– At work, I don't have colleagues, I have family. We are such a close-knit group and we work together at all hours of the day. Whether it's Christmas Eve or Easter, we are at work. This is a profession we have chosen because we are passionate about it.

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Rob turned down the driving job when management wanted to control what he posted on social media

When management asked him to stop making films in front of the company's buses or in the company's uniform, Robert Michael Scott quickly found a solution: He might as well buy his own bus and his own uniform.

In terms of followers , no driver – at least in Norway – has amassed as many as Robert Michael Scott, also known as NorwayRob. With over 2.2 million followers on TikTok, over 144,000 followers on Snapchat and over 202,000 followers on Instagram, what started as a bit of fun has become Scott’s full-time job. He has since left Tide and now makes a living creating content for social media.

"Growing up, I loved making videos where I was joking and making jokes. I wanted to make people laugh and I actually liked being a clown," Scott says.

The social media existence started with some fun photos and videos that were only shared privately via Scott's Facebook account, but then Scott got media advice from an unexpected source – his son.

– “Dad, you’re so funny. You need to post this for everyone to see,” he said and suggested I post it on Instagram. “Ehh, I don’t really know if I’m going to Instagram,” I replied, but that’s how it turned out. The first few videos had nothing to do with buses, but it really took off. Before I knew it, I had 5,000 followers, says Scott.

The former bus driver debuted on Instagram in the summer of 2019. A few months later, his son suggested he get on TikTok.

– “It’s not going to happen. TikTok is only for kids and dubious men,” I said. But one day he secretly filmed me as I drove the bus back to the garage after the last stop. I had taken out the microphone and was singing the Karpe song Skittles . My son – that scoundrel – filmed it and posted it on TikTok. Before I knew it, I was being contacted by radio stations and TV shows in Europe and the US who wanted to hear the story of this crazy bus driver.

After the success of the first TikTok film, Scott made more and more films in which he played the role of a bus driver.

– When I was growing up, meeting a bus driver was about the same as meeting the captain of an airplane. We kids had a lot of respect for the drivers, and I wanted to recreate that relationship.

– When I moved to Norway, I found Norwegians to be quite introverted and reserved. And compared to Americans, you are. As a bus driver, I think only 15-20 percent of the passengers said “hello,” “bye,” or “thank you,” says Scott.

According to him, just making eye contact with passengers could be difficult. But that was before he "went viral."

– Suddenly people on the bus came and said “hi” and gave me a smile. It gave me energy and a desire to create even more content.

– What kind of content is most popular?

– It can be quite simple. I can stand in front of the bus and do a little dance and suddenly it's seen by millions. I personally like it best when we do sketches, and they also get a lot of views, but the important thing is to create a reaction in those who watch. Without that you don't get views. I can look like a clown, but it's intentional – because that's what works.

At the beginning of his success, Scott experienced support and praise from management, but things eventually turned around.

– I was called onto the carpet to the marketing manager. She wanted to approve the videos if I wore the Tide uniform. I sent her a test film, but then she reacted to how I danced.

Rob says he can understand that management reacted to some of the films he made.

– I understand that everyone has their own limits when it comes to humor, but for me it's about it coming from a good place and doing it to create joy. Also, I know that these films really helped with recruitment – ​​and we know that the industry needs that.

When Rob was told he couldn't use the company's buses in the films, the solution was simple – he bought his own bus.

– I checked on Google and Finn.no and found a bus in Oslo. It cost 150,000 kroner.

Today marks three years since Rob has been driving a bus as an employee at Tide.

– Do you earn more or less today than you did as a bus driver?

– It's actually more or less the same. The company's income is higher, but so is the tax.

Although Scott has the most followers via TikTok, Snapchat is his most important source of income. There, Scott receives a share of the revenue from the ad views that are generated due to the content he delivers. There is no similar solution for Norwegian content producers on TikTok.

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Per Kristian loves to make people laugh.

After several years of publishing on Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat, Per Kristian Olsen constantly meets passengers who want to take a selfie with him.

When the TikTok wave hit Norway with full force in the spring of 2022, Per Kristian Olsen was ready to ride the wave.

– In the beginning, I made very informative films about buses and everyday life as a bus driver, but eventually I made a little more nonsense and nonsense from my breaks at work, and today it's a good mix, says Olsen.

The goal of the activity on TikTok and in the other channels is to give viewers an insight into the everyday lives of drivers, and hopefully entertain them at the same time.

– I would like to highlight everything that is so good about our profession. How much fun we have together, and how nice it is. If someone wants to become a bus driver after they have seen the films, then that is great.

Per Kristian Olsen

He himself notices almost daily that the content Olsen creates is noticed.

– Hardly a day goes by without me meeting someone who wants to take a selfie. Some days there can be 3-4 people. It's a lot of fun, but it doesn't always work out as well when I'm driving on schedule. Now I tell them they almost have to wait until we get to the last stop on the route, then I can stand up, says Olsen.

The jovial bus driver makes no secret of the fact that he enjoys talking to people and is happy to show up when the employer needs someone to represent the company. He has stood at a stand for Vy Buss and he has represented the company in the recruitment campaign "Folg drømmen, ikke stroemnen".

Olsen makes most of the films alone, but occasionally brings in colleagues, including Arne Martin Bjørneset. The latter is also active on TikTok with the user Flybuss Arne. The two drivers have a love for Norwegian comedy from the 80s and 90s, and in many of the films they have recorded their own version of sketches or scenes from Norwegian comedy series.

– I've used the soundtrack from some humor from the 80s and 90s. It's fun, but now I'd rather use my own sound.

TikTok has been the biggest channel, but Olsen also publishes on SnapChat, Instagram and Facebook. The different channels reach different users, and Olsen finds that he reaches a wider audience than he would through TikTok alone.

– For example, there aren't that many adults on TikTok, but there are a lot of them on Instagram and Facebook. In addition, I think the use of TikTok is on the decline. Many people are tired of the things that aren't so good there. There is a lot of bullying, so TikTok is probably losing some users. I've taken a break there myself since the New Year, but the plan is to come back in the fall.

– Do you follow many other drivers on social media?

– I follow Arne Martin (Airport Bus Arne, ed. note), I have also followed Jo Henning Lunder at Bjørkelangen. He is funny. And then there is the princess up at Firda Billag, the Bus Girl. She is very good.