My previous career got cannibalized by automation over a decade ago, had a boss that fought against it to keep a human workforce in the dept, but eventually company got rid of him and contracted out to an automated service anyway, cutting the entire dept. My heart goes out to all of you amazing railroaders having to fight this monster. Praying for you all to keep the faith and to defeat this eventually❤️
in the past, some folks would jokingly mention skynet from the terminator movies when talking about automation replacing humans but we see that today it's no joking matter anymore... computers A.I. and automation supplementing, or just flat-out replacing human workers is definitely REAL
@@25mfd uggh terminator and also I think Demolition Man too. How dumb are these companies, wanting an economy propped up by a mostly automated workforce that will cannibalize the entire economy. If ppl can’t find work, they can’t buy your sh*t. I also have to yeet that dumb advertisement on youtube for Cottrail crewless remote control train operations too it keeps popping up in my feed🤬. This human workforce replacement tech picked up steam prior the lockdowns, popularity seemed to wane and now it’s picking up steam again. you and I and everyone else ever asked for in our future is to have tech advancements to make our jobs safer, healthier, efficient enough for a demanding career to enjoy more of a work-life balance for its workforce. But apparently the best our future timeline can do is eliminate human labor all together🙄
@@SweetSunrising yes agree with everything you wrote 100%... i've always wondered how these companies can't see that unplugging the workers is literally unplugging the entire economy stitch by stitch... it's capitalism to the extreme
Worked for BNSF for 3 1/2 years. The biggest issue was attendance. They basically made everyone have FMLA to have more than 3 days a month off. At one time I pulled almost 200 hours in a month, and took half a day too many off, for their liking. Just last year I ran into a guy I worked with, and he gave up 22 years of service, because of the new 30 point attendance system. I loved the job, the money, and the coworkers. Management, rules, and contract issues made it so hard to keep the job, especially with a disabled step son, and disabled veteran mother. To this day I miss it, and the pay, but know it wasn't sustainable.
@user-gj6yb2qc7e what hob do you work? What regulations do you have? Are you garunteed time off? Do you have to worry about the company randomly saying you are violating a new policy uour union didn't get to agree on? 160 is your standard 4x8 with 2 days off. Sometimes you barely get 10-12 hours before you are back at it, or even working 16 hours. I worked a train for 16 hours, and sat waiting for a ride for 4 more. As an extra board, we didn't get garunteed days, so if you got reset, which you could on rest, you started over a work week. So it isn't straight 50/week, and you don't get a full day off, or a regular schedule.
I start the 27th for UP on a 40k bonus. The location had no bonus until i waited to accept the offer and the recruiter called me. I’m the only 1 of 6 to pass physical ability test. Used to work for the shittiest railroad in the world AOK. Everyone wants to bitch about train service, go work at AOK $20 an hour, terrible hours, no overtime pay or benefits. Trust me it will feel good doing the job and not worrying about 💰
My father worked for the CNW, then UP from 1972 to 2010, first as a mechanic in KC, then as a hostler, then engineer. I grew up with the railroad. My father belonged to the BLE, now with a T at the end. I remember when I left high school in the early 90's, there was no getting a railroad job. Those guys hung onto them with a death grip. My father was offered many buyouts to leave. Do they even do that anymore? The first time I ever heard of the railroad offering jobs to the public was just after 2000, when I had a family and a decent job. I remember my father got bounced around a lot. He'd work Boone, Marshalltown, CR, Clinton, etc. He'd work the extra board. He'd work 3rd shift for years and even had an apartment in Clinton while he worked there, and then would come home on his days off. I only remember him being on strike one time in all of those years, back in the mid- 1980's, maybe early 80's. Now I hear they furlough the employees! I hear employees sometimes cannot find work. That baffles my mind. It's not the railroad that I remember from my childhood. There's always been a pissing match between management and the rail workers. I remember my father loved night shift just so that he didn't have to deal with management. This was before cameras were in everything. I'm too old now, but I don't think I'd go to the railroad today. It sounds like it has lost its way.
I made it through 9 weeks of training with bnsf. Relocated from missouri to iowa and a few days ago was terminated from the program do to what they said I was not catching on fast enough. Im up here now without a pot to piss in.
I worked 21 years for CCP then IC well CN too...I started as a employee of the US military railway .....when you show up to a railway interview they need say 21 body's....then the interview 200 plus people....then only hire 10....you would have better chance with a scratch off ticket, I'm glad I got bought out...my last episode I got off the locomotive at .07 mphs...I took my buyout and now have a successful trucking company.
I hired out with up, June of 22. Been railroading for about 3 years before. I went thru training and marked up on a grave yard switcher. I quit before having a single start. Ultimately, I love railroading. Just just makes sense to me. My dad worked for the UP most of my life so I understood what I applied too. For me, the way the carriers treat labor is just not something I didn't wanted to deal with for 30 years ( if my job isn't cut before then). A big one for me was vacation. Basically have to have 10 to 15 years in to be able to bid vacation when I want to actually take it. I have zero interest in taking my vacation in January - March for the next 10 years. Senority is great when you got it and so miserable when you don't. Another huge one was this horseshit attendance policy. I understand needing crews to stayed marked up but also, it's the carriers Responsibility to have enough crews for me to be able to take a day off. The attendance policy basically makes you live at work. People who don't know about the railroad or haven't done research, you have basically zero work life balance. Railroading is a life style, a way of life and either you're all in or you're out. I miss the work. I don't miss the bullshit. This job isn't what it was 30 years ago. The carriers have shit all over it and destroyed what used to be one of the best Jobs you could get.
my father and grandfather both train Engineers for 35 years, I applied at 22 and they made it almost impossible to get through the hiring process. Now in today's time it still seems that way.
What folks forget is that these hiring bonuses are totally voluntary on whether one decides to take them or not. I'm still deciding whether I'll take the one that I was offered. I had to ask questions clarifying some wording in the contract. Sure the money would be nice but at the end of the day I just want to work on trains. I'd be the 2nd generation to railroad and to be honest I should've started way sooner when I was younger. I also tell my kids that if they want a decent paying job and want to move around a bit to join a railroad especially if they don't plan on going to the military or college. I realize that not all of them will want to do it but I just put it out there for them to decide. For our little town and the area around it people without degrees can't make any where close to what the railroads will pay for the work that is done. At the end of the day a job still has to be done and freight has to move. A bad day railroading pales in comparison to the worst days of my previous job.
100% true as a Conductor for UP in Denver. Manager & employee discount is at an all time HIGH. When I initially got there a lot of the guys asked why I quit my career within the postal system. I was baffled by the amount of times I was asked this. I figured they'd automatically understand the pay increase from that job to this one; and not having to work as hard as I used to for less money. It didn't take long for me to understand the reason they were asking; wishing 6 months I was over the job and management especially.
All very well explained Jon. Looking back I would have enjoyed getting in. But I had heard at the time (maybe truer in Canada because of only two major railroads) that a conductor and engineer job was almost impossible to get off the street. It was believed that these jobs were handed down to family members and close contacts. So, I basically moved on. Today, it looks like as per your video that they need people badly right now because of supply and demand, but as you stated...probably eliminated in the future. Let us not discount the very real fact that (AI) will eventually take over the railroad as it is doing with other industries and jobs. The world is changing..
Thanks for the insight. I've been debating apply to the Class 1's up here (CN or CPKC), but the amount of station/yard closures and Rail lines abandoned really makes me hesitant to be honest.
Im with NS currently and the UP incentives out west are tempting. Of course I’d look into it better but I’m not single anymore and wife wont want to leave anytime soon
My dad did 38 years at SP and my grandfather did 50. I planned on going that route but my dad discouraged me saying it wasn't a good life. I ended up going LEO and retired at 20 years. Smart move looking back
I am not a conductor or an engineer, nor i know much about the industry, I am however a train enthusiast (n scale model train). After watching and reading about it, It saddens me that industries like this (class 1 freight train and trucking) that are back bone of economy and transporting goods in North America are becoming less popular because of working environments and lack of life and work balance. Bless you all hard working men and women in railroading and trucking
They also promising stuff like never getting furloughed or instantly making what the guys with 15 years of seniority are making. I had a trainee talking about how he’s going to mark up to the pool to make the big money once he’s out of class.
Growing up years ago in a working class neighborhood, none of my peers ever talked about going to a university or college. Getting a job, especially on the RR after HS graduation was like winning the lottery: decent pay and benefits. It is my understanding now that train crews have eliminated the brakemen position and that over-the-road freight trains are heading towards full automation in the near future. When I see "driverless locomotive" warning signs at RR crossings in industrial areas and trams at airports, I think we're getting close to that point.
Damn, $50K? I applied to UP Oakland, CA mid-December. No hiring bonus offered. Come mid-January I applied to UP Grand Junction, CO. $25k bonus, which I looked at as a way to quickly relocate to Colorado. The first bonus payment alone would have gotten me a place to live. Just gotta live out of a truck stop for 10 days. Went through the hiring process for Grand Junction; applied, offered the Train Crew Test Battery, passed, invited to pre-recorded video interview, interviewed, got the hiring decision in 48hr email, and rejected. However ~1-2 hours after rejection, invited to pre-recorded video interview for Oakland. At this point the Oakland listing I've applied for is no longer listed, there's now a new one with the $10k(300mi) bonus. I have this feeling, if they decide to hire me this time, they're gonna get me nice and cheap. Also looking at all the stuff around you.... Are you also a former Stagehand? Shure Microphone, Digital Audio Console or Control Surface, Digital Signage, LED uplight, pipe and drape. Very Corporate A/V feel.
@@Matty.G.Weights Nice. Although then that means either, A) They don't want to hire me for one reason or another; or B) Someone in HR saw that I had also applied to a terminal without hiring bonus and it would be cheaper to hire me locally. All speculation for now. Just gotta wait and see.
So it looks like all the bonuses are now gone.......do they offer these incrementally/during certain seasons? I believe you said this is layoff/furlough season.....when does it typically pick back up?
Before watching video: RRs offer hiring bonus, I believe usually for the areas people don't want to work. Also because the work-life balance is terrible and you rarely ever see your family. I have a Pre-Recorded Video Assessment Interview with UP. 25k hiring bonus.
I was offered job w Bnsf w $15k bonus during contract negotiations. I asked about the new points system and attendance policy during the interview. They were surprised I asked and kind of scrambled to answer and didnt come across as truthful. I ultimately turned down the job offer bc I don’t think they were intending to keep me if I went through the training and spent all of the out of pocket money To do it.
I was also offered a position and based on my own research and their dire pleas to eliminate the vary position I was applying to and the obvious lack of off time and personal time I politely rejected. I really have gotten to a point in my life I need a bit more predictability in my life schedule, if I had this opportunity when I was a young man I'd be all over it.
The railroads and not many of the workers really claim that it's a great place to work. You can make great money, have great benefits, and an amazing retirement, though. UP and FNBS are paying huge bonuses at terminals with low population in the cities the terminals are in to excite people to move there. UP and BN also are paying more than NS and CSX because NS and CSX are in my opinion, better over all than BN or UP. We don't have an attendance policy at NS. I don't, but I can mark off whenever I want at NS. My terminal specifically, which is one of the largest in the NS system and definitely the busiest, I haven't seen a trainmaster in months, so they don't too much bother you. Overall though, railroading is an easy job and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a good career and has mouths to feed. The hardest part is pressing 1 when you get that Friday night call just as you put a movie on with the kiddos. Thankfully my tribe understands
Been debating whether to start applying to Union pacific. i’ve worked in wildfire in CA for 4 years and everyone of my captains say it’s not a job you want as a career. which is true because they’ve been in for 15+ and just now get 30$ an hour…
Been at the railroad 20yrs. Use to love my job everyday. Now with all the layoffs the last years idk if it’s worth it anymore. I wouldn’t recommend working for the railroad to anyone. It use to be a great job. Not anymore
Man I really hope the carriers actually get wise and make the career attractive once again to people who want to have healthy lives outside of the railroad
At my location (as of writing, about to change) it is the fact that the GM gets everything leftover from the budget as a bonus. So there aren't really any raises, the equipment doesn't get maintenance, and it's always the fault of the guy on the ground if anything goes wrong. Sad part is the Trainmasters, they are always on call, no days off, constant online work, in the field work, 8hr/5days a week salary for 24hr days sometimes, and I make more than the Trainmasters and work less as the guy with only one year in the company, and they're being told that if they don't want to be a Trainmasters anymore they're going to be fired with no chance to step down. I enjoy the work and my coworkers but the GM is a penny pincher and just ruins everything. The only time he has ever spoken calmly to me is when I told them that my missing hours had better be on my next paycheck or I'd be looking to take legal action. I got the hours back, but got hit with 3 bs write ups for "being late" (not working 30min before my shift starts). I'm glad I'm going to be leaving soon.
50,000 is a great hiring bonus but with these Railroads profits it's not a drop in the bucket what guy's that hire on especially as train men they don't realize the Railroad will own there soul
Those are pretty substantial hiring bonuses every night a grocery chain here in Milwaukee runs an ad for truck drivers with good pay and benefits and a $20K sign-on bonus and still can't fill them. Add in good benefits and home nightly and $80K to $100K 1st year still short. There's a sausage firm offering a higher sign on bonus than the transit system I worked for. What a laugh. Glad Im.retired
Quick question I took the CPAP test and had mild sleep apnea. Now they have me on CPAP machine for 14days. After the 14 days and everything goes well is that when they send me the offer letter .?and I’m still in the process as well .I had my interview in Dec 8 and received the conditional offer letter last year and don’t know if there just waiting to see my results after my 14 days on the CPAP machine.
@@RailsTailsandTrails thanks for letting me know I’m out here in Seattle and I apply for the Tacoma conductor training. Hope I can get my final offer letter soon. God Bless
I worked for bnsf 23 years. I remember it was a good place to work prior to the atsf merger. In my humble opinion the derailment in Ohio was a hand brake set.
My dad retired from BNSF back in 2000. He loved working for BN for the most part but said things went to crap really fast after they brought in ATSF leadership
not sure if it was a handbrake... did you see the vid of the car sparking down the track... some folks said that it past a detector just before that vid was taken... and it didn't get popped... plus it had to have past other detectors long before it ever got to even the place where that vid was taken... a handbrake would have set off a detector at some point well before it derailed
lots of folks used to have can insurance in the past... reason why was because you never knew how much time you were gonna get if something went down... but some roads implemented the upgrade discipline system... there were 5 levels of violations and each rule violation had a specified "fired" time limit... IE: back when i worked for UP in the 90s, before the upgrade discipline system, running a red signal you could be off for MONTHS... how many who the hell knows... but with the upgrade system, same violation was a level 4.5 violation and max 60 days off... overall a lot of the violations that would have gotten you canned in the past, did not get you canned under the new system... those were mostly the level 1 - 3 violations... having that kind of system in place sort made having can insurance somewhat obsolete in the eyes of some workers... but i'm certain some do still carry it
If you got a 50k bonus and think its all good! Wait it gets better! They spend so much hiring you! Then the rest of your career chasing you to fire you! They care! Alot! About the share holders! Worked for Up in 6 states in 12 years Mop side and Up side! Best place and people were the old Rio Grande guys! They were family! The all by hand Rio Grande! Tuff bunch of guys out there! Mofat Tunnel sub! Randy Windsor dispatcher like no other! This mite be going out on a limb but instead of the signing bonuses take care or your peeps and give them there dam sick days! Greed!!!!!
How does the seniority sides work between Mop/UP side? If I hire, will I be traveling state to state between the 2 seniority sides? Or whichever one I apply in?
You wanna loose your friend? Help him get the job at the railroad. 😂 I devoted my 13 years to the railroad, working in mechanical department ( loco ). I like my job but i don't like the management. Terrible work / life balance. I see new hires come and go.
instead of hiring bonuses, how bout pay your employees that you have and take that bonus money and offer it to you for staying avail on holidays etc? Yes I know this is a non realistic thought lol
The railroad isn't a job... It's a lifestyle. It controls every single facet of your existence. When you're awake, when you're not, when you eat when you don't, when you can take a crap or not, you miss the vast majority of every single event, holiday, birthday. Good luck doing any kind of scheduled sport etc. Good luck keeping any kind of appointment. A bunch of railways still haven't recovered from the sociopathic ceo, hunter harrison's (may he rest in hell) severe damage not only into cutting way way way too deep in maintenance for example, the joke that is psr, but in the culture of us verses them, operation through fear and intimidation, manager fail quota's, etc. Only companies in the world that literally try way harder to fire you your entire career than they did to hire you.
So glad I’ve been there done that. I feel sorry for anyone starting a railroad job now. I worked with some guys that hired out on the GN, CBQ, CNW, real Old heads that carried a flask to work and had dads that ran steam locomotives.
I worked for UP for 2 years before I got furloughed. They didnt call me back to work until 2 YEARS later! Nope F that they left me out hanging to dry and now im doing the same to them. Good luck
Yup applied for Rail Maintenance with BNSF with $10k hiring bonus because it was a closer distance than the UP Train Crew position I applied for (no bonus). Didn't read the fine print for the bonus until after I applied. You get half on month 4 and the second half after your 1 year. If you quit, get fired, transfer, or change positions within your first 36 months you must pay it back. Thankfully they picked somebody else for that position. I can't speak on the bonus policy for the other class 1's though, BNSF and UP are the only ones that operate in my area.
I'm honestly surprised they don't offer buyouts to the old guys instead of hiring bonuses. Then they can get all new guys that don't know any better to take crap 20/hour contracts and they can have their highly rotating, cheap, improperly trained, unskilled, with no pension work force they all seem to want so badly.
I'm waiting on my retention bonus........ Oh, they know if we've been around this long, we're not going anywhere. We're too stupid to leave too. Definitely can't recommend it to anyone. It takes a certain type of individual to withstand this lifestyle.
Not just NS . But all the Class 1 Railroads. Remember UP is trying a pilot program in NE to where Conductors would not be on the Engine at all this causing something like what happened in Canada a few years ago to happen. You know that town that almost got wiped from the map.
Attendance should be a big deal. Be on time don't call in and don't be a lazy ass while at work. Tbh the only people that complain are the laziest people even the engineers complain when all they do is drive and sit on their ass all day. This job is so easy especially for what we get paid. I feel like the younger you are the better off you will be. Be confident and don't let these lazy asses boss you around and use what you know and you will surpass most these dip spitters. I was made for the railroad.
I actually agree with you to an extent, but the working conditions, like Jon stated, have deteriorated so much over the last 5 years. There is a way for railroads to somewhat put some semblance of normalcy in our lives. They just run status quo and think it can't be done.
@Jeff I personally don't see the mental challenge. I'm a natural leader by default and always told so. I tend to utilize group exercises and input to work together when it's available. That's the way it should be. But humans tend to know the solution and do nothing about it. But love to find more problems. It's definitely the other way around when I'm at work.
@The Local-Motive I'm almost getting the impression now you are just being a smart-ass or possibly don't even work for the railroad or maybe even a low-end management trainmaster or just started and think you can do everything perfect for the next 30 or 40 years?? If you do indeed work for the railroad and just started talk to me in 20 years and let me know if you still have the same opinion Rocky Balboa. I'm a healthy guy who has 25 years of service and have never had 1 single attendance issue and am totally burned out. I do my job well as a 4th generation engineer, take pride in my job, but am an advocate of change for a better lifestyle.
@HooChoo79 seriously don't know what your talking about but you are the perfect example of the guy who complains about work. If your burnt out why waste your time and stay there. My goal is to work hard and have extra cash pulled out from my checks to retire early. Around 45 to 50 is my goal. I started on locomotives at Freeport mcmoran in morenci AZ look it up. Now I'm with union pacific. Sounds like your mad because there are more opportunities nowadays like the one I have and you just have to ask for a raise besides sounds like your already past your prime. Why waste time trying to make a younger hard worker get upset. Do your job I'm sure your good at it. But sometimes stepping down and doing something that better suits you is quality of life.
I’m a single guy and plan to be for a very long time and wondering if this career involves math , if not then I will join as long as I can make 30$ an hour after years, for some labor simple job as in no math require
The railroad jobs suck! Most hostile environment I’ve ever dreamed of! If my location hires 30 noobs, in a month 20 will be gone! That’s about our average.
WHy 50k hiring bonus becasue I have seen trains sitting in yards or what I call rolling yards for 8-10 hrs they dont move because the crew that was manning it reached their 12 hr limit and no other crews are avaliable so its sits there shut down losing money every minute it sits there , the one man crew thing is very stupid wont work you need two in the cab incase of issues. Trains sitting at signals does not count towards losing money because the engineer following the rules but when they sit idle for hrs on end thats lost money they lose more if the train sits than the high hiring bonus.
So let me see....50,000.00 bonus for a job that the Smart union is trying to abolish.... Kelloggs, Nabisco and general Mills offer 28.00 to start ...best part.... Monday threw friday on a regular schedule and no threats of getting fired....my father got hired in 74 from VN....I got hired from the military railway.......id say any food manufacture is better choice
I was an over the road trucker for many years. You think you got it bad? I had less sleep, less money, less time at home, and no one to watch my back. Oh, I also drove with the masses that were idiots. No shiny rails to keep me, or them, pointed in the right direction. Don't cry your tears to me.
someone's always gotta try to make the case that they have it worse to make themselves look tougher. I could do this argument all day man, but at the end of the day you still watched the video and decided to cry your tears here. Thanks for the view@@michaellake5269
@@RailsTailsandTrails Not trying to look tougher and it seems you made the video to cry YOUR tears. Let's face it. Both jobs are tough, but they are apples to oranges. I'll stand my ground that trucking is a harder life. I could make my argument all day long too. I'll agree to disagree.
Because east Palestine is why...they tried to limit all workers to a skeleton crew and it's created the worst disaster in recent history. So...back to hiring humans. And fast
So my question is, if the locomotives are going to be “automated “… crewless???…. Haha, I wonder what their excuse going to be about hiring train crews??? I’m confused????🤔🤔🤔🫣🫣😊😂😂
My previous career got cannibalized by automation over a decade ago, had a boss that fought against it to keep a human workforce in the dept, but eventually company got rid of him and contracted out to an automated service anyway, cutting the entire dept. My heart goes out to all of you amazing railroaders having to fight this monster. Praying for you all to keep the faith and to defeat this eventually❤️
in the past, some folks would jokingly mention skynet from the terminator movies when talking about automation replacing humans but we see that today it's no joking matter anymore... computers A.I. and automation supplementing, or just flat-out replacing human workers is definitely REAL
@@25mfd uggh terminator and also I think Demolition Man too. How dumb are these companies, wanting an economy propped up by a mostly automated workforce that will cannibalize the entire economy. If ppl can’t find work, they can’t buy your sh*t. I also have to yeet that dumb advertisement on youtube for Cottrail crewless remote control train operations too it keeps popping up in my feed🤬. This human workforce replacement tech picked up steam prior the lockdowns, popularity seemed to wane and now it’s picking up steam again. you and I and everyone else ever asked for in our future is to have tech advancements to make our jobs safer, healthier, efficient enough for a demanding career to enjoy more of a work-life balance for its workforce. But apparently the best our future timeline can do is eliminate human labor all together🙄
@@SweetSunrising yes agree with everything you wrote 100%... i've always wondered how these companies can't see that unplugging the workers is literally unplugging the entire economy stitch by stitch... it's capitalism to the extreme
Worked for BNSF for 3 1/2 years. The biggest issue was attendance. They basically made everyone have FMLA to have more than 3 days a month off. At one time I pulled almost 200 hours in a month, and took half a day too many off, for their liking. Just last year I ran into a guy I worked with, and he gave up 22 years of service, because of the new 30 point attendance system. I loved the job, the money, and the coworkers. Management, rules, and contract issues made it so hard to keep the job, especially with a disabled step son, and disabled veteran mother. To this day I miss it, and the pay, but know it wasn't sustainable.
Well I suppose with that great of a job, you have to encourage some level of turnover :(
Thats only 50 hours per week. Thats not shit. Why would you need to take off time for 50 hours a week?
@user-gj6yb2qc7e what hob do you work? What regulations do you have? Are you garunteed time off? Do you have to worry about the company randomly saying you are violating a new policy uour union didn't get to agree on?
160 is your standard 4x8 with 2 days off. Sometimes you barely get 10-12 hours before you are back at it, or even working 16 hours. I worked a train for 16 hours, and sat waiting for a ride for 4 more. As an extra board, we didn't get garunteed days, so if you got reset, which you could on rest, you started over a work week. So it isn't straight 50/week, and you don't get a full day off, or a regular schedule.
I start the 27th for UP on a 40k bonus. The location had no bonus until i waited to accept the offer and the recruiter called me. I’m the only 1 of 6 to pass physical ability test. Used to work for the shittiest railroad in the world AOK. Everyone wants to bitch about train service, go work at AOK $20 an hour, terrible hours, no overtime pay or benefits. Trust me it will feel good doing the job and not worrying about 💰
Damn the physical test was that hard?
Is math required?
My father worked for the CNW, then UP from 1972 to 2010, first as a mechanic in KC, then as a hostler, then engineer. I grew up with the railroad. My father belonged to the BLE, now with a T at the end. I remember when I left high school in the early 90's, there was no getting a railroad job. Those guys hung onto them with a death grip. My father was offered many buyouts to leave. Do they even do that anymore? The first time I ever heard of the railroad offering jobs to the public was just after 2000, when I had a family and a decent job.
I remember my father got bounced around a lot. He'd work Boone, Marshalltown, CR, Clinton, etc. He'd work the extra board. He'd work 3rd shift for years and even had an apartment in Clinton while he worked there, and then would come home on his days off. I only remember him being on strike one time in all of those years, back in the mid- 1980's, maybe early 80's.
Now I hear they furlough the employees! I hear employees sometimes cannot find work. That baffles my mind. It's not the railroad that I remember from my childhood. There's always been a pissing match between management and the rail workers. I remember my father loved night shift just so that he didn't have to deal with management. This was before cameras were in everything. I'm too old now, but I don't think I'd go to the railroad today. It sounds like it has lost its way.
I made it through 9 weeks of training with bnsf. Relocated from missouri to iowa and a few days ago was terminated from the program do to what they said I was not catching on fast enough. Im up here now without a pot to piss in.
Damn
How are you now
That sucks.😢
I’m not joining then , sounds like I’d be slow too if it’s that complicated of a job
I worked 21 years for CCP then IC well CN too...I started as a employee of the US military railway .....when you show up to a railway interview they need say 21 body's....then the interview 200 plus people....then only hire 10....you would have better chance with a scratch off ticket, I'm glad I got bought out...my last episode I got off the locomotive at .07 mphs...I took my buyout and now have a successful trucking company.
I hired out with up, June of 22. Been railroading for about 3 years before. I went thru training and marked up on a grave yard switcher. I quit before having a single start. Ultimately, I love railroading. Just just makes sense to me. My dad worked for the UP most of my life so I understood what I applied too. For me, the way the carriers treat labor is just not something I didn't wanted to deal with for 30 years ( if my job isn't cut before then). A big one for me was vacation. Basically have to have 10 to 15 years in to be able to bid vacation when I want to actually take it. I have zero interest in taking my vacation in January - March for the next 10 years. Senority is great when you got it and so miserable when you don't.
Another huge one was this horseshit attendance policy. I understand needing crews to stayed marked up but also, it's the carriers Responsibility to have enough crews for me to be able to take a day off. The attendance policy basically makes you live at work. People who don't know about the railroad or haven't done research, you have basically zero work life balance. Railroading is a life style, a way of life and either you're all in or you're out. I miss the work. I don't miss the bullshit. This job isn't what it was 30 years ago. The carriers have shit all over it and destroyed what used to be one of the best Jobs you could get.
Yes 100%
Thats exactly correct, there hiring anyone with a pulse just like the cab companies!
Makes my oilfield job look good with 2 weeks working and 1 week off duty.
The treatment of employees by RRs are subhuman. Worked for CP and UP. I left years ago. Best decision I made in my life!
my father and grandfather both train Engineers for 35 years, I applied at 22 and they made it almost impossible to get through the hiring process. Now in today's time it still seems that way.
What folks forget is that these hiring bonuses are totally voluntary on whether one decides to take them or not. I'm still deciding whether I'll take the one that I was offered. I had to ask questions clarifying some wording in the contract. Sure the money would be nice but at the end of the day I just want to work on trains. I'd be the 2nd generation to railroad and to be honest I should've started way sooner when I was younger.
I also tell my kids that if they want a decent paying job and want to move around a bit to join a railroad especially if they don't plan on going to the military or college. I realize that not all of them will want to do it but I just put it out there for them to decide. For our little town and the area around it people without degrees can't make any where close to what the railroads will pay for the work that is done. At the end of the day a job still has to be done and freight has to move. A bad day railroading pales in comparison to the worst days of my previous job.
100% true as a Conductor for UP in Denver. Manager & employee discount is at an all time HIGH. When I initially got there a lot of the guys asked why I quit my career within the postal system. I was baffled by the amount of times I was asked this. I figured they'd automatically understand the pay increase from that job to this one; and not having to work as hard as I used to for less money. It didn't take long for me to understand the reason they were asking; wishing 6 months I was over the job and management especially.
All very well explained Jon. Looking back I would have enjoyed getting in. But I had heard at the time (maybe truer in Canada because of only two major railroads) that a conductor and engineer job was almost impossible to get off the street. It was believed that these jobs were handed down to family members and close contacts. So, I basically moved on. Today, it looks like as per your video that they need people badly right now because of supply and demand, but as you stated...probably eliminated in the future. Let us not discount the very real fact that (AI) will eventually take over the railroad as it is doing with other industries and jobs. The world is changing..
BNSF mechanical, Sioux City, IA. How about a retention bonus instead of hiring people who can’t handle the job!!!!!!!
Thanks for the insight. I've been debating apply to the Class 1's up here (CN or CPKC), but the amount of station/yard closures and Rail lines abandoned really makes me hesitant to be honest.
Im with NS currently and the UP incentives out west are tempting. Of course I’d look into it better but I’m not single anymore and wife wont want to leave anytime soon
My dad did 38 years at SP and my grandfather did 50. I planned on going that route but my dad discouraged me saying it wasn't a good life. I ended up going LEO and retired at 20 years. Smart move looking back
Yeah! PrepperNow would love to connect with you. Thanks for all you do. Ppl don't understand what you're really going through.
Thanks for the insight, I was considering applying for a UP position but after hearing this, I’m not so sure
I am not a conductor or an engineer, nor i know much about the industry, I am however a train enthusiast (n scale model train). After watching and reading about it, It saddens me that industries like this (class 1 freight train and trucking) that are back bone of economy and transporting goods in North America are becoming less popular because of working environments and lack of life and work balance. Bless you all hard working men and women in railroading and trucking
They also promising stuff like never getting furloughed or instantly making what the guys with 15 years of seniority are making. I had a trainee talking about how he’s going to mark up to the pool to make the big money once he’s out of class.
Growing up years ago in a working class neighborhood, none of my peers ever talked about going to a university or college. Getting a job, especially on the RR after HS graduation was like winning the lottery: decent pay and benefits. It is my understanding now that train crews have eliminated the brakemen position and that over-the-road freight trains are heading towards full automation in the near future. When I see "driverless locomotive" warning signs at RR crossings in industrial areas and trams at airports, I think we're getting close to that point.
Damn, $50K? I applied to UP Oakland, CA mid-December. No hiring bonus offered. Come mid-January I applied to UP Grand Junction, CO. $25k bonus, which I looked at as a way to quickly relocate to Colorado. The first bonus payment alone would have gotten me a place to live. Just gotta live out of a truck stop for 10 days. Went through the hiring process for Grand Junction; applied, offered the Train Crew Test Battery, passed, invited to pre-recorded video interview, interviewed, got the hiring decision in 48hr email, and rejected. However ~1-2 hours after rejection, invited to pre-recorded video interview for Oakland. At this point the Oakland listing I've applied for is no longer listed, there's now a new one with the $10k(300mi) bonus. I have this feeling, if they decide to hire me this time, they're gonna get me nice and cheap.
Also looking at all the stuff around you.... Are you also a former Stagehand? Shure Microphone, Digital Audio Console or Control Surface, Digital Signage, LED uplight, pipe and drape. Very Corporate A/V feel.
They will pay for a motel and flight to get you there bro.
@@Matty.G.Weights Nice. Although then that means either, A) They don't want to hire me for one reason or another; or B) Someone in HR saw that I had also applied to a terminal without hiring bonus and it would be cheaper to hire me locally.
All speculation for now. Just gotta wait and see.
I know for a fact that Union Pacific Railroad, just flat out lies to their crews everyday!! and morale is at the lowest I have seen in 25+ years.
My brother retired NS didn’t encourage son about job.
I'm at UP most of the classes we had are hanging tough in recent months
Wdym by that, like the classes are super hard?
Don't forget the taxes on those bonuses, unless they're cash.
So it looks like all the bonuses are now gone.......do they offer these incrementally/during certain seasons? I believe you said this is layoff/furlough season.....when does it typically pick back up?
Before watching video: RRs offer hiring bonus, I believe usually for the areas people don't want to work. Also because the work-life balance is terrible and you rarely ever see your family.
I have a Pre-Recorded Video Assessment Interview with UP. 25k hiring bonus.
#3 reason people are applying is me. LOL
I also have gotten further on my own than when I applied over a year ago with a referral.
For as long as these trains are getting, I just can't understand the concept of a 'one man' crew. That seems insanely unsafe and exhausting!!!
I was offered job w Bnsf w $15k bonus during contract negotiations. I asked about the new points system and attendance policy during the interview. They were surprised I asked and kind of scrambled to answer and didnt come across as truthful. I ultimately turned down the job offer bc I don’t think they were intending to keep me if I went through the training and spent all of the out of pocket money To do it.
I was also offered a position and based on my own research and their dire pleas to eliminate the vary position I was applying to and the obvious lack of off time and personal time I politely rejected. I really have gotten to a point in my life I need a bit more predictability in my life schedule, if I had this opportunity when I was a young man I'd be all over it.
Got it, great video. I decided not to presue for money, rather be at home often with my wife
The railroads and not many of the workers really claim that it's a great place to work. You can make great money, have great benefits, and an amazing retirement, though.
UP and FNBS are paying huge bonuses at terminals with low population in the cities the terminals are in to excite people to move there.
UP and BN also are paying more than NS and CSX because NS and CSX are in my opinion, better over all than BN or UP. We don't have an attendance policy at NS. I don't, but I can mark off whenever I want at NS. My terminal specifically, which is one of the largest in the NS system and definitely the busiest, I haven't seen a trainmaster in months, so they don't too much bother you.
Overall though, railroading is an easy job and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a good career and has mouths to feed. The hardest part is pressing 1 when you get that Friday night call just as you put a movie on with the kiddos. Thankfully my tribe understands
Exactly why I do wanna work freight , patiently, waiting to drive my cities, light rail train
Have you
I wish those of us that have been here 20-30 years or so could at least get a canned ham as a longevity bonus.
i had a chance decades back to get on with a railroad.
i balked and very glad i did. as a year latter 50,000 got layed off do to mergers.
Is it hard to get on for a person who has never worked for a railroad company? I’m very interested
Been debating whether to start applying to Union pacific. i’ve worked in wildfire in CA for 4 years and everyone of my captains say it’s not a job you want as a career. which is true because they’ve been in for 15+ and just now get 30$ an hour…
U.P. fires them as fast as they hire them! Must be a good tax write off for them.
Been at the railroad 20yrs. Use to love my job everyday. Now with all the layoffs the last years idk if it’s worth it anymore. I wouldn’t recommend working for the railroad to anyone. It use to be a great job. Not anymore
Man I really hope the carriers actually get wise and make the career attractive once again to people who want to have healthy lives outside of the railroad
At my location (as of writing, about to change) it is the fact that the GM gets everything leftover from the budget as a bonus. So there aren't really any raises, the equipment doesn't get maintenance, and it's always the fault of the guy on the ground if anything goes wrong. Sad part is the Trainmasters, they are always on call, no days off, constant online work, in the field work, 8hr/5days a week salary for 24hr days sometimes, and I make more than the Trainmasters and work less as the guy with only one year in the company, and they're being told that if they don't want to be a Trainmasters anymore they're going to be fired with no chance to step down.
I enjoy the work and my coworkers but the GM is a penny pincher and just ruins everything. The only time he has ever spoken calmly to me is when I told them that my missing hours had better be on my next paycheck or I'd be looking to take legal action. I got the hours back, but got hit with 3 bs write ups for "being late" (not working 30min before my shift starts). I'm glad I'm going to be leaving soon.
Wish i could have gotten the proper training from NS
50,000 is a great hiring bonus but with these Railroads profits it's not a drop in the bucket what guy's that hire on especially as train men they don't realize the Railroad will own there soul
Those are pretty substantial hiring bonuses every night a grocery chain here in Milwaukee runs an ad for truck drivers with good pay and benefits and a $20K sign-on bonus and still can't fill them. Add in good benefits and home nightly and $80K to $100K 1st year still short. There's a sausage firm offering a higher sign on bonus than the transit system I worked for. What a laugh. Glad Im.retired
Quick question I took the CPAP test and had mild sleep apnea. Now they have me on CPAP machine for 14days. After the 14 days and everything goes well is that when they send me the offer letter .?and I’m still in the process as well .I had my interview in Dec 8 and received the conditional offer letter last year and don’t know if there just waiting to see my results after my 14 days on the CPAP machine.
I was originally on the cpap as well. When they send that offer letter is totally up to them.
@@RailsTailsandTrails thanks for letting me know I’m out here in Seattle and I apply for the Tacoma conductor training. Hope I can get my final offer letter soon. God Bless
I worked for bnsf 23 years. I remember it was a good place to work prior to the atsf merger. In my humble opinion the derailment in Ohio was a hand brake set.
My dad retired from BNSF back in 2000. He loved working for BN for the most part but said things went to crap really fast after they brought in ATSF leadership
not sure if it was a handbrake... did you see the vid of the car sparking down the track... some folks said that it past a detector just before that vid was taken... and it didn't get popped... plus it had to have past other detectors long before it ever got to even the place where that vid was taken... a handbrake would have set off a detector at some point well before it derailed
@@25mfd those were DED not hot box detectors. Not 100%.
Do employees still buy "canning insurance" in case one is penalized after an investigation and an employee is found to be at fault and laid off?
You can but it does not go in effect until you are 60 days after training
@@jeffhoward1000 gotta make it through that good ole 60-90 day probation period!
@@SweetSunrising yea except they can fire you while your in training if a Conductor or Engineer does something to get everyone in hot water
lots of folks used to have can insurance in the past... reason why was because you never knew how much time you were gonna get if something went down... but some roads implemented the upgrade discipline system... there were 5 levels of violations and each rule violation had a specified "fired" time limit... IE: back when i worked for UP in the 90s, before the upgrade discipline system, running a red signal you could be off for MONTHS... how many who the hell knows... but with the upgrade system, same violation was a level 4.5 violation and max 60 days off... overall a lot of the violations that would have gotten you canned in the past, did not get you canned under the new system... those were mostly the level 1 - 3 violations... having that kind of system in place sort made having can insurance somewhat obsolete in the eyes of some workers... but i'm certain some do still carry it
yes they do. I have it myself
If you got a 50k bonus and think its all good! Wait it gets better! They spend so much hiring you! Then the rest of your career chasing you to fire you! They care! Alot! About the share holders! Worked for Up in 6 states in 12 years Mop side and Up side! Best place and people were the old Rio Grande guys! They were family! The all by hand Rio Grande! Tuff bunch of guys out there! Mofat Tunnel sub! Randy Windsor dispatcher like no other! This mite be going out on a limb but instead of the signing bonuses take care or your peeps and give them there dam sick days! Greed!!!!!
How does the seniority sides work between Mop/UP side? If I hire, will I be traveling state to state between the 2 seniority sides? Or whichever one I apply in?
Which ever you appy in! Up side is better but not much!
You wanna loose your friend? Help him get the job at the railroad. 😂 I devoted my 13 years to the railroad, working in mechanical department ( loco ). I like my job but i don't like the management. Terrible work / life balance. I see new hires come and go.
instead of hiring bonuses, how bout pay your employees that you have and take that bonus money and offer it to you for staying avail on holidays etc? Yes I know this is a non realistic thought lol
The railroad isn't a job... It's a lifestyle. It controls every single facet of your existence. When you're awake, when you're not, when you eat when you don't, when you can take a crap or not, you miss the vast majority of every single event, holiday, birthday. Good luck doing any kind of scheduled sport etc. Good luck keeping any kind of appointment. A bunch of railways still haven't recovered from the sociopathic ceo, hunter harrison's (may he rest in hell) severe damage not only into cutting way way way too deep in maintenance for example, the joke that is psr, but in the culture of us verses them, operation through fear and intimidation, manager fail quota's, etc. Only companies in the world that literally try way harder to fire you your entire career than they did to hire you.
I'm one of the lucky guys that got that 50k
How long did you have to work before you didn't have to pay it back
@@williamlandry5391 Interesting I'm guessing it depends on position? Rail Maintenance I applied for in Redlands Ca was 3 years.
@@williamlandry5391 bn?
@@williamlandry5391 you like it? My brothers live right next to the main line in Hesperia
Currently waiting to know if I got the job with up that would be a 40k.
US railroads are the shitiest place on earth to work. When I got divorced I couldn't get back to Australia quick enough. Good riddance US railroads.
BECAUSE most young people don t work weekends ,i work major company we can t get 16 people to work a 6 hr shift on friday and saturday..
ouch that's rough. The old school work ethic is dying. Give me some days off, but I don't really care what day personally.
Just remember why you do it. Money will get you there but not keep you there.
So glad I’ve been there done that. I feel sorry for anyone starting a railroad job now. I worked with some guys that hired out on the GN, CBQ, CNW, real
Old heads that carried a flask to work and had dads that ran steam locomotives.
What's the difference between core and none core
what?
@@RailsTailsandTrails I heard there were core terminals and non core terminals.
I worked for UP for 2 years before I got furloughed. They didnt call me back to work until 2 YEARS later! Nope F that they left me out hanging to dry and now im doing the same to them. Good luck
thought you got paid while you are furloughed?
Catch 22 if you quit, get fired...You must pay it back
Yup applied for Rail Maintenance with BNSF with $10k hiring bonus because it was a closer distance than the UP Train Crew position I applied for (no bonus). Didn't read the fine print for the bonus until after I applied. You get half on month 4 and the second half after your 1 year. If you quit, get fired, transfer, or change positions within your first 36 months you must pay it back. Thankfully they picked somebody else for that position. I can't speak on the bonus policy for the other class 1's though, BNSF and UP are the only ones that operate in my area.
Buddy of mine got killed at 21 working for railroad. May 14 2024
I'm honestly surprised they don't offer buyouts to the old guys instead of hiring bonuses. Then they can get all new guys that don't know any better to take crap 20/hour contracts and they can have their highly rotating, cheap, improperly trained, unskilled, with no pension work force they all seem to want so badly.
Have you ever looked at the Canadian side of things, my first video
I stopped when I looked at the seasonal weather concerning snow lol
People can’t pass drug tests these days
sadly that's true
That sounds like Boeing
I'm waiting on my retention bonus........
Oh, they know if we've been around this long, we're not going anywhere. We're too stupid to leave too.
Definitely can't recommend it to anyone. It takes a certain type of individual to withstand this lifestyle.
After the derailment in Ohio NS might be in trouble.
Not just NS . But all the Class 1 Railroads. Remember UP is trying a pilot program in NE to where Conductors would not be on the Engine at all this causing something like what happened in Canada a few years ago to happen. You know that town that almost got wiped from the map.
There all in trouble
Attendance should be a big deal. Be on time don't call in and don't be a lazy ass while at work. Tbh the only people that complain are the laziest people even the engineers complain when all they do is drive and sit on their ass all day. This job is so easy especially for what we get paid. I feel like the younger you are the better off you will be. Be confident and don't let these lazy asses boss you around and use what you know and you will surpass most these dip spitters. I was made for the railroad.
It is Physically easy if your in the road but it is a Mental nightmare. Yard work is Physically hard but Mentally easy.
I actually agree with you to an extent, but the working conditions, like Jon stated, have deteriorated so much over the last 5 years.
There is a way for railroads to somewhat put some semblance of normalcy in our lives. They just run status quo and think it can't be done.
@Jeff I personally don't see the mental challenge. I'm a natural leader by default and always told so. I tend to utilize group exercises and input to work together when it's available. That's the way it should be. But humans tend to know the solution and do nothing about it. But love to find more problems. It's definitely the other way around when I'm at work.
@The Local-Motive I'm almost getting the impression now you are just being a smart-ass or possibly don't even work for the railroad or maybe even a low-end management trainmaster or just started and think you can do everything perfect for the next 30 or 40 years??
If you do indeed work for the railroad and just started talk to me in 20 years and let me know if you still have the same opinion Rocky Balboa.
I'm a healthy guy who has 25 years of service and have never had 1 single attendance issue and am totally burned out.
I do my job well as a 4th generation engineer, take pride in my job, but am an advocate of change for a better lifestyle.
@HooChoo79 seriously don't know what your talking about but you are the perfect example of the guy who complains about work. If your burnt out why waste your time and stay there. My goal is to work hard and have extra cash pulled out from my checks to retire early. Around 45 to 50 is my goal. I started on locomotives at Freeport mcmoran in morenci AZ look it up. Now I'm with union pacific. Sounds like your mad because there are more opportunities nowadays like the one I have and you just have to ask for a raise besides sounds like your already past your prime. Why waste time trying to make a younger hard worker get upset. Do your job I'm sure your good at it. But sometimes stepping down and doing something that better suits you is quality of life.
I’m a single guy and plan to be for a very long time and wondering if this career involves math , if not then I will join as long as I can make 30$ an hour after years, for some labor simple job as in no math require
there is some math required but nothing overly complicated 99% of the time. Figuring out tonnage changes, lengths, horsepower etc.
uhh, those hiring bonuses are higher than my salary
Its a trap!
The railroad jobs suck! Most hostile environment I’ve ever dreamed of!
If my location hires 30 noobs, in a month 20 will be gone! That’s about our average.
WHy 50k hiring bonus becasue I have seen trains sitting in yards or what I call rolling yards for 8-10 hrs they dont move because the crew that was manning it reached their 12 hr limit and no other crews are avaliable so its sits there shut down losing money every minute it sits there , the one man crew thing is very stupid wont work you need two in the cab incase of issues. Trains sitting at signals does not count towards losing money because the engineer following the rules but when they sit idle for hrs on end thats lost money they lose more if the train sits than the high hiring bonus.
So let me see....50,000.00 bonus for a job that the Smart union is trying to abolish.... Kelloggs, Nabisco and general Mills offer 28.00 to start ...best part.... Monday threw friday on a regular schedule and no threats of getting fired....my father got hired in 74 from VN....I got hired from the military railway.......id say any food manufacture is better choice
I was an over the road trucker for many years. You think you got it bad? I had less sleep, less money, less time at home, and no one to watch my back. Oh, I also drove with the masses that were idiots. No shiny rails to keep me, or them, pointed in the right direction. Don't cry your tears to me.
oh yes because crying tears that you have it worse makes things better some how? It's not a pissing contest turbo.
@@RailsTailsandTrails Just stating facts, turbo.
someone's always gotta try to make the case that they have it worse to make themselves look tougher. I could do this argument all day man, but at the end of the day you still watched the video and decided to cry your tears here. Thanks for the view@@michaellake5269
@@RailsTailsandTrails Not trying to look tougher and it seems you made the video to cry YOUR tears. Let's face it. Both jobs are tough, but they are apples to oranges. I'll stand my ground that trucking is a harder life. I could make my argument all day long too. I'll agree to disagree.
Truckers are important too so thanks for your sacrifice but no need for boo hooing
It’s a trap!!
Because east Palestine is why...they tried to limit all workers to a skeleton crew and it's created the worst disaster in recent history. So...back to hiring humans. And fast
I mean if you want to know how that is paid out I can tell you
I can tell you why i resigned during training. I have multiple reasons to tell you John
@Rails Tails and trails
@@jeffhoward1000 I'd love to hear them instart March 20th
@@jeffhoward1000 please go on, i start at up in may lol
@@caddyv2327 don’t trust them at all. I mean that is up to you to trust them but in my experience I’m telling you not to trust them.
Desperation ? 🤪👎
I think that’s the best combination of emojis to describe a railroad I’ve ever seen
In my 60+ years of working, the most cited reason for turnover was the person found out they had to work for their pay.
You cant smoke a cigarette on a train that billows black diesel smoke out its ass 24 7 365 .???
Thats a joke
can i sign up and drive a train with no experience? or gotta work my way up from laborer?
So my question is, if the locomotives are going to be “automated “… crewless???…. Haha, I wonder what their excuse going to be about hiring train crews??? I’m confused????🤔🤔🤔🫣🫣😊😂😂