What’s the cut-off distance between carting a crew back home or having them stay overnight? For example, our local goes from Sioux Falls SD to Marion SD twice a week. That’s about 60 railroad miles, but only 33 driving miles. I picture that twice a week, the crew gets driven home 33 miles at night and then driven back to their train 33 miles the next morning? What if the local worked further up the line to say, Mitchell- 99 railroad miles but only 73 driving miles from home?
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The decision is by union agreement. Lots of variables.
Union agreement and company desire to save pennys.
Lodging at AFHT costs money. Transportation to/from AFHT costs money.
What is the cheapest way for the company to provide the desired level of service.
With the local, as you are describing it, only working 4 days out of 7. It is likely there is no 'regular' crew for the assignment and it gets called off the Extra Board.
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BaltACD Union agreement and company desire to save pennys. Lodging at AFHT costs money. Transportation to/from AFHT costs money. What is the cheapest way for the company to provide the desired level of service. With the local, as you are describing it, only working 4 days out of 7. It is likely there is no 'regular' crew for the assignment and it gets called off the Extra Board.
Does the crew get paid to ride in the van? Is that time considered part of their HOS?
I think the local here works five or six days a week. Some days they go north, some days they go south, some days it's a little of both.
I know I've heard of them leaving the train at the north end of their run before. Presumably the cab brings them back to Watertown, then takes them (or whatever crew) back to the train the next day. I think most of the crewmembers are based fairly locally, but they could probably also come out of Syracuse or Massena.
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Murphy SidingDoes the crew get paid to ride in the van? Is that time considered part of their HOS?
They are paid at the rate of the on track service they are performing for all time, that includes van rides to or from wherever the train may be. If the crew has gone HOS somewhere on line of road, the time from the expiration of HOS to their tie up at their final destination is considered 'Limbo Time'. Crews are only allowed 30 hours of Limbo Time per month by HOS regulations.
BaltACD Murphy Siding Does the crew get paid to ride in the van? Is that time considered part of their HOS? They are paid at the rate of the on track service they are performing for all time, that includes van rides to or from wherever the train may be. If the crew has gone HOS somewhere on line of road, the time from the expiration of HOS to their tie up at their final destination is considered 'Limbo Time'. Crews are only allowed 30 hours of Limbo Time per month by HOS regulations.
Murphy Siding Does the crew get paid to ride in the van? Is that time considered part of their HOS?
The cap on Limbo time does not require an employee to be held out of service. However, the railroad will usually do so (with pay) because if an employee who's reached the cap goes on Limbo time again, the railroad will be fined.
The cap on all hours worked in a month does require being held out for the remainder of the month if reached.
In my area, they will "flip" back crews instead of tying them up at the away terminal. It happens quite often on the east end. Boone crews going east to Clinton are flipped back home depending on the expected westbound trains that would go to that pool. It often leads to not enough Boone crews in Clinton, so sometimes they need to use a Clinton long pool crew or a Clinton extra board crew. The long pool crew will be cabbed to either Clinton or Missouri Valley, the extra board crew will be cabbed back to Clinton.
Jeff
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