coborn35 jimhandsome: I am conductor/switchman for a RailAmerica shortline... The duties of a conductor vary depending on what type of operation you're working in. I, for example, wear several hats over the course of the day. I handle the switching duties, radio communication, customer relations, paperwork, and anything else that goes with getting my job over the road. Most class 1 conductors will not switch a train after they are out of training. They step on a built train, handle the radio work, walk their train if there is a problem and step off and the next crew change point. I have seen had heard several female conductors on the class 1's we work with. I have only seen 1 female come through our railroad. She had a baby and has not returned since. I think working for a shortline is better for a person with a family or who doesn't want to travel or sit for extended periods of time. I think the class 1's are for people who want the big money and are not tied down to much at their home terminal. Once you hold a job or are in a pool your life gets better. While you're on the extra board you can kiss your life goodbye. Tell her to go for it! Im not sure why you think that, but it couldnt be farther from the truth!
jimhandsome: I am conductor/switchman for a RailAmerica shortline... The duties of a conductor vary depending on what type of operation you're working in. I, for example, wear several hats over the course of the day. I handle the switching duties, radio communication, customer relations, paperwork, and anything else that goes with getting my job over the road. Most class 1 conductors will not switch a train after they are out of training. They step on a built train, handle the radio work, walk their train if there is a problem and step off and the next crew change point. I have seen had heard several female conductors on the class 1's we work with. I have only seen 1 female come through our railroad. She had a baby and has not returned since. I think working for a shortline is better for a person with a family or who doesn't want to travel or sit for extended periods of time. I think the class 1's are for people who want the big money and are not tied down to much at their home terminal. Once you hold a job or are in a pool your life gets better. While you're on the extra board you can kiss your life goodbye. Tell her to go for it!
I am conductor/switchman for a RailAmerica shortline...
The duties of a conductor vary depending on what type of operation you're working in. I, for example, wear several hats over the course of the day. I handle the switching duties, radio communication, customer relations, paperwork, and anything else that goes with getting my job over the road. Most class 1 conductors will not switch a train after they are out of training. They step on a built train, handle the radio work, walk their train if there is a problem and step off and the next crew change point.
I have seen had heard several female conductors on the class 1's we work with. I have only seen 1 female come through our railroad. She had a baby and has not returned since.
I think working for a shortline is better for a person with a family or who doesn't want to travel or sit for extended periods of time. I think the class 1's are for people who want the big money and are not tied down to much at their home terminal.
Once you hold a job or are in a pool your life gets better. While you're on the extra board you can kiss your life goodbye.
Tell her to go for it!
Im not sure why you think that, but it couldnt be farther from the truth!
Coborn35 is right. I'm a class 1 railroader and do a ton of switching. I ride mainline freights too, and guess what, we also do work on those. Class 1's are for people who want big money and aren't tied down to much at their home terminal? Nope you're way off. I do make big money though.
Let's get one fact straight about railroad employment - any job - any position
It's about making money!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD Let's get one fact straight about railroad employment - any job - any position It's about making money!
Correct Sir. Money is the motivator out here.
Georgia Railroader snipped] My schedule is rough on family life. I spend my holidays and weekends in a hotel or on a train . . .
- Paul North.
Paul_D_North_Jr Georgia Railroader: snipped] My schedule is rough on family life. I spend my holidays and weekends in a hotel or on a train . . . After some of the past few holidays spent with various relatives of the extended familes, that starts to seem like an attractive aspect of the job . . . - Paul North.
Georgia Railroader: snipped] My schedule is rough on family life. I spend my holidays and weekends in a hotel or on a train . . .
That sentiment has been expressed by a few of my fellow rails before.
Jeff
I worked for the Union pacific for a year and that was more than enough for me. I went in around 2002. Started as a switchman, then conductor, and finally a hostler. The pay sucked. The 6 weeks of training was minimum wage! I was making around $14.00 a hour under the union contract after training. I had no benefits of any kind for the first year and the union dues were $100.00 a month.
After 3 months there was only 3 people left from the original 16 new hires. Another month and there was just two of us. Everyone else had long quit with the majority of them leaving the first month.
If you are on call then your personal life is over. Not only is it over but you can't go anywhere where it takes 2 hours or more to get back to the rail yard. You have to be there in 2 hours or less if they call you up. You will be working every shift during the week and all hours of the day and night.
Despite the awful hours, walking on hard rock all day long, standing in the rain and snow at 3AM, and all the other problems. The one thing I could not stand the most the constant complaining and moaning and groaning from the Engineers and the others who worked there. They would complain about everything from the chairs, computers, lockers, weather. locomotives, track, signals, radios, and anything and everything for 8 straight hours. Then if they were not complaining about that it was about the Union contract or the pay they were making. Never in my life have I heard such a bunch of whiners.
Few people find railroad life ideal anymore. I was also told by my trainer that over half the people who retire from the railroad die with in the first 6 months. That is pretty amazing.
I love trains and spend a lot of time riding them. But I can honestly say working for the railroad was the most unpleasant job I have ever had and would never go back to that life again. I know of few companies that require someone to be on call 24 hours, working in all weather conditions, and working around equipment where one slip could end your life. If they do require all these things they are paying you big bucks.
Thomas 9011 I worked for the Union pacific for a year and that was more than enough for me. I went in around 2002. Started as a switchman, then conductor, and finally a hostler. The pay sucked. The 6 weeks of training was minimum wage! I was making around $14.00 a hour under the union contract after training. I had no benefits of any kind for the first year and the union dues were $100.00 a month. After 3 months there was only 3 people left from the original 16 new hires. Another month and there was just two of us. Everyone else had long quit with the majority of them leaving the first month. If you are on call then your personal life is over. Not only is it over but you can't go anywhere where it takes 2 hours or more to get back to the rail yard. You have to be there in 2 hours or less if they call you up. You will be working every shift during the week and all hours of the day and night. Despite the awful hours, walking on hard rock all day long, standing in the rain and snow at 3AM, and all the other problems. The one thing I could not stand the most the constant complaining and moaning and groaning from the Engineers and the others who worked there. They would complain about everything from the chairs, computers, lockers, weather. locomotives, track, signals, radios, and anything and everything for 8 straight hours. Then if they were not complaining about that it was about the Union contract or the pay they were making. Never in my life have I heard such a bunch of whiners. Few people find railroad life ideal anymore. I was also told by my trainer that over half the people who retire from the railroad die with in the first 6 months. That is pretty amazing. I love trains and spend a lot of time riding them. But I can honestly say working for the railroad was the most unpleasant job I have ever had and would never go back to that life again. I know of few companies that require someone to be on call 24 hours, working in all weather conditions, and working around equipment where one slip could end your life. If they do require all these things they are paying you big bucks.
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It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Was probably even tougher before cell phones. I knew an engineer back in 1980...he literally could not leave the house because the railroad might call him in to work. So he did alot of reading while he was waiting...just about every wall in his house had a bookshelf, and he had become a learned authority on a number of subjects as a result.
After some of the past few holidays spent with various relatives of the extended familes, that starts to seem like an attractive aspect of the job . . .
LMAO!! So true
Wow you spent a whole year on the RR and complain about those who have a right to complain Blah. Well at least you realized this lifestyle wasn't for you and moved on. The RR is a little different once you're standing on this side of the tracks isn't it?
Hi all
I did not see a post about current pay. What are those in training paid? What are some typical rates for a new conductor and an engineer with say five - ten years on the job? How does over time work, if you are on the job for the full 12 hours, is four of it overtime? What is the typical annual salary for a class I road conductor or engineer. Are there health and vacation benefits?
rrbrewer Hi all I did not see a post about current pay. What are those in training paid? What are some typical rates for a new conductor and an engineer with say five - ten years on the job? How does over time work, if you are on the job for the full 12 hours, is four of it overtime? What is the typical annual salary for a class I road conductor or engineer. Are there health and vacation benefits?
Depends on your working agreements. One size does not fit all. Speaking from experience our locals which are based on 100 mile days make overtime after 8hrs. Our mainline trains get it after 12 and a half hours due to higher mileage(190 miles). Depending on how long you've been out here we make anywhere from $185 -$350 a day on locals before OT. Mainline $275-$400+ one way. If we deadhead back home or when we catch the next train out multiply that number X two, plus whatever meals and detention time we make. Detention time is $155 -$275 roughly , for 8 hrs. The higher the mileage, the more you make per trip, but OT wont kick in until much later. Lower mileage jobs pay less but you will get OT sooner, usually after 8 hrs.
Training pay again depends on which RR you work for. NS pays $1200 every two weeks while training. You are not entitled to OT or any other claims. You do get paid meals and gas mileage when they apply.
Engineers get a weekend differential when they go out of town on the weekend. Also when called for a job at an outlying point we get a deadhead plus gas mileage. I have made around $500 a day working these types of jobs, OT and mileage add up, plus getting penalty claims for various things but that's another story.
One week of vacation after your first year(you do have to have X number of days worked in order to qualify) Two weeks after two years, and after 25 years you get 5 weeks which is the max. Benefits are far better than most places of employment, again it depends on who you work for.
We have conductors at 80% who are knocking down $70K a year, and engineers who are making six figures.
One can see why the railroads can afford to be selective about who they hire. If you can work, those pay rates are great. Starting out might be tough and at low pay, but that's true of every job.. I think the key to success in any line of work is to stick it out and hang around long enough so that you eventually reap the benefits. Too many people quit and jump around from job to job and career to career and never manage to get past the initial rough 5 years.
Ulrich One can see why the railroads can afford to be selective about who they hire. If you can work, those pay rates are great. Starting out might be tough and at low pay, but that's true of every job.. I think the key to success in any line of work is to stick it out and hang around long enough so that you eventually reap the benefits. Too many people quit and jump around from job to job and career to career and never manage to get past the initial rough 5 years.
This is true, the first few years can be bad, and some people who spent 4 years and thousands of dollars for college are unemployed while I'm working and all I did was graduate high school. I wont say the RR is the best a person can do with only a HS education but it certainly has been good to me. I'm here to stay.
If you can stick it out the pay will be really good. One person from our group did stick it out and he as been with the UP for over 9 years. He said he was making around $68,000 a year.
One thing to remember and something that is extremely important when working for the railroads. They have their own retirement which is recognized by the Federal government. What that means is when you start working for the railroad your Social security money stops going to the government. If you quit under 5 years of working for the railroad all that money you paid to the railroad goes to them and you don't get it back and it is not transfered into your Social security fund. So be careful. You have the chance to loose 5 years of Social security money which you never get back.
Thomas 9011 If you can stick it out the pay will be really good. One person from our group did stick it out and he as been with the UP for over 9 years. He said he was making around $68,000 a year. One thing to remember and something that is extremely important when working for the railroads. They have their own retirement which is recognized by the Federal government. What that means is when you start working for the railroad your Social security money stops going to the government. If you quit under 5 years of working for the railroad all that money you paid to the railroad goes to them and you don't get it back and it is not transfered into your Social security fund. So be careful. You have the chance to loose 5 years of Social security money which you never get back.
Money paid in by employees who do not have 10 years railroad employment does not "go to the railroads", rather it remains in the funds. That is exactly the same way SSI works.
Because the total employee/employer payment to Railroad Retirement is greater than SSI, the retirament benefits from Railroad Retirement are also greater.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
Further and clarification:
Tier 1 Railroad Retirement payments in and benefits are the same as Social Security. Currently employees pay 4.2% and employers pay 6.2% percent of employee annual earnings up $110,100. Unless Congress and the Administration extends the 2% reduction of employee SSI/RRB withholding, the employee rate will return to 6.2% on March 1, 2012.
The Tier 2 payment is 3.9% for employees and 12.1% for employers up to annual employee earnings of $81,900. The Tier 2 funds go to the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust, an independent non-profit entity established by Federal Law. In many respects, Tier 2 functions the same as many state and municipal retirement plans, with the trust making prudent investment in a variety of debt (bond) and equity (stock) securities.
Dear Georgia Railroader
I'm from Houston, TX and am writing an online article about railroad jobs. I would like to have the input of someone who actually works on the railroad for those who may be considering entering this field. I know that RR life is often pretty strenuous and unpredictable, but I was attracted to your comment that "for the most part I still enjoy my job".
I would like to include some positive comments in my article about working for the railroad and was wondering if you would be interested in contributing a comment/personal remarks. If so, once I have completed the article, I would send it to you for your review before publishing it.
Thank you for giving this your consideration.
Respectfully,
Debbie McCabe
debbiehoustontex@aol.com
debbiehoustontex Dear Georgia Railroader I'm from Houston, TX and am writing an online article about railroad jobs. I would like to have the input of someone who actually works on the railroad for those who may be considering entering this field. I know that RR life is often pretty strenuous and unpredictable, but I was attracted to your comment that "for the most part I still enjoy my job". I would like to include some positive comments in my article about working for the railroad and was wondering if you would be interested in contributing a comment/personal remarks. If so, once I have completed the article, I would send it to you for your review before publishing it. Thank you for giving this your consideration. Respectfully, Debbie McCabe debbiehoustontex@aol.com
Hhhmmm, possibly, maybe. Who are you with?
Railroading for new conductors in my opinion is complicated. If you are unfamiliar with railroad life it can be a big adjustment. While working the railroad can be interesting, rewarding, and challenging, it can really mess up your personal life. It will take a long time to gain seniority thus those jobs that have weekends off will be out of your reach. You will get stuck working the jobs that most people do not what to work. You will be working from the extra board being on call 24/7. It will be very hard to plan for dates, or future events. Despite this there is a potential to make a lot of money!
On CSX you spend 7 weeks at the REDI Center (Railroad Education and Development Institution) in Atlanta, GA. In which they teach you the basics of railroading, along with company values. Then you spend 3 months in the division in which you will work learning all the jobs on every subdivision, along with learning the territory. I will say it is a lot of information to retain in 3 months! Honestly once a new hire "marks up" is when they really learn the most. While you are training the different jobs you get matched with many different people, and not all of them are good teachers, some of them look down upon cubs or new hires. There are people that will let a new hire do anything they feel comfortable with. For the three months you are on probation, so don't get hurt or screw up!! Then after that you will be a certified conductor you mark up most likely on an extra board. Sadly you have to were a yellow hat for 1 year :( which I hated when I went through it because it was like a big target). Then after 6 months if you are working from a yard extra board you will more than likely go through RCO (Remote Control Operator) training. Which lasts about five weeks. You will start out at 75 percent pay, with a five percent increase every year until you get to 100 percent. Your medical insurance starts at six months, and dental and vision starts at 1 year. You will get 1 week vacation, your first year. There is a possibility that you could be furloughed. I was for 1 year in 2007. If you can gut out all the flim flam, in the end it is rewarding.
7 weeks in the classroom and 3 months to learn the actual job.
Wow.
Ive worked for UP as a conductor/engineer for six years now. I can tell you being in train and engine service on a railroad is not a job or even a career, its a life style. If she is used to having set days off, working during the day, being home for the holidays, being around for important milestones like birthdays, anniversary's, etc. forget it. Some days Ill get home and be dead tired, but the lawn needs mowed, groceries to buy or whatever the case might be, and by the time all of those things have been accomplished, the phone is ringing and its the railroad calling you to make another 250 mile run all night and then be at the away from home terminal for only god knows how long. The work really isn't tough, your being paid mostly for all the inconveniences you experience. If your working in a yard or on a road local you'll get a little dirty from climbing up and down equipment all day long and of course your hot in the summer, cold in the winter. Railroads have a knack for calling out difficult jobs and moves in the middle of the night and at the worst time. You can expect to be spotting a unit train at a grain elevator in the middle of the night while its pouring rain, etc. Again, your being paid for inconvenience. Some things have changed since the days of cabooses and brakemen but not much, the Conductor is still responsible for the safe movement of the train and its freight, and the basic hand signals are still the same along with your basic radio communications, car counts, etc. The Conductor handles mostly all the paperwork anymore, clerks are going the way of the dodo bird. If something goes wrong the conductor will be the one trekking through 3 ft. of snow to find the problem (air hose, hot wheel or axle, dragging equipment). Expect furloughs, even if the human resources person who interviews you says that they are really busy and needs lots of people I can assure you there's a good chance their lying or greatly exaggerating. Railroads have been burned in the past for not having enough people when business picks up so they hire loads of people at one time and then lay them off expecting them to come back when they need them. UP and NS are known for this. I think the hardest part of the job is sleep management, if you have the option to work in a yard you may have an easier time knowing when to sleep but being on the road, especially an extra board where you can be called at anytime makes it difficult. Again, its not a job, but more or less a lifestyle. Ive seen several people that have had regular jobs along with a wife and family, and they're world gets turned so upside down that they end up divorced and quitting I was not married when I started on the railroad so all my wife knows is the railroad life which really helps. Of course you can always do other things on the railroad, a large majority of railroad jobs have set shifts, days off, and promote more of a normal life unlike being a conductor or engineer. I wish your daughter the best of luck.
wyldmanr8cer [snipped] . . . The work really isn't tough, your being paid mostly for all the inconveniences you experience. . . . Again, your being paid for inconvenience. . . .
Thomas 9011 Few people find railroad life ideal anymore. I was also told by my trainer that over half the people who retire from the railroad die with in the first 6 months. That is pretty amazing.
I won't disagree with your comments about whiners but I take complete issue with the above comment. Being a retired railroader myself, I know that isn't remotely true. Of course, there are those it has happened to, I've known a few but I've also known a few who kept working despite being sick, only retiring when they were too sick to continue. I think this comment is "pants on fire" false.
I agree with Valley X. Trainers will tell you anything.
Another thing I didn't agree with was whoever said that when weather conditions have the highways shut down and state police and the like are ordering everyone off the highways, railroaders are exempt. I will say that it never happened to me personally but I do know of two cases where the employee was told that they were to go straight home, they (law enforcement) didn't care who they worked for, they were going to drive any farther on the highway.
Both individuals went home and called the railroad and that was that, nothing was ever said.
Ulrich:How does this thread compare to the challenges of hiring and retaining good people in your industry? I would think there are a number of similarities.
One of my trucking customer's biggest challenges seems to be driver turnover.
Ed
MP173 The differance in OTR and RR is one thing PAY and in RR you will get to see your family for more than 34 hours in a week normally. That and your time off is NOT spent in a 6 foot box attached to your Work area where your still attached to the load you are carrying and your Bosses at anytime can and WILL beep you via a Qualcom device saying GET MOVING the SECOND that your 10 hour break is over. That is the NORMAL day of a OTR Driver.
Plus an OTR driver has to deal with if the truck is messed up the company REFUSES to repair it he gets placed OOS the FINE IS AGAINST HIM NOT THE COMPANY. He is the one that gets hammered on his CVSA scale his MVR his Service record yet he was the one that Tried to get it FIXED and the COMPANY SAID NO.
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