BNSF hiring conductor/trainiee's

[Anonymous]

after visitiing the BNSF web site i see they are currently hiring conductor trainee's in four diffrent places, Alliance nebraska,gilletee wyoming, edgemont south dakota and denver. Out of these four places wich would be the best one to hire out of?

Also what can i expect after i do get hired?
thanks for the input.

[Anonymous]

Forget it. With the implementation of RCL operations new hires that started work in the last year are getting their walking papers. We've lost 15 engineer jobs in Denver and the result is a backward movement of senority. Engineers that can't hold jobs as engineers bumping back into train service. So forget it.Find something better to do with your life.

[Anonymous]

do you think that is a situation that will continue, that happened a CN and all the doom and gloom started and we still don't have enough trainmen, get your foot in the door and ride it out when you are young

[Anonymous]

Do you know what it means to work in fear, or intimidation? It means you are 'slave'. There is not much to look forward to with the R.R.'s any more for a newbie, I'm very sorry to say. The places you mention are bitter cold in winter, for working conditions, and before you are a conductor, you may be forced to work as a switchman for a couple of years with the possibility of using the remote control packs. Something that is most unpleasant. Check it out first! Go to the 'yard-offices' at the BNSF terminals you mentioned and talk to the fella's. Get their feedback. You will be investing alot of time in training. You don't want to do it for nothing! Best of luck...Hommie

[Anonymous]

I answered your post on annother forum you posted on....Read it. And yes furlough is a pain in the wallet.....

[Anonymous]

This is my third year as A conductor out of Los Angeles which has the the most jobs and lowest seniority on the system and I still get cut off 3 monthes out of the year ! Listen to these guys working for A class 1 SUCKS !! They supervise with force and imtimidation. I honestly feel that the BNSF is evil. But the money is good, when you are working !

[wabash1]

do your job and keep a low profile and they wont bother you. I was in trouble one time and after i come back to work they watch me for a month straight. just to see if they could catch me doing something. I finally had enough of it and had rule book in hip pocket, sure enought they was there watching me i stopped the movement and walked over to them. I pulled out the rule book and ask them to show me what rule i have been breaking, the respose was none. I then said that you have been watching and harrasiing me and if they cant give a reason for the survalancee then quit harassing me or we will be in lidigations by weeks end. Never had another problem. I do my job keep a low profile and nobody bothers me.

[KentinSD]

Which is best? Doesn't that depend on your lifestyle? Myself, I would like Gillette WY because the antelope hunting is great around there. Edgemont SD has good wild turkey hunting and is on the edge of the Black Hills. My least favorite would be Denver because I dilike living in big cities. So, there you go. You would probably have the least competition in Edgemont. I've stayed in South Dakota because it's non-union and has no state income tax. And superb duck hunting!


Kent in SD

[KentinSD]

Edgemont SD is hardly "bitter cold." It has a climate very similar to Kansas City. Even Gillette WY isn't all that cold. I live in eastern South Dakota where it regularly hits 20 below (sometimes -30's), but really, it's no big deal. We still go out ice fishing and goose hunting. Snowmobiling north of Edgemont is a blast! Consider the many benefits of living in low tax states like Wyoming and South Dakota, and the nearly non-existent crime. . . I will never live in California or back East. You can legally own a machine gun in Wyoming--cool!

Kent in SD

[Jackflash]

I'll go along with the no income tax and the
duck hunting

[Anonymous]

Hello Jason I am Rodney I am a conductor/breakman/switchman fir the BNSF in Galesburg IL. I hired out this year in January as for a location go for Edgmont SD. As far as what to expect the UTU conductor training course is 15 weeks that only teaches you how to use the GCOR rule book (2) Listen to the old heads that your instrucor assigns you to they have alot of knowledge about railroading (3) If you are not want your telephone ringing at all hours of the night do not do it it take a little adjustment to getting blasted out of bed getting ordered to go to work (4) Have fun but take the job seriously the men & women who have been there a while will joke with you and sometimes they will be grumpy but take it with a grain of salt (5) Be safe the bowl is an extreamly dangerous place i.e. tune your hearing up and get eyes in the back of your head along with the sides (6) study study the 280 question conductor permotion exam is hard and can take up to 6 hours to finish (7) After compleation of the 15 weeks be prepaired to work alot of extra boards and getting out on your rest after ariving at your home terminal (8) As for that area be prepaired to travel aroun the system to work there are alot of senior people there (9) Save some of your paychecks for layoff I work in Galesburg and have been lucky so far. Rodney

[Anonymous]

ITS NOT THAT THEIR AREN'T ANY JOBS, IT THE QUALITY OF LIFE THESE JOBS ENTAIL.

[Anonymous]

NUMBER 10) PREPAIR TO TRAINED TO BE A SCAB RCL OPERATER.

[edblysard]

Long hours, no rest, a rule book at least two inches thick, the opportunity to get a finger cut off, a few toes gone, maby even crushed to death a some of the most frustating, hellish working conditions in the most foul weather your can imagine. Married? not for long. Kids? only if they are allready grown up, because you will not be there christmas, thanksgiving, birthdays or anytime they need you. On of the first things you will see in your GCOR is a statement the the needs of the carrier come before the needs of the employee. It si no where near as much fun as the books and magazines make it out to be. If I wasnt as old as I am, (44) and hadent invested as much time into it as I have (6 years) then I would find just about anyouther job I could. Good luck....

[Anonymous]

You have stayed in Sd because it is non union. And there would be less competition for a job in Edgemont. Kent you are talking out of your a**. I hired out in Edgemont and the seniority runs high. You don't like unions, huh. Would you like to compare paychecks. And you are ignorant...SD is not non union, it is a right to work state. Get it right idiot!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Jason, I hired out in Edgemont and the truth is that you'll be lucky to hold there 3mos out of the year. Gees Rodney, 6hrs to complete the Cond. test. Wow, I finished mine in 2 and scored a 98...............