BNSF engineer gives behind-the-scenes look at life working for the railroad

[@brucelove1426]

Thank You, for making light of this situation! The Railroad will never let this info be known,on their own! I retired after 43 years as Engineer. But it was a long road,I worked my way up, in just about every craft on the RR. To those that are still working for RR, stay safe,. I am praying for your safety everyday. Have a blessed day!

[@larrystarkey2899]

Lived it , managed to retire. No misrepresented issues here. You stay strong sir. There is life after the class 1.

[@adahop7663]

all 5 years of it

[@Fernando-j9o]

I mean if you managed to retire it wasn’t that bad

[@jamesa6272]

Did it for 10 years at csx. Road and yard. Mostly road. Quit and now work for a passenger railroad and I’m 100% happier and make double the money and home every night

[@cole7695]

nice! I’d you don’t mind, what passenger railroad do you work for and are you an engineer?

[@AlanWolf-d7l]

CPKC issues will very likely bring in more foreign workers. Dont like it son is now on spare board. Lol. Wants hrs drive 3 hrs at own time and expense lol. Lots of safety issues. Yes NO cinductor ( considrred more of just a " training position " ) What Million $$ of equip And only make revenue when freight is being transported safely Yes over conserned about a few $$ on labour. Should be more conserned about " Downtime" being very very expensuve. Its NOT just what u pay somone Its what they can " cost" Yes. Truck Co farmers etc. Good quality help is worth it in the long run. Can " nickel and dime " a biz to death. Often only cost slightly more to do a task " 1st class" its its worth doing. Do it correctly the 1st time. Often is the best choice. But NO " bean counters" ( accountantants can see the " forest for the trees" pay Ceo 20M bonus lol but cant afford to make sure equip / bridges etc up tp quality std. Lol Start using Drones even ahead of the train more. Give the conductor more to do. Fly tte Drine etc. Long trains and what person walks for over a mike lol. No proper tail lights. Refelctirs are inadequite in stormy weather ( snow from track etc ) Urban people MSM etc dont understand this. Old fashioned " cow catchers " but Now what. European style LRT in Cdn. But NO cross arms for vehicle or pedestrians lol. Yes right at Silly Hall Calgary Ab. Home to CPKC. Watch out. No washrooms for Seniors etc. Not chained off between LRT cars like in NY etc. No security while students party on Frid night. But yeh check tickets Sunday at noon. ( yeh maybe a Senior had to use washroom some where else Now " over their 90min limit" on way back from a church lol. Yes CT cop likelt thought i had NO valid ticket. Yes will talk to our City councilor. Others security sitting in coffee shops. LoL. CP KC coming into city limits real fast. Did NOT throttle back. No opperator waved. Yeh they have washrrom on the Freight train. LRT have " staff washrrom " at platforms. ( no doors on platforms like MInepolis airpport ) lots of issues. CPKC now testing locomotves at BC mine site ( all off road large mine trucks are Robotic ) yes in Australia now too ( in outback) coming to a freight train near you too. Can stop a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier But can NOT stop a runaway freight train really ?? Yeh steel wheel on steel track ( low friction good for moving heavy freight) NOT very good for emergency stopping. Yes we can do better. 1 403 830 4124 Calgary Ab Cdn. No real inprovement since steam trains and Westinghouse air brake. Dont even have as good a " cow catcher" UK passenger train derailed due to a cow on the track lol. We dont even have the "old fashioned lift arm signal " Operator blinded by sunlight. Ran a red light. People killed. Dispatcher couldnt have equip to shut down both trains. Yes they do have this type equip. But they " choose to NOT" have emergency stopping like this ( Hinton Ab passenger / freight train over 25 yrs ago ) yes " Flat plate satellite antenna." Excuse was it wouod shut down every train in the Prov. Ok. rather risk killing people. NO. Its just excuses. Rather risk wrecking a few Million $$ of equip. Trying to "nickel and dime" Downtime is criticial. Should have service truck fl with Drones etc both front and rear. With mechanics. But NO thats extra $$ rather risk Millions $$ and lives too. Utter nonsense. 1 403 830 4124

[@kawasakiz76]

Ive been on the railroad 27 years, 25 as engineer. From my experience, the pay was better 20 years ago before we had 10 hour mandatory rest periods. Also, the yonger guys have it way better now with a 7 day bid cycle. When i was a young conductor they had 30 day rolls i would often get rolled 30 times in an hour. Times have changed for sure.

[@patrickbroussard5360]

Did 30 years of that life and don’t missed any of it. Sometimes I do miss not having to plan life months ahead of time.

[@pauliedweasel]

I retired from the BNSF Railway in April 2021 and I’m glad I’m gone. Since I left I’ve heard that they cut back the staffing level in the car inspection department that inspects and repairs defects in rail road cars on outbound trains to half it’s previous levels but they were still expected to do the same amount of work and it sounds like they are making the same type of cut backs in other departments. So when you hear about the latest major derailment don’t be surprised to hear that it was due to equipment defects or failures.

[@bunnyman6321]

Damn

[@DarkLink1996]

Yep. Corporate bigwigs keep cutting and cutting to pad their bottom dollar

[@bushballistics329]

They were just trying to recruit me, but I'm a single mom so not happening. Hvac Journeyman for 20 years hanging and banging and then RV technician. This company seen my résumé and they are on me. It doesn't look like I wanna do this so thank you very much!!

[@briggsjos]

The trucking and rail industry are both under appreciated and over abused and our government doesn't care. They'd rather make laws against the equipment operators themselves than the company or other parts of the industry.

[@TenPinTrucker]

Exactly!

[@classicxl]

Only difference is people who work in the rail industry are well compensated vs us truck drivers and they don’t have to deal with all the idiots on the roads trying to kill us every day . Sure being in call 24/7 365 sucks but they get well paid for it

[@Paul070]

​@classicxl depends on the railroad you work for. We have to deal with idiotic management all day long, so you could probably pick and chose your poison. I was able to retire early on a medical disability after 21+ years of service on a class 1.

[@benhawkins4245]

Living in the UK where companies are legally obligated to provide 28 days of paid vacation by the government (not to mention unlimited paid sick days (within reason)), the land of the free really doesnt look very free to me. Unless you're the company then you're completely free to treat your workers like crap

[@Th3M4larky]

So the 28 days is paid by the govt, not the employer? Here in USA, benefits are up to the employer so it varies a lot, and i think employers should be required to provide a minimum of 10-15 days PTO. 28 days is pretty good. Our labor laws needs re-work to better the quality of life of employees / sub contractors but our govt is corrupt to the point it's basically unfixable. We're already debt slaves thru fiat currency.

[@benhawkins4245]

@@Th3M4larky sorry I worded that badly, the 28 days is enforced by the government but paid by the employer and the same goes for the sick days

[@Th3M4larky]

@@benhawkins4245 Roger that 👍

[@GS-zc4sk]

This garbage has been going on since the Rockefellers were public figures.

[@nonyafkinbznes1420]

Really wish our government cared more about protecting its workforce than protecting Europe.

[@NickNastasi-ib1on]

I work for a shortline in NJ, best decision i ever made. I start at the same time everyday with weekends off. Occasionally I'll get asked if i want to work an extra job on a weekend if it's needed and I'll normally take it. Been doing this for 11 years this year. Sure the pay is less but im home every night. So happy i never went to a class 1

[@jakedergeist]

what class would you be considered in?

[@NickNastasi-ib1on]

@@jakedergeist I believe we're considered to be a class 2 cus we're regional

[@2Hot2Furious]

B- Best N-not S- Start a F- Family. 😂😂

[@bdamon365]

Wow

[@KingOfShenanigan]

Solidarity with striking workers!

[@jackoesterlejr.3454]

Amen! I'm retired @ Chrysler U.A.W. Local 136

[@CpsLock3]

Rail Van driver here, I will just tell you working with the railroad can have its ups and downs (money seemingly being a positive), When you go over your 10 hours of driving (and you will) you are put on rest for 9 hours, god help you if it takes 50 minutes to commute from to the lot for your van. Almost everyone I work with fell asleep during the commute to the hotel/base

[@vellbariaofficial]

Thankful that my husband gave me so much hope to learn about them!

[@jimg6476]

I just retiredafter 53 years with the SP and UP. My first 19 years was on call 24 7 365. I had a physical once and the doctor asked how is your sleep cycle? Said am on call. He said you're in constant jet lag. It's a seniority system. If you don't have the seniority you get the weenie.

[@andre1987eph]

53 years! Wow. I don't have any words for that. Enjoy your retirement. 👍

[@rickydrone9274]

Congrats ! how old were you when you started and at what age was retirement?

[@kimobrien.]

Better Not Start a Family Railroad.

[@raysrails2164]

Good luck to you on your next contract.

[@nickwelchoff4677]

Did it with the FEC railroad for two years. Never thought I would say can’t wait to quit. No life at all.

[@floridaactor]

They now make much better money with the new contract, however, what good is the money if they can't enjoy their family? I was an airline crew member many years ago and we NEVER had to put up with hours like that...even on reserve! Quality of life issues trump a raise in pay, in my opinion!

[@robertmason7553]

I was going to apply to BNSF in Nebraska and I heard about being on call all the time and getting hardly anytime off and I said maybe in the after life. I love trains and would to work on them and for them just for the love of trains. I dont even care about a pay. I just love trains.

[@ajax7ox729]

They should work for free

[@pauliedweasel]

I retired from the BNSF in mid 2021 and up until the late 2010s I would heartily recommend to young people looking for a good career to apply at the railroad it during the last 3 to 4 years I was there the attitude of management change dramatically to the point that everything was all about profits and quality of work life be damned. The railroad made a lot of big talk about inclusivity in its work force but two young women that recommended to apply for engineering jobs in the railroad didn’t even make it through the online automated application process and as a result were never given the chance to do an in person interview to to if they had the potential to do the job. BNSF and all the other big railroads are just a lot of bluster looking for people they can use up and cast aside like trash to make room for the next group of expendables… Profit above all else.

[@robertmason7553]

@@pauliedweasel Im 52 now. Too late for me.

[@andrewc1199]

Volunteer at a railroad museum instead.

[@Railroadracer49]

Same

[@harryknutts8428]

im a trucker and im on the road most of the time , trucking is my life but i like it some people are home bodies and some are drifters by nature

[@wavesnbikes]

Management used to be Graduated Railroaders that were promoted as such. Today, greedy shareholders dictate college kids go to management, they never worked the hustle and lack what it is to be a soldier Train Crewmember. FRA does a poor job on this. Unions have been bought by corporations long time ago. These brave men and women of the rails keep our stuff at the supermarket, keep fuel at our gas stations and keep us warm and comfy in our homes. They also keep a lot of trucks of our roads, making them safer. Next time you see a Brakeman, Engineer or Conductor, have a lot of respect for them.

[@artiedelimitros9443]

Honestly though if someone really wants to work for the railroad that’s not that competitive resume wise, now is the time to hire out as their desperate for help. Pre Covid and years past it was very hard to hire on with the railroad.

[@locomotiveproductions]

I wish they could make a lot of money, that the companies would actually care for the workers and the railroad, and have like 1 week on 3-4 days off at home

[@cj4276]

I worked as a BNSF Conductor out of Los Angeles. Being a Conductor on the road was probably the best job that I ever had. I truly hated working yard jobs, didn't really care for the yard crews since most shoot for working 12 hours by dragging out their moves or taking naps on the locomotive while moving cars somewhere. But on the road, I worked with an awesome group of guys & girls.

[@railfangarrett6313]

When first hired on with them, how long was the hiring process once you applied?

[@KOOLEE88]

@ngarrett6313 I got my application acceptance to proceed to an interview, took 2 weeks. Next week I interview and assuming I pass all the other things I'll be offered a position for Conductor Trainee. Not sure the timeline for training.

[@railfangarrett6313]

@KOOLEE88 Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

[@ljstouchofcountry262]

@@KOOLEE88after you had your interview how quickly were you hired and sent for your physical testing

[@EricBrueggeman-f3s]

Everybody else gets a protest but the railroad and truckers I guess

[@illtreui]

It's weird because its really a simple solution. Take care of employees and they always take care of you. Bad companies loose so much money in turnover and injuries due to treatment, pay and being overworked. It just shows up different on a budget and sometimes they can write it off so they continue to abuse employees. One decent strike (legal or not) that really disrupts the economy would change things quick. I'm not one for tons of government regulation but I support protecting the workforce from terrible employers

[@trainknightt]

It’s not even just BNSF. Almost every class 1 railroad is like this. Absolutely shitty how this was not followed up with, seems that people really don’t realize how bad these workers are treated.

[@RoyADane]

Once upon a time, I considered applying for a railroad job. Not any more, and I'm single.

[@GS-zc4sk]

You'll spend your life wrestling for a better future that never comes and passes by.

[@joeygorillatag3841]

I don't understand the fact that people don't realize how unpredictable railroading can be.

[@riderheslep8717]

Agree

[@skidoorulz4914]

About as unpredictable as driving truck when your life is run by dispatcher receivers and shippers. Also about as unpredictable as any other job where you are on call 24 7 that is not regulated by mandatory time off between shifts. Don't like what you do find work elsewhere. Don't whine when you make well over 100K a year. It kind of falls on deaf ears to those of us who make half that or less annually and take call 24 7. And I love my job

[@EdmontonRails]

Railways are allowed to increase staffing so that workers have a higher chance of actually getting the time and consistency needed to sleep between shifts. Instead there's a fatigue-caused accident every 5 minutes and the company gaslights the workers into thinking the accident is their fault when they have 5 hours of sleep in the past 3 days and have experienced terminal jet lag / minimum sleep quality for the past 20 years of their life. You're right that railroading is unpredictable, so it's time that railways actually take the steps to respond accordingly to that unpredictability.

[@Live2ride2live54321]

I don’t understand why it’s news… it’s not like these policies weren’t in place prior to getting the job.

[@zackbobby5550]

​@Live2ride2live54321 Actually for a guy like in the video, many of these attendance policies absolutely were NOT in place before he started there. Over just the last few years, railroads have implemented a large amount of new and aggressive programs designed to drain even more from even less employees.

[@truth1-9]

I work for them a year later and thus is still going on.

[@KOOLEE88]

How is it?

[@olsonsinoverdrive5153]

After 20 yrs as an engineer on a class 1. One morning I woke in a hotel and decided I wasn’t going to continue this modern day slavery. I quit in 2012. Best thing I ever did. I feel for you guys.

[@ChachaChapati]

I must really suck, because I'm still applying to BNSF, and despite my holding a bachelor's degree, no criminal record, and never having been fired from a job, they still reject my application within a few days of my applying. Perhaps it's for the best.

[@Tricia1869]

Please 🙏🏼 see that as a blessing in disguise. If you are interested in a job with the railroad why don't you consider Amtrak?

[@jacksonwhittier3646]

​@@Tricia1869I heard that's where a lot of engineers from the freight railroads end up going!

[@EngineerRailMan]

It’s best to apply for Amtrak or Commuter Railroads

[@fiberrabit8229]

Bnsf rejected me 4 times, get UP hired me for conductor my first try in kansas city. Really wierd how bnsf is. I even had a buddy in there vouching for me!

[@albertalves3693]

HS diploma worked for BNSF 4 years...then furloughed after the crash in 2009 never went back.....

[@lesviolin]

This situation is horrible for these workers! These are not just a quality of life issues but life itself with the forced lack of sleep safety issues! And the sick leave policy? I had no idea. Stand strong workers!!!

[@JeffC-fq1be]

Problems, not "issues."

[@LeslieDawnKnowles]

@@JeffC-fq1be you are correct, big problems

[@District_1073]

They wanted to have the job

[@District_1073]

They wanted to have the job

[@DarkLink1996]

It gets worse. Union Pacific wanted to have 1 person charge of an entire train

[@cody8217]

One year later and not a thing has changed.

[@JeffTiberend]

I'm just a van driver hauling UP crews around. These crews work their asses off with little respect for their personal life. I have a lot of respect for what these guys do. It just makes me angry how corporate America has stacked the deck against the working man/woman, while making the jobs of railroad crews harder. I was shocked when I heard that UP uses drones to what(really spy) on what their workers are doing instead of getting out into the yards and being involved and supportive.

[@clineshaunt]

Out of curiosity, was it like this during the 50s or did they have more time off?

[@rkr7372]

I work mechanical at a hell hole in Topeka Kansas when it comes to safety it’s not about the employees it’s about being self insured RR’s don’t have workmans comp to fall back on.

[@juancampanur7548]

People have the power. No one is forcing anyone to work there .Remember folks family memories come once in a lifetime, you can’t replace them and you can’t make up for them, been there done that it’s not worth it

[@pyxella]

So cute 😝

[@JS1Nonly]

Poor baby. On the short lines before cell phones, we were still subject to 24 calls to work. We would have to work more than 21 days before we could take a day off, many times at 0 degrees or lower temperatures. Yes, the railroads could improve, but I never heard anyone cry louder than a road man. Having said all that, I would like to thank him for letting others know how the railroads treated us. I also applaud him for his bravery because, for speaking out, he was taking a number of serious risks with his job.

[@artgreen6915]

Having to arrange a medical visit 30 days in advance is crazy. What if you have really concerning symptoms including pain or bleeding or whatever it may be and time may be of the essence. What if it starts to impact your energy levels and working the hours becomes a strain endangering your work, which might be alleviated with treatment that can't even start because there's no opportunity to diagnose you?

[@that1snare]

I had a vague idea of how this system worked, but this is worse than I expected. Vacation time should be a right.

[@bunnyman6321]

Any updates on this?

[@drunkdonutboy]

I didn't work nearly as long as most of those have and I was scratching my head how so many guys would be hating a 6 figure job with no education...but it is absolute misery more often than not and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It gave me a lot of perspective they can pay you as much as they want it's not worth it.

[@boog567]

How ironic that they have cameras in the cab but that the airlines don't have them in the cockpits. They've talked about cameras in the cockpits but airline unions have so far shut it down. Shows the power and pull that airline unions have. Take my word, if they had cameras in the cockpit most of it would be of the pilots flying on autopilot, drinking coffee and playing on their tablets. If you like traveling, having days off and staying in nice hotels apply at the airlines not the railroads. First year pay is around 70-80 K now, balloons on up from there and the higher your seniority the better it gets. Speaking from experience. I'm still a train foamer tho. It's just a hobby.

[@CS-np2oo]

As someone in aviation over 23 years. You are on voice recorder up front. There are down times,but all this playing games and blah, blah is not true. You WILL be required to work and ANSWER the radios. Have your eyes peeled for traffic and monitor the weather visually besides radar if need be. You'll have a dispatcher who will be assisting in all this, but it's not hours of guys flat out sleeping. You'll be required to answer and respond to ATC. Failing to do so will get you F-16 escort quickly in the posr 9/11 era. Then, of course, you have the random FAA checkride. He will check that your license is on your person ,you can not operate an aircraft without it. He'll hang out over your shoulder and make sure you're competent in your craft. Then, there is the random drug test. I had surgery once that required me to be out about a month and a half. I was immediately drug tested randomly in the first week and a half back at work. Gotta make sure you're not out there experimenting during your time off. Other than that...your Trans Atlantic and Trans Pacific trips can be sheer boredom at times. 99% of the men and women up front are consumate professionals ,train rigorously throughout the year, and take the profession seriously. If anything, the Unions advocate for safety over profit.

[@CS-np2oo]

And Airlines are senority too. Vacation. Days off. Where you are based. Will be determined by senority. I did the commuting thing. Lived in Texas. Commuted to Arizona. It will wear you down. Looking at 20+ years if you think you're getting a nice 9-5 in aviation.

[@6680thSOG]

To defend your misguided view of Aviation. As someone who works in aviation and has for 25 years from the ramp to the front end , it's not a glamorous job. I worked a 6 on 3 off 10.5 hour shift in all weather with jet fuel, jet blast moving propellers and rude people, and insane schedules, not to mention putting between 10-18000 steps a day. As crew, The "nice hotels" aren't so nice and the perks SUCK as does random drug tests and the stress of flying into airspace like LA, NY, London etc where there's 30 aircraft in the airspace, no room for error and constant stress, especially if you get the "i have a number for you to call" speech That being said, the railroaders at C1s have it WORSE in some cases. most all of do either because we love it, but I can't wait to get out. Respect to railroaders. PS. The biggest thing we have in common is "foamers" aka "spottibois" many (not all) who interrupt operations, get in the way, don't care about security or safety or privacy.

[@6680thSOG]

​@CS-np2oo facts...Now days though, been in over 25. Finally had a M-F until the company eliminated the position and put us all back on flightline doing rotating shits (not a typo LOL) and every 3rd weekend off.

[@outlawd1]

If those aren't ridiculous hours I don't know what is ? Even slaves were freed at some point in time correct? My grandfather was a Retired Carman for 20 years for the Santa fe before BNSF.

[@daniellelara3020]

I hate to do that. Go 25 mph for miles when I was a conductor, that made the ride long

[@robertmason7553]

I always wondered how the heck they got anywhere. Every time I see them they are doing no more than 35 mph. Not only that, I had a guy I talked too about the railroad he worked for for about six months. He said it was go 50 miles and sit for two hours. He said a whole lot of waiting to go fifty more miles.

[@mikkey246]

Wish me luck, going to kansas for training soon

[@stephenthompson439]

Good luck, Brother... Must be the BNSF you hired on at...

[@paramedicineman89]

*laughs in paramedic who works 24 hr rotations

[@greggamandabarkus4235]

Rather than treat workers with dignity and respect, you get treated like a slave and get pushed to the limit. There is more to life than work but we all need to survive. I'm a 429 Teamster union guy and our contract sucks and has no protections but we do as we're told for a paycheck. Living the American dream right? Or are we..........

[@michlo3393]

UP had the points system a FULL YEAR before BNSF. It took that long for anyone outside of the industry to notice. _"Join me, come on, you know you want to. Same pay, and you're home every night. Come on, come over to the dark side..."_ - Amtrak

[@6.7L]

Wow. I was a Over the road trucker and this life on the railroads seems worse for work to life balance. I'm a local truck driver now home every day weekends off

[@Erated78]

Definitely a need for improvement for these workers - being away from family isn’t healthy or fun - thanks for bringing this to light - hope all you rail workers see better work conditions and benefits you most certainly deserve - cheers

[@blackflagqwerty]

It would be a shame if everyone just walked off the job.

[@HSETM]

Especially for railfanners.

[@Prof_Unknown]

I think I might be one of the only ones who would be ok with that situation. My dream is to be a locomotive engineer, it has been since I was little. I have no family, and very few friends, so I have basically no ties to any one place, I'm ok with being away from home for extended periods of time, I'm not really concerned with being on call 24/7 when I have nothing to do in the first place. The only issue I think I would have is not being able to control when I am sick, otherwise the job still sounds perfect to me.

[@Xavier_The_Dragon]

It's sad to see railroads doing the some things that companies do now which is how much money can we make while making the workers life a living hell

[@LgeraldStaeden]

What will happen if the train has a UDE Undisired Emergency and has to set out a bad order car? I will take about 2 hours to get underway again.

[@orangemanbad]

Wonder if this guy was reprimanded?

[@DJ_FOOD_STAMP]

Nice!

[@mikeplantagenet2983]

What a disgraceful way to treat workers!

[@BreakingJawz]

I built the track from nothing 10 years in 3 back surgeries MOW part of the RR is the sacrifice

[@mharv7936]

Anyone have info on diesel mechanic job at a yard? I got hired on in Worcester ma but they do everything from trucks there is no bay or shop to bring the loco into. Great pay and benefits at csx I think because of all the past issues

[@chriswashington5440]

Worked for CSX in 1997 Got laid off Best thing for me. Railroad person life is difficult

[@cracker4706]

where do they sleep How do they crew change our do they go the whole distance

[@michaelal20]

I think a van picks them up and drives them to a hotel.

[@Island_Line_Rail_Productions]

when they outlaw they are not allowed to move the train at all. The crew can wait for a van but if you are in the middle of nowhere I guess you gotta walk out or wait for another train as long as it is not a single track mainline

[@stevepeters2197]

I wouldn't be surprised if the guy in the video has since been for expressing his opinions.

[@luvthetux]

I wanted to be an engineer when I was young. I wanted to work for CSX or NS.

[@riderheslep8717]

NS better pay and benefits, I don't work for the railroad I have several people in my family that do.

[@jacksonwhittier3646]

I did too until I found out how shitty the job is and how poorly the rail companies treat their workers, still love trains, just not enough to deal with all of that!

[@luvthetux]

@@jacksonwhittier3646 agreed

[@AlucardAlucard-st6xr]

​@riderheslep8717 No it isnt lmao☠️ I work for CSX, we get 100% start pay compared to NFS 80% start pay

[@heronimousbrapson863]

This inhumane treatment is all about the railroads' obsession with money. Time to seriously consider nationalizing the railroads, turning them into public services instead of profit making enterprises.

[@JosueRodriguez-kk6wn]

Nationalizing the railroad will be way worse it never worked in Mexico. The NdeM died because of it.

[@fluxthelycanroc9603]

Ive come to find that the life of a railroader is more for the single person with no real family ties. And me personally i dont find an issue with it. Working for the rr has been my dream since i was a kid and im fine with being on call all the time. That said if you are looking to get into the industry just be aware for the first few years once you mark up you will most likely be on call meaning you should be prepared to be called in outside your days off.

[@anb7408]

Look no further than the illustrious “first female CEO of a class 1 railroad,” Katie Farmer. Since she was put in charge of BNSF, she has basically crapped on every single employee. I feel sorry for anyone working for that railroad. Sad partis, the other railroads aren’t any better.

[@r90f]

Warren buffet is a monster

[@Mike44460]

Think dollars a cents. If the railroads are concerned about profits and the driving force of this concern is dependent on how many employees are operating the train? If you're running on this knife edge, you might as well fold it all up. Greed.

[@Robert-f8w6x]

Sounds like to me that the engineers don’t have any rights at all and the unions better start backing them more because if you are having to work 200 hours and 200 in a hotel a month there’s 144 hours a week so someone better start using some logical thinking and being reasonable with there decision making because let’s see if any management wants to be stuck in that situation or ceo because I highly doubt they would want to and 24% in 5 years better make that 3 years and need more conductors also to let the engineers have time off with there families also because if the wife is upset because husband ain’t at home doing family activities then that house ain’t happy but she is being extremely understanding I would say in my own personal opinion. So let’s see if those any kind of ceo or cfo cmo clo wants to climb in a 8x8 now and see what happens and no on the job training better study you got 5 days no ifs and buts period

[@qtrhors1]

Survived 32 years. 1978-2010 BN/BNSF.

[@jlinnlinn4241]

Big companies are a joke. Greed does catch up to you.

[@captainmorgan757]

and with every new contract TY&E employees lose more and more, while the company gains more and more. NEVER has the union handed the employee a better contract than what they had started with at the beginning of negotiations!! Better Not Start a Family

[@Robert-f8w6x]

I’ll tell you now that they need a raise and time off and more benefits since they are out in the environment and those who sit in side at a computer better switch jobs going outside and working for a year and see if they are worth it or not. Now if I step foot into the same room or have to send emails then there’s a problem with the system

[@artiedelimitros9443]

Who cares about the paid sick leave. Just bring back the old 5 week days and 2 weekend days off a month for non assigned TYE. If that can’t work maybe meet in the middle with 3x1. Hi-Viz needs to go. It’s not just the BNSF and other Class 1’s attendance policies and management why their so understaffed, it’s also the Millennial generation that doesn’t want to work a hands on job let alone a on call 24/7 environment grabbing cold steel and being away from home all the time. They would rather work flex jobs, GIG economy contracting jobs etc.. and travel constantly.

[@artiedelimitros9443]

the vaccine mandates, and when hi-viz got implemented is when a Tsunami of TYE employees left, as well as long furloughs from 2019-2021.

[@railfandepotproductions]

@@artiedelimitros9443 what's wrong with the c19 vaccine?

[@artiedelimitros9443]

@@railfandepotproductions the mandates are what’s the problem that caused many employees to quit because they didn’t want to be forced to inject an experimental vaccine “so they say” into their bodies in order to retain employment. This is what happened all around the North American workforce.

[@mharv7936]

Yeah and as the boomers retire theres gonna be greater need for workers and less kids that wanna get dirty even if for 40 50 an hr. 🙄

[@dominicmorones8314]

@@railfandepotproductions Everything is wrong about being threatened with your livelihood if you don’t take some poorly tested crap that was cranked out in less than a year. Everyone has the right to choose what does/doesn’t go into their bodies.

[@j0hnnykn0xv1lle]

He didn't know he'd be on call when he took the job? He didn't talk to others in the field before taking the job? When you change careers you do your homework about what the new job is going to be like.

[@donstarr7261]

On the UP, wait until Jim Vena comes on board...Lots of resignations coming

[@Dr_Won_Hung_Lo]

Railroad corporations have always been greedy!

[@ryhol5417]

The responsibility during off hours is ridiculous

[@jeremyhicks2449]

18 days in a row!

[@josephwallace7287]

PSR is so ridiculous. I quit.

[@eduardogonzalez-mo4ss]

Here we go. Here come the autonomous trains.

[@railfandepotproductions]

Thunderbolt1000sirenproductions would like to have a word with you(watch his lac megantic derailment remastered video for more information)

[@fernandocadena2625]

Did u hear they fired and inspector for doung his job and won a suit

[@Makemysammich23]

“In an average month he will spend 200 hours in a train and another 200 hours in a hotel”. That’s 400 hours away from home. In the 11 years I spent flying at an airline, this was an average month “time away from base” too… no different, you married to the train or airplane.

[@surimenon7660]

May BOSSES be more human... HAVE more Engineers to make work more friendly and kind... BOSS Karma will catch up 💪🚩🚩🚩💪

[@kennyirish5021]

I'm so glad I never made it in a rail career, Had no idea they are so callus.

[@jz1340]

Neglected to mention they are very well paid....$100K +

[@CutLikeDat]

Not necessarily

[@jayalvaro-vm7nd]

Waiting for my physical n drug test next week hopefully all goes good n start training the 26 of this month conductor trainee they said up to 200000 grand a year hopefully it goes good im ready to work long hours but looking forward for the fatttttt paychecks hopefully don’t think it can be worse or more labor intensive than working in oilfields producing rig wish me luck lol

[@cody8217]

You're not making $200,000 a year as a conductor....

[@ljstouchofcountry262]

After your interview how long did it take you to get sent to your drug and physical

[@Dubz0408]

Cetainly its not just BNSF thats like this ill bet..

[@TravisTheDriver]

Recruiter told me that on the phone after I filled out a application. I hung up on her.

[@Chertoff88]

Warren Buffet owns BNSF.

[@billriordan1489]

Probably got disciplined for recording while on duty

[@andrewdawson6217]

Better Not Start a Family

[@Robert-f8w6x]

Let’s see who the workers n engineers trust now a civilian that knows how to negotiate n what’s at stake or the union reps who don’t care about family time off better get those people in the offices out in the field n see if they can maintain not being home with there families now I bet this no one in the office could be able to deal with it n to be punished for taking a day off make sure all the ones in offices get to better understanding of what it means to work 24/7/365

[@chromacypher8409]

Missing random ops testing, being called for one train, then being swapped on short notice. If you have family with med issues, or children you are in custody disputes over, forget it, they don't care. BNSF, Better Not Start a Family. Balancing all of that with a high pay, high stress, will give a normal person issues, and a person with issues deeper problems. I miss the job, but not the policies.

[@madgav935]

This is why I will be alone so that I won’t miss anything 😅

[@MohammedAhmed94.62]

Then your life will be more horribke

[@JamesLTyreeII]

F the class 1 railroads! Give the employees time off

[@alanstrong55]

Someone warned me that it is slave labor. This was roughly 1985.

[@englundus]

This kind of crap is EXACTLY why I would not work railroad! At least in my profession, I can plan my time on and time off, and it works out reasonably well! I do work crazy hours, but railroad is INSANE!!! It is not sustainable.