Railroads are beginning to hire again. If you are currently out of work, or looking for a change, this may be your chance....
Railroads are of various sizes. This is a case where bigger is not better. My only employment experience is with a Class 1, and it's classic "Big Business."
Stick with me here, a first-time diarist, and I'll try to give you some insights. My experience is as a train service employee. Conductor and later an Engineer.
The first thing you probably already know is that these are considered to be majorly decent jobs. If you are able to work outside, in all weather, railroad employment might be your cup of tea.
Let's begin with the Pros: Decent pay. Although wages vary greatly, a minimum starting wage approaches $20 per hour. You will be paid a percentage rate for your first few years. Remember Ronald Reagan? This came in under him. I always called him "The Gypper." You'll be doing 100% of the work for 75% of the pay, with 5% raises yearly, until you reach full wages.
There is pretty good health insurance, dental, vision, etc. We are required to help with the fees, currently, for me $200 a month.
There are some really decent, progressive Democrats to work with. It's often a lot of fun, we have some pretty involved political discussions.
I like the work that I do. I have been a locomotive engineer for about 10 years. Running those trains is an interesting challenge for me, and I enjoy it greatly.
Now, some Cons: You can be "forced" to work at outlying locations. Sometimes for a couple of weeks, sometimes for a couple of months, sometimes even longer. YOU will pay for and arrange accomodations.
Railroads really preach safety. Safety, safety, safety, that's all you hear. But, as with many other organizations, what they say, and what they do, are two different things. Do you imagine that an employee who tries to do everything safe and legal is valued? Well then, congratulations, you have a very good imagination! This can be dangerous work. We once had 3 fatalities in one year, and these were experienced men!
In train and engine service you will be "on call" 24/7. You will need reliable transportation to get to work, and remember, sometimes that's 150 miles or more away from home and hearth.
The days and hours we work are brutal. They are required to give you 10 hours of undisturbed rest between assignments. That includes any travel, eating, sleeping, and the like. Last year the federal government required the rail carriers to allow us 48 hours off if we work 6 consecutive days. Sound great? It is, however, upon return to work, my employer requires us to "make up" the lost trips, so we work every 10 hours, right into another 2 days off sometimes. It's tough.
The rail carriers make no allowance whatsoever for Circadian rhythms. They are still "studying" this. For a great many months, my board worked out of our home terminal at about the same time one day that we'd gone to sleep the day before. This constant reversal of the work/rest cycle is dangerous and wearying. You never really get used to it. At least, I haven't.
My employer has a train lineup on the company website they tout as 85% accurate. They often can hit your start time within several hours, sometims is way out of whack. Your guess is as good, or often better, than theirs.
You should also expect a full complement of snitches, suckasses, and company toadies. They're everywhere.
Of major importance. Like seeking almost any other job you MUST be clean of drugs and alcohol. Recently, I also understand they are asking about cigarette smoking! If you admit to smoking cigarettes in the last year, they won't give you an interview, or so it's said.
You will have to do a bit of detective work to find these jobs. Step one will be figuring out which railroads have a terminal within driving distance for you. Then, see if you can find them on the intertoobs. The bigger carriers will have a website, look under "employment."
Veterans: The rail carriers like to hire veterans. Reason being: they can follow rules & instructions, and also arrive for work on time.
Good luck to you. I will check in from time to time, see if there are questions. E-mail in profile, you'll have to fight the spamblocker.
Best, Hoghead99
UPDATE! Type up a resume, and do it right. Many applicants lack a resume, and if you have one, you are head and shoulders above the rest from the getgo. Also, attach any safety citation you've ever received from a previous employer to your resume. They eat that sort of thing with a spoon.
I am surprised and very gratified by the responses to this. Do feel free to e-mail, address in profile or use Bongo3@ etc. It'll work also. I know there is a crying need for decent employment, and I wish the best for each and every one of you!
Sincerely, Hoghead99