Originally Posted By: DustballsOriginally Posted By: kyotekiller25If you like to hunt/fish, forget about the railroad. You'll never have the time off to do it, literally.
You work your shift, then your recomended to go home and sleep because more en likely you get called back in. On top of that, you'll be there till the day you die before you get any hunting seasons off or vacation during hunting season, seniority rules and all them old guys get them days off. On top of that, you'll be stuck on graveyard for lord knows how many years with a tuesday wednesday off, that is of course if you dont get called in...
Sure its good money, but what the hel good is it if you dont even have the time to enjoy or spend any of it???
Not worth it to me. I went to a seminar for UPRR employment few years back and as soon as the instructor asked who likes to hunt and fish and about 75% of the people raised there hand, the instructor then went on to say "well you wont be doing much of that anymore if you get hired on the railroad" I slowly got up and walked out, I was the only one to do so, I didn't care one bit. Hunting and shooting is the last thing I'm giving up.
I've got a decent job that I work 4-10s with sat-mon off which leaves plenty of time for hunting/shooting year round, and guess what, my days off, are my days off, no gettin called in BS, or not even being able to make plans to go anywhere or do anything because you always gotta be around in case ya get that call.
If you want a life, especially a family life, then you can forget the railroad...
These are pretty bold statements coming from someone who has not worked a day on the railroad. I am starting my 18th year with the Union Pacific. I am a second generation railroader. It has provided me and my family a good life. I have not worked a job yet that is all peaches and cream. All jobs have good and bad points. I may not have as much time as some to fish and hunt but I have alot of nice heads in my trophy room. And when I retire my body will not be busted up and I will be making more on retirement than most will working every day and that is not counting my 401k. You need to make a decision for your self.
Amen, Dustballs. Don't knock it till you've tried it, kyotekiller25 doesn't know what he's talking about on this subject. For one thing, there are so many parts to the railroad, so many different departments, that a blanket statement doesn't do it justice. Yeah, its not all peaches and cream, sometimes it sucks, but we've become such a society of whiners that everyone wants to get paid for doing nothing all the time. Not saying anyone here, or anyone in particular, but overall.
I'm fairly new at BNSF, been here 3.5 years. I was self employed before. I don't miss putting up with whiney employees that always needed the day off when you needed them most, or failed to show up at all, or stole work, materials, or tools out from under you, etc etc. I had all that happen and more. So I can see the issues from both sides of the fence.
Yeah I get laid off, in fact right now I am, probably till the end of Feb. But I plan for it and enjoy it. I make more than enough in 10 months to cover us easily, and when I'm working if I need a day off I have 2 weeks vacation I can use when I need it, or don't have to use it either. I just ask for a day off, and have no problems. I also try not to leave them hanging if I know it's an important day with the work that needs to be done. It works both ways.
Trainmen are on call, we in the track dept are not. We are not required to answer our phone after hours or on weekends, it's voluntary. Sometimes we get our job done early and can split, and still get paid for the whole day. Heck, I've gotten a couple hours overtime because we had to show up early, then it turns out our job was shut down because they were running too many trains, and I was home by 9 am! And still got paid all day with 2 hours overtime! So there are good times and bad.
Ok, enough about work, isn't this a hunting forum?
