BNSF Railway conductor Kyle Schaefer shows you his job duties and says working at the railroad is his "childhood dream job." For more information about career opportunities at BNSF, please visit www.bnsf.com/careers.
A career on the railroad is great and for a lot of people it is the ultimate childhood dream job come true - However one thing to consider is the toll it can take on your family life. Remember: You can have a life, or you can work for the railroad; but you can't have both. At least not for the first 10+ years - You're on their time, their clock and the only thing consistent is inconsistency - Not a big deal to a 20 year old and maybe appealing to a lot of people - But something to consider. Not everyone can adapt to that type of lifestyle, and in most cases even if you're fine with it, your family won't be. You will either miss most of the important events or celebrate them a few days early or late - BNSF, UP, CSX are upfront about the impact on your domestic and personal life so consider this carefully - The novelty wears off quicker than one thinks.
finaldraft151 Yes sure man. The same deal in Brazilian RRs. Specially if you work as a conductor ou a locomotive engineer. I worked 5 years as a switchman in rail yard near my town. So after working 12 hrs a daylight at the first day n 12 hrs a night at the second da day. I could go home and take two days off.
WSFN Ferreira Im suppose to start conductor training in a couple weeks with NS ..is it worth it? Im in my 20's and have a family.. is it really hard on family life?
not 100% true I work a yard Job..its basically 6 to 10 hours of work every..and i get Friday and Saturday off normal schedule..i make less money than being on the road but i still take home more than most people with bachelors degrees take home..and the Job itself is super easy...i did have to chase my seniority for 3 to 4 years and worked shit hours..but you gotta struggle in the beginning of any career..shit doesn't get handed to you in a silver plater..you gotta work for it..its a beautiful struggle..
Congrats 55 Scuba, Santa Fe was the best line, ever. I hired out on the Santa Fe in 66 and still considered myself Santa Fe when I retired in 2009. We ran on the Transcon, 70MPH, unlike the BN bottom feeders that pulled coal loads and mixed freight. Hang in there brother, 30 years ain't that far off , (unless you don't have the age) and being retired is the best job I ever had.
+BNSF Railway hi everyone ,if anyone else is searching for how to apply for a railroad job try Tarbetti Rail Work Tutor (do a google search ) ? Ive heard some interesting things about it and my mate got amazing success with it.
Dream job yes, but a very hard to obtain job. Ive been to 4 interview sessions with CSX lasting 8 hours a piece. Got in on the 4th try only to be told I wasn't strong enough. 6ft tall 280lbs football player. not strong enough!? I'm now in school for safety management and going to try that angle to get a RR job.
Same way. 6 ft, 190 lbs., excellent health, no criminal record, don't smoke, college-educated and I have yet to get past the application process with BNSF, CSX or any other company.
Same with me but instead of college i have military background and eventhough all the railroads looove veterans im yet to hear anything from the 50+ apps ive put in.
lol your height has nothing to do with it. im a conductor 5'4 overweight. best job ive ever had. college educated means little to nothing other than most likely you are in debt. on call 24/7 when rested but im staying with the job. good times.
I graduated last year from high school. I have been applying for the position of Conductor Trainee in several different locations. Some of my applications say they are still pending, but most of them say that I was not selected to continue. I'm curious because I have no job experience. Would this have something to do with my chances of getting hired? I am very interested in becoming a conductor. Should I continue to apply, or should I try to do something else to gain some experience? How should I get started with this? What would you recommend? I'm not sure where to start. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Shawn, we are happy you are interested in starting a career with BNSF. The hiring process is very competitive for conductor trainees - we base our decision on many different factors, but we are looking for the most qualified individuals to join our team. It’s not unusual for a BNSF employee to have applied multiple times before being hired. We encourage you to continue applying for positions that interest you in the future.
I went to their RR academy at Johnson county Community College in Overland Park, Ks. I didn't get an offer from BNSF, but did get hired by CSX. Got on a 1-year track to become an engineer!
Its always been a dream of mine! Im in my mid 40s, and know the basics, because of being a Limo / Carry-All driver for several weeks, and growing up along BNSF Teague / Houston Branch, watching the tie gangs and all! Id love to apply except I may not be able to pass a physical because of taking blood-pressure lowering meds.
It is not necessary to know someone who works at BNSF to get a job here, everyone goes through the same application process. Be sure to look at our career page jobs.bnsf.com for open positions and apply!
+Jordan Havelal I\'m not sure but ,if anyone else wants to learn about how to apply for a railroad job try Tarbetti Rail Work Tutor (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some interesting things about it and my friend got cool results with it.
BNSF Railway Please stop lying to people. You either have to know someone, be a relative of someone who already works in the railroad or have a military background. So please stop the lying.
Ashley Burt, just because your husband got on doesn't give you any right to act like you're better than anyone all you are is a wife and the railroad doesn't care about you.
Scott, while there are no available positions in Seattle, Washington at the moment, please check our job listings at jobs.bnsf.com every few weeks because that could change at any time.
Good video i got interesting facts from this ! But i'm sure ya'll can google Corbandy simple railroad crusher to get more info. about railroad jobs hiring.
Hello everyone. I am currently a senior in high school and I am seriously considering a career in the railroad when I get out of school. I was wondering if it makes it easier to get on if I go to somewhere like NARS or if I should just try to get on by myself? Being a locomotive engineer has been my dream job since I was a little kid.
Darren: Attending a school like NARS is not required to get a job at BNSF, and it does not guarantee someone will get hired at BNSF. It can be a helpful item on someone’s resume when there are a lot of qualified applicants competing.
Davo Rebo it's a little late but yes it's very hard on a family. You will miss birthdays, Halloween, Christmas, every conceivable event you can think of will be effected. But it's good pay(, when they decide to follow the contracts they sign), and good health insurance(they try to mess with that too), and good retirement ( but if the jobs go down the toilet because of automation that'll be gone too). But good people, very good people!
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Not certain about the points made but ,if anyone else needs to find out about how to apply for a railroad job try Debuncar Railroad Jobs Aid (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some extraordinary things about it and my mate got amazing results with it.
I'm 20yrs old still in the military as guard soldier I made a profile with you all. I want to be a conductor so bad. From Chicago, Illinois but live un Fargo, ND now there is a BNSF railroad here as well as CP. I know things have slown down drastically but how can I go to school to become a conductor. should I go to school for it on my own or wait for a position to open up?
ive seen so many trains on you tube across the world,, does BNSF have any of those big bridges going across lakes or high mountains,, cause you guys have the heaviest trains i have seen in the us, do you have those shady bridges, or is that just in third world countries
What states can NH99 employees work? Old Santa Fe or do conductor have system wide seniority? What states are closed amd what states are open? Pacific northwest and Texas are separate right?
The pacific northwest has closed system seniority, meaning if you transfer out of the region you lose all your seniority. These areas are the Dakotas, Montana, Washington and part of Oregon. Everywhere else there's essentially open seniority. As a conductor i can transfer to California, Texas, basically anywhere I wanted. Engineers on the other hand have district seniority. They can only transfer to locations or terminals in their district, or places they run to. It's usually very difficult for an engineer to transfer out of their district.
James Knighton be careful bro I graduate Wednesday nothing's guaranteed. They lie about a lot of stuff especially the job placement. Been applying to UP and NS, CSX etc, BNSF hasn't been hiring the whole time I been here not the point tho.
Hi Cameron, we actually have two opening right now in Louisiana. You can view them here: jobs.bnsf.com/search/?searchby=55105&q=&locationsearch=louisiana&geolocation= .
I/ m not sure but if anyone else trying to find out try Elumpa Railroad jobs Alchemist (do a search on google) ?Ive heard some interesting things about it and my friend got excellent success with it.
Hi Todd, BNSF is an equal opportunity employer - we do not have age restrictions. If you meet the minimum qualifications for the position, then you will be considered along with all other applicants.
So basically a conductor is the guy switching the train tracks /connecting the different carts together n making sure everything is on point outside the train cabin????
interesting points ,if anyone else wants to discover help getting a railroad job try Elumpa Railroad Jobs Alchemist (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some unbelievable things about it and my neighbor got great results with it.
interesting points ,if anyone else wants to learn about help getting a railroad job try Elumpa Railroad Jobs Alchemist (should be on google have a look ) ? Ive heard some interesting things about it and my cousin got great results with it.
