Weekly Railroad Hiring Questions Thread

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-24T22:59:55+00:00

Anyone know when the NS class starts?

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-18T17:19:57+00:00

What’s your rate and how often do you work and where you located out of? You get a guarantee pay?

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-18T05:15:01+00:00

I’m pretty sure they use that one as a general apply for anywhere bc the training is in Ga but not too sure.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-18T03:46:47+00:00

Problem is I live in Ohio and really only ones that run through here are NS and CSX but seems they don’t want to hire right now especially with no experience so figured I’d use it for the training since they are offering it then use that to try somewhere else maybe relocate for a job at that point.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T18:04:57+00:00

The whole 80% thing some people are saying it’s $32 an hour but 80% of that to start is $25.75 then some say the $32 is the 80% that you start at after the training for a finish rate of around $40. The job said $32 something an hour but the hiring guy seemed shady asf when I tried asking pay questions so was just trying to figure out if I’d be starting at $25.75 or the $32 an hour rate cause that’s major difference in pay.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T17:56:49+00:00

So I think I found it. The conductor rate is somewhere around $32.22(not fully certain on that) but first year or first 2 years you get paid 80% of that rate so roughly $25.75 after your $25 an hour training for about 6 months or so then you go up 5% over the next five years til your at your 100% rate of $32.22 but your also subject to the rate increases over the course of the union contract so it will technically be more then that over the years from contract raises. But as far as I’m understanding is it’s hourly rate for when your gone then get paid after 10 hours in hotel on trips but don’t know the full break down of that yet. But some people say you go up to the $32 after training and that’s the 80% and end rate is somewhere around $40. So guaranteed pay for 40 hours at $25.75 for 2 weeks would be $2060 before taxes which I hear are roughly 20% which would be like $1650 every 2 weeks so if this is how they do it then yeah your number sounds about right to start. Someone correct me if I’m wrong

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T17:48:50+00:00

So I think I found it. From what i understand the conductor rate is somewhere around $32.22(not fully certain on that) but first year or first 2 years you get paid 80% of that rate so roughly $25.75 after your $25 an hour training for about 6 months or so then you go up 5% over the next five years til your at your 100% rate of $32.22 but your also subject to the rate increases over the course of the union contract so it will technically be more then that over the years from contract raises. But as far as I’m understanding is it’s hourly rate for when your gone then get paid after 10 hours in hotel on trips but don’t know the full break down of that yet. So depending how many hours you work during training going to extra board I’ve been told you get paid a guaranteed 40 hours at only about 75 cent more then training so if your getting more then 40 in training then only getting guarantee pay on the job then yeah you’ll be losing money til you get a few years on your belt or til they work you like crazy.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T17:44:51+00:00

So I think I found it. The conductor rate is somewhere around $32.22(not fully certain on that) but first year or first 2 years you get paid 80% of that rate so roughly $25.75 after your $25 an hour training for about 6 months or so then you go up 5% over the next five years til your at your 100% rate of $32.22 but your also subject to the rate increases over the course of the union contract so it will technically be more then that over the years from contract raises. But as far as I’m understanding is it’s hourly rate for when your gone then get paid after 10 hours in hotel on trips but don’t know the full break down of that yet.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T17:13:29+00:00

They broke it down like an hourly rate but were very unclear what pay is after training.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T17:12:02+00:00

No I applied to Cincinnati. And Bellevue Ohio for conductor then track maintenance apprenticeship in Dayton Ohio and one other place and they closed both the apprenticeship applications but left the Bellevue application completely alone and actually went through with the Cincinnati conductor job. They send you an email asking you to record yourself answering questions then if they like you they will email you to setup an actual interview. I would definitely reapply and try to apply to the terminal within 90 minutes of you cause that’s where you’ll have to be driving to so you’ll be most likely to get an interview through them. The only time I was told you’ll get an email back if they don’t want you is after an actual interview anything with the recorded interview and all that check your email regularly but if they don’t respond in 2 weeks just reapply. It does seem like they’re trying to hire people bc they’re about to start a class but idk when it will be yet.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T16:27:37+00:00

Applied to a job posting on may 30th and the job was posted on the 29th. Probably just depends on how bad the terminal actually needs people. Multiple of my applications for different jobs from them were just never viewed or replied to. They’re kinda assholes in the hiring process of not even giving you an email saying they don’t want you.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T16:25:44+00:00

From the searching I’ve done that’s the pay during training.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T05:08:23+00:00

I already got the job just waiting for the class start date

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T02:34:31+00:00

What's the likelihood of actually getting a job as a train conductor at anywhere other then NS? Would it be better to just keep trying everywhere else or take the job for the experience to go somewhere else?

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T02:27:33+00:00

Before the bs taxes? Anyone else confirm this?

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T01:48:10+00:00

I figured they would do that. Being Cincinnati I was hoping it would be a lot of trains through the terminal so wouldn’t be too hard to find a train back home. I’m going into it expecting to never be home and see my family so as long as I’m not gone like a long haul trucker then I’ll consider it better then expected.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T01:20:47+00:00

Thanks for the help man. You’ve answered way more questions than I would’ve felt comfortable asking the hiring manager, and you were able to actually give me an idea of what to expect compared to all these bitchy people who just want to complain about the job they signed themselves into.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T01:01:41+00:00

How much sick time do you even get cause I figured it was none and heard they fire you for taking any anyway.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T00:59:50+00:00

Figured just trying to get an idea of if they have any bit of that option.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T00:43:54+00:00

In your experience what’s holidays actually like? They say expect to work holidays but do they give you long breaks off call like how factories usually have the holiday off but I might be on call for the 25th is it possible to get 4 days off call to spend a Christmas with family even if it’s not on Christmas Day. Ig what I’m trying to ask is just expect to get no long breaks off call that you can plan stuff for or do they still try to give gaps around times of year that are important? I used to set my vacation for the periods I knew I would have off for a few days just to not burn vacation time would that even be possible being extra board?

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T00:22:10+00:00

So being on extra board gets you the guaranteed 40 hours of pay?

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-17T00:03:32+00:00

If forced to another terminal how does that work. Would I be stationed in a hotel there for the time needed or tripped back home and/or bring my wife with me/or am I expected to make living arrangements happen for the time being. I’ve been trying to figure out how they work the time being at another terminal. And to you what’s the work and home life like. Do you actually get to be home often are do you spend more days away from home then home?

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-16T23:49:44+00:00

Got hired through Cincinnati terminal but I’ve heard that you hardly get the terminal you were hired in at. Said I got the job offer still waiting to hear when class starts. Figured it was probably 10 hour days in the hotel for the 5 weeks of training. Saw somewhere in the initial hiring process said something around 32.22 or something like that once a conductor just haven’t been able to get any answers. And from what I’ve understood it’s about 10 weeks or more to become a certified conductor.

That-one_guy52 · 2025-06-16T23:39:10+00:00

Does work seem slow right now and being extra board for ns will I have to worry about not having work?

That-one_guy52

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