Locomotive Engineer looking for new career

[Two Tokes]

hopefully i'm posing in the right section, apologizes if not. Like the title says, ive worked for the BNSF railway for 7 years,(5 years as Engineer. 2 as conductor) hiring out when i was 23. i live in the Pacific NW and can basically hold any Road job i want. i have really good seniority because i hired out at the right time, never been laid off or forced to work in a different terminal. In the time ive worked there, i average around $90k a year and can make more if i want. But as they say....Money isnt everything and i am so burnt out on Freight and having no schedule and crazy hours. Im looking for a change.

I see they are hiring for a Delivery Driver in Salt Lake City, i have family there. Can you actually start out as a driver? i remember applying a long time ago for a part time package handler, i thought that was the only way to work up to being a driver. Anyway, am i INSANE to do a career transition?? i cant imagine UPS being more chaotic then BNSF, but please prove me wrong. thanks in advance.

As crazy as your schedule may be stay where you are. The longer you are there will probably help you get a more routine schedule and UPS is a meat grinder

 

[bbsam]

I dunno how chaotic things are at the railroad. But how does your body feel after 7 years with the railroad? Back OK? Knees? Shoulders? If so, would you like to keep it that way?

I would have agreed with that but time’s just a bitch. I see drivers hobbled by years of work (and overwork), but I’ve done very little driving in the past 7 or 8 years and I’ll tell ya, the body does not feel good at all. Time passes and either with use or neglect, the human form fails.

Once had a doctor tell me that, for what it’s funcion is, the human spine is the most horribly formed structure. Not sure why I post that here. Just something I found interesting.

 

[Box Ox]

I see drivers hobbled by years of work (and overwork), but I’ve done very little driving in the past 7 or 8 years and I’ll tell ya, the body does not feel good at all.

And FedEx trucks are usually empty by 10am! LOL

I’ve seen UPS guys still in their 20s that are clearly already heading for a bad time, physically.

22.4s won’t have it any better than they do, but at least most of them will probably take off after relatively short stints getting pummeled with big time OT.

 

[UrFellowUpser]

I refuse to let UPS make me a crippled man. Thats why i hit the gym hard 5 days a week and eat healthy friend that.

 

[BSWALKS]

I love choo choo trains.

Riding the caboose?

 

[Special UPS Operator]

Whatever makes you sleep better mate. German get off work at 2 or 3 usually I'll take that any day over being slaves to a bunch of bags in suits.

But they live in Europe.
Most of Europe is a Socialist Craphole full of unshaven women and lots of muslim immigrants.

 

[sandwich]

Keep the information about UPS coming guys, thanks. As far as the posts speculating on the RR job being a dream job, we have a name for you, “Foamer”. It’s alright, we have people follow us around taking photos all the time. The guys I have seen that have met retirement age have a body shape that “requires” them to wear overalls, a few have died right after retirement. Vacation is 1 week first year, 2 weeks for your 7 years, 3 weeks after 15 years...etc. The people that were mentioned making over 130k a year “old heads” had several different family’s at the away from home terminals, no joke. Even in my generation of Railroaders I have seen that happen.

I'm a driver in the PNW. We are hiring drivers like crazy. Especially in the seattle building. We are hiring seasonal drivers already. We will keep all of them after peak because the seattle building is so understaffed. You could always get hired on in seattle. Work a year as a full time driver then put your name on the transfer list for SLC.

As a rookie you will start out at $18.75 an hour. When you finish your route at 6pm. Or 7pm. Or 8pm. You will be forced to go back out and help other drivers who still have a truck full of deliveries. Every. Single. Night.

I regularly punch out between 9-1030 PM and I'm at top rate with a bid route. Overtime is great. 9.5 violation checks are even better.

I know someone who works for the BNSF and hates it. No set schedule. Always seems to be at work or sleeping. Crazy fluctuating schedule. Terrible. I was shocked to hear that I make more than him. He was shocked too.

All this being said. Join the iron workers union.

 

[UpsYours]

hopefully i'm posing in the right section, apologizes if not. Like the title says, ive worked for the BNSF railway for 7 years,(5 years as Engineer. 2 as conductor) hiring out when i was 23. i live in the Pacific NW and can basically hold any Road job i want. i have really good seniority because i hired out at the right time, never been laid off or forced to work in a different terminal. In the time ive worked there, i average around $90k a year and can make more if i want. But as they say....Money isnt everything and i am so burnt out on Freight and having no schedule and crazy hours. Im looking for a change.

I see they are hiring for a Delivery Driver in Salt Lake City, i have family there. Can you actually start out as a driver? i remember applying a long time ago for a part time package handler, i thought that was the only way to work up to being a driver. Anyway, am i INSANE to do a career transition?? i cant imagine UPS being more chaotic then BNSF, but please prove me wrong. thanks in advance.

Don`t Do it!!!!

 

[Maple Grove MN Driver]

Whatever makes you sleep better mate. German get off work at 2 or 3 usually I'll take that any day over being slaves to a bunch of bags in suits.

If Germany is so great move there
Have fun paying ridiculousincome taxes.

 

[FrigidFTSup]

Whatever makes you sleep better mate. German get off work at 2 or 3 usually I'll take that any day over being slaves to a bunch of bags in suits.

Have you ever actually been to Germany? It’s nothing like that

 

[Brownslave688]

Troll alert. No real person would leave a $90,000 a year job taking a chance they could be hired friend/t by UPS.
Unless they're insane.

In his defense he asked if he was insane. So I believe he's somewhat aware.

 

[Brownslave688]

Have you ever actually been to Germany? It’s nothing like that

Unicorns fart out rainbows that have gold pots at both ends for everyone to take As they please. Just like Hitler envisioned.

 

[rickyb]

Have you ever actually been to Germany? It’s nothing like that

germany is wayyy better than north america!

 

[rickyb]

If Germany is so great move there
Have fun paying ridiculousincome taxes.

you guys just blow all your taxes on war. you dont have basic social services like high speed trains, healthcare, college, vacation, etc. tuition is a tax!

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

you guys just blow all your taxes on war. you dont have basic social services like high speed trains, healthcare, college, vacation, etc. tuition is a tax!

Why should someone else pay for your college education?

 

[rickyb]

hopefully i'm posing in the right section, apologizes if not. Like the title says, ive worked for the BNSF railway for 7 years,(5 years as Engineer. 2 as conductor) hiring out when i was 23. i live in the Pacific NW and can basically hold any Road job i want. i have really good seniority because i hired out at the right time, never been laid off or forced to work in a different terminal. In the time ive worked there, i average around $90k a year and can make more if i want. But as they say....Money isnt everything and i am so burnt out on Freight and having no schedule and crazy hours. Im looking for a change.

I see they are hiring for a Delivery Driver in Salt Lake City, i have family there. Can you actually start out as a driver? i remember applying a long time ago for a part time package handler, i thought that was the only way to work up to being a driver. Anyway, am i INSANE to do a career transition?? i cant imagine UPS being more chaotic then BNSF, but please prove me wrong. thanks in advance.

i worked on the railway as a conductor so i know where your coming from. its a nightmare doing on call road trips.

i recommend going to school for healthcare or a trade. dont do UPS.

 

[rickyb]

Why should someone else pay for your college education?

gumby thats like saying why should someone else pay for anything? because thats what we do all the time and it just depends what we choose to spend money on.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

gumby thats like saying why should someone else pay for anything? because thats what we do all the time and it just depends what we choose to spend money on.

You gotta take a little responsibility for yourself. Gotta make your own way in life my friend.

 

[rickyb]

You gotta take a little responsibility for yourself. Gotta make yiyoue own way in life my friend.

yea i know but that guy was dissing germany and its obviously better than north america bc of its social policies.

they even have affordable housing in some big cities there. they have unions on corporate boards by law.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

yea i know but that guy was dissing germany and its obviously better than north america bc of its social policies.

they even have affordable housing in some big cities there. they have unions on corporate boards by law.