Which one? Conductor or "Intermodal Service Worker"

So I have a big decision to make. I currently have two offers in front of me. I've passed the background check and have a full offer from Norfolk Southern to start training as a Conductor. I also have an offer from CSX to start as an Intermodal Service Worker, basically loading and unloading containers from trains and tractor trailers with heavy equipment.

There seem to be pros and cons to each. I live in Philadelphia just outside Center City. The conductor position offers better pay, but the yard is in King of Prussia, a sometimes hellish commute from where I live in the city (I-76, the dreaded Schuylkill Expressway). The CSX yard is about a ten minute drive from my house here in Philly, but offers less pay, and only 20-30 hours per week from the extra board, and the hiring manager says it doesn't look like anyone is leaving anytime soon.

I like the idea of working for CSX as a conductor since the yard is so close, but they aren't hiring for that position now. I don't want to have to be stuck working 20-30 hours and not knowing what my paycheck will be and not having enough to pay my bills.

Norfolk Southern, in this location, has a weekly extra board guarantee, so I always know the bare minimum I will make, and can budget from that. But with a 90 minute call it will sometimes be stressful to get to the yard due to the traffic concerns. It takes 30 minutes with no traffic, and can take as long as 60-90 minutes during rush hour. The solution would be to move closer, but I own my house and it needs a little work to make it rentable, so I can't move closer to the yard.

I guess my question is: What is anyone's experience with both of these positions. Which one is the better company regardless of job? Is it worth it to take the Conductor's position with NS with a longer commute, but guaranteed weekly, or take the ISW position with CSX, for less pay ($19.76/hr is current top rate), no guarantee, but a 10 minute trip at all hours from my house?

Sorry for being so long winded, but I tried to list as much detail about my situation as I could. Thanks in advance for reading and for your insight.

As a conductor I'm biased of course, but from a monetary standpoint, its still conductor for the win. Deal with the drive man. Get through your CT phase somehow and get on the road board and live where you live. They say 90 because thats bare minimum, but its general 2 hours on the road side. On the yard side things work slightly differently but who wants to work the yard anyway? Haha. You've gotta look at the big picture buddy, and that big picture is always going to be stability i.e. money. I'm about to move even further away from my terminal, about 75 minutes on a good day, and just deal with the weather and sometimes the traffic. If you can see you're going to get called to a train and its a bad time of day, sharpshoot the board and just leave the house early. You'll be able to tell man, I know it doesn't make sense to you right now, but it just comes with doing the job. Best of luck buddy, do what suits you.

I've never worked with an automated call system, but many Dispatchers will give you a little extra call time if you ask for it. A two hour call is not unreasonable.

If that is not possible, see if the Dispatcher can give you at least a rough estimate of when you will be called. If he can, head to your reporting point in time to get there within that window, and have the Dispatcher call you on your cell phone.

You will not be alone in your situation, and I think most railroads will try to work with you. It is better to show up early and not be needed than to show up late.

Les

Your delema isn't unusual about traffic. On a good day it took me 25-35 minutes to get to work with rush hour traffic at times 60-90 minutes. We had a 2 hour call on CSX both yard & road. You just adapt. If traffic was real heavy and it looked like I was going to be a little late i called the yardmaster to inform them of it. It sounds like you don't live outside of a reasonable distance from the NS yard if it's normally 20-30 minutes away. One must know all routes available. If I95N was backed up I had up to three other ways to get to work. They weren't the fast or the best parts of town but if it kept me moving.

Desertdweller wrote:I've never worked with an automated call system, but many Dispatchers will give you a little extra call time if you ask for it. A two hour call is not unreasonable.

If that is not possible, see if the Dispatcher can give you at least a rough estimate of when you will be called. If he can, head to your reporting point in time to get there within that window, and have the Dispatcher call you on your cell phone.

You will not be alone in your situation, and I think most railroads will try to work with you. It is better to show up early and not be needed than to show up late.

Les

Maybe back in the day with local callers this would work but on CSX as a yardmaster, dispatch gives us the call times for run through and trainmasters for originating and we put it in for the crew callers to call and there really is 0 chance of getting an early personal call unless the dispatcher or yardmaster is a good friend and sees you first out. I mean it's always an option to call dispatch or the yardmaster for a rough estimate and head to the yard but I can tell you as yardmaster most will say anything to get you off of the phone because these calls are annoying lol.

That being said, I would take train service over ISW any day. $19.76 top pay? No thank you. I'd go where the money is. Most yard guarantee boards will pay 20k more a year thank that.

I'd go with conductor. You have an opportunity to head in several directions with that craft.

HOWEVER, I do believe the NS does not have a guaranteed extra board Is that still the case?

But then again, every NS railroader ahead of you has been through it before so you'll make it through as well.

Good luck.

I work for CSX as conductor and the yard I work out of if you are going to be later call the yardmaster and tell him. He will tell the engineer and everything is as normal when you arrive. As for the crew callers they are supposed to give you a 2 hour call. I have been called an hour late and told to do the best you can. I have also been called 30 minutes early. I cant speak for NS but I would take the conductor position. Transportation makes more money.

slchub wrote:I'd go with conductor. You have an opportunity to head in several directions with that craft.

HOWEVER, I do believe the NS does not have a guaranteed extra board Is that still the case?

But then again, every NS railroader ahead of you has been through it before so you'll make it through as well.

Good luck.

The guarantee depends on the terminal. My terminal has a guaranteed extra board for yard side and road side.

Hey all. Thanks so much for the replies. So it turns out CSX decided to not offer me the intermodal job. So I took the conductor position with Norfolk Southern. I head to Atlanta in 2 weeks for training. And to answer the guarantee board question, the Philadelphia area does have an extra board guarantee for road.

Now the new problem I'm facing. I just started dating this really awesome girl, and told her the news that I took the NS conductor job today. She isn't too thrilled about the 3-4 weeks in Georgia, but that will go quick. And there shouldn't be any long times on the road, because the furthest run out of Abrams yard (King of Prussia, just outside Philly) is to Harrisburg and back. So I shouldn't have any hotel stays and long periods away as far as I can tell. I'm nervous about the constant on call. Is it possible to maintain a relationship, especially a new one, with this kind of schedule?

It can be hard and it's something you wont understand until you are marked up and working it, you never know how long you will be gone until that trip. Period. What you should be asking is a girl you just started dating worth a great career? And the answer to that is hell no. If she's your wife she gets input, if not, don't even worry about it.

supernova1972 wrote:It can be hard and it's something you wont understand until you are marked up and working it, you never know how long you will be gone until that trip. Period. What you should be asking is a girl you just started dating worth a great career? And the answer to that is hell no. If she's your wife she gets input, if not, don't even worry about it.

Railroads make you money. Girls COST you money. Girls can be replaced. A GOOD job can't! 'Nuff said!

I'm definitely taking the job. No woman will change that course, no way. I head to Georgia in 2 weeks. Just concerned about the lifestyle. The furthest run from my home terminal is only about 90 miles. So I don't expect I will ever be staying hotels. I just have to figure out how to manage the on call aspect with the rest of my life. Hopefully it doesn't shake things up too much.

Gadfly has given you good advice. You just have to "go with the flow".

Don't start out a railroad career with the expectation that you will never have to spend your rest period in a hotel. 90 mile runs from a designated home terminal is an unusual situation, and, given that jobs are held depending on seniority, you may find yourself working on longer runs if you want to keep working. You really can't expect to spend your railroad career working out of the same terminal on the same runs all the time.

The trend is for railroads to extend crew districts to get maximum work out of each crew. If your railroad has a "sweet spot" like you describe, it likely will not take long for the good jobs to be filled by senior people. This is likely to result in a change of home terminals as you scramble to find a terminal that will keep you busy.

Most new hires begin on the extra board, and can remain there for years until they can hold a regular assignment. And that assignment will last until a senior person bumps you out. What did the Trainmaster promise you? 90 mile runs and home every day? Sounds like an assignment held by a senior employee. From my experience, the jobs coveted most by senior employees are: Yard Jobs. Same start time every day, fixed days off, home every day after work (not always at night). Local freights (out-and-back runs). Usually fixed start times and days off, home every day after work. Passenger runs: Same start times, fixed days off. Maybe home every other day.

What you will likely be handed: pool freight crew service extra board. On call 24/7. No regular days off. Amount of money you will make depends on what minimum guarantee you can get and how many people are on your extra board.

Let your girlfriend get a good look at what living the railroad lifestyle means before you get married. Lots of women like the money but can't handle the lifestyle. She will have to play second fiddle to the railroad, and be OK with you being gone most of the time.

Been there, done that.

Les

I agree with taking the conductor position. I am currently a CT and haven't looked back! The job itself isn't rocket science but I tell you, it will test you in many ways. There are some great people on the railroad and even more disgruntled ones. However, the disgruntled ones aren't leaving either ! They're just upset that they got rolled off a job and didn't make $5K this half...lol. If that is what's making ya mad, that's alright with me. Know this...as a CT you will WORK and your pay isn't great. After RR tier 1 and 2, Med, Fed, and State taxes are taken out, I'm clearing $850 bucks every 2 weeks. I know, once qualification is complete, pay will increase but I just wanted to give you a heads up because more than likely will not see a paycheck while in McDonough. DO NOT take anything...ANYTHING for granted. I was that guy saying to myself, "That hang test is a joke!" Guess what, I fell off the ladder when it was my turn. Day 2 came, and my internal attitude did a 180 and I passed but 4 others were sent packing. Next item for tonight, study. Your roommate may want to party but know this...alcohol on NS premises is not a good thing and the "premises" extends to the very room they have provided for you. Finally, get into your signals now and look over them every day...names,aspects, and indications. My class lost 3 more the day before graduation due to failing the signals test!!! I wish you the best in your new endeavor and the best advice I can give you overall is to never step into the path of a moving train!

New Member here!! I was just offered the same position from CSX as an Intermodal Service Worker. Can anyone tell me 'exactly' what to expect on a day to day basis?