Assistant Track Supervisor with CN

I applied to the assistant track supervisor position and surprisingly CN got back to me the next day. Unfortunately I didn't talk to the recruiter, she left a message on my phone since I can't have my phone when working, but I'll be calling her back monday morning. Can anyone tell me anything about this job? Seems like you don't need previous rail experience to get in and they put you through a several months long training program.

And I applied to this job knowing I won't be home much, I currently do that right now with my job. But curious how days off work? I know that there's no real schedule but say after working two weeks on will they give you a few days off atleast

Looks to me like they'd promote from within. It seems amazing that someone could walk right in not knowing a tie bar from a tie plate, from a switch point! Their training program must be sum'pin!

As to time off. Can't say. If you're on a gang, it may leave on Sunday afternoon, report to a work site, remain for 4 days. Shifts would be 10-12 hrs. Friday is a "travel home" day where the gang unloads equipment for repair, picks up supplies for next week. If you're local, responsible for a territory, you spend time patrolling trackage and making spot repairs. May have a helper. You may be on call most weekends, or rotate with another T Super. It just depends on how your railroad handles it. I would guess you're gonna be on a gang at first. Could last a good while as you learn the ropes, can identify track material, spot problems, know a Tamper from a Kershaw Ballast Regulator, and what each machine does. That's why I am surprised they're hiring off the street. If I were a Track worker, I'd probably resent having a newbie telling me how to do the job.......................... But, then, we had those college interns comin' in and they didn't know a rail from a plate, either!

GF

retired NS

Come now Gadfly.

I once had a "new hire" Manager of Operating Practices on the UP who demanded to know why I was clogging up the main line after he instructed us to pick up 40 cars to our 40 or so we already had (manifest) in Milford, Utah at the rear of our train while it was snowing and temps were about 18 degrees. I told him it would be better to yard the train first and then go.

Waiting on the air........

Gadfly wrote:Looks to me like they'd promote from within. It seems amazing that someone could walk right in not knowing a tie bar from a tie plate, from a switch point! Their training program must be sum'pin!

As to time off. Can't say. If you're on a gang, it may leave on Sunday afternoon, report to a work site, remain for 4 days. Shifts would be 10-12 hrs. Friday is a "travel home" day where the gang unloads equipment for repair, picks up supplies for next week. If you're local, responsible for a territory, you spend time patrolling trackage and making spot repairs. May have a helper. You may be on call most weekends, or rotate with another T Super. It just depends on how your railroad handles it. I would guess you're gonna be on a gang at first. Could last a good while as you learn the ropes, can identify track material, spot problems, know a Tamper from a Kershaw Ballast Regulator, and what each machine does. That's why I am surprised they're hiring off the street. If I were a Track worker, I'd probably resent having a newbie telling me how to do the job.......................... But, then, we had those college interns comin' in and they didn't know a rail from a plate, either!

GF

retired NS

Thanks for the info! Finally got to talk to the recruiter on the phone today. Seems like they're desperate to get some track supervisors in smaller/northern communities that no one wants to live in. She also told me that if I pass the interview then they will fly me out to Winnipeg where there's a CN training facility, for about 4 weeks of training. Flights paid for as well. After that I'll be paired up with a track supervisor for a year or so and learn on the job with him. Starting salary is 68k!

But I don't think this is a job for me Seems silly to be supervising something I've never done before! Also don't think I can handle the stress of everyone hating me for coming in green. From the number of job postings I see for this position, I assume it's pretty high turnover as well.

Rossendale wrote:I applied to the assistant track supervisor position and surprisingly CN got back to me the next day. Unfortunately I didn't talk to the recruiter, she left a message on my phone since I can't have my phone when working, but I'll be calling her back monday morning. Can anyone tell me anything about this job? Seems like you don't need previous rail experience to get in and they put you through a several months long training program.

And I applied to this job knowing I won't be home much, I currently do that right now with my job. But curious how days off work? I know that there's no real schedule but say after working two weeks on will they give you a few days off atleast

Hey I applied to the same job but have only received an email from Hr saying,I wasn't selected for the job. Then an HR lady emailed me and said to disregard that previous email and I was still being reviewed. However, this was a week ago.

However, I haven't heard from anyone in person.

crimson15 wrote:

Rossendale wrote:I applied to the assistant track supervisor position and surprisingly CN got back to me the next day. Unfortunately I didn't talk to the recruiter, she left a message on my phone since I can't have my phone when working, but I'll be calling her back monday morning. Can anyone tell me anything about this job? Seems like you don't need previous rail experience to get in and they put you through a several months long training program.

And I applied to this job knowing I won't be home much, I currently do that right now with my job. But curious how days off work? I know that there's no real schedule but say after working two weeks on will they give you a few days off atleast

Hey I applied to the same job but have only received an email from Hr saying,I wasn't selected for the job. Then an HR lady emailed me and said to disregard that previous email and I was still being reviewed. However, this was a week ago.

However, I haven't heard from anyone in person.

They're pretty busy and will probably get to you eventually. Wait another week and email them maybe?

What's your background? Are you in the U.S? Any insight you can give from the conversations you've had with HR?

crimson15 wrote:What's your background? Are you in the U.S? Any insight you can give from the conversations you've had with HR?

Nope I am in Canada. As for work background, I'm coming in green. Only thing on my resume that probably interested them was that I've worked a lot of outdoor labor jobs, have post secondary education and willing to relocate.

From my convo with HR she made it clear that they're looking for long term career focused people and that I may have to relocate anywhere between northwestern Ontario all the way to British Columbia! After the 4 week training period, you're put wherever there is an opening. They'll also give you conductor training, so that trains can keep running in case there's a strike.

That's about all I know about this position. My guess is that it's harder to keep this position filled in Canada because there are so many more track territories that require you to live in a small middle of nowhere towns where it gets to -40C in the winter! On top of that I would also hate a supervisor who's never done the work before too lol

Rossendale wrote:

crimson15 wrote:What's your background? Are you in the U.S? Any insight you can give from the conversations you've had with HR?

Nope I am in Canada. As for work background, I'm coming in green. Only thing on my resume that probably interested them was that I've worked a lot of outdoor labor jobs, have post secondary education and willing to relocate.

From my convo with HR she made it clear that they're looking for long term career focused people and that I may have to relocate anywhere between northwestern Ontario all the way to British Columbia! After the 4 week training period, you're put wherever there is an opening. They'll also give you conductor training, so that trains can keep running in case there's a strike.

That's about all I know about this position. My guess is that it's harder to keep this position filled in Canada because there are so many more track territories that require you to live in a small middle of nowhere towns where it gets to -40C in the winter! On top of that I would also hate a supervisor who's never done the work before too lol

What's worse is having a newbie supervisor who thinks he knows what he's doing ! We had those, too. And you couldn't tell 'em different, either. Breezed in with BIG plans, BIG heads!!!! Didn't know SH** from shinola, but they sure THOT they did! But then, there were the nice guys. "Fred" told us from the get-go he didn't know, would we set him straight if we saw he was wrong? Really nice guy. I remember a little story about "Fred". He came from Michigan, and teased us that we couldn't drive in snow, being "southerners" and all. And besides. it never snowed "here" anyway. Not long after we had a 16" snowfall. I arrived at the Shops on time. Along with several other employees who "couldn't drive in the snow". "Fred" was noticibly absent. An hour or so later, he called in....STUCK in a snowbank & couldn't move!!!!!!! (He had a high-powered Mustang) He asked the foreman, "Btw, is "gadfly" there today>"

"Yes, Fred, he's here".

Fred groaned, "OH NO!! I'll NEVER LIVE THIS DOWN!!!!!"

Next day, he walked in and the first words he said to me were, "HUSH! (grin) I don't wanta hear it!!!!!" But he did ask me how FAR it was from my house to
work! About 20 miles! He winced, "OH NO! God help me"!!!!! For him it was 4 miles to his apartment! I picked on him 'til he transferred out.

Today, last I heard, Fred is an Assistant VP of our railroad. Wouldn't be surprised if he headed it up some day!!!!

Pretty much my same background but from the US. Hopefully, I hear back from them. I wanna work for the railroad. Haha

Rossendale wrote:

crimson15 wrote:What's your background? Are you in the U.S? Any insight you can give from the conversations you've had with HR?

Nope I am in Canada. As for work background, I'm coming in green. Only thing on my resume that probably interested them was that I've worked a lot of outdoor labor jobs, have post secondary education and willing to relocate.

From my convo with HR she made it clear that they're looking for long term career focused people and that I may have to relocate anywhere between northwestern Ontario all the way to British Columbia! After the 4 week training period, you're put wherever there is an opening. They'll also give you conductor training, so that trains can keep running in case there's a strike.

That's about all I know about this position. My guess is that it's harder to keep this position filled in Canada because there are so many more track territories that require you to live in a small middle of nowhere towns where it gets to -40C in the winter! On top of that I would also hate a supervisor who's never done the work before too lol

crimson15 wrote:Pretty much my same background but from the US. Hopefully, I hear back from them. I wanna work for the railroad. Haha

Rossendale wrote:

crimson15 wrote:What's your background? Are you in the U.S? Any insight you can give from the conversations you've had with HR?

Nope I am in Canada. As for work background, I'm coming in green. Only thing on my resume that probably interested them was that I've worked a lot of outdoor labor jobs, have post secondary education and willing to relocate.

From my convo with HR she made it clear that they're looking for long term career focused people and that I may have to relocate anywhere between northwestern Ontario all the way to British Columbia! After the 4 week training period, you're put wherever there is an opening. They'll also give you conductor training, so that trains can keep running in case there's a strike.

That's about all I know about this position. My guess is that it's harder to keep this position filled in Canada because there are so many more track territories that require you to live in a small middle of nowhere towns where it gets to -40C in the winter! On top of that I would also hate a supervisor who's never done the work before too lol

Apply for a position in Canada then lol