by Qmoney1986
Interested to know what does a normal day of work consist of, and is there any down time?
Railroad Forums
Moderator: MBTA F40PH-2C 1050
GE45tonner wrote:Road work - point to point train. On call, will run whenever is needed. Some runs will last 12 hours, when you'll stop your train, and wait for a cab to pick you up. 8 hours rest then you can be called up again.The Hours of Service Law presently requires 10 hour uninterrupted rest - person can be called AFTER 10 hours rest to report in another 2 hours. Individuals can call the company to see if they can report for an assignment on the 10 hours uninterrupted time. There is no more 8 hour rest provision.
GE45tonner wrote:Road work - point to point train. On call, will run whenever is needed. Some runs will last 12 hours, when you'll stop your train, and wait for a cab to pick you up. 8 hours rest then you can be called up again.Not necessarily all entirely true. As pointed out, you can't be called in 8 hours. 10 for 12 is minimum. Also plenty of yard jobs work industries, whether on yardmaster controlled track or down the main. At the terminal I hired out at there was a 3rd shift yard job that worked industries as far as 7 miles down the main from the yard. Also you won't necessarily always start on the extra board. It depends on which terminal you hire out at. Sometimes there are particularly obnoxious "show up" (scheduled) jobs on bad shifts that new guys work because no one else wants them. Then of course CSX has separate road (Brakeman's) and yard (Switchman's) boards. With the road board guaranteeing a pretty hefty $2800/half or so while the yard board guarantees only like $1700/half. At the terminal where I work now, Brakeman's Board conductors often make more than Freight Pool conductors! But the Freight Pool is a bit cushier because you always know where you're going when you get called AND it's 6 on, 2 off. Some terminals have Freight Pools with NO off days though. It all depends on local agreements. How jobs fall on the seniority scale depends on so many factors from one terminal to another it's hard to say.
Yard work - Typically in shifts. 8 hours. there's usually always a shift going on so there's a good chance you'll be working in the night. Sometimes if the yard is busy you may go on overtime. You'll stay in one yard the whole tour of duty.
Local work is when a train leaves the yard to serve customers along the main, then comes back to the yard. These runs are similar to road jobs except you usually end up back where you started.
Low seniority conductors will start on the extra board (also called a spare board or extra list) and rotate. After being called into duty you are sent to the botton of the list. You'll be called again when you make it too the top. A conductor can then get enough seniority to hold down a regular job, whether it be a yard job, road job, or local. Then you have a relative idea of when you will work every day. However if someone with more seniority wants your job they can bump you off that assignment and you'll have to bid another job or go back to the spare board.
Road jobs are sometimes held in pools on some railroads. Not sure about CSX. A pool of engineers and conductors will rotate through a specific assignment.
So there is no typical work day. Sometimes you'll start at 0100 hours and work until 1300 hours and be held up in a hotel for over a day. Other days you can get called in at 0800 hours and only work until 1600 hours and go back home and sleep in your own bed. You'll work Christmas and miss birthdays. It's a good job and the pay can be great but you will have a completely different lifestyle than everyone else.
Marnos wrote:Is there a limit to the total number of hours you can work in a seven day period ? IE, say you have worked a total of 70 hours in the last 7 days, are you allowed to work on day 8 or would you then have to sit for 24 hours before being allowed to work again ?12 hours is from the time you get picked up out of the hotel until 12 hours after that. If you are on the road, the dispatcher has the time you got picked up from the hotel, (ie: 7:55am) then 12 hours later (7:55pm) you legally park your train and wait for the crew van to show up and bring u back to the hotel. Once that 12 hours limit is up, you cannot work more. Doesnt matter if you are sitting in a siding for 9 hours waiting, you will still get paid for it, and it still counts towards time working. Also, if you are on a UPS train and fly to the next crew change point in say 3 hours, you will clock out when the crew van brings you to the hotel, and then the clock starts again for 12 hours until you can get called again to work. So, you could work upwards of 80 hours a week if they need you.
Is there any way of extending that 12 hour period by say logging wait time while awaiting clearance to take off ?