I see IAIS is hiring conductors in Chicago. Does anyone know how this company is to work for? It seems like a small company. In the airline industry that typically means less pay and bad work rules. Is that how it works in the rail roads? Trying to get the scoop on iais. Thanks!
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Working for Iowa Interstate - IAIS
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Like ThatGuy said, pay is 21 and change. Your first three months after marking up are at 80%, around $17/hour. Guarantee is for 80hrs/half and they have a 2 hour call time on the extra board. The extra board has no set days off, and they'll most likely work you on a 5on-1off schedule or something similar unless business is slow.
I believe in Blue Island you either work the yard, or a road freight "flip": you'll take the outbound train out of town in the evening and meet with an inbound train from the Quad Cities about halfway down the road, swap trains around midnight, and return to Blue Island early morning with the inbound. Sometimes you might take extra trains as far as Rock Island, and get taxied back to Blue Island after your shift. Unless this has changed, and things on the railroad change all the time.
I believe in Blue Island you either work the yard, or a road freight "flip": you'll take the outbound train out of town in the evening and meet with an inbound train from the Quad Cities about halfway down the road, swap trains around midnight, and return to Blue Island early morning with the inbound. Sometimes you might take extra trains as far as Rock Island, and get taxied back to Blue Island after your shift. Unless this has changed, and things on the railroad change all the time.
Does anyone know if IAIS will hire an experienced Class 1 engineer and allow him to start as engineer? Or, do they have combined seniority... conductor/engineer?
Well, they currently have a total of 16 openings, 8 for experienced conductors/engineers and 8 student positions. So yes, they do hire experienced engineers, not sure if this means only guys with Class I cards or what. 4 openings at each location, Council Bluffs, IA (Omaha), South Amana, IA (Iowa City), Silvis, IL (Quad Cities), and Blue Island, IL (Chicago). Pay is now $19.70 to start, and goes up to $24.62/hr.
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I'm new to this forum and I'm no railroad worker, but IAIS is a great choice. IAIS is a great Class II railroad. There's a difference between a Class I and a Class II railroad. In a Class I railroad as a train crew member, you will be on-call 24/7 365 days a year and will be away from home almost all the time. You won't be getting that many weekends and holidays off at all. However, when you have enough seniority for Class I, you can have permission to get weekends and some holidays off. In Class II, you will be working in a more friendlier atmosphere and be home everyday. It'll be so that way you won't be in a hotel almost all the time. It'll also be so that way you'll be spending more time with your family. They also will provide more better schedules for you. I rather prefer working for a Class I railroad as a mechanic, freight car repairer, or a yard crew member. For Class II and III, I prefer working as a train crew member. I'm thinking about working as a Train Conductor for IAIS after getting my college degree if it works out perfectly.