RailRoadFan.com

Not sure what is up here, but per the CSX website, they are hiring conductors in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Number of positions: 5

Also, CSX is hiring Carman positions in GR as well. Number of positions: 2

Anyone have an inside scoop as to why they are hiring 5 conductors and 2 carmen? Very interesting....

Thanks.

David Lang

Because they need people, badly. When you can't run one of your jobs for a week because the regular crew went on vacation, you might have a manpower shortage.

Why, yes....the reason one would hire MIGHT be because they need bodies. Go for it folks. Great retirement plan and yes, you will get that old one of these days. Good paying job, see the midwest. Move the freight. Have fun and yeah, sometimes it isn't but in the long run its a career and NOT A JOB.

Yes, I did figure it was because they needed people (haha), just wondered if the need for 5 conductors and 2 carmen may be pointing to a bigger overall picture, but I suppose time will tell.

Good luck to all those who apply.

David Lang wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 07, 2021 12:06 pm

Yes, I did figure it was because they needed people (haha), just wondered if the need for 5 conductors and 2 carmen may be pointing to a bigger overall picture, but I suppose time will tell.

Good luck to all those who apply.

Since you’re stoking the flames of intrigue and paranoia, what bigger overall conspiracy did you have in mind?

No conspiracy or paranoia. No stoking of flames either. What I will say is to honestly reveal my inner thoughts here, which was given fact that several people are being sought in the hiring process, it is my admission to having thoughts of additional or new trains once again traversing the CSX line across Michigan, much to the delight of railfans such as myself, when in reality, the hiring of these new people are likely to support existing operations. (Grammatically, this is probably a run-on sentence, but I'm tired and don't feel like fixing it). There you go, I put myself out there and was honest.

David Lang

They haven’t been hiring enough people to replace the amount of people that have retired or quit over the last few years. I don’t think they have any kind of an extra board to speak of currently.

David Lang wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 07, 2021 8:48 pm

No conspiracy or paranoia. No stoking of flames either. What I will say is to honestly reveal my inner thoughts here, which was given fact that several people are being sought in the hiring process, it is my admission to having thoughts of additional or new trains once again traversing the CSX line across Michigan, much to the delight of railfans such as myself, when in reality, the hiring of these new people are likely to support existing operations. (Grammatically, this is probably a run-on sentence, but I'm tired and don't feel like fixing it). There you go, I put myself out there and was honest.

Darn, I was hoping for a good conspiracy theory to validate the paranoia.

J T wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 08, 2021 12:30 pm

David Lang wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 07, 2021 8:48 pm

No conspiracy or paranoia. No stoking of flames either. What I will say is to honestly reveal my inner thoughts here, which was given fact that several people are being sought in the hiring process, it is my admission to having thoughts of additional or new trains once again traversing the CSX line across Michigan, much to the delight of railfans such as myself, when in reality, the hiring of these new people are likely to support existing operations. (Grammatically, this is probably a run-on sentence, but I'm tired and don't feel like fixing it). There you go, I put myself out there and was honest.

Darn, I was hoping for a good conspiracy theory to validate the paranoia.

Well I did here it had something to do with the Illuminati and aliens. So there's that.

https://csx.taleo.net/careersection/bas ... 2FNew_York Grand Rapids Conductor Positions.

CSX has listed Jobs opening in Grand Rapids MI. if you like to work on a railroad take a look. we sure heed the help.

https://csx.taleo.net/careersection/bas ... 2FNew_York

rob

Class 1's are hiring like crazy because they're desperate. They've made being a conductor so life-destroying that everyone is quitting.

mach69 wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 10, 2021 11:50 am

Class 1's are hiring like crazy because they're desperate. They've made being a conductor so life-destroying that everyone is quitting.

And that's why I ended up working at Ford. I tried to get into NS but then I did some digging and realized it's not for me.

mach69 wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 10, 2021 11:50 am

Class 1's are hiring like crazy because they're desperate. They've made being a conductor so life-destroying that everyone is quitting.

From my perspective, having worked both for a Class One and a Shortline, is that at the big railroads, the companies and unions have negotiated themselves into a deep hole, wherein the railroads get near-absolute on-call scheduling, and the unions traded it to them in exchange for more cash and benefits. Class One railroaders, train crews in particular, make a lot of money for what they physically do, but that is in trade for terrible on-call hours with essentially zero work-life balance. Even in the engineering department, guys are often forced to work on travelling gangs, and/or work odd hours, with very little control over time off for anything.

Go to shortlines, and you'll find that typically guys get paid modestly in comparison to the Class Ones, but typically work much nicer hours which usually look more like schedules and less like on-call hours. No travelling MOW gangs, virtually no on-call train crews, etc. Usually everybody ends up in their own bed each night versus a crew hotel. You get a much better work/life balance but you won't be making the extra cash the railroads have chosen to fork over in exchange for those crazy working hours.

So, IMHO, both sides made deals with the devil: the railroads forked over more of their cash, and the unions traded in their work-life balance. I'm not sure how they're ever going to recover, because the unions will never accept a pay cut or freeze, and the railroads are unlikely to accept a reduction in per-man productivity.

My presumption is we will continue to see more of the same, with the railroads upping compensation until they get enough people to fill the ranks who are willing to at bare minimum accept the terrible work/life balance, in exchange for a large compensation package.