you get used to it. ive been riding the x-board for 3 years on and off. its not nearly as bad as it sounds. you can monitor your rotating spot and predict when and for what you will be called for. you also have the option to mark off sick which some people use to excess. some districts also have a guarentee in place which is hovering around $3700 per month to sit at home and wait for the phone to ring. most of the time you will make more. the guarentee comes with rotating off days. 6 on 2 off. $200 per month covers your family with medical for the first year then dental and vision from the second year on.
as hj said, nights and weekends will be a bit different, catching a mainline run will strand you away from home for a day and you will work in the sun, sleet, snow, ice and rain. the trainmasters are required to hide in the bushes and watch you and essentially fire you for breaking one of the bajillion rules they have. also, when you go to engineer school you MUST pass or you lose your job. once qualified you then go back to the engineers extra board and start the process you spent the first 10+yrs doing over again. union membership is a must and it really doesnt feel like they do **** unless you have a decent local chairman.
speeding tickets are fine, i had 2 when hired on in 2010. drug offenses, felonies and DUI's are a no go. also keep in mind at some point you will kill someone if you stay out long enough. i got my first on my last day as a trainee and my second last year. people pick the worst ways to die.
the payoff is huge though. as it stands now most CO's that work steady non xboard jobs clear 70k with a few that clear 100k. I know of atleast 20 EN's on our district that cleared 100k. you also get the medical/dental/vision for you and dependents. my dad jokes that it only cost him $40 to have my brother and I. His $20k appendectomy cost $80. you also pay into railroad retirement instead of the cluster **** that is social security. most guys are drawing 50k per year or more. its based off of the 5 highest paying years you work. also, your wife will draw a check when shes retires. a thanks for letting us have those weekends. vacation, 1 week the first year, 2 after the second, 3 after the 8th, 4 after the 17th and 5 paid weeks after your 25th year.
i love what i do. my wife is fine knowing i bring home the money and she can be left to her own devices. there are some really bad days where you dont want to work that particular job or work with that particular person but you will have some good days too.
as a final thought, try to get in with CYO/OSS. you get paid $215 per day to answer the phone and ensure car movements are correct. 8/hr shifts, 5 days per week in a nice air conditioned building off of peachtree street in ATL. also, while more stressful, dispatchers make $70k per year in a nice A/C office.
HJ, you on the GA or PI Div?
as hj said, nights and weekends will be a bit different, catching a mainline run will strand you away from home for a day and you will work in the sun, sleet, snow, ice and rain. the trainmasters are required to hide in the bushes and watch you and essentially fire you for breaking one of the bajillion rules they have. also, when you go to engineer school you MUST pass or you lose your job. once qualified you then go back to the engineers extra board and start the process you spent the first 10+yrs doing over again. union membership is a must and it really doesnt feel like they do **** unless you have a decent local chairman.
speeding tickets are fine, i had 2 when hired on in 2010. drug offenses, felonies and DUI's are a no go. also keep in mind at some point you will kill someone if you stay out long enough. i got my first on my last day as a trainee and my second last year. people pick the worst ways to die.
the payoff is huge though. as it stands now most CO's that work steady non xboard jobs clear 70k with a few that clear 100k. I know of atleast 20 EN's on our district that cleared 100k. you also get the medical/dental/vision for you and dependents. my dad jokes that it only cost him $40 to have my brother and I. His $20k appendectomy cost $80. you also pay into railroad retirement instead of the cluster **** that is social security. most guys are drawing 50k per year or more. its based off of the 5 highest paying years you work. also, your wife will draw a check when shes retires. a thanks for letting us have those weekends. vacation, 1 week the first year, 2 after the second, 3 after the 8th, 4 after the 17th and 5 paid weeks after your 25th year.
i love what i do. my wife is fine knowing i bring home the money and she can be left to her own devices. there are some really bad days where you dont want to work that particular job or work with that particular person but you will have some good days too.
as a final thought, try to get in with CYO/OSS. you get paid $215 per day to answer the phone and ensure car movements are correct. 8/hr shifts, 5 days per week in a nice air conditioned building off of peachtree street in ATL. also, while more stressful, dispatchers make $70k per year in a nice A/C office.
HJ, you on the GA or PI Div?
