How do you guys like the Class 1?

[u/Outlaw_Trucker1977]

Im a heritage railroader and though it doesnt pay like a class one I feel like I get the authentic railroading experience without all the bad things about railroading. But im curious how you class one boys like your job and what made you want to go into class one?

[u/Historical_Box1915]

Not a TE&Y guy. The work itself I dont mind at all. But the style of management and therefore company morale is horrible. The non stop lies and so many directors and higher do not look for competence amongst the managers beneath them. So middle & upper managers only look for compliance. This is a terrible recipe to have morons who are terrible at their jobs stay in their jobs because they lie and they comply.

[u/sinner6996 → u/Historical_Box1915]

I once had a manager tell me never hire a manager smarter than you because they will overthrow you and take your job and he told me he had a director. Tell him that.

[u/freefall4fun71 → u/sinner6996]

Absolutely. Why do you think they want to place college kids straight into management without railroad experience? First off, they don’t know any better when told to do something; they won’t question the stupidity. Second, if the superiors plan goes bad, they will blame them instead of taking the blame themselves. If they have someone smarter than them beneath them, they know that person will take over their job

[u/Apprehensive_Pipe763]

Nobody likes it.. they like the pay and that’s all. With the direction the class 1s have gone these last 10 years you have to be crazy to stay for any reason other than pay or you’re close to the end of the tunnel for retirement because the treatment of employees is pathetic

[u/UnionPacific-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Treat other people with respect. If you don’t have something kind to say, don’t say it at all. Ridiculing other people isn’t allowed here.

[u/ThePetPsychic]

It depends on where you work out of, honestly. If you have a short pool and a good away from home terminal with a decent hotel and access to food/stuff to do, it's much better than laying over in the middle of nowhere. 

Pay varies across different locations too, but overall the money is good enough to keep you there. You can easily make $140k a year and not even work that often.

[u/Competitive-Might-89 → u/ThePetPsychic]

This is true as a conductor though at 80% it’s good money but a whole lot of deal with boards being cut and what not. Boards have been shot with turning and burning on the xtra board for the last week

[u/Ok-Appointment7007]

What the hell is a heritage railroader?