Couple more newb questions

I live in Charleston SC and would like to stay in the area or around Sav GA. Any thoughts about rr's in this area. What are they.

Lastly, everybody is saying you start off at around 40k for a conductor but what do the pay checks actually look like? Amount ? Do you get paid weekly, bi-weekly? Is the health ins good for you and your family.

Ready to get out of the military after 10 years and wondering if I would take a pay cut.

Thanks

lucky929er wrote:Do you get paid weekly, bi-weekly?

This will vary from carrier to carrier, and even area to area.

lucky929er wrote:I live in Charleston SC and would like to stay in the area or around Sav GA. Any thoughts about rr's in this area. What are they.

Lastly, everybody is saying you start off at around 40k for a conductor but what do the pay checks actually look like? Amount ? Do you get paid weekly, bi-weekly? Is the health ins good for you and your family.

Ready to get out of the military after 10 years and wondering if I would take a pay cut.

Thanks

You'll clear about two-thirds of your gross. Railroad retirement is considerably more than social security. You're usually paid bi-weekly. Health insurance is, for the most part, good. IIRC, the CSX is the dominant carrier in your area, as well as the Norfolk Southern.

Job Hotline #'s:
CSX 1-800-521-1658
NS 1-800-214-3609

Lastly, everybody is saying you start off at around 40k for a conductor but what do the pay checks actually look like?

Yes, your "first year potential" is around $40K, but that is because you spend 5-6 months in training. On the NS, it's 5 months of training at ABOUT $499.99/wk.

On the NS, a basic day of pay for a new conductor is $150-$200, depending on the assignment. But, there is little to no chance of working a basic day. Most days are 10-12 hours at least. So figure another $50-100 per start.

When you first get hired, you will be on the "extra board" meaning you will take whatever jobs come your way. On the NS at least, there is more work than you can stand, and new conductors are on call 24/7/365. In other words, they will work you to the bone. You will prob. get 6-7 starts per week - which would put you in the $1200-$2000+ a week range.

NS pays biweekly, but will pay you weekly or monthly if you request it.

CSX will make you cough up $5000 to go to conductor school, the NS offers paid training.

Oh and the NS seems to hire a lot of exmilitary, so I think you have an advantage there. Prob because working on the railroad is just like being in the military....

-r

razor wrote: Oh and the NS seems to hire a lot of exmilitary, so I think you have an advantage there. Prob because working on the railroad is just like being in the military....
-r

Especially the discipline part where you're guilty until proven innocent. Uniform Code of Military Justice.

As far as take home pay for CSX, count on a little over 1k every 2 weeks. I work out of Sav, and we just did a rash of hiring, and I don't know if / when they will hire any more. The CSX yard in Charleston is a very busy place, they are probably hiring, but speaking from what little experience I have, it is a very tough yard to work in. Very busy and uncoordinated, and the trainmasters there are much more concerned with hiding in the bushes to do e-testing than trying to get wheels turning. Just some things you may want to consider.

Afternoooon David!! Glad to see your in high spirits today.

You'll make more with a railroad than you would in the military. plus you'll have a better chance of staying alive. The more you work, and the better you get at it, the more you will make. $40,000 to over a $100,000, that help out any lucky929er?

Thanks for all the replies. I was just wondering if anybody could remember their 1st couple of checks. I now everybody says 40k but it all ends up different once you actually get paid. The military said I made 50k last year but after taxes it's FAR from it. Any Charleston workers on this site?

Where do I go to get the application process started?

lucky929er wrote:Thanks for all the replies. I was just wondering if anybody could remember their 1st couple of checks.

As a conductor trainee on the NS my frist and second bi-weekly paychecks were <B>ABOUT</b> $950.14 and $891.44 net pay

My first two bi-weekly checks after becoming qualified: were <B>ABOUT</b> $2279.27 and $3643.86 net pay

Now holding a regular job, my net pay is about <B>ABOUT</b> $1000/wk

-r

Yeah, railroad pay would be a definite improvement over the military. I'm in the Air Force right now with just over two years to go until retirement. I take home around $1,400 every two weeks. The pay overseas was much better due to cost of living allowance. In Japan I pulled down nearly $1,900 every two weeks.

I plan to take the same route as lucky929er and go into train service. Your paychecks look pretty nice there Razor. Hopefully come late 2007, I'll be joining you on the Norfolk Southern. Are you working out of Pennsylvania?

Ed
AF Dude

Ed, I'm only an E-5 and I bring home more than that every 2 weeks, with flight pay. I hope the RR does better than that.

lucky929er,

I'm guessing you fly on C-17's out of Charleston? The $1,400 per two weeks doesn't include the wad of free housing money. Kinda need that for the DC area. No flight pay for me unfortunately. The 16 years of getting COLA overseas was VERY nice though.

Those railroad paychecks are looking pretty darn good. The training phase may be a little rough, but once that's over with it looks very good. We definitely know about shift work in the military. Some have it better than others in that aspect of course. Work me to the bone and put me on the extra board. Man I wish I could retire today. I would kill to work for Norfolk Southern. Let us know what happens to you and your situation.

Ed
AF Dude

Big Ed wrote: I plan to take the same route as lucky929er and go into train service. Your paychecks look pretty nice there Razor. Hopefully come late 2007, I'll be joining you on the Norfolk Southern. Are you working out of Pennsylvania?

Hi Ed, yeah, I work out of Enola, Harrisburg Division. I'm actually one of the lowest paid road conductors in the division (maybe THE lowest paid guy). I pretty much only work my job and nothing else if I can avoid it. My wife has a decent job too and we are pretty modest folks, so money is not a big issue for us. I like to see my family.

If you really want to make money, it's there for the taking. No lie, there are conductors on the NS making $100K a year. Based on my experience though, I'd guess the average is somewhere in the $70k's.

Hurry up and start working...I need the vacation!

-r

Razor,

I wish I could give you a vacation! I just hope when my time comes to retire from the AF, that NS is still hiring. My enlistment has me through the end of 2007 now, but possibly I could pull some strings and leave out next October timeframe.

I'm originally from Indiana and would prefer to work in the midwest, but will relocate anywhere on the NS system. I was chatting last week with an NS hogger who works in the Manassas-Alexandria Virginia area and he says they'd love to have me, being military and all. I'll keep my fingers crossed.