UP hiring question

As far as the strength and agility testing; what do these tests consist of that you are to perform?

I didn't stick around till that part, but it looked like there were 3 tests:
One to see how much you can lift up
One to see how strong your grip is
How many situps you can do in a minute.

Unless your really weak, you will pass. Its nothing. Most people that do fail, fail in the hand strength. Its not like boot camp or anything.

It did encourage me to start doing situps and pushups, which my beer gut didn't enjoy, but I really need to do.

The scores are weighted, meaning that you can use two strong scores to overcome a weak one.

I did terrible in the situps, but my grip and lifting scores were off the charts so I passed easily.

I did 28 sit-ups and passed with no prob but an older gentleman did 8 situps and still passed?? I was offered the job but declined it after further consideration

I did 25 sit-ups and passed, but another fellow passed with 10, so he must have done well on the other two tests. I think it is safe to say, that if you can't do ANY sit-ups, you cannot possibly do well enough on the other two tests to pull it out. BTW, if you are going to practice, you should practice bent-knee sit-ups. I had been doing 50 straight-leg sit-ups at home, only to find out when I got there that they do the bent-leg style! I am two weeks past my hiring session, and still waiting for the phone to ring!

Hopefully it takes that long because of the background check buddy.

--I think it is safe to say, that if you can't do ANY sit-ups, you cannot possibly do well enough on the other two tests to pull it out.--

Haha, guess again. I did zero situps that counted, and I passed with plenty of breathing room. The kind of situps that they make you do (cross arm, touch your elbow to your knee) is rough if you're out of shape. The satisfying thing was that I spotted for a guy that did 58 situps and he didn't make the final cut for the job.

OK, sorry SteelWheels, I stand corrected. But I am curious, how do you know how much you passed by? In our session, the scores for the grip and bicep pull were deep, dark secrets, and all we got at the end was "pass-fail". Also curious, how many guys made it to the interview in your hiring session. 30 made it in ours, which resulted in 10 minute interviews from tired interviewers. They acted like that was an unusually high number.

Thanks for the encouragement, UPRR engineer, I was (and still am) shooting for the Denver Service Unit, so if I am ever fortunate enough to make it, maybe our paths will cross someday.

Where exactly at in the Denver Service Unit are you looking to hire out at?

I have been thinking Denver itself. Though I am definitely NOT a big-city type, my wife and I have some interests (clubs) that have a presence in Denver. Also, though I have 27 years of railroad experience (shortline), I know I will be starting over at the bottom, seniority-wise, and I figure Denver would present many opportunities for work, even for a newbie. With main lines heading N, S, E, and W, yard jobs, locals, RCO, etc., I would hope I wouldn't have to sit too much. Having said that, I would appreciate your input, after all, you know the territory.

I am pondering going to a hiring session I have been invited to in Chicago for UP. It is for Train service work at Provsio. If hired as a newbie, what would be an approximate yearly salary I could make if I busted my hump? It scares me to take a job where I might be sitting at home for days.

Between $175 and $186 for 8 hours in a yard, five days a week. Working over the road, depends how far the runs are. It pays less per mile than a yard job does.


I just told a lie, i dont think new hires start out at %100 percent any more. %75 of $175 for a yard job.

hooked up wrote:I have been thinking Denver itself. Though I am definitely NOT a big-city type, my wife and I have some interests (clubs) that have a presence in Denver. Also, though I have 27 years of railroad experience (shortline), I know I will be starting over at the bottom, seniority-wise, and I figure Denver would present many opportunities for work, even for a newbie. With main lines heading N, S, E, and W, yard jobs, locals, RCO, etc., I would hope I wouldn't have to sit too much. Having said that, I would appreciate your input, after all, you know the territory.

I work on the old Cheyenne Service Unit which is now part of the Denver Unit. I only have rights between Cheyenne and Green River. We use to though and in some other places too, but when they put the hubs in it closed the door, which has good and bad points. That would be a good place to hire out. Im sure there is plenty of work in Denver. Having worked a shortline will help you out alot. I was a contract switcher before the UP and having already known the basics made school a cake walk.