I have posted previously on other threads that I am attending NARS in January. Upon completing the program I can pick 3 locations I would like to work and hopefully be placed at 1 of them if they are hiring. Ive been trying to do some research on what would be the easiest places to hold for a new conductor and so far Greybull, WY & Lincoln, NE look like possibilities. Does anyone else know of any other locations that would be good locations for a newbie wanting to just hold a job? Oh yeah I guess I should state that Im talking about BNSF. Thanks for all info!
Best locations to hold
(28 posts) (10 voices)-
Dyrtryder26
MemberPosted 6 months ago # -
Dyrtryder26
MemberAlliance eh? So who all is in the Sandhills Division? Thanks Grendie!
Posted 6 months ago # -
It's kind of a toss up between all 3 of those locations actually!
Posted 6 months ago # -
drewg350
ModeratorKC needs help as does most places that run from the Powder River. Obviously the sooner you hire out, the better your chances of "holding" in any terminal. Be aware though, if you hire out in a "closed district" vs an "open district", that will make a huge difference too. The majority of terminals in the BNSF RR all fall within the open seniority, or NH-99 (new hire 99) district, however the north and north west are mostly closed districts. They voted to stay closed when they had the opportunity to join the wide open NH-99. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, it all depends upon the individual hiring out and where they plan to live and if they might want to re-locate in the future. This is something everyone should consider when applying for a postion. It's not a good idea to hire out in a closed district if you do not plan on staying there. Trying to relocate outside the district can be very difficult and will put you at the very bottom of the new district your transferring to. Something to really think about for anyone who's applying to every open position thinking "I just need to get my foot in the door, than I'll transfer later". It's not that easy in a closed district.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Drew is absolutely right on!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Dyrtryder26
MemberOk so where would be some destinations you would recommend to stay away from? What I mean is crappy places to live or places difficult to hold due to a lot of old heads & seniority. Also I hear some places are better for making bank than others like Needles, CA. Im guessing those places would be hard to get on with due to old heads taking over those places would that be correct? Thanks guys I cant tell you how much Ive learned on here from everyones help. PRICELESS!!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Freewood
MemberDyrtryder, Drew posted a list of closed seniority districts in the BNSF discussion thread, if you want to look at those.
Good luck, don't limit yourself to a few places, not a time to become a choosy person, but hopefully you get your pick. I know I'm gunning for Needles soon, so there is no good place for you to avoid seniority.
Posted 6 months ago # -
drewg350
ModeratorBelow are the BNSF "Closed Seniority" districts. If you hire out in any of these terminals, you are stuck inside that particular district. As I stated previously, there are advantages and disadvantages to each, it just depends on your wants and needs. If your outside of any of the below districts, you will fall inside the NH-99 "open seniority" district.
District 01:
Aberdeen East
Northtown (Minneapolis)
Superior
Sioux City
Sioux Falls
St. Cloud
WillmarDistrict 02:
Dilworth
Grand Forks
Minot EastDistrict 03:
Aberdeen West
Forsyth
Glasgow
Mandan
Minot West
Glendive
Williston
Dickinson
Jamestown
BeulahDistrict 04:
Havre
Great Falls
Shelby
Whitefish
LaurelDistrict 05:
Interbay (Seattle)
Tacoma
Everett
Pasco
Spokane
Vancouver, WA
Hauser
Bend
Klaford Falls
Bellingham
Centralia
Wishram
Wenatchee
New Westminster, BCPosted 6 months ago # -
Dyrtryder26
MemberAll I am trying to do right now is gather info on different terminals so when it comes time to pick 3 locations I would like to work at when I finish NARS Im making educated decisions. I would rather stay in Missouri but from what Ive been hearing there is a lot of people biding there time to get back here. So even if I got on here I would prob get bumped anyway. Im not being choosy at all I really just want to get on somewhere. Im not that interested in a closed district as I do want to get back to Missouri someday down the road. I would like to work the road & not so much the yard. Ive been eyeing Colorado but dont know anything about the terminals out there. Any road work out there? Good places? Thanks guys!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Without a doubt do not get in a closed district since you want to get back to your home state!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Grendie
MemberSpringfield division is tough to hold but Kansas City is much younger. What I am seeing is a ton of guys are hiring out in alliance and bolting after they mark up and running to KC and Lincoln. Leaving a shortage of trainmen out there. You may need to look at places like alliance to work until you get some whiskers out here
Posted 6 months ago # -
Dyrtryder26
MemberThanks Grendie thats the first I've heard about KC. Thats what I'm doing is trying to find the best places I can go to get my feet wet. I know the chances of me getting bumped or furloughed are pretty high but if I go work at one of these places like Alliance, Gillette, KC, or Lincoln I will be able to come back sooner from a bump or furlough is that a fair assessment? I would much rather be working and getting experience than sitting my ass on the couch. My plan is to try and hire out somewhere I have a better chance of holding then when I get some seniority under my belt transferring back home to Springfield or St. Louis. I think I would love Wyoming but I'm not sure about the weather up there. I hear Alliance doesnt even have a Walmart. But none of that is going to stop me from hiring out there. Approximately how long does it take a guy to get enough seniority to be able to hold another location? Im sure that depends on the location as I said earlier Springfield or St. Louis would be my preference. Thanks guys!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Grendie
Member@Dyrtryder26, It is impossible to know how long it will take to transfer back home to Springfield or St louis. I know several guys that hired out in Springfield as early as 2006 and still can't hold certain terminals in the Springfield Division. However, BNSF just got a coal contract back from the UP that will add about 30 coal sets a week through Springfield. They also were awarded a contract by Fed Ex, all that freight will go through the Kansas Division and into the new intermodal facility in Gardner kansas. BNSF was also awarded a contract to haul crude from the north dakota oil sand fields, however all of that is going to run to refineries in Galveston Tx.
I would focus on doing well at NARS, nailing the interview and getting hired on. After 6 weeks at NARS you will have a good idea where the work is and plan accordingly. Right now don't put the cart before the horse. Focus your energy on getting hired out. Good Luck!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Dyrtryder26
MemberSounds like solid advice! Thanks Grendie!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Yeah I second what Grendie said. focus on getting hired! But the reason Alliance is the easiest place to hold a job is because it's the crappiest location... the worse the location, then the easier it is to hold a job.
No Walmart? So what. That is what Amazon.com is for! Sometimes in the RR you gotta go where ever you can just to hold a job for 3-5 years and suffer and then when you got some whiskers you can transfer somewhere decent....
Just look at it as like being in the military. The privates and pfc's do all the crappy work until they get promoted to a Corporal! For some people that takes 4 years and for others like me it takes 2....
Posted 6 months ago # -
Good advice johnbea!
@jonesy Do your homework on the rr and I hope you got the rr jobs guide ebook! Good luck!Posted 6 months ago # -
jd428jd
MemberHey just wondering about closed district seniority (BNSF). If someone were to hire out and train in a close district not as a Primary recall can you eventually leave the district? Do you just forfeit you seniority and start over? Just a little confused any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Posted 5 months ago # -
Dyrtryder26
MemberJd428jd---From everything I have gathered on this forum if you hire out in a closed district you can only transfer within that district. On the flip side nobody from outside your district can come bump you out of your terminal. If your wanting to get back home after marking up stay away from a closed district or you will be stuck there. Closed districts I believe are the Pacific NW and Northern areas like Montana and North Dakota. Good luck!
Posted 5 months ago # -
jd428jd
Member@Dyrtryder- Thanks for the info. So if I wanted to go from Grand Forks to Seattle it would be ok? But Grand Forks to Denver is a no go? I'm confused looking at the list above because it would seem that if you were working in District 2 for example you would only have seniority and the ability to transfer between three locations?
Posted 5 months ago # -
drewg350
Moderatorjd--those districts on the list are all "closed". You CANNOT transfer from one closed district to another. If you hire inside that particular district (in my case district 01), you are stuck working at only those terminals inside that district (myself being in Aberdeen EAST, I can only work at those remaining 6 terminals inside the 01 district). You CANNOT work between closed districts. Good luck !!!
Posted 5 months ago # -
Alliance, Nebraska
Posted 3 months ago #
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