Conductor - Conductor Union Pacific Employee Review

2.0
Nov 11, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The actual job is fun, hours are strange but the pay and benefits are worth the hassle. Conductors start at around 40k per year if your not furloughed and top out around 100k. Co-workers are great besides low moral, with seniority you can determine your own schedule.

Cons

Constant threat of being fired. You don't have managers but compliance officers. Rules change frequently without much warning. A coaching system is in place to find otherwise good employees in violation of rules so in the event that a derailment occurs the carrier (UP) can justify firing the employee. Due to poor management strategy furloughs are common. It is easy to get hired since they will sort out those who can't make the cut with GCOR training. Unless you have a backup plan or decide to use this company for class 1 railroad experience do not hire out with them it will only lead to furlough/ financial crisis.

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5.0
Apr 20, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great flexibility and opportunity to move around within the company

Cons

You travel a good amount for the role depending on your work location.

3.0
Jul 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits Work about every other day Pay has potential to be good

Cons

New hires do 100% of the work for 80% of the pay and won’t get fully compensated for the first 4 years. They are also expected to know every transportation job on site rather than focusing on one area like guys who have been here longer so 20% less pay but required to know more, do more, have to wear orange hats for a full year allowing management to easily identify them on camera or in person so they can watch them more closely hoping to catch them breaking a rule. So less pay but a more stressful work place requiring you to know more and get singled out hoping to catch them in a mistake. There is absolutely zero work life balance. Coming from a place where I had 20 plus years and able to hold a decent amount of PTO to getting a single day of paid vacation the first year and trying to balance a family life while also trying to provide for them is impossible. You sacrifice seeing your children grow up, play sports, go on vacations with them so you can provide for them. By the time you have enough years in to take a vacation with them they are grown and you missed the most important years of their lives. I know this as a child of a railroader and now as a parent who’s children barely get to see him.

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