Machine Operator - Machine Operator Union Pacific Employee Review

4.0
Aug 4, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits!! Amazing benefits, great pay, retirement, and you get to travel! Yes it puts miles on vehicles, but you're getting paid to drive to/from your home to work twice a month, almost $2,000/month JUST in per-diem, plus your hourly pay. Trackmen-$25/hr, Machine-$27-32/hr, Formen-$27-35/hr.

Cons

Being away from home 1/2 the month would be one, unless you're not married or have a significant other at home lol! Seeing how you're going to end up spending more time on the road with your guys, but it's a good brotherhood out here. Another thing I would say is a con is CAN be hard for new guys for a while, like being able to hold onto a job on a certain gang. Everything out here goes by seniority.. Meaning if I was to have more time than someone else and I have them on established rights, I can "bump him" meaning I took his position. Then, the man that I "bumped" has to now find someone he has time over and "bump" them. It may sound very confusing, lol but trust me it's actually pretty simple. And cutoffs.... Especially the past 2 years, we've been getting cutoff towards the end of the year. But at the beginning of the year the jobs had been put back out. But HOPEFULLY that is over with. And one more, hotels. They will become your least favorite things in all the world! Lol. Just like any companies, you'll have ups and downs, but this isn't a job, it's a career and I promise if you just stay with it, it will pay off so much in the end!

Explore other reviews about Union Pacific

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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