Good pay, but that's it... - Railroad Freight Conductor Union Pacific Employee Review

2.0
Mar 13, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay, for one, highest paying job I've had yet. Health insurance is decent, yet has gotten worse over the years. But if you've had other employer offered insurance, you'll see it's considerably lower premiums.

Cons

Where do I start? 24/7 on call, train "schedule" inaccuracies constantly, which means you don't know when you'll go to work, no personal life, even tho they claim to be a family oriented company. Management is less than desirable. PSR ( precision scheduled railroading) ...worst idea ever, the idea of saving money, NOT making money by gaining customers, is their #1 priority. Cutting jobs, equipment and track maintenance has fallen to the wayside. No one around to fix anything anymore.

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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