The BNSF Management Trainee Program is a scam. It is marketed as an elevated program with a lot of potential and growth. I did not experience that at all. In my 6 years as a foreman, I received 4 years of "exceeds" overall performance and only one promotion locally. After turning down a promotion to Barstow I was blacklisted and sent to the overnight shift until I quit for a new job. HR is out of touch in trying to keep talent. Promotions are not about individual performance or leadership traits... promotions are heavily about who you know or how well you follow orders. If you are considering the MT or EFLS program, please heed my warning!
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Still trying to figure out why Engineers and conductors aren’t head hunted by the company for promotion to management. Have guys manage at their home terminal and give them a 25% raise and problem solved. Move them only if they are willing and make it right. Experienced railroaders are best at managing others in a craft that they themselves have mastered. Hard to pull the wool over a managers eyes if he/or she knows how things work because of experience. New college grads and new managers without rr experience are rarely respected or ever asked about ways to solve problems encountered by their subordinates with rules questions , experiences also what to do in certain situations where one isn’t sure how to apply certain rules. I haven’t encountered any new college grad managers that are actually any good at telling me how to do my job without a confusing look on their face.
Don’t come to work at UP. They have bad management training program too. Many layoffs in management and union jobs too. Jim Vena the terminator CEO runs the company.
Many previous MTs now have leadership positions. If you turn down a location (especially Barstow or KC) or promotion, your options will be severely impacted
BNSF will try to trap these new "associate degree MTs" by baiting them into getting their bachelors paid for by the company. They will be forced to work or have to pay back their education costs if they quit. This is the same trick they pull for relocation packages if you quit.
This is really true. Although most of the MT get bad training and are bad at their jobs. As a former EFLS I would strongly recommend you take your talents to any railroad that’s not BNSF or UP