Starting a dispatching career

[almsforthepoor]

Many apologies if this question has been asked to death, but does a recent college graduate with a business degree and no related experience have any shot at all at starting a dispatching career in the current climate? The few jobs that are open are like 10 hours away from me currently at least, but I am applying anyways. Do I have a shot at all at if I'm not a local candidate?

Thanks in advance for your time. Sorry if these are dumb questions.

[NS_Dispatcher]

I would say it depends on how many current employees are applying for the same job. I have seen a few guys off the street get hired and you dont need a college degree for the job.

[PI_Division_Conductor]

No college required and they do hire off the street. However, some experience or railroad knowledge would be better, and if any of the other candidates have railroad experience they may go ahead of you. If you do get the job, make sure when you do any road reviews, you ride trains other than Amtrak or Pig Trains. You will learn nothing on those.

[LLL]

Originally Posted by PI_Division_Conductor

No college required and they do hire off the street. However, some experience or railroad knowledge would be better, and if any of the other candidates have railroad experience they may go ahead of you. If you do get the job, make sure when you do any road reviews, you ride trains other than Amtrak or Pig Trains. You will learn nothing on those.

noob question..
Why don't you learn anything on Amtrak or Pig trains? Is it because they have priority?

[PI_Division_Conductor]

It's because they are not going to run the same way the trains that are going to have the most problems. Dispatchers (especially newer ones) need to actually see why every train doesn't clear every block at the same time. Why Amtrak can run through a block with a heavy grade in 3 minutes, but a freight may take 18-20 minutes. Amtrak and pigs do not do much work in between terminals. Dispatchers need to see what actually takes place in the field. Why it take a freight train so long to do a pick up, proper brake test, walk to the head end, etc. See how often the heaviest freights are sent out of the initial terminal under powered, and it's not the crew fucking off. Also see what it's like on our end when a Dispatcher makes a bad decision, and you end up stuck sitting somewhere waiting on a train 45 minutes away when you could have easily cleared a short block of single track without causing delays to anybody. Also learn bad places to stop a long heavy freight and why it's a bad place- (detector, side of a hill, busy crossings, bad areas where people tamper with trains, etc.) because it will cause more trouble than it's worth.

I have an immediate relative that's a dispatcher. She has rode a couple pigs, and she made a round trip with me on some slop freights. She told me first hand that she learned way more on the crap than on the pigs. Too many dispatchers griping about having to road review in the first place, and when they are made finally forced to, they ride a yard job, local (that does very little), Amtrak, Pig train, or a freaking Hy Railer. Many of them also just ride something easy around the area of the Dispatch office. You guys need to see the outter points of your territories too.

[almsforthepoor]

I was hoping a college degree might slightly differentiate me, although I know there are millions of unemployed college grads too right now, so maybe not . So, if in my case I am unable to secure a dispatcher position without railroad experience, where is the most likely place I could get said railroad experience in this day in age? Would any experience (general laborer, etc.) be sufficient?

[LLL]

I can't believe people would complain about road reviews. First of all, since we're not out there all day everyday, it would actually be an enjoyable experience. Like being in the cockpit of an airplane, the pilots might be tired of doing it, but to us it would be fun. Also, becoming personally closer with your conductors seems like it would help you out in the dispatch office, make our lives easier behind the desk. I am currently a dispatcher/operations manager for an intermodal trucking company, and I have met almost all of my drivers. I have ridden with many of them, and I no longer take what they do for granted. It is the greatest feeling to me when I get things knocked out and everybody is happy. This of course is a rarity in the transportation world, but it's a great goal to have.
My goal in rail is to become as familiar with the territory and conductors as possible. I am looking forward to riding the road reviews!
Again, this may sound very noobish, but I have been dispatching with my current company for 8 years now and I love it. I aim to bring the same dedication to the rails.
Damn, I swear I'm not this mushy in real life.

[Neverhome]

Originally Posted by PI_Division_Conductor

I have an immediate relative that's a dispatcher.

Ever sit in with her? I mean when it's busy, for a full shift. It's an eye opener for sure. Especially when you see someone come in and direct her to make one of those 'bad decisions' for reasons that outweigh you getting one more block down the road. I've seen it, it's another world in there.

[PI_Division_Conductor]

Originally Posted by Neverhome

Ever sit in with her? I mean when it's busy, for a full shift. It's an eye opener for sure. Especially when you see someone come in and direct her to make one of those 'bad decisions' for reasons that outweigh you getting one more block down the road. I've seen it, it's another world in there.

I've been down there a couple times. She has told me how some of the chiefs won't let the dispatchers run their desk. Coming in telling them to hold this train and hold that train, when the train being held would have shot right on through and never held anybody up.

[PI_Division_Conductor]

Originally Posted by almsforthepoor

I was hoping a college degree might slightly differentiate me, although I know there are millions of unemployed college grads too right now, so maybe not . So, if in my case I am unable to secure a dispatcher position without railroad experience, where is the most likely place I could get said railroad experience in this day in age? Would any experience (general laborer, etc.) be sufficient?

My advice would be to get experience in what ever field you plan to work in, especially if you plan to use the degree to advance. No offense, but too many college grads out there that think that piece of paper is their key to the world and it automatically makes them "better" than other candidates. It's a main problem with some of the big companies, including the railroads. They allow these people to come straight in and take a management position with no experience at all. That degree will never equal actual experience, and people under you will only respect you more if you have some actual time under your belt before trying to tell them how to do their job. By actual time, I mean like 5 years, not 5-6 months.