Where Do I Fit? - Trades (Union)
Finding a new career can be intimidating for some job seekers, especially if you are unsure how your skills and experience may fit into a new company.
Wouldn't it be helpful if you knew the demands of the jobs (such as shifts, travel requirements and day-to-day tasks) up front? Or how your present skills, education and training could be put to good use?
To help you find your place at BNSF, we've provided an overview of several departments including primary functions, work environment and typical duties particular to each work group below.
Use this information to compare against your own personal skills and experiences, as well as expectations about your future at BNSF.
BNSF's Engineering employees are the reason our trains are able to travel across 28 states and two Canadian provinces - they build, inspect, maintain and repair the track!
Why you will love this department...
- Enjoy Saturdays and Sundays off
Work is typically performed on day shifts (Monday through Friday) with minimal travel required on Sundays. - You will see the country like never before
This department could take you to locations within a specific geographic region, or you could travel to job sites across the country for weeks at a time! - The outdoors is your office
If you don’t mind working in the rain once in a while, the breathtaking scenery you could experience here would be more than rewarding.
Some of the skill sets and/or experience we seek in this department might include:
- Commercial Drivers License (CDL)
- Electronics
- General labor
- Heavy equipment operation
- International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians (ISCET) certification
- Truck driving
- Welding
Our Mechanical department leads the way in maintaining, inspecting and repairing our fleet of locomotives and railcars.
Why you will love this department...
- You can work consistent hours on a single shift
Enjoy a regular schedule working one of three 8-hour shifts (over a 24-hour period) with two consecutive days off! - Limited travel means you will be able to spend more time at home
Travel in this department usually occurs during your shift and is mostly limited to other local shops or depots. - Stay dry working indoors
Not a fan of working in the rain or snow? Most of the time, you will be able to repair our locomotives and railcars under the shelter of our shops!
Some of the skill sets and/or experience we seek in this department might include:
- Diesel mechanics
- Electronics
- General labor
- Journey person's license
- Welding and fabrication
Our Transportation employees are the first line to ensure BNSF delivers its goods safely and on time!
Why you will love this department...
Here, we offer the best of both worlds!
- Work consistent hours on a single shift OR enjoy the flexibility of working on call
In some positions, you might work one of three 8-hour shifts (over a 24 hour period). In others, you may be “On Call” 24/7 and given up to two hours to arrive. - Travel across the country OR work near your home and family
Take week-long tours through mountains, prairies and valleys as a conductor. Or, enjoy working close to home as a yard person or dispatcher! - Work in the great outdoors OR enjoy the controlled environment of an office setting
No matter your preference, we have opportunities for you in the Transportation department!
Some of the skill sets and/or experience we seek in this department might include:
- Air traffic control / other dispatch training or experience
- Graduates of Tarrant County College's Train Dispatcher Program
- Heavy equipment operation and maintenance
- On-call
- Radio / hand signal communication
A number of our work groups, including Clerical Administration and Support, Intermodal, Resource Protection and Telecommunications all help support our railroad in a major way.
- Clerical Support - work in an office environment writing reports for senior managers OR work outdoors operating cranes, bridges or material handling equipment
- Intermodal - help support our Marketing department by moving containers full of foreign and domestic products onto our rails and off to our customers
- Resource Protection - keep our workplace safe by securing, monitoring and protecting BNSF personnel and assets
- Telecommunications - ensure our radios, phones and towers function properly by maintaining and securing our intricate web of state-of-the-art communication networks
Choose a Social Network