BNSF Railway Reviews | Glassdoor
BNSF Railway Reviews
Companies
  • Jobs
  • Companies
  • Salaries
  • Interviews

    BNSF Railway Reviews

    Updated August 19, 2017
    571 reviews

    Filter

    Filter

    Full-timePart-time
    3.5
    StarStarStarStarStar
    Rating TrendsRating Trends
    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    (no image)
    Carl R. Ice
    122 Ratings

    571 Employee Reviews

    Sort: PopularRatingDate
    Pros
    Cons

    • Limited Work Life Balance; Union employees can be challenging to manage (in 57 reviews)

    • Time away from home is constant (in 20 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. "Foreman"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Mechanical Foreman
      Former Employee - Mechanical Foreman
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at BNSF Railway full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Competitive Pay, continuously changing work environment,

      Cons

      Very hard to move within the company. Limited advancement opportunities

      Advice to Management

      Trust the advice of your supervisors

    2. "Operations Management"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Positive Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at BNSF Railway full-time

      Pros

      Very fast-paced and challenging environment. Great place to hone your leadership and management skills in logistics, operations, and supply chain management.

      Cons

      Work schedule can be challenging to family life.

      3. Join the BNSF Railway team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. "Operations Manager"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at BNSF Railway full-time

      Pros

      Long Term Security is a given

      Cons

      Off beat schedule and work life balance

    4. "Will gain great work experience, but toxic company culture."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Human Resources Management Trainee/Staffing Specialist in Fort Worth, TX
      Former Employee - Human Resources Management Trainee/Staffing Specialist in Fort Worth, TX
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at BNSF Railway full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Competitive pay and benefits (railroad retirement is great if you see yourself retiring with the company), developmental opportunities, opportunities for entry level employees to gain valuable experience, up-to-date technology, most people (peers, not leaders) are good to work with

      Cons

      Lack of flexibility, top-heavy, poor culture, very political, must relocate to be promoted, instability (they are trying to manage headcount through attrition, but you always feel a dark cloud looming) and no backfilling due to cost cutting measures given the business environment in the railroad industry

      Advice to Management

      Trust your employees and don't micromanage; if you continue to treat them like children, the good ones will leave

    5. "Solid company"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at BNSF Railway full-time (More than 10 years)

      Pros

      Good pay and benefits provided

      Cons

      No quality of life to speak of...

    6. "Corwith IEO"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Inter-modal Equipment Operator in Chicago, IL
      Former Employee - Inter-modal Equipment Operator in Chicago, IL
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at BNSF Railway full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Decent pay. Generally enough overtime to help your pocketbook.

      Work life balance maxes you at 12 hour days.

      Medical is free based off of our CBA.

      Most co workers are pretty good. Few managers that run the ramp really well and genuinely care about your well being.

      The commitment to safety is real and exists.

      Various positions on the ramp and depending on your seniority you can pick and choose what you do for the day.

      Cross craft relationships are the best. You can learn new stuff everyday. Most managers in other departments are willing to tell you about their job and why it's awesome.... and not so awesome.

      Cons

      Overtime - it's a pro and a con. No more 16's which is a negative.

      There are managers who mess the ramp up and create late trains which equates to unnecessary forced overtime.

      Poor morale and integrity.

      Hourly staff create their own problems by abusing the 1-800 number and make frivolous complaints.

      Upper management want us to feel like they care but don't show it. Senior corporate leaders have their message about productivity vs safety but by the time it hits the front line managers it's watered down.

      A certain manager likes to implement new "revolutionary" ideas but does not take criticism very well from the staff that is being forced to do it their way.

      I applied for 15+ jobs I was qualified for and never even got an interview. Not sure what it was about.

      Advice to Management

      Get on the same page. Each manager can run the ramp their own way but there needs to be a set standard. It will improve work morale and boost performance. Sr mgr needs to take charge and set the tone and not allow for certain things to occur.

      There needs to be a leadership overhaul.

      The lack of trust that exists on the 2nd floor is disturbing. You guys set the tone for the ramp, do not burn your bridges with the production crew.

      If a front line manager or supervisor is failing you, and your staff, then reevaluate that individuals employment. It's nothing personal, it's business.

    7. "Engineer"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Engineer in Bakersfield, CA
      Current Employee - Engineer in Bakersfield, CA
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at BNSF Railway full-time (More than 10 years)

      Pros

      You work for the best railroad with great history. Great union negotiated pay and medical benefits

      Cons

      Always away from family and friends, On call lifestyle.

      Advice to Management

      Start believing in your employees and stop trying to fire them.

    8. "Business Analyst"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Business Analyst in Fort Worth, TX
      Current Employee - Business Analyst in Fort Worth, TX
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at BNSF Railway full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Great culture. Management is good. Overall, the organization highly incentivizes long-term employment as there is much to learn and operate between the office environment and the field operations.

      Cons

      Judging from my term so far at the company, moving up to a management position is generally few and far between. Might take a while due to others with longer lengths of tenure.

    9. "Managers hawk around just to fire people who actually work."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - General Laborer in Lincoln, NE
      Current Employee - General Laborer in Lincoln, NE
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at BNSF Railway full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      None with coworkers, Benefits are good, Pay is good, down time is plentiful, self explanatory job fuel locomotives and fill sand boxes.

      Cons

      Coworkers are like high schoolers. They play pranks which directly effects safety, I have had chemical burns as well as a broken nose due to flying water bottles. Managers most of the time sneak up on good workers just to find something to fire you over. Punishments are a joke. If your a crap Worker and trouble maker your set. Want to put in an honest 8 hrs of work, you fart the wrong way they fire ya.

      Advice to Management

      Stop trying to fire good workers, I had chemical burns and a broken nose due to pranks done by coworkers, said something, and I was the one who got in trouble. If you would fire those that don't need to be working due to being troublemakers or sleeping all the time yp ur company would save millions, of not billions of dollars.

    10. "Depends on Location"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Mechanical Foreman in Barstow, CA
      Former Employee - Mechanical Foreman in Barstow, CA
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook

      I worked at BNSF Railway full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Good pay, semi relaxed atmosphere

      Cons

      Overpriced insurance, bad work/life ratio, contradicting input from levels of management

    Showing 571 of 619 reviews
    Reset Filters