Why don't they add more coaches?

[amtrakpass]

It is somewhat of an oversimplification but I think most of the trouble of filling jobs comes down to pay not keeping up with inflation and true cost of living in many parts of the country. It might look good on paper but if you tried to actually pay all the bills without a second income from somewhere else, such as a spouse, it would be difficult to keep up with the bills with many railroad jobs nowadays, especially starting out with a step rate of pay. This was not the case in decades gone by, when although the pay might have been lower, so was cost of living. If a prospective employee finds the railroad wages just enough to be getting by, but not much more, why put up with the hassle of travel or odd hours and shifts? Especially when another job with a more regular schedule may be available for the same or slightly less wages

 

[user 14106]

As a Boomer, I find this analysis to be amusing, as I recall back in the earlier days of my career pundits were writing "think pieces" about how Boomers were being more demanding about work-life balance than their parents were. If they were all true, then in a generation or two, everybody will want a work-life balance that's all life and no work. I have since found that it's just a matter of sucking it up in the present, and when you retire, you can get all the work-life balance you want.

There are also a lot of people for whom being away from home a lot is a feature, not a bug. As the poster said, employers are going to have to be creative about how to attract such people. I would think that one of the big problems with working Amtrak are the frequent delays, which mess up schedules. Even OBS on odd schedules still have a routine and messing up said routing is psychologically stressful.

As a millennial I'm allowed to say it but I'm sure you're right . I'm actually in a tiny minority in my office of hating WFH, but I'm clearly in the minority on that and I'm one of the youngest people in the department. But in reality it's pretty much everyone's expectations that changed with COVID not just the younger generations. While the job market remains as competitive as it is - and less stressful jobs for similar pay are in abundance combined with other matters such as a general shortage of highly skilled craft workers in the economy in general and the continuation of strict regulations in the industry regarding marijuana consumption in this era of marijuana legalization Amtrak and the airlines will have a hard time. And of course being understaffed makes it worse too for the existing employees - as you may get less time between trips when they are really short. A downturn and a tightening of the job market could of course change everything. The bottom line is - better pay, benefits, and workplace morale is likely the solution. And the latter is hard to improve when people are overworked.

 

[PaTrainFan]

I suppose this will end up being veering well off topic, but I am decidedly a boomer and work with a lot of millenials and Gen Xers. I have no data, only anecdotal evidence but in my world, I have no problem with the younger generations' work ethic. I see this in co-workers across my large company and in others I come into contact professionally outside of it. In fact, as I near my retirement I believe most of them outwork me. So I am not fearful about the younger folks. There are lazy people in all generations.

 

[penguinflies]

It looked like train 300/306 is running new midwest venture fleet coaches. Frees up 4 or so amfleet 2s. If other ventures are being deployed of Michigan or hiawatha services, could be enough to push amfleet 2s them back toward the northeast.

 

[user 14106]

I suppose this will end up being veering well off topic, but I am decidedly a boomer and work with a lot of millenials and Gen Xers. I have no data, only anecdotal evidence but in my world, I have no problem with the younger generations' work ethic. I see this in co-workers across my large company and in others I come into contact professionally outside of it. In fact, as I near my retirement I believe most of them outwork me. So I am not fearful about the younger folks. There are lazy people in all generations.

It’s not so much laziness or even work ethic. I think a better way to put it is - there is a surplus of jobs out there that offer a work life balance that’s closer to what the average worker in 2022 is looking for in 2022. And more and more jobs - including jobs that aren’t college educated or white collar are offering hybrid and WFH opportunities. As many companies have stated WFH doesn’t necessarily mean less production or laziness. I do think there are other negative social and political discourse consequences of widespread WFH that are out of topic but many workers have proved they can be just as productive at home. At the end of the day the bottom line of my analysis is absent a downturn and reduction in jobs I think it’s going to get continually harder in 2022 and beyond to find employees willing to work some of these jobs especially OBS that require people to be away for multiple days - and they’re going to have to look at the pay scale, benefits, and other incentives to try to entice people when there are so many less stressful jobs that offer a better work life balance for similar pay.

I actually hope I’m wrong and that there are more willing people than I may think. But I’m just relaying my concerns based on what I observe about peoples attitudes about work in my generation that I know vs pre pandemic

 

[PaTrainFan]

It’s not so much laziness or even work ethic. I think a better way to put it is - there is a surplus of jobs out there that offer a work life balance that’s closer to what the average worker in 2022 is looking for in 2022. And more and more jobs - including jobs that aren’t college educated or white collar are offering hybrid and WFH opportunities. As many companies have stated WFH doesn’t necessarily mean less production or laziness. I do think there are other negative social and political discourse consequences of widespread WFH that are out of topic but many workers have proved they can be just as productive at home. At the end of the day the bottom line of my analysis is absent a downturn and reduction in jobs I think it’s going to get continually harder in 2022 and beyond to find employees willing to work some of these jobs especially OBS that require people to be away for multiple days - and they’re going to have to look at the pay scale, benefits, and other incentives to try to entice people when there are so many less stressful jobs that offer a better work life balance for similar pay.

I actually hope I’m wrong and that there are more willing people than I may think. But I’m just relaying my concerns based on what I observe about peoples attitudes about work in my generation that I know vs pre pandemic

Actually, yes, I agree with this assessment. The onset of the pandemic forced my company to send everyone home much to the CEO's dismay who believed it was impossible for the company to function long term. As time went on and "return to the office" was continually delayed, he learned otherwise as the employees embraced it. The company is now transformed and he is a satisfied, even if begrudgingly, that WFH can work.

 

[Ryan]

Probably because they're a quasi-governmental corporation subject to the FOIA and the oversight of Congress.

Then submit a FOIA request for what you want to know and stop expecting them to publish all of their business to satisfy random people on the internet.

(before you do, read what they do actually publish - they do provide a significant amount of information on the big picture)

 

[BlackDiamond]

The lack of highly skilled craft workers alluded to above has been going on long before the disruptions due to COVID and the response to it. For a long time there has been an emphasis on the 4 year college degree and white collar careers and the denigration of vocational-technical training and working with your hands. Anyone that has tried to hire a plumber or electrician knows about this. It is no surprise it is also affecting Amtrak, along with the hiring issues due to drug testing and the long lead time due to an inefficient HR dept.

 

[marcoloco]

When a train shows as sold out, weeks ahead, why don't they add more cars to the reservation? As an example, the CZ from Chi to Emy on July 26th is showing as 100% sold out. Was seeing if I could add my wife and son to the same trip as Me. Are they short on equipment or staff maybe? Seems like a popular route on a date several weeks out they could fill it up at least partially.

you might try breaking the trip up in 2 sectors. For example try chi to denver and then denver to emy. That works most of the time. Be sure you get your dates right, because Denver to emy will be the next day. Amtrak has always been rather inefficient and since Covid, even more inefficient. I think the railroad company charges Amtrak by the axle, so putting on another car would cost Amtrak another 5K on a round trip from Chi to Emy. Because Amtrak pays UP and BNSF trackage rights to run their trains over their tracks.

 

[bryher]

you might try breaking the trip up in 2 sectors. For example try chi to denver and then denver to emy. That works most of the time. Be sure you get your dates right, because Denver to emy will be the next day. Amtrak has always been rather inefficient and since Covid, even more inefficient. I think the railroad company charges Amtrak by the axle, so putting on another car would cost Amtrak another 5K on a round trip from Chi to Emy. Because Amtrak pays UP and BNSF trackage rights to run their trains over their tracks.

This is a great idea. Ill try it! Do they ever just add additional sleepers if they come available and the train is sold out of sleepers? But I like that idea of splitting it up. Will try.

 

[MARC Rider]

The lack of highly skilled craft workers alluded to above has been going on long before the disruptions due to COVID and the response to it. For a long time there has been an emphasis on the 4 year college degree and white collar careers and the denigration of vocational-technical training and working with your hands. Anyone that has tried to hire a plumber or electrician knows about this. It is no surprise it is also affecting Amtrak, along with the hiring issues due to drug testing and the long lead time due to an inefficient HR dept.

I guess this is a good place for a joke:

A lawyer has a stopped-up drain, so he calls a plumber. The plumber comes, looks at the job, and quotes a price based on a $300/hour labor rate. The lawyer flips his lid. "$300 an hour!!?? That's ridiculous! I'm a lawyer and I can't charge $300 an hour!"

The plumber looks at him and says, "I know, when I was a lawyer, I couldn't charge $300 an hour, either."

 

[John819]

I guess this is a good place for a joke:

A lawyer has a stopped-up drain, so he calls a plumber. The plumber comes, looks at the job, and quotes a price based on a $300/hour labor rate. The lawyer flips his lid. "$300 an hour!!?? That's ridiculous! I'm a lawyer and I can't charge $300 an hour!"

The plumber looks at him and says, "I know, when I was a lawyer, I couldn't charge $300 an hour, either."

Remember that workers in the various trades cannot be "outsourced" to India. And the US is lacking in apprenticeship programs.

 

[user 14106]

The lack of highly skilled craft workers alluded to above has been going on long before the disruptions due to COVID and the response to it. For a long time there has been an emphasis on the 4 year college degree and white collar careers and the denigration of vocational-technical training and working with your hands. Anyone that has tried to hire a plumber or electrician knows about this. It is no surprise it is also affecting Amtrak, along with the hiring issues due to drug testing and the long lead time due to an inefficient HR dept.

No question of this and we are now paying for it.

 

[MARC Rider]

The lack of highly skilled craft workers alluded to above has been going on long before the disruptions due to COVID and the response to it. For a long time there has been an emphasis on the 4 year college degree and white collar careers and the denigration of vocational-technical training and working with your hands. Anyone that has tried to hire a plumber or electrician knows about this. It is no surprise it is also affecting Amtrak, along with the hiring issues due to drug testing and the long lead time due to an inefficient HR dept.

I seem to remember back in the 1990s, the Clinton Administration was making a push to encourage people to attend trade and technical schools for this very reason. Unfortunately, I think in our society, even a file clerk or other type of paper pusher has more status than someone in the trades or a technician. And, actually, training for the trades and other technical jobs does require some community college, at least.

I might have liked to become some kind of craftsman or technician, or even an engineer, but I just don't have the talent for working with my hands. On the other hand, I'll bet there are lots of people who are induced to go to college who really don't have academic talent and who are really good at the crafts and trades, but end up in a job that doesn't use their full potential. And many jobs that are really important are not only paid poorly, the people doing them aren't treated very well.

As to the nature of a lot of the more well-paid jobs (that "require") a college degree, I recommend the book "Bullsh#t Jobs" by David Gareber. (Note: the true title of the book, as shown in the web link, replaces the "#" with the correct letter needed to spell the word properly.)