conductor

laborer

dispatcher

purchasing agent

laborer/operator

Great Lakes Central Railroad

What is the best part of working at the company?
Enjoyed learning tge different aspects of the Railroad and the regulations.  Enjoyed the people I worked with.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The lack of staff, the miss management and the long grueling hours.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The workers care about there work. Unfortunately the owners do not care about there workers. Unless you are union. There are no raises, no incentives. No positive feedback.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Long hours, start a 9 and end after 10 pm. Due to the lack of structure and a supportive staff. Management took the work more with less to the extreme.

I've been working for the Great Lakes Central Railroad, and I must say, the new leadership has brought a refreshing change. The company's direction is clearer than ever, with a strong focus on innovation, safety and employee well-being. The new management team is approachable and genuinely cares about our input, which has boosted morale across the board. There's a renewed sense of purpose and collaboration, making it an exciting time to be part of this organization. I am confident that under this new leadership, Great Lakes Central Railroad is on the path to achieving great success and growth. Highly recommend!

Shady, Rude and disrespectful. Got let go right before my 90 days and got used. Never missed a day or was late and always worked hard. Steer very clear.. they won't train you at all and if u don't know how to do something there rude about it instead of showing you. You can't learn this job completely in 3 months like that. What a joke. My only regret was taking the job and wasting my time and effort to be screwed over. Unless you know someone here. Steer clear. Alot of Favoritism. The equipment is also very poor because they put zero money into the equipment, repairs and employees.

There was never a time that I didnt enjoy going into work/intern. I was able to not only work with the General Manger of the company, but the head of HR as well. I was taught the ins and outs of the office and the every day tasks that keep railroads alive. Management was always great and available to work around my schedule. The other employees were very nice. Hardest part of the job was learning all the codes, but at the same time that was the most enjoyable because it made working there much easier.

You’ll love working at GLC if you hate your free time and your family.  You work 12+ hours per day, and not get paid as well as the other short lines in the state.  You’re also on call, and you won’t know your call time, from day to day.  Hopefully you already know how to railroad before you get to GLC, because the training process is terrible.  Safety does not seem important at GLC, so hopefully you know how to be railroad safely when you start.  

If you are looking for a job at a railroad steer clear from this place and keep looking for somewhere else. The company has no regard for your home life at all. You plan all week to get stuff done on the weekend then you find out literally last minute that you are working. No organization whatsoever. Management does not listen to constructive criticism and suggestions at all. They expect you to put in 150% effort every single day to fix what they broke.  And then get mad/disappointed when it's not fixed. Steer clear!

Each location and department is unique with their own pros and cons. Co-workers look out for each other. Lower management is okay. Equipment has quirks. Transportation guys with less than 5 years crab they are on-call 7 days a week. Track and shop have a regular schedule. Union is non-existent. Each day is different, even if same type of work. All great reviews on here are from the management team only. 

Zero work-life balance.  And getting worse.  You will be on call around 360 days a year.  Work all week and also the weekend, but you won't know for sure so you can't do anything.  Pay is low for what you sacrifice.  If you are an experienced trainman, I'd find another place to take that experience.  

If you like blue trains, this is the place for you. If you do not like blue trains, then move along and do not apply. It was generally a decent place to be, but the new management couldn't run a train around a Christmas tree. Freight first, family second. Your life and your time is worth more than being here. 

I use to love going to work. I loved everything and everyone there. I loved that everyday was a different day. But when the parent company came in and decided to let go of most of the management it became a very different kind of environment to work in.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Conductor 2 salaries reported	$60,000 per year
Laborer 5 salaries reported	$17.90 per hour
Dispatcher 1 salary reported	$46,500 per year
Purchasing agent 2 salaries reported	$50,000 per year
Laborer/operator 2 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour

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