Western Railroad Discussion > Renzenberger questions???

Having seen more than a few Renzenberger vans over the years, I'd like to know more about the company. Their website & wikipedia are lacking in info. Do they only serve UP?, provide transportation for other industries? are they a private company? Do they have people stationed at all crew change locations? Any interesting stories about them? Any & all info greatly appreciated. I know they provide a very important service. Thanks, Bob

We have them on BNSF too. They suck

They also serve BNSF and is a bottom of the barrel employer offering NO benefits, No sick days, NO vacation and until this year minumum wage. There is a big turnover with desperation being the reason for many of the drivers. We have had some good and some bad.
JB

We have some great drivers, and we wish they would stay, but like 3rd switch posted the company ( renzenberger ) treats them like crap and they are only around for a short time.
I wish they would pay them more.
Riding in renzenberger vans is the ONLY part of my job I really hate. It's like mr. toads wild ride sometimes.

But there have been some fun trips aboard a renzenberger, fredo remebers one of them.

What they said. I did it over the rainy season one year and not only does company management treat the drivers like sh##, so do some crews.
You also get to see the inside and meet some truly great people (as I did), learned a few things too.
The most comical part was when the Employment Development Department (CA) called me in to tell me they weren't paying me enough (minimum wage) and I could claim 40% of my wages in unemployment insurance (about $60 a week). I wasn't there much longer ...


TCS - back in the dirt biz

NS also uses them in the east.

I saw them it Pittsburgh, PA also...NS I think uses them yet.

>Do they have people stationed at all crew change locations?

In general there are two types of Renzenberger drivers.

(1) Yard drivers.

(2) Road drivers.

They get paid differently. The yard drivers get paid by the hour, while the road drivers get paid by the mile and in some cases also get paid for waiting time. The road drivers are on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week, like most railroad workers where as the yard drivers work an 8 hour shift normally.

Yard drivers in some yards have a 25 mile range that they can go, and this is because at 18 cents a mile, it is not really very worth it for a road driver to get out of bed to go less than 25 miles. These yard drivers are stationed at the crew change points when the crew change point is a yard. I am not sure that every crew change point has its own driver. In a particular area where my friend works, there are quite a number of possible crew change points within a 25 mile radius of where the vans sit and wait for a call out in front of the yard office.

Renzenburger was recently dropped by the Teamsters here in northern California so the drivers are back to being non-air.

Amtrak also uses Renzenberger.

Bob,

I have driven for them for about 2 months now. I am part time and work 3 day a week. I am a road driver and we also haul for SJVR out of Fresno and Bakersfield. The people who think they suck are probably right. But they have not ridden in my van. I keep the van clean, warm and stocked with water for my crews. I have met several guys great guys riding with me. We always talk about lots of things including railroading.
It is true they don't pay well and in some cases they are there own worst enemy.

There are 7 of us on the road board. The other 6 do it for a living. I do it because I want to. I was never able to work for the railroad, so I figure this is as close as I will ever get.

My starting pay was $8.50 per hour waiting time and 17 cents per mile. We do get paid to wait for crew members on outside point jobs if the crewman is extra on that job.

All in all they are no better than some of my past employers, but its a good job in my retirement to break up the week.

Shannon

Like in all JOBS there are differance in what sucks or doesnt. As a Driver for Renzenberger for the last 9 months here in Flagstaff (Williams) AZ. which is not a crew change point We here serve BNSF but in an emergency can assit UP we also provide for the Other major RR's CSX, BNSF, NS,& UP we are a private Company but As for Myself I enjoy the Job of course I'm a "FOAMER" But after driving 18 wheelers for 26 years I find it as a relaxing change. Of course Here we are Different situtation than those who have Yard or Road jobs.
Their are only 2 of us here in Flag and were are paid a salary to be on call 24/7 and even thought we are dispatch by the Main office in KC in reality BNSF direct our dispatch when they want us and where. Basically we are for emergency situtations that require use of our 2 4X4 to go were the Road vans can't go without the possibility of getting stuck in MUD/SNOW. It not a perfect job but it more of what 1 makes of it.

I imagine it is sometimes rough both driving and being driven.
You can imagine being sent to an unfamiliar private crossing to pickup a dead crew at night,in rain or snow.
On the flip side there are previous threads here about the Renzenberger driver being so tired a train crew member took over driving to preserve their lives.
It could be the railroads keep their transportation costs down on the backs of the Renzenberger driver. Minimum wage won't buy much of anything these days.
Do a search here for many accounts of the van trips.
Cal-P

I do have to add that some of the crews DO disrespect the drivers and expect them to take them about anywhere but that is not their job. Most are very nice and will take you to get food or to a store without a problem. We have a retiree at Hobart that is also driving because he enjoys the guys and something to do. He has been there about TEN years. A few years back we also had an engineer retiree in San Bernardino that drove for awhile. I deal mostly with the yard drivers which are as stated the least paid. Some of the road drivers are good people that make more money but are also as stated on call 24 7. We have both Renzenberger and Timco [two Renzen and three Timco] at Watson but unfortunately are about to loose the Timco vans and go to all Renzenberger. Timco is a company that supplies drivers in the Hobart intermodal facility and offered higher pay as well as benefits and the vans were always clean and new with mostly great drivers. As for Renzenberger, it's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get!
JB

Well, as my knowledge is first hand (13 months worth)........

I started at $6.75 hr in October last year and have been making $10.50 hr since my one year anniversary. Iam amazed at some of the 'stuff' the RRs pull on the crews. I also have gained a lot of respect for most of the crews I deal with, a real bunch of pros. Yes, its true, I've heard of van rides from hell from more than one crew.
Oh, one more thing......these last 13 months have changed my driving style from 'above average
aggressive' to something much more sedate....Grin!!!
All in all, the yard job I have has its ups & downs, but the pay isn't too bad and since I work on the other yard drivers days off......I have 4 24hr periods off each week and still work 40hr.

DaveL.... 2 swing....2 grave....1 day

I have been told American Airlines also uses them in DFW for transportation between thei airport/offices/training cneter and lodging. Never seen it, was told that by my brother who was Director for one of the airlies at DFW (they shut down their hub there a few years ago).

Here's 2 of the better Renzenberger threads on TO:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,109733
<http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1339579,1339676#msg-1339676&gt;

The 1st thread even has an earlier version of TCS's comments.

mapboy

Cal-P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> On the flip side there are previous threads here
> about the Renzenberger driver being so tired a
> train crew member took over driving to preserve
> their lives.
> Cal-P

Hate to hijack the thread here, but if a crew did that and got into an accident, there would be hell to pay. Renzenberger and the RR would both disown you as far as insurance and law assistance, and your own insurance company might too. Most auto insurance doesn't cover driving for pay, and especially not hauling passengers for pay.

In the Portland,OR and Longview,WA area it is called CSS (crew shuttle service) is this part of Renzenberger or a differnt Co?

From a Fan's and OLI presenter's view it's about 50/50 good and bad drivers.
Here' in Las Vegas they have yard vans that travel roughly between the three different crew points (Valley, MP 333 and Arden) along with supporting the locals except for the 59. The other is the sixty mile bus which normally travels as far north as Rox station and as far south as Kelso. But this van has made trips to Milford Utah, Yermo Ca, Kingman Az and trips to the Transcon as well. Recently UP has been sending deadhead crews up to Milford to pick up trains.
Back to the orginal statement I've posted some statements on here about them unable to find crews, cutting in front of moving trains with or without crews on board or parking on the ties.
I've also seen some excellent drivers who keep their vans up, will brave a rain storm during heavy flooding to get a crew (at Rox) or pick up a crew who died on the law in a snow storm at Cima.
It is a job I have considered upon retirement and one I've been offered recently as a part time employee, but presently my honey do list is keep me from the rails enough.

James1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Cal-P Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > On the flip side there are previous threads
> here
> > about the Renzenberger driver being so tired a
> > train crew member took over driving to preserve
> > their lives.
> > Cal-P
>
> Hate to hijack the thread here, but if a crew did
> that and got into an accident, there would be hell
> to pay. Renzenberger and the RR would both disown
> you as far as insurance and law assistance, and
> your own insurance company might too. Most auto
> insurance doesn't cover driving for pay, and
> especially not hauling passengers for pay.


Been there done that.. the driver couldnt drive a streight line for 10 feet. finally my conduxtor told him to pull over and lay downinthe back and my conductor drove to the train we were releiving.

no doubt that Renzenberger and the comnpany would leave you haninginin the wind, but if you don't take action like that, or you make a stand on then the company charges you with delay of train. You just can't win, besides we all know (at least on the Chicago Service Unit) Renzenberger really runs the railroad.

AS for your insurance. YOU arent driving the van for pay (or for hire) so your insurance might pay. However in Illinois we have laws governing crew transports, and that opens a whole other can of worms.