Eastern Railroad Discussion > DUI off the job

I've got a question maybe someone here on T.O. may have an answer for. I heard about someone that had been arrested for DUI off the job. Would that effect his job? I know the railroads are strict about drinking among other safety issues. 

Although I do not work for the railroad, I do have a friend who applied for an NS conductor position. He was turned down for the position when his MVR came back and he had a ticket for running a redlight... 

This guy already works for the railroad and has for several years now.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/15 19:11 by apollo17.

He is obligated to report it to the RR, if he doesn't and they find out about it it's grounds for termination.... that and they will probably want him to join the DARS program

Posted from Android

If he operates one type of motor vehicle while under the influance of a controlled substance, who is to say he will not do so while operating a different type of motor vehicle.

If any railroad employee is arrested for DUI it can cost them their job.. I heard that from a few railroaders I know. Its not worth it even if your off the clock.

We're NOT supposed to take exception to grammar, but this cries out for correcting....
the proper word is AFFECT, not 'effect' .

Affect has to do wth potential impact of an 'influencer' on a person, place or thing.
Effect has to do with the result of an action.

Wes C.

I heard for those who have CDLs for truck drivers if they get caught for DUI they lose CDL for life, even if they got it in their car and not the semi. So lose that then your career is over. I imagine it's the same for locomotive engineers as they have to have license to operate the engine.

Posted from iPhone

easternrailvideos Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If any railroad employee is arrested for DUI it
> can cost them their job.. I heard that from a few
> railroaders I know. Its not worth it even if your
> off the clock.

Change "arrested" to "convicted". 

He needs to contact the carrier with-in 48 hours of his conviction (not arrest). The carrier will then have the drug/rehab team get ahold of him and further evaluate his situation.

If he fails to do that, the carrier can and likely will go for termination.

As for a person being turned down employment for a red-light violation, I strongly doubt that. When they look at driving history they are almost exclusively looking for DUI and the like, not moving violations.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/15 17:58 by BelltuckyFoamductor.

Thanks for the answers. I was curious as to what might be the outcome and what I found out here definitely answered the question. Oh, and I hope this post suits the english professors who no doubt will pick this post apart for grammical errors.  

wcamp1472 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We're NOT supposed to take exception to grammar,
> but this cries out for correcting....
> the proper word is AFFECT, not 'effect' .
>
> Affect has to do wth potential impact of an
> 'influencer' on a person, place or thing.
> Effect has to do with the result of an action.

And since you brought up the subject, that would be a grammatical error, not a grammical one. ;)

wcamp1472 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We're NOT supposed to take exception to grammar,
> but this cries out for correcting....
> the proper word is AFFECT, not 'effect' .
>
> Affect has to do wth potential impact of an
> 'influencer' on a person, place or thing.
> Effect has to do with the result of an action.
>
> Wes C.

The effect of your missive had no affect on me.

Other companies are doing the same, even if the person's job has nothing to do with transportation.

I've helped a couple colleages through DUI arrests or conviction. None of them lost their jobs or engineer license. One even held a CDL which, depending on the state, only lost temporarily, not for life.

Also, depending on when the RR found out about the offense, some were assigned punishment, but only days deferred. My employer does require an invidual to go through an alcohol evauluation after a DUI.     

apollo17 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the answers. I was curious as to what
> might be the outcome and what I found out here
> definitely answered the question. Oh, and I hope
> this post suits the english professors who no
> doubt will pick this post apart for grammical
> errors.  
The would be "English" ;)
I work for a city that, if I am arrested, NOT convicted, but arrested with DUI, I need to immediately self report to HR and I am AUTOMATICALLY suspended for 1 week without pay. If I fail to self report, I am terminated. This is especially BS because I am in Arizona where there really is no BAC threshhold. Police can and will charge you if they suspect you may have been drinking because the law states  "impairment to the slightest degree". And that is even for employees who, like myself, do not even drive as part of their job. So do NOT be surprised if your friends railroad, or any employer, has ridiculously strict policies.

Off-pending Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've helped a couple colleages through DUI arrests
> or conviction. None of them lost their jobs or
> engineer license. One even held a CDL which,
> depending on the state, only lost temporarily, not
> for life.
>
> Also, depending on when the RR found out about
> the offense, some were assigned punishment, but
> only days deferred. My employer does require an
> invidual to go through an alcohol evauluation
> after a DUI.     

If some one has operated a vehicle while under the influance of alcohol or a controlled substance, and some one helps that person to avoid or lesson a conviction, that person is part of the problem!

trainman630 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> wcamp1472 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > We're NOT supposed to take exception to
> grammar,
> > but this cries out for correcting....
> > the proper word is AFFECT, not 'effect' .
> >
> > Affect has to do wth potential impact of an
> > 'influencer' on a person, place or thing.
> > Effect has to do with the result of an action.
> >
> > Wes C.
>
> The effect of your missive had no affect on me.

No.  The affect of your missive had no effect on me.

Off-pending Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've helped a couple colleages through DUI arrests
> or conviction. None of them lost their jobs or
> engineer license. One even held a CDL which,
> depending on the state, only lost temporarily, not
> for life.
>

The way it was explained at a class I took, the instructor said regarding CDL holders, ( if I remember correctly ) that if a driver is convicted of a third DUI within the same year, that driver then loses his/her CDL for life. At that point they can't get another one anywhere in the 50 states and that's when their professional driving career is over.

I believe they have to report it with 48hrs of conviction.