Exam 7604 T/O #7604 Hiring Process

[trackerjack]

2 hours ago, overclocked said:

Hi All

Never thought I'll be back on the forums, but life can be funny this way.
Took T/O exam back in 2017 and few days ago received the invitation to 180 Livingston for pre employment. (list #4705 fyi)
In these years I have completed my BArch and been working in the design industry. It' a predictable 9-6, M-F routine with ok pay and eh benefits.
Has anyone here left a similar field for a T/O position? What was your experience like?
 

Two other questions come to mind:

• How much do you rely on the radio to communicate en route?
• Does anyone commute from NJ?

Appreciate all the feedback!

honestly i would just stay with the 9-6 M-F if u like that lifestyle.  money might "suck" but believe me......remember you're going to give your life/time to Transit so $$ per hour might not be as good as what you're making + the time you have "free" outside of work. 
believe me Extra Extra is just brutal and borderline masochism where u just have no life and energy anymore to do anything after work.  but again this is my opinion and u shouldn't care what i think

radio is important but honestly nothing really happens.....unless something bad happens in the road but again......usually it's "around" me.  but eventually im going to get hit with the road blowing up caused by "me"

NJ i heard is not too bad if you drive.....B division might be better for you if you live in NJ i think???
 

[Keikyu Motorman]

3 hours ago, overclocked said:

Does anyone commute from NJ?

Based on what I've seen, North Jersey leans A Division because so many of the terminals and yards are in the Bronx, but Central and South Jersey tilts toward the B division because of the options at Coney Island and Stillwell. Set aside a solid budget for your gas, parking, and tolls. Mind you, it's not fixed, and there are North Jersey guys reporting to the B as well, but they may have been transfers from the A that were able to find a workable terminal.

Edited June 1, 2022 by Keikyu Motorman

[Gullys]

11 hours ago, overclocked said:

Hi All

Never thought I'll be back on the forums, but life can be funny this way.
Took T/O exam back in 2017 and few days ago received the invitation to 180 Livingston for pre employment. (list #4705 fyi)
In these years I have completed my BArch and been working in the design industry. It' a predictable 9-6, M-F routine with ok pay and eh benefits.
Has anyone here left a similar field for a T/O position? What was your experience like?
 

Two other questions come to mind:

• How much do you rely on the radio to communicate en route?
• Does anyone commute from NJ?

Appreciate all the feedback!

I will let everyone in the RTO secret 

 

A division less work easily  to learn 

hardly anyone get in trouble like wrong route etc only 1-7 trains 

 

B division hard work more train more problem 

there’s hours 

more likely to get in trouble 

location wise due to where you live totally up to you

 

i live in Brooklyn but I love the A division since I’m new I want to learn the rope 

 

easy to go from A division to B  then the other way around 

[dincena]

9 hours ago, trackerjack said:

honestly i would just stay with the 9-6 M-F if u like that lifestyle.  money might "suck" but believe me......remember you're going to give your life/time to Transit so $$ per hour might not be as good as what you're making + the time you have "free" outside of work. 
believe me Extra Extra is just brutal and borderline masochism where u just have no life and energy anymore to do anything after work.  but again this is my opinion and u shouldn't care what i think

radio is important but honestly nothing really happens.....unless something bad happens in the road but again......usually it's "around" me.  but eventually im going to get hit with the road blowing up caused by "me"

NJ i heard is not too bad if you drive.....B division might be better for you if you live in NJ i think???
 

What exactly do you mean by this? I understand ones schedule will be all over the place the first few years and it won't be your average 9-5 will it be more than 40 hour work weeks? After a few years would a t/o have a consistent steady schedule? I'm willing to sacrifice for the first for years but I do have 2 kids at home not trying to be a slave for the MTA

[Sto]

Morning all, Any medical email updates? 

[RTOMan]

4 hours ago, Gullys said:

I will let everyone in the RTO secret 

 

A division less work easily  to learn 

hardly anyone get in trouble like wrong route etc only 1-7 trains 

 

B division hard work more train more problem 

there’s hours 

more likely to get in trouble 

location wise due to where you live totally up to you

 

i live in Brooklyn but I love the A division since I’m new I want to learn the rope 

 

easy to go from A division to B  then the other way around 

I can totally agree i started in 2001 A Div was there till 2007..

I decided for a challenge picked over into the B Div older trains more yards and lineups(32s,38s,40s(all versions) 42s,44s,46,68s,68As... 

A Div experience helped me a lot..

[beanz]

They say A division makes better conductors and B division makes better TOs. I gotta agree with that after being in both. A division is too easy and u get a false sense of security after a while because it's hard to take a wrong lineup anywhere, but u can still f**k up and RCC watching u at all times. On the other hand having to know all the towers, lineups, reroutes and equipment over here helps keep u sharp and on your toes. Schoolcar is definitely tougher in the B but it's also longer and u have less time on the road during probation so you are more likely to make it through without incident. That's my 2 cents on the matter.

[Jericho]

4 hours ago, dincena said:

What exactly do you mean by this? I understand ones schedule will be all over the place the first few years and it won't be your average 9-5 will it be more than 40 hour work weeks? After a few years would a t/o have a consistent steady schedule? I'm willing to sacrifice for the first for years but I do have 2 kids at home not trying to be a slave for the MTA

As an extra extra list employee, your tour and RDO can change from week to week. Your first day of the week, you can report early in the day and by your fifth day, late in the day. Ex. the PM tour is between 1200-2200 hours. Your first day can start at 1200 and your fifth day can start as late as 2100ish. You will be sent to any terminal or yard where they need you and not necessarily whichever is closest for you.

[RTOMan]

4 hours ago, dincena said:

What exactly do you mean by this? I understand ones schedule will be all over the place the first few years and it won't be your average 9-5 will it be more than 40 hour work weeks? After a few years would a t/o have a consistent steady schedule? I'm willing to sacrifice for the first for years but I do have 2 kids at home not trying to be a slave for the MTA

You make your own choice with this Job and while folks may GIVE you their OPINIONS it don't mean what's happening to THEM OR THIER FREINDS  will happen to YOU.

I put that in caps so i can make sure my point is clear...

It can be rough at times (i started from off the street in 2001) i know it all too well but you make the job what it is.

You let the Social media whiners, complainers, moaners get to you and have you think this job is the worse job in the universe(Yet they still here mostly) then you will start to feel that way.

Follow your own path if it don't work out then do what's best for you , ill say this for those folks who think this place "slaves them out" it was even worse when i started i had to deal with a lot of chit from Coworkers and management don't get me started on the crew office back then.

I had a convo with a CR out three weeks  last month saying how horrible this place is, he has "no life" and wanted to quit  i asked him one question..

"Im sorry you feel that way brother do what's best you got a fall back plan if this dont work out no doubt right?"

He couldn't answer that question...

 

Oh as a TO the way seniority is moving you wont see that Five years extra extra nightmare my classmates seen.. I say when you get down here two years tops you picking a Job..

Edited June 1, 2022 by RTOMan

[Jay-Oh]

1 hour ago, RTOMan said:

You make your own choice with this Job and while folks may GIVE you their OPINIONS it don't mean what's happening to THEM OR THIER FREINDS  will happen to YOU.

I put that in caps so i can make sure my point is clear...

It can be rough at times (i started from off the street in 2001) i know it all too well but you make the job what it is.

You let the Social media whiners, complainers, moaners get to you and have you think this job is the worse job in the universe(Yet they still here mostly) then you will start to feel that way.

Follow your own path if it don't work out then do what's best for you , ill say this for those folks who think this place "slaves them out" it was even worse when i started i had to deal with a lot of chit from Coworkers and management don't get me started on the crew office back then.

I had a convo with a CR out three weeks  last month saying how horrible this place is, he has "no life" and wanted to quit  i asked him one question..

"Im sorry you feel that way brother do what's best you got a fall back plan if this dont work out no doubt right?"

He couldn't answer that question...

 

Oh as a TO the way seniority is moving you wont see that Five years extra extra nightmare my classmates seen.. I say when you get down here two years tops you picking a Job..

100% agree with your points. Except it took me 3 years of XX before picking, but more people are retiring now than 2018-2021.

[dincena]

Im scheduled to go in and clear medical hold on 6/10. If all goes well and I clear would i still be able to get into the 6/20 class?

[dincena]

Just now, dincena said:

Im scheduled to go in and clear medical hold on 6/10. If all goes well and I clear would i still be able to get into the 6/20 class?

What would happen if I show up to 180 Livingston before that date (say tommorow) with all required documents to clear medical. Would they take me in or would I be wasting my time going there without an appointment? I know the day i went for conditional gentlemen in the lobby checked IDs and emails for appointments

[TOSironi]

10 hours ago, dincena said:

What exactly do you mean by this? I understand ones schedule will be all over the place the first few years and it won't be your average 9-5 will it be more than 40 hour work weeks? After a few years would a t/o have a consistent steady schedule? I'm willing to sacrifice for the first for years but I do have 2 kids at home not trying to be a slave for the MTA

Definitely more than 40 hours a week. It's impossible to work  only 40 hours a week when you're extra extra. 

[Keikyu Motorman]

2 hours ago, FilippoSironi said:

Definitely more than 40 hours a week. It's impossible to work  only 40 hours a week when you're extra extra. 

Depending on your luck, it's actually possible every so often. In the A division, if you're given a bunch of 8 hour jobs for your week, assuming the road doesn't super blow up, no board, and no other nonsense, and yes you can walk away with 40 for the week. It's unlikely, but I've had a few weeks like that.

[Mtahopeful2287]

List number 401x

Going for medical tomorrow a little nervous lost my social security card but I do have a copy and I do have a receipt from social security that I ordered a new what should I expect thanks in advance 

[nipaaaa]

10 hours ago, Jericho said:

As an extra extra list employee, your tour and RDO can change from week to week. Your first day of the week, you can report early in the day and by your fifth day, late in the day. Ex. the PM tour is between 1200-2200 hours. Your first day can start at 1200 and your fifth day can start as late as 2100ish. You will be sent to any terminal or yard where they need you and not necessarily whichever is closest for you.

Tour/RDOs don't change from week to week, more like pick to pick (roughly half a year) and even then it's a maybe because you're also moving up on the XX seniority list. Consequently, you're most likely to request the tour or days off you want with the preference sheet. I was XX for 2 years and my tour/RDOs never changed on a weekly basis. I also happened to fall back to the bottom of the XX seniority list after losing a temp. bid and even then, I stayed on the same tour and RDOs. So in this regard, it's not that brutal.

However, what is brutal are the random start/finish times and random start/finish locations. The only thing that fluctuates on a weekly basis are the amount of hours you work. XX can randomly expect 40-60 hours per week. 

[Jericho]

11 minutes ago, nipaaaa said:

Tour/RDOs don't change from week to week, more like pick to pick (roughly half a year) and even then it's a maybe because you're also moving up on the XX seniority list. Consequently, you're most likely to request the tour or days off you want with the preference sheet. I was XX for 2 years and my tour/RDOs never changed on a weekly basis. I also happened to fall back to the bottom of the XX seniority list after losing a temp. bid and even then, I stayed on the same tour and RDOs. So in this regard, it's not that brutal.

However, what is brutal are the random start/finish times and random start/finish locations. The only thing that fluctuates on a weekly basis are the amount of hours you work. XX can randomly expect 40-60 hours per week. 

You're forgetting that in those two years, we've been through a pandemic where every tour was short staffed so there was no point in jumping people around.

[trackerjack]

5 hours ago, nipaaaa said:

Tour/RDOs don't change from week to week, more like pick to pick (roughly half a year) and even then it's a maybe because you're also moving up on the XX seniority list. Consequently, you're most likely to request the tour or days off you want with the preference sheet. I was XX for 2 years and my tour/RDOs never changed on a weekly basis. I also happened to fall back to the bottom of the XX seniority list after losing a temp. bid and even then, I stayed on the same tour and RDOs. So in this regard, it's not that brutal.

However, what is brutal are the random start/finish times and random start/finish locations. The only thing that fluctuates on a weekly basis are the amount of hours you work. XX can randomly expect 40-60 hours per week. 

so say.......i win a bid......then the original TO came back......i will lose the Bid job and i will go back to the bottom of the barrel for XX?  meaning, my seniority starts from the bottom again?  or did i read what you wrote wrong?  i hope it read it wrong cuz that sounds really bad  makes me not wanna bid

[Schecter]

18 minutes ago, trackerjack said:

so say.......i win a bid......then the original TO came back......i will lose the Bid job and i will go back to the bottom of the barrel for XX?  meaning, my seniority starts from the bottom again?  or did i read what you wrote wrong?  i hope it read it wrong cuz that sounds really bad  makes me not wanna bid

You just got back to the bottom of the barrel in terms of XX your XX number will start higher than what it was originally, your senority number when it comes to picking a job wouldn't change, the only thing that'll change if the t/o came back is your XX number.

[RTOMan]

16 hours ago, Jay-Oh said:

100% agree with your points. Except it took me 3 years of XX before picking, but more people are retiring now than 2018-2021.

Three years not bad beats five years though.. I was pulling my hair out.. I’m bald..🤣🤣

[Sto]

9 hours ago, Mtahopeful2287 said:

List number 401x

Going for medical tomorrow a little nervous lost my social security card but I do have a copy and I do have a receipt from social security that I ordered a new what should I expect thanks in advance 

Good luck today. I’m rooting for you! 

[Sto]

Just now, Sto said:

Good luck today. I’m rooting for you! 

If they made a copy of it already. You should be good. 

[MarkGuy]

3 hours ago, trackerjack said:

so say.......i win a bid......then the original TO came back......i will lose the Bid job and i will go back to the bottom of the barrel for XX?  meaning, my seniority starts from the bottom again?  or did i read what you wrote wrong?  i hope it read it wrong cuz that sounds really bad  makes me not wanna bid

Your xx number will briefly go up but will reset itself to what it would have been once a new pick starts. 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2022 by MarkGuy
Meant to say, go up.

[Ceva1129]

Came in at 6:30AM today for final process /medical, I’d have to say that the line outside was a bit long, if you have an early medical appointment make sure to get here at a decent time I arrived at 5:50AM. It seems like there are a lot of folks here for T/O those for medical and those for pre-employment assessment. 
 

list number 400#

[Jay-Oh]

2 hours ago, RTOMan said:

Three years not bad beats five years though.. I was pulling my hair out.. I’m bald..🤣🤣

Hey man, I’m also bald.

I wasn’t when I came down here LOL.