Podcasts about bnsf railway

The U.S. Attorney for Montana says the Lincoln County District Court overstepped its jurisdiction by allowing BNSF Railway to seize an asbestos clinic's property in Libby. It's the latest development in a long-standing legal battle.

EEOC v. BNSF Railway Company

BMWE v. BNSF Railway Company

Paul Parker v. BNSF Railway Company

Paul Parker v. BNSF Railway Company

Turner v. BNSF Railway

This episode previews the AREMA 2025 Railroad Bridge Symposium, happening February 4-6 in Fort Worth, Texas. Guests Ron Berry, PE, General Director of Services at BNSF Railway, and Duncan Paterson, PE, of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AKA the Wizard of Steel), share what attendees can expect. Spoiler: it's not just about bridges—it's about life-changing bridges. With 40 presentations focused on bridge engineering or maintenance and a keynote on the importance of building bridges in remote villages, the Symposium promises to be an engaging and informative event for anyone in the rail industry. Plus, you won't want to miss the networking opportunities and fun at BigShots Golf.

From railroad conductor to becoming a successful real estate investor and replacing his day job in just 3 years. On today's episode, Keith chats with one of our very own GRE listeners about what he did to build his portfolio to quit his steady union job.  Hear about the importance of having a clear "why" for investing and setting specific goals. We discuss the concept of inflation profiting on debt and how it contributes to wealth building Leveraging cash-out refinances and 1031 exchanges as a strategy to scale up and diversify.  Resources: Check out Grant Francke's book “The Unlikely Investor” here. Show Notes: GetRichEducation.com/531  For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com  GRE Free Investment Coaching:GREmarketplace.com/Coach  Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com  Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  You get paid first: Text FAMILY to 66866  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad  Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search “how to leave an Apple Podcasts review”  Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com  Get our wealth-building newsletter free— text ‘GRE' to 66866  Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation  Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Automatically Transcribed With Otter.ai    Keith Weinhold  0:01   welcome to GRE. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, it's a highly relatable show today because you're going to meet a fellow GRE listener and real estate investor like you that use the principles of this show to build wealth, and he reached real estate financial freedom even faster than I did today on get rich education.   Mid south home buyers, I mean, they're total pros, with over two decades as the nation's highest rated turnkey provider, their empathetic property managers use your ROI as their North Star. So it's no wonder that smart investors just keep lining up to get their completely renovated income properties like it's the newest iPhone. They're headquartered in Memphis and have globally attractive cash flows, an A plus rating with a better business bureau and now over 5000 houses renovated. There's zero markup on maintenance. Let that sink in, and they average a 98.9% occupancy rate, while their average renter stays more than three and a half years. Every home they offer has brand new components, a bumper to bumper, one year warranty, new 30 year roofs, and wait for it, a high quality renter. Remember that part and in an astounding price range, 100 to 180k I've personally toured their office and their properties in person in Memphis, get to know Mid South. Enjoy cash flow from day one, start yourself right now at mid south homebuyers.com that's mid south homebuyers.com   Keith Weinhold when you want the best real estate and finance info, the modern Internet experience limits your free articles access, and it's a replete with paywalls, and you get pop ups and push notifications and cookies disclaimers, ugh. And no other time in history has it been more vital to place nice, clean, free content in your hands that actually adds no hype value to your life. That's why this is the golden age of quality newsletters, and I write ours myself. It's got a dash of humor, and it is to the point to get it. It couldn't be more simple. Just type up a text message with the letters G, R, E in the body and send it to the phone number, 66866, and when you start the free newsletter, you'll also get my one hour fast real estate course, completely free. Subscribe to my Don't quit your Daydream newsletter, and your mind will be wired for wealth. Text GRE to 66866, text GRE to 66866.   Corey Coates  2:57   you're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education.   Keith Weinhold  3:13   Welcome to GRE from Washington Crossing Pennsylvania to cross City Florida and across one area, nations worldwide, you're listening to one of America's longest running and most listened to real estate shows. I'm Keith Weinhold, and you're listening to get rich education here for you every single Monday, every week, without fail. This is the voice of real estate investing Since 2014 you know, being successful in real estate such that you can quit your job when you're young enough to enjoy it is counter cultural, even kind of Bohemian. I mean, just imagine telling yourself this or saying this to somebody else. First, I had a lot of debt, then my situation got even better, because we had a surge of high inflation, and it's all making me rich. To that, most conventional financial wisdom would reply like, Dude, are you nuts? Maybe. But I'll tell you what, I'm not normal. I wouldn't want to be normal. That's a real pejorative, right there. Normalcy is, like, slanderous. Yep, you gotta get iconoclastic. Well, it's all grounded in fundamentals. Yep, inflation dilutes your debt for you, and it's almost perfectly predictable that that's gonna happen too by following principles just like that aligned with GRE 's inflation triple crown, and that real estate pays five ways. The guest that you'll meet today, yeah, he did reach financial freedom faster than I did. You're gonna hear about how he did it. It's like I've said on the show here before. I am divulging to you the information that I wish I had when I started out, because if I had this when I began, I would have reached financial freedom sooner. You know, after I bought my first ever income property, that fourplex, I didn't buy my next investment property for almost five years. Okay, it was not a fast timeline for me, but after about four years from buying that seminal first property, I started analyzing what it was doing for me, and I well, not only wanted to buy more, but I would soon learn that really the lessons I extracted from that property, I ended up articulating that in ways that no one else that I know of has. Today's listener guest is from a Midwestern MSA of 343,000 people that we haven't discussed on the show before, at least in any detail. And that's also the market that he invests in. Let's meet him.   Keith Weinhold  6:05   From time to time, we like to have a GRE listener on the show to learn about how the show has changed their life, and also discover you know just what you're out there doing as a real estate investor. And this is because other listeners can find these episodes so relatable. Today's listener guest is from Nebraska, and he listened to GRE in the commute to and from his job for years back when he still had one, because he's a success story. Since he has replaced his day job income with rental properties in just three years, which is a remarkably fast timeline, and now he's got more time freedom for his passions or for his family and kids. So we're gonna learn about how he did that. Hey, welcome to the show. GRE listener GrantFrancke, Thanks, Keith. Honored to be here. Frankie is spelled F, R, a, n, C, K, E, and Grant, this is great that you've been on this fast timeline to produce financial freedom. But before we talk about that, let's back up. Tell us about your beginning like your family situation in your now, I guess former job.   Grant Francke  7:09   great question. So I started it out as a conductor for BNSF Railways. So I was a trained conductor. I started out there pretty much right out of high school. It's a great job if you don't have any family or kids because you're gone all the time you work crazy hours. Yeah. So it was great before I was married, but then I got married, I was like, I don't really love this as much. And then once we had our two kids, I was like, I've got to find something else that can get me that time, freedom to spend more time with them. And stumbled on real estate and started going that route.   Keith Weinhold  7:40   Some people don't have that mindset. They justify working overtime because, well, I'm away from my kids, but I'm working for them, but with financial freedom, you really can have both a time for your children when you want it and the income that you desire a railroad conductor. So I believe that's different from a railroad engineer, right? The railroad engineer is the person that kind of drives the train and changes the speed in the conductor. They're the one that's sort of making sure that the staff and the cargo and the passengers are taken care of. Is that what a railroad conductor does?   Grant Francke  8:12   Yep. So we only did cargo freight, so I was in charge of, like, how fast we could go, what was all in the train, talking to the dispatcher and making sure we're going the right directions and and taking the right sightings, and then if anything broke down on the train, we'd have to go back and take care of it. But yes, the engineer is the one who he physically drives a train, and we're kind of like the co pilot.   Keith Weinhold  8:32   You talked about how you were away, and it takes an awful lot of hours. You based there in Nebraska, geographically, what kind of routes Did you run?   Grant Francke  8:41    It's 300 miles from Lincoln. So I was based out of Lincoln Nebraska. So it's about 300 miles, yeah, so we did to Kansas City, cook Nebraska, some places out in Iowa, up north, to Sioux City. And those trips ranged from 36 to 48 hours, round trip for us to be gone and back.   Keith Weinhold  8:58   making the economy run there, but this was, you know, rather time consuming, obviously pretty disruptive to one schedule there when you're working long shifts or away for these long periods of time. So okay, it sounds like you got the idea that you wanted something where you could control your time better. There are so many ways to produce income in an informal sense, there's entrepreneurship, which might be something like you could have launched your own app or started a donut shop. Then there's something more passive when it comes to investing. I mean, most people that are working at a job, they even think, Oh, hey, I have my investing bucket covered because I invest through my employer in 401k and that's good enough. But somehow you must have had this notion in you that this wasn't good enough. So tell us about how and why real estate.   Grant Francke  9:42   I've always been like, somewhat handy. So I was gonna go and just be a GC or a handyman. I was Googling around, and I found a post that said that the best customers for handymen are landlords, because they keep you busy and they always got work. I was like, Oh, that's great idea. So I stumbled upon a podcast. Where it was a handyman who became a landlord, he recommended a book on there called Rich Dad, Poor Dad. So I went and got that book, and then my life was changed after that.   Keith Weinhold  10:11   It's amazing how that little purple book influences so many of us. Okay, so that sort of opened you up to the concept of real estate investing and Rich Dad content is terrific. A lot of times, though, it doesn't really get down into the nuts and bolts too much. So just in your educational journey, where did you progress from the rich dad school of thought?   Grant Francke  10:30   Yeah, so Rich Dad, Poor Dad kind of taught me about that not spending your giving your time for money is creating that loop of the money. So after that, you know, I started off just listening to all the podcasts. You know, I'd listen to your podcast, bigger pockets, Kathy Fettke, I'd listen to all those just on repeat, reading all the books that I could get my hands on. Because I was just once, I started learning about real estate. And it did scratch that entrepreneurial bug that I did have. It kind of gave me the both of the passive income and being able to build a business for myself as well. So I just went through all the education that I possibly could, podcasts, books, you name it. I was obsessed with it.   Keith Weinhold  11:08   Yeah, all right. Well, it's all about doing the right thing before you do things right, like we say here on the show. All right. So it sounds like you were confident that you were doing the right thing. You were in real estate. Tell us about the start, especially buying that first property. What was that like?   Grant Francke  11:25    Yeah, it was nerve wracking, right? It was a small, up down duplex in Lincoln, Nebraska. It's really one of my only properties I've actually gotten that's been on the market on the MLS. Just got an agent went and bought it and it was a good deal, like it cash flowed. Well, I took it down. I was managing it myself, and I still do manage my portfolio myself. I do vividly remember, like sitting in the living room of that doing my showings, and I just did after three or four showings, I couldn't get it rented, and I was listening to one of your podcasts, and you were talking about the different ways that real estate pays you, besides the income, and that really kept me motivated. This is a long term journey. This isn't a short term get rich quick thing. You know, by getting a tenant in there, it might take a month, but then they're going to pay down your note, you're going to get the tax benefits, you're going to get all those different items Flowing into you from real estate. So I remember that vividly from that first deal is listening to Keith in the living room.   Keith Weinhold  12:16   Yeah, being a profiteer in real estate, it's a little, maybe just a little like the iceberg analogy. Maybe only the top 20% of the iceberg is visible in what you see as profit. You're thinking about monthly income, and maybe you're thinking about appreciation. You don't see everything else below the iceberg that's underwater, I should say rather, like the inflation profiting on the debt and the loan amortization in the great basket of tax benefits, you sent me a paper letter earlier this year. One thing you wrote about is how the show influenced you, because you vividly remember sitting on the floor of your first ever vacant rental unit. So presumably it was in this Nebraska duplex, one of those units we're talking about here in this the show kept you motivated. You thought you were failing because you didn't get the unit rented after the first three showings, which I think we know now is sort of funny. That's really normal, even in a good rental market. You know, it could take more showings than three until you get the right match between a tenant that wants the unit and a tenant you'd accept. I mean, the tenant themselves, they have to accept all sorts of things. Uh, maybe they don't like the parking situation. Your unit layout has to be right. In my first ever property, which, as you know, was a four Plex, one problem I had is some tenants just didn't like the fact that the only bathroom in these four Plex units was upstairs. And then it's funny, as soon as you get the showing, say it's the sixth showing that you get it rented out, the problem's over. It's solved. You're back to 100% occupancy. And you wonder why you ever thought you had a problem. That's just sort of how that goes.   Grant Francke  13:43   Yeah, hindsight is always 2020. It's really stressful in the moment, but just keeping in mind that the different ways it pays you the different avenues of income that come from it, and that's even something like it was conceptually, I understood it, but it really didn't take effect for me till it was like five, six years down the road, and you go, look at your loan balance, and you look at what the inflation's done, you're like, well, that's a substantial amount of money that you've made just passively getting your tenants to pay down your debt.   Keith Weinhold  14:09   Yeah, some don't even think about the fact that your tenant is paying down your principal for you, an advantage that homeowners don't have, because homeowners, they just have $1 that goes from their cash pocket over to their equity pocket every month. But in your rental property, your tenant is doing that for you, and then inflation is, in almost all cases, paying down your loan silently, even faster than what that tenant is doing for you.   Grant Francke  14:31   It's amazing concept. Once you can can, can wrap your head around it   Keith Weinhold  14:35   all right, so you started with this duplex in your local area, Nebraska. Is there anything else to say about that first property, or is it more about the growth from there? That's more, yeah, it was   Grant Francke  14:46   the growth from there. That one was just like I said, kind of a base hit, and then we started scaling up after that. So my next purchase was another duplex, and I happened to find it on Craigslist, back when that was a thing, that you could find properties on Craigslist, and it was actually a retired engineer, rare. Order that was selling a duplex. I was like, Oh, this is great. We hit it off really well. Had a great transaction. I closed on time. I did what I said I was going to do, and then I was looking around on the assessor's website, and he had five more single family houses that were clearly rentals. I told him at the closing table. I'm like, Hey, if you ever want to sell those rentals, just let me know. You know, I'd love to scale our portfolio up. He ended up offering to sell or finance me those five properties with a minimum down payment. Well, just because we had just a great relationship, I showed up, I did what I said I was going to do, we ended up getting seven properties from that guy.   Keith Weinhold  15:33    Wow, that is huge, a way to scale up fast. So just with your behavior, your work ethic, the fact that you did what you said you were gonna do, you know, that engendered some sort of interest in the other party to offer you, seller financing. What percent down did you put on that next batch of properties?   Grant Francke  15:50   We did 10% down, great, and we had 5% interest on it, and we had a balloon payment due in, I think it was seven years so funny story about that. He sold all his rental properties. He was going to Florida to retire and just relax and and be a retired guy. He called me about two and a half years later. He's like, Hey, I still have the bug. I found a property I want to buy. Is there any way you could refinance the seller financing and close out my notes so I can use that capital to buy something? I was like, Yeah, Larry, I get it. Yeah. Let me see. I'll talk to the bank and see what I can do. But in those two years, I had done enough improvements in those properties and raised the rents, took care of them. When I went to refinance those five properties, I was able to pay two of them off, so I only had a loan on three and pay him back on the proceeds. So throughout that transaction, I pretty much had two properties free and clear, and then three houses on 30 year notes from Fannie and Freddie.   Keith Weinhold  16:44   How did you come up for the down payments with all this? Was this something you were able to do with income from the job as a railroad conductor?   Grant Francke  16:52    Well, that refinance was more like a burr model, so I was able to do all that with the equity inside that property. So those five single families that are refinanced. Was just all the equity inside those properties. So I didn't have to put any more money out. It was just the equity that was able to pay off the other two. And then I had the three on the notes, from appreciation, from appreciation, and, yeah, forced appreciation. So I was fixing up the units, raising the rents, you know, changing out flooring, redoing bathrooms, doing all that myself while I was still at my w2 job.   Keith Weinhold  17:21   Okay, really getting hands on, because you do have this bent of sort of a GC or a handyman, something that I personally didn't have, maybe this would have accelerated my wealth building faster had I done that. You're realizing that a source, you know, it doesn't have to be your own money from your own job. When you've got leverage, and you had 10 to one leverage on these, I believe it was what five single family homes that you had added seller financing that really multiplies you wealth substantially faster compound leverage, rather than compound interest. But a lot of people just let that equity die in their properties, rather than pulling it out a tax free event through a cash out refinance and moving it along.   Grant Francke  18:03   Yep. So we kept that process on. We buy a duplex that was needs some repairs. Nothing like crazy rundown, but you fix it up over 6,12, months, you do a refinance, and you just keep that ball rolling. And it makes the whole process really easy.   Keith Weinhold  18:15   I know that you are pretty open to discussing your assets, discussing your unit mix. So tell us about more of that expansion. What you brought it up to, and the exciting time when you've replaced your salary because you had enough income from the units.   Grant Francke  18:31   Yeah, so we would just keep that snowball method going of refinancing those two paid off properties we had, we had a line of credit against those as well, if we needed that for a down payment, or if we wanted to pay cash for something, we could use that leverage, that money from the bank and buy the property, do the refinance at the end, and pay it all back. And, you know, be out of pocket with minimal cash out of pocket for us. We just kind of kept that process going. And then once we had about 30 units, I would say so, about three years. So I started buying in 16, and then in September of 2019 is when I resigned from BNSF Railway and went full time.   Keith Weinhold  19:06   That's a great timeline. You mentioned some paid off properties there. And you know how I'm the proponent of leverage in good debt in all of them. But really you talked about despite the fact that you had, I think, two paid off properties, it sounds like single family homes. Early on, you were still able to leverage the fact that they were paid off as collateral for getting more loans. So you are still using those as other people's money despite the fact that they were paid off.   Grant Francke  19:31   Absolutely we still use it to this day. That's if we need a down payment, if we need a chunk of cash. That's where we go to is grab those from that line of credit.   Keith Weinhold  19:39   Talk to us more about sort of the sourcing of the financing. There were you getting together with some local banks in order to get good terms where you can collateralize some of your existing portfolios assets?    Grant Francke  19:52   So we used to use a small community bank here in Nebraska. I started with them, probably 2018 and I've been with them since you just create a really good relation. With them. They trust me. They know what I'm doing. They know if I bring them a deal like I'm not hiding anything, I'm not showing them certain numbers, it looks better like they trust what I'm doing. I trust that they're going to take care of me as well. It's always good to have a few in their back pocket. But if you have a really good relationship with one small community bank, it can take you pretty far.   Keith Weinhold1  20:18   Tell us about how you built that relationship with the community bank. I think a lot of people hear about how to do that. This doesn't mean going bowling with a banker and having to be your buddy for watching the NFL on the weekend. So I guess, how do you demonstrate that you're a capable business person to a local bank in order to get good treatment?   Grant Francke  20:37   That's a great question. So my first couple deals, I created a full deal pitch deck sheet that I brought in in a laminated folder of pictures, timelines, my past history of what I've done. So I started off on the right foot of showing them that I was very professional. And then the same thing, like with Larry, with the seller finance properties, I showed up. I did what I said I was going to do. I didn't close late. I always was on time. I was on time for my meetings. I was on time for my closings, just staying top of mind with them too. So if I didn't have a deal going on, I'd stop in when I was depositing some laundry change and just chat with my banker or chat with the check guy, and just make sure I stay top of mind with them.   Keith Weinhold  21:14   Yeah, it's a little bit like how people classically think about as interviewing for a job. It sort of sounds like you took a page out of that book, and you're sort of interviewing for a loan, if you will, tell us about your portfolio size now, and kind of what that asset mix is like.   Grant Francke  21:30   yeah, so we're up to about 120 units now, all in the Lincoln Nebraska area, all multi family, small, multi family. We saw those single family houses we hold on to. But otherwise it ranges from duplexes, four plexes, some six, eight units are mixed in there as well. So we're still just buying, like, just boring cash flowing deals. That's one thing I always say is, like, I just buy boring real estate. I don't want anything super stressful or super crazy, like, I'm not infilling to build ADUs. I'm just buying boring cash flowing rental properties.   Keith Weinhold  22:02   It really can be pretty boring. Real estate is really slow moving. Yeah, it's almost like the more boring the area of the nation that you invest in, the more likely that it's not a trendy place. And, you know, people are wearing Carhartt rather than Lulu Lemon. It's almost like that's an indicator of what a good market is we're talking with Grant Francke. He's a GRE listener. He's telling us how he built his portfolio from being a railroad conductor to going ahead and doing this on the side and leaving his day job. When we come back, we're going to talk about, was he nervous and like just what level did he have to get to before he had the confidence to quit his job and replace his salary. You're listening. To get rich, education more. We come back. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold.   Keith Weinhold  22:02    Oh, geez. The national average bank account pays less than 1% on your savings, so your bank is getting rich off of you. You've got to earn way more, or else you're losing your hard earned cash to inflation. Let the liquidity fund help you put your money to work with minimum risk, your cash generates up to a 10% return and compounds year in and year out. Instead of earning less than 1% in your bank account, the minimum investment is just 25k you keep getting paid until you decide you want your money back. Their decade plus track record proves they've always paid their investors 100% in full and on time. And you know how I'd know, because I'm an investor in this myself, earn 10% like me and GRE listeners are text FAMILY to 66866, to learn about freedom, family investments, liquidity fund, on your journey to financial freedom through passive income. Text, FAMILY to 66866.   hey, you can get your mortgage loans at the same place where I get mine, at Ridge lending group NMLS, 42056, they provided our listeners with more loans than any provider in the entire nation, because they specialize in income properties, they help you build a long term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. You can start your pre qualification and chat with President Caeli Ridge personally. Start Now while it's on your mind at Ridge lending group.com that's Ridge lending group.com   Caeli Ridge  24:35   this is Ridge lending group's president, Caeli Ridge listen To get rich education with Keith Weinhold, and remember, don't quit your Daydream.   Keith Weinhold  24:55   Welcome back to get rich education. It's one of my favorite types of episodes because we're talking about a GRE listener, much like you, with what you can do, where he started, what the architecture of his portfolio building was, and a big part of that is you don't really want to be debt free in real estate. You want to be financially free. You want to build enough income in order to replace the income from your day job. I want to talk about that part grant replacing your salary. That sounds really good in concept, we know that's what you need to do. When I personally was at that point, I still remember how scared I was to walk out from my cubicle where I was employed at a State Department of Transportation and walk across the hall and tell my boss's boss, Therese, that I'm giving my two weeks notice. I've got to admit, I was still scared. My heart's still racing a little bit just bringing it up and talking about it. So why don't you tell us about at what point you replaced your salary?   Grant Francke  25:55   My wife's an accountant. She's really good at like, Excel spreadsheets, so we made an Excel spreadsheet that factored in the tax benefits of real estate that I would get as a full time real estate investor. What my income was. I went to the lowest paying job at the railroad just to see if we could live off of that paycheck. So once we hit that cash flow number, which was, it wasn't a great big number, it was like 4800 a month or something, once we hit that number, she said, All right, I think we can do it. We're good to go. So I went in, and I only had one of my buddies at the railroad that knew I was going to resign that day. I was going to go in and resign, then clean out my locker. I got there, it was like, well, I'll just clean my locker out first and then make sure this is exactly what I want to do. I got my locker cleaned out. Everything was in my truck, and I walked in, and it was the most terrifying thing that I've ever done, you're walking away from a great union job with a heck of a pension that I've been there for at that time, 13 years, you know. So I had some seniority built up. I just went back to like my family again and thinking about all the times I'm going to spend with my kids, with my wife, the trips we'll be able to take, the memories we're going to be able to make, and the hard work that I put in those first three years of just grinding doing all the work myself, managing all the properties myself, that gave me that push. I was like, No, I can do this. These numbers make sense. The math adds up, and we're going to make it work. That's   Keith Weinhold  27:13   great. And by the way, I also walked away from a union job with the pension guaranteed retirement benefits, and they were guaranteed in the state's constitution because I had a state government job, so that pension wasn't going to go away, and I just went ahead and walked away from all that. Yeah, it certainly is a scary thing. It takes a certain level of confidence in order to go ahead and quit your job. But here's what I think, Confidence comes on the person that you made yourself be to on the side, build this portfolio and become the type of person that can demonstrate to a local bank that you're credit worthy and that you're an ethical operator. That's sort of a skill set that you build, such that if something went wrong and you had to go get a job again, you just sort of have a skill set where you know you could get another job. That's the confidence to quit.   Grant Francke  28:05   Yeah, once I had that confidence, built up and confidence in myself, you're kind of trained as even a man, just to not be proud, you know what I mean. But once I was proud of myself and what I built, it gave you that confidence, that I could walk in and say, No, I can do this on my own. I don't need this job. I'm done with it.   Keith Weinhold  28:20   Right to not need an employer. So not only walking away from a union and pension benefits and a paycheck, you're also walking away from paid vacation days and paid holidays. But yeah, I mean, part of that confidence is like, I know that I can, you know, furnish this myself. I'm not dependent. I don't need someone else. And that's really that feeling of freedom.    Grant Francke  28:42   Yep, absolutely, it's a very freeing feeling.    Keith Weinhold  28:45   On this show, a lot of investors start out with single family homes and part of that scaling process, and I really help encourage, hey, the rate of return from home equity is always zero on doing a cash out refinance, or a 1031 exchange, and at some point, say, maybe your single family homes, you probably have a few that are less desirable than others. Maybe you have a few single family homes in your rental portfolio that have higher interest rates. You just have a few where you just can't seem to keep them occupied very long. They're the ones that are ripe for doing a 1031 exchange or a cash out refinance. Why don't you talk more about sort of those next sets of properties where you might relinquish a couple single family homes and get into some of those properties, a four Plex, a six Plex, an eight Plex, a 10 Plex, and just sort of some of the differences in managing, since you're still self managing, is that right?    Grant Francke  29:37   Yeah, we just actually completed our first 1031 exchange about two months ago. Great. Oh, yeah. So we actually sold two duplexes. So we sold four units and bought 17 in the 1031 exchange. The cash flow is going to be as we buy them right now. We're getting a little bit better cash flow. But you know, the ability to scale that and the management side, for me is much easier. If I would rather manage 117 unit than 17 single families, spread out all the way around. I only have one lawn to work worry about, totally on one roof. I have one sewer system to worry about. It seems scary in the beginning, but now that why I'm at where I'm at, I would much rather take down a 10 Plex than 10 single family houses.   Keith Weinhold  30:19   100%. oftentimes single family homes, you know, they tend to be scattered. They're probably not all going to be in the same development that introduces management difficulties. Of course, I circumvent that because I totally use professional management for all of my properties. So that's really not problem or a hold up for me, where it sure would be with you. Yeah, there really is that mental leap. I've owned a few properties that have been 10 plexes or in that area, and there are just things to do with there that we know we don't need to deal with in single family homes or duplexes, there might be one central communal laundry room that you have to manage. And you know, how are you going to keep that clean? I had one particular eight Plex building while the kids just had their bicycles parked here and there in the front yard, and it looked junky. And my property manager built a screen, just like a fence, where you had to keep your bicycles behind there, and that really increased the curb appeal of the place. If that's a single family home, you don't really care so much about that grant. I once had an 11 unit building. It had four units on the top floor, four units on the middle floor and three units on the bottom floor. There was a laundry room where the fourth would have been. So we had 11 families live there, and there were about 14 parking spots for this 11 Plex building. And figuring out who was going to park where was a real mess. Some people had more than one car. Some people had seniority, so they felt like they should have gotten some of the spots we had the building next door where people tried to park at our 14 spots. That was such a mess. I told my property manager to you, go figure it out. You go assign the spot. So my point is, there are a whole bunch of dynamics when you kind of get into this 10 or so unit area that you just don't have with rental, single family homes.   Grant Francke  31:58   Absolutely. Yeah, I've had to have many conversations with people telling them I manage properties, not parking. I don't just figure it out be adults. I don't want to hear about your parking dilemmas, which I get too. You know, you also have, you have noise complaints, and you want to make sure everybody's being respectful of their neighbors when you get into those bigger buildings. So there are definitely pros and cons. But boy, if I, if I could have a 10 single families on the same street, that would be, you know, ideal management wise, that would be a lot easier, but it's just tough to get everything together.   Keith Weinhold  32:24   Is there any other guidance you can give with scaling up? Because a lot of people just continue to let so much equity accumulate in any one property, and they're not scaling up, you're sort of leaving some meat on the bone. There any other strategic things one can think through?   Grant Francke  32:38   Just take advantage of your cash out refinances when you can, I'm a proponent of leverage, but not over leveraged to where your negative cash flow on it, if you can cash out, refinance, pull your equity out, and still be making some money off of it, that's really going to allow you to scale over time, a lot larger than just holding that one duplex and waiting for it to give you that cash flow, that financial freedom. You really got to take that equity out, spread it out over multiple properties, and then watch them all scale up at the same time.   Keith Weinhold  33:05   There's probably less risk when one does that. People are averse to making that move because they think about how they're taking on more debt. But the more you cash out and scatter it into more properties, you've got more diversification geographically, if you want to. And really, I think the mindset that helps people with this is, when you do a cash out refinance, you didn't lose any equity. You really transferred some of your equity.   Grant Francke  33:30   yep, tax free too, which is something you harp on, like it's tax free money. You get to walk away and not pay taxes on it.    Keith Weinhold  33:38   It's really amazing. All right, well, so you have a substantial portfolio of about 120 units in is it all in and around Lincoln Nebraska?   Grant Francke  33:47   Yep, Lincoln Nebraska and a couple small communities around there, some more college type towns that have industries in them as well. But all the Lincoln Nebraska area.   Keith Weinhold 33:55   we don't talk about Lincoln Nebraska here on the show very often. What kind of personality does the market have? Whether that's, you know, like you mentioned, is there a preponderance of student housing? Are there particular economic sectors that really help float and drive that market? Tell us about Lincoln as a real estate investment market.   Grant Francke  34:13   Like I said, with boring real estate, it's a great boring real estate town. We've got a couple universities in Lincoln. It's a big ag area, obviously, so surrounded by the the ag industry. But it's also got some great tech jobs that are coming in. It's just a very steady it doesn't have a lot of the ups and downs. You know, 2008 was obviously tough with everybody, but there wasn't this massive housing correction here. We're just kind of slow and steady, which is that's kind of my pace.   Keith Weinhold  34:39   typical of what I call a stable market, where, conversely, you tend to have the volatile markets that are on the coast. I'm going to imagine in 2008 it didn't go down in value nearly as much as markets, but in the big housing price run up in 2021, I'm going to guess you got some really nice appreciation, but probably not as much as a lot of the other markets as well.   Grant Francke  34:58   Yeah. Absolutely that depreciation, then that inflation run up, was pretty substantial. But, yeah, it's just a really boring real estate market that just steady. There's some great rentals. There's a lot of people that move into, move into town, from Lincoln, from outside, that go to school or start out here, and then they go somewhere else. So it's great town.   Keith Weinhold  35:16   What about some other things in the character of the market? What are property taxes, like one or 1.2% per year based on the value of the property. That's about a national average. How does Lincoln look that way?   Grant Francke  35:29   Yeah, it's a little bit higher. Right now, there's been some fighting in our legislature about how they're trying to fix that, because we have a really fairly good budget in Nebraska tax wise. So they're fighting to get us some relief now, but it's a little bit, I guess, like 1.3 or 1.4 right now in Nebraska.   Keith Weinhold  35:43   a little higher than the national average. But really, the more important metric, one I talk about a lot, because it's so simple, is approximately, let's say, for a rental, single family home, is what is the ratio of the rent income per month to the purchase price?   Grant Francke  36:00   Yeah, it's tough to find those 1% deals anymore. Those are tougher to come by. I think if you're buying a single family right now, you're probably going to be, at that .75% of the income to the property. If you get into multifamily. We're still finding deals that are decent around that 1%   Keith Weinhold  36:15   so with the 710, of 1% rent to price ratio as an example, on a $200,000 purchase price property, that would be a rent of $1,400 so you can find something like   Grant Francke  36:28   that. It sounds like that's usually about, yeah, for single family, I think that's what we're seeing. But like I said, multi family, we're getting pretty close to that 1% still with with some added rent.   Keith Weinhold  36:37   Do you think about branching into other markets? Like a lot of our investors do, not everyone lives in an investor advantage market like Lincoln, but even those that do say, if they live in a Columbus, Ohio or in Indianapolis, Indiana, they might want to add a couple markets for diversification, maybe Metro in Alabama and another one in Florida. Do you plan to continue to grow right there, since you have these great local relationships with local banks.   Grant Francke  37:03    I mean, it'd be tough. There is a couple of markets we've looked at, like San Antonio, I really like that one. And then Louisville, Kentucky. I've been there a few times, and it's just a great town. And I think there's some really good industry down there too. So those are the two that would be on my list. I haven't taken a massive action on getting down there yet, but if I were, that's probably be where I go.   Keith Weinhold  37:21   Of course, San Antonio is going to have those higher property taxes, but I just visited San Antonio last month. They really look to be the beneficiary of this near shoring movement, with more companies relocating to Mexico, this is great. We talked about how you grew your portfolio. Are there any other strategies overall that you employ any mindsets that you make actionable, either that you learned about on this show, or just anything else that you do in there grant your keys to success, your formula.   Grant Francke  37:49   The big thing for me is like, my why? Like, why did I do this? And why was I doing it that was huge for me in the beginning, and my, why was my wife and kids like? I wanted to spend more time with them. So when you know your why, like, all these tough things that happen, because, like, you know pipes are going to break, tenants are going to be tenants, and things are going to go wrong. So if you know your why and why you're doing that, it makes it so much more easy to get through those difficult times. So it's really a mindset thing, which is kind of odd thing to say, but it's a mindset thing, because things are gonna go wrong, so you gotta have a strong why behind you.   Keith Weinhold  38:22   Did you write down your why?   Grant Francke  38:24   I did? Yes, I'm big in goal setting as well, so I write goals and like, every year and then quarterly as well. So writing down my why and knowing that, it helped me when I was working on those properties and driving back and forth, listening to get rich education, just knowing why I was doing this, it made it a lot easier.   Keith Weinhold  38:42   Yeah, there's something about writing it down. I've even learned that using blue ink on yellow paper, somehow there is something about doing that in particular that really helps create this imprint in your mind. But however you do it, yeah, writing it down is so important, and that way this goal doesn't become a morphous or malleable when you do that.   Grant Francke  39:03   yeah, it sets it in stone. You can look at it. It's actually physically there. It's not something just conjestually in your head. It's actually something that's taken place.   Keith Weinhold  39:10   You have had such success. Gosh, congratulations on that, such that you even created a resource. But before I ask you about that, is there just any last thing that you'd like to talk about in your journey overall, whether that's goal setting and having a good why, or any GRE concepts, or just really anything else that's led to your success, to have 120 units.   Grant Francke  39:32   it really goes back to, like I said, my why, and then the education. So I do want to thank you again, like, for all the podcasts and and all the information you put out. It was uh very, impactful on me as I was learning the reason that why GRE always spoke well to me is like you would talk about conjectural things, about real estate and cash flow and all this, but it was also the larger economic process of how things worked, how things mixed together. So having that in my brain too and in my back pocket really gave. Me the confidence to attack these things when inflation started happening. I'm like, Oh, that was nothing I ever thought about. But I've heard you talk about it for hours and hours on the end. So I'm like, I understand how this works now, and I know how I'm positioned. I can use it to my advantage as well. So a lot of those things helped me out scaling up and just taking all those resources that we got from the show.   Keith Weinhold  40:17   Yeah, we're actually beneficiaries of inflation here, which is certainly pretty counter cultural. With your success, you put together a resource, and I definitely want you to share it with our audience, because this is something I really think they can benefit from, because they can relate to your story. I'm pretty confident.   Grant Francke  40:35   appreciate it. Yeah, so I wrote a book. It's called the unlikely investor. It's available on Amazon, but it's just a book that I took, kind of my story from a w2 employee to scaling up to where I am. Now, some of those tips and tricks in there. I have maybe plagiarized some stuff from Keith's podcast, and we talked about some the different pillars of wealth that you get from real estate. But it really just kind of goes into the mindset part too, of finding your why, goal setting, and then the basics of real estate investing on up through scaling up to a decent sized portfolio.   Keith Weinhold  41:07   Oh, I know, in every instance you credited me in the book.   Grant Francke  41:11   I do. I did, yeah.   Keith Weinhold  41:13   I really don't care. It's more about, you know, people getting the information, rather than me getting any credit for that. That's great. And you know the name The unlikely investor? When I learned that that was a title of your book, for a moment, that threw me off. I'm like, I wonder what that means. But you know what? No, I think I know what that means. You can tell me, but I'm an unlikely investor. I went to college for geography and regional planning. That was my double major. I thought I'd be a geography teacher. It's just really unlikely that I got into real estate, I didn't have this bent in me anywhere within academia. So why do you call it the unlikely investor?   Grant Francke  41:49   That same story, you know, I had a great w2 job, I had a great union, a great pension. There's really no reason that I had to go out and do this. It's very unlikely. You know, if you look at the numbers of our peers that actually do what we've done. It's extremely unlikely that we did it, so it was a great call to action of like, No, you can do this. It may seem unlikely, but it's possible.   Keith Weinhold  42:09   Oh, well, I think that title is 100% appropriate. That was good to talk with you more, and I really want to thank you for coming onto the show, because you're going to help out a lot of people with your story and you the listener. If you find it relatable, check out. Grant's new book just published this year. It's called The Unlikely Investor Grant Francke, it's been great having you here on GRE    Grant Francke  42:33   appreciate it. Keith, it's an honor.   Keith Weinhold  42:40   Grant mentioned the tax breaks when you leave your job quickly, so as not to gloss over that when you're at the point where you're getting close to leaving your job, if that's even a goal of yours, some people want to get in real estate just for some additional income. But like he said, it was at a point where he and his family needed just $4,800 of rent income per month. That was back a few years ago there, and your number will almost surely be higher than that with the inflation that we've had. But you know, figure that in once you quit your job, you're probably going to identify for what's known as the real estate professional designation, as outlined by the IRS, what that is, is the status that gives you some really nice tax breaks. And one way in which you qualify is that real estate needs to be your principal activity, meaning you expand more of your time per week in real estate than you do any other discipline. Now, I'm not a CPA, but frequent guests here, Tom wheelwright and I, we have discussed the real estate professional designation on a prior episode, and every year, there's a form that I quickly fill out myself confirming my ongoing real estate professional designation. Now you're probably not going to be able to qualify for that when you still have a day job, because that's going to be your principal activity, where you spend most of your time each week, and also before you do quit your job, if that's a goal of yours, well, it is a good time to first qualify for loans Fannie and Freddie like the steadiness of a w2 income. So qualify for your last few loans before quitting. There might even be a seasoning period in there as well. Now, when it comes to today's guest grant, when he reached out to the show here, you know there's something about his approach that engenders this willingness to want to collaborate with him. I think I shared with you before that we get 50 times as many requests to be a guest on the show as we have available slots, but Grant, I guess, exudes this professionalism while being humble, and it just makes you want to see him win, and yeah, no wonder his local banks want to make him loans. I gave a formal written endorsement of Grant's new book earlier this year the. Forwarders, written by Brandon Turner, the book titled The unlikely investor. I mean, I might be an even less likely real estate investor than Grant because he's somewhat handy. That's a skill a handle. He's got that I don't have. I am a writer and well then somehow became, I guess, an unlikely podcaster or two in the book. He also writes that if you're unhappy in real estate investing, it means that your system is broken. So if you're seeking an approachable, relatable book, one where you can really, like, put yourself in the author's shoes and tell yourself, you know I can do that and I can be that. Well, then check out grant Frankie's book called The Unlikely Investor. More great shows coming up for you every Monday here. I'm grateful for your listenership. I'm your host. Keith whitehold, don't quit your Daydream.   Speaker 2  46:03   Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC, exclusively,   Keith Weinhold  46:23   The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth building. Get rich education.com    

In 2021, the U.S. Congress directed the Secretary of Transportation to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine – Transportation Research Board (TRB) “to conduct a study on the operation of freight trains that are longer than 7,500 feet.” Railway Age reported on the 105-page study, “Long Freight Trains: Ensuring Safe Operations, Mitigating Adverse Impacts – TRB Special Report 353.” Sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration, the TRB convened a 12-member committee “with experience in freight and passenger railroad operations, state rail transportation, national rail safety oversight, and freight and passenger rail research” that met 16 times (six in person) to examine impacts of long trains and invited presentations from individuals and organizations. Meetings focused on railroad technology and highway-rail grade crossings. This Rail Group On Air podcast features six of those members and TRB Senior Program Officer and Study Director, Consensus and Advisory Studies David O. Willauer, who coordinated their participation: • Debra L. Miller (Chair), Former Secretary, Kansas Department of Transportation and former Surface Transportation Board Vice Chair. • Gary F. Knudsen, Locomotive Engineer, BNSF Railway (retired). • Allan Rutter, Freight Analysis Program Manager, Texas A&M Transportation Institute and former Federal Railroad Administrator. • Dr. John M. Samuels (National Academy of Engineering), President, Revenue Variable Engineering and retired Senior Vice President Operations Planning and Budget, Norfolk Southern. • Peter F. Swan, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management, Emeritus, The Pennsylvania State University. • Paul E. Vilter, Assistant Vice President Planning, Commercial Services, and Sustainability, Amtrak (retired).

A conversation with Ben Parks, the founder and "sound wrangler" of American Cowboy Radio and a former locomotive engineer for BNSF Railway. American Cowboy Radio streams worldwide from West Texas, with the goal of preserving and promoting what Parks calls "the authentic American cowboy way of life." Prior to this career and his locomotive career, Parks spent part of two decades managing the legendary Amarillo restaurant Char-Kel. He shares with host Jason Boyett about Char-Kel's heyday, why the business ended in the 1990s, how his cowboy radio idea developed and why Amarillo remains his home base. This episode is supported by PestTex Pest Control, Wolflin Square, and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

Un juez ordenó a una gran empresa de trenes

Boeing CEO grilled by Congress, BNSF Railway to pay millions for trespassing on tribal land, and Scarecrow Video says it's in financial danger. It's our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Patricia Murphy. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. You have the power! Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW. We want to hear from you! Follow us on Instagram at SeattleNowPod, or leave us feedback.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy Podcast for our especially special Daily Special, River City Hash Mondays is now available on the Spreaker Player!Starting off in the Bistro Cafe, Trump's shady loans are exposed in a bombshell report.Then, on the rest of the menu, the town of Eagle Pass, Texas planned for years to fill the town's coffers from the tens of thousands of eclipse revelers, they got razor wire and armed soldiers from Greg Abbott, instead; a Democratic Oregon House candidate who filed fewer than two hours before the March 12 filing deadline, is a big-time Republican donor; and, a trial begins today against BNSF Railway over lung cancer deaths in a small northwestern Montana town where thousands of people were exposed to asbestos from a vermiculite mine.After the break, we move to the Chef's Table where London Metropolitan Police are investigating after a second conservative UK lawmaker is targeted in a honey trap sexting scam; and, a Brazil Supreme Court justice ordered the investigation of Elon Musk over fake news and obstruction.Bon Appétit!The Netroots Radio Live Player​Keep Your Resistance Radio Beaming 24/7/365!"I was never a spy. I was with the OSS organization. We had a number of women, but we were all office help."-- Julia ChildBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/west-coast-cookbook-speakeasy--2802999/support.

On this episode of OccPod, Erin and Dr. Nabeel talk with the incoming Presidential Line of ACOEM. We welcome our guests, Drs. Tanisha Taylor, Laura Gillis, and Jill Rosenthal.  Dr. Tanisha Taylor is Senior Medical Director for RWJBH Employee Health and Wellness, New Jersey. Dr. Taylor received her MD from New York Medical and her MPH from Yale University. Dr. Taylor is the current President-Elect of ACOEM. She joined the College in 2005, and served as Young Physician Director from 2013 – 2016, after which she was a Director on the Board for several years. She has been active on the American Occupational Health Conference Planning Committees and currently serves on the Council on Governmental Affairs and chairs the Vaccine Workgroup. Dr. Gillis is currently the Chief Medical Officer at Union Pacific Railroad.  Her previous positions include serving as a US Naval Flight Surgeon, a private practice physician and business owner, the US Federal Maritime Surgeon, and a Medical Director at BNSF Railway. Dr. Gillis is currently ACOEM's Vice President.  She has held multiple roles in ACOEM, including Chair of the Council on Membership Engagement, Chair of the Transportation Section, and has been member of the ACOEM Board of Directors since 2019. Dr. Jill Rosenthal is the Chief Medical Officer at Zenith Insurance, a Fairfax Financial Company.  She is also an Affiliate Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida Occupational Medicine Residency Program and the past Chairperson of the Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Foundation Board. Dr. Rosenthal has served as the Medical Director for General Motors, Evanston-Northwestern Hospital's Employee Health Department, and two Johnson and Johnson companies.  She is the current Treasurer and incoming Vice President of ACOEM and chairs ACOEM's Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee.  In May, Dr. Taylor will be installed as ACOEM President, Dr. Gillis ascends to President Elect, and Dr. Rosenthal becomes ACOEM's Vice President.  Please join us at the 108th American Occupational Health Conference – AOHC – May 19-22, at Lowes Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, FL, where our incoming leaders take office! Learn more about the conference and register today at acoem.org/aohc. 

On this episode, host Ryan Dull is joined by Kelly Jimenez, Director Talent Acquisition of BNSF Railway.  Kelly shares insights into the transformative journey of talent acquisition at BNSF, emphasizing the integration of technology and strategic data analysis to enhance recruitment outcomes. Key Takeaways: (02:21) Kelly's unexpected entry into the TA field. (03:10) The significance of adapting recruitment strategies to technological advancements. (05:38) The role of BNSF Railway as a major employer in Fort Worth and its impact on Kelly's career. (12:28) Challenges and strategies in hiring for a large, unionized workforce. (19:17) The targeted approach in college recruitment to maximize ROI. (21:40) Success in filling a significant portion of BNSF's college recruitment plan ahead of schedule. (22:24) Ongoing challenges and future initiatives in TA within small market towns. Resources Mentioned: Kelly Jimenez - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyjimenez/ BNSF Railway - https://www.bnsf.com/ This episode is brought to you by Sagemark HR. Sagemark HR can help you: ✔ Improve your talent practices and make better, more informed people decisions. After 20+ years of experience leading Recruiting and Talent Acquisition across a wide variety of industries, I've seen enough hires (over 100,000 to date) to know that hiring decisions truly can make or break an organization. ✔ Identify opportunities to not only improve your talent practices but also delivering tangible business results. We understand every organization is different, and there's no one-size-fits-all magic solution. So we listen first and identify the gaps and sticking points in your current process before ever recommending a solution. ✔ Bridge the gap from “traditional” to modern recruiting, without the painful learning curve. We believe recruiting, talent, and HR technology is a deep well of untapped business potential, and our mission is to help you identify and implement those hiring tools in a way that works for you. If you're interested in learning more, you can reach me at: www.sagemarkhr.com ✉ ryan.dull@sagemarkhr.com #Talent #Recruiters #Recruiting #HRTech

Colter interviews Jim Titsworth, General Director of Agriculture Development with BNSF Railway on their recent rate reduction. Titsworth discusses how the freezing temperatures impacted the railroad over the last two weeks and how 2023 was a year for the record books in terms of safety.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Norfolk Southern Vice President Transportation, Joe Gioe is responsible for leading a culture of safe, predictable and consistent service by empowering transportation team members to meet the needs of NS customers. He also leads the Performance Excellence (PE) group, which is responsible for establishing operating processes and measuring performance. The group partners closely with Operations leaders and their teams, including Transportation, Advanced Train Control, Engineering and Safety. PE's mission is standardizing NS's needs to achieve its performance mission. The PE team does this through standardizing process. At the ballast line, the PE team works to integrate processes, regardless of craft, from multiple disciplines so NS can provide the best service and grow. PE is housed in the Operations department but touches many different teams throughout NS. The team is focused on safety first, followed by supporting operational excellence. The team cascades best practices throughout the network to increase information delivery speed. PE also provides daily tactical support to departments throughout Operations. The team is working on standardizing best practices and getting standard operating procedures embedded throughout Operations, laying the bedrock for safety. The team is also focused on enhancing and refining technology to deliver reliable, resilient service. PE's long-term goal are to position Norfolk Southern as the leader in continuous improvement, to standardize and then optimize, to be a constant learning organization, and to be proactive with adapting. Appointed Vice President Transportation in 2023, Joe Gioe has 19 years of experience in the rail industry. He joined Norfolk Southern in 2021 as Assistant Vice President Network Optimization. Previously, he was at BNSF Railway, where he held roles of increasing responsibility in Transportation and Service Design. A third-generation railroader whose family roots go back to the Central Railroad of New Jersey and Conrail, Gioe began his career as a conductor and locomotive engineer. He earned a Bachelor of Applied Science from Colorado State University Global.

835: No matter what the latest technology is that's available to IT organizations, the need for talent and a seamless digital employee experience is a constant for organizations to compete in the digital age. This episode of Technovation features a panel from our December 2023 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium where Munir Hafez, CIO of TransUnion, and Muru Murugappan, CIO of BNSF Railway, spoke with Metis Strategy's Steven Norton on optimizing the digital employee experience. Muru shares insights from the company's digital transformation and how it has impacted the employee experience, speaks to the impact AI has had on improving safety for employees, and explains how AI tools have increased internal productivity for the organization. Munir makes the case for the digital experience citing the importance of that experience being “human-centric” and details the way he has optimized the developer experience balancing efficiency with security. Finally, both panelists provide their strongest piece of advice for other executives looking to drive a digital employee experience transformation at their enterprise.

835: No matter what the latest technology is that's available to IT organizations, the need for talent and a seamless digital employee experience is a constant for organizations to compete in the digital age. This episode of Technovation features a panel from our December 2023 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium where Munir Hafez, CIO of TransUnion, and Muru Murugappan, CIO of BNSF Railway, spoke with Metis Strategy's Steven Norton on optimizing the digital employee experience. Muru shares insights from the company's digital transformation and how it has impacted the employee experience, speaks to the impact AI has had on improving safety for employees, and explains how AI tools have increased internal productivity for the organization. Munir makes the case for the digital experience citing the importance of that experience being “human-centric” and details the way he has optimized the developer experience balancing efficiency with security. Finally, both panelists provide their strongest piece of advice for other executives looking to drive a digital employee experience transformation at their enterprise.

Welcome back to another enlightening episode of Your Drone Questions Answered! In this captivating installment, John Dickow, the host of Drone Launch Academy's informative series, engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Todd Graetz, a prominent figure in the dynamic world of drone technology. Together, they delve into the intricacies of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations for drones, offering keen insights into the present state, the challenges that lie ahead, and the potential transformative impact on diverse industries.The topic of BVLOS operations has garnered significant attention over the years, and this episode seeks to unravel the mysteries surrounding its widespread adoption. Todd Graetz, a multi-company regulatory drone pioneer with an impressive track record, is the perfect guest to shed light on this complex subject.Throughout this engaging discussion, Todd provides a comprehensive overview of BVLOS, outlining what it entails and how it can be applied in various contexts. BVLOS, he explains, represents the epitome of scalable drone operations and holds the key to realizing the full potential of drone technology in the United States. From package delivery to agriculture, firefighting, infrastructure inspection, and more, BVLOS has the potential to revolutionize countless industries.Todd's involvement in the drone industry dates back to 2013 when he co-founded BNSF Railway's drone program. BNSF Railway stands as one of the largest BVLOS drone operators in the United States and has collaborated closely with the FAA under a cooperative research agreement since 2015. This vast experience and his current roles on FAA committees and as a board member of AUVSI make Todd Graetz a trusted authority on BVLOS.As the conversation unfolds, Todd delves into the heart of the matter—the current challenges facing BVLOS operations. He emphasizes that the primary hurdle is reaching a consensus between incumbent operators and new entrants regarding the operation of drones below 500 feet in congested airspace. The debate centers on equipping aircraft for electronic visibility, and it's a critical issue that must be resolved for BVLOS to become a reality.Todd's insights highlight the urgency of the situation. He stresses that the United States cannot afford to wait another ten years to make BVLOS a reality. If the industry doesn't swiftly reach an agreement and progress with regulatory development, it risks losing its leadership position to other countries. Moreover, the economic and job opportunities that the domestic drone industry could offer might be squandered.However, Todd also brings optimism to the conversation. He believes that with swift action and cooperation, the industry could witness BVLOS operations taking flight within the next year or two. The implications of this development are enormous, from package deliveries to reduced road congestion, BVLOS has the potential to transform society in myriad ways.For aspiring professionals and drone enthusiasts in the audience, Todd offers invaluable advice. He suggests that individuals interested in a career in the drone industry should choose a specialization—either focusing on the flying aspect of drones or specializing in analytics, data collection, and data dissemination. Those specializing in flying should consider obtaining a private pilot license to gain a deeper understanding of airspace and systems.As Todd Graetz aptly puts it, the future of BVLOS is at our doorstep, and it's an exciting time to be part of the drone industry. Stay tuned to Your Drone Questions Answered for more intriguing discussions on the evolving drone landscape and its limitless possibilities!Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and share this episode with fellow enthusiasts and professionals eager to stay informed about the ever-evolving world of drones. Join us as we explore the skies and uncover the endless potential of drone technology!

Marquise Bell is currently a 4th year PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at Rice University in Houston, TX. His research investigates the mechanical and thermal properties of smart textile (clothing-like) materials for wearable assistive devices. NASA funds his research, and he also has work experience interning with BNSF Railway, ExxonMobil, and Disney Imagineering. Prior to graduate school, Marquise graduated in 2020 from Baylor University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and minors in Math and Computer Science. He was heavily involved on campus through tutoring and Mission Waco and has continued his service by giving back through a scholarship he co-founded with fellow high school alums, the Hirschi Men Can Scholarship. [00:00:08] Uplifting black men, innovator, inventor, mentor, PhD, marriage. [00:04:05] Uplifting black men, community building. [00:09:07] Empowering underrepresented minorities to succeed. [00:15:49] Believe, achieve, pour, fulfill: 6 words [00:21:34] Chase happiness, use gifts, mindfully connect. [00:26:45] Power of vulnerability taught by Mackenzie. [00:31:04] Opportunity, learning to let go. [00:35:22] Growth through humility and striving. [00:40:44] Love one another: Respect & Love. [00:45:02] Love, respect, friendship, inspiration, black joy, dreams. GUEST: Marquise Bell

As seasons change, so do the terms of Association Officers. On this episode, Walt chats with outgoing AREMA President Trent Hudak, PE, Director Engineering Services, BNSF Railway, and incoming AREMA President, current Senior Vice President Ray Verrelle, PE, Vice President Engineering Services, Amtrak. The trio discusses the importance of goal setting when taking on a new role. How a one-year term as president is a three-year assignment, so having a plan is vital. The importance of leveraging opportunities to make events more attractive and financially feasible for the industry. They'll also consider how a mode of transportation as old as rail is surprisingly innovative and environmentally friendly. It's an episode that touches on it all. It's the last episode before the AREMA 2023 Annual Conference in conjunction with Railway Interchange. If there is anything keeping you on the fence about attending, let this be the episode that pushes you forward.

Valerie Duque joined BNSF Railway as an engineer right out of college. Today, she brings a diverse skillset to her role as Director of Marketing – Consumer Products at BNSF, where she strives to lead with self-awareness and positivity.

IMAX film director Stephen Low talks about the process of making Train Time, a documentary looking at the operations of BNSF Railway. He shares how this project was different from Rocky Mountain Express, the methods used to capture some of… The post 132: Train Time! Interview with Director Stephen Low appeared first on The Roundhouse.

(3/25/2023-4/1/2023) No Foolin'. Tune in. patreon.com/isaiahnews --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/isaiah-m-edwards/support

KUOW's John Ryan reports.

Pooja Dewan is the Vice President and Chief Data Analytics Officer for Otis Elevator Company. She is responsible for driving the data and analytics vision, strategy, and execution. In this critical role, she leads the company's data science and analytics capabilities, identifying opportunities to accelerate growth and efficiency. She also owns the Otis data management roadmap driving sustainable business growth and profitability, as well as internal efficiencies through improved access to through data architecture, constant data cleanliness and insight, and efficient data governance and processes. Prior to this role, Pooja spent more than 20 years at BNSF Railway where she served as the Chief Data Scientist. There she led the Operations Research and Advanced Analytics group for 17 years. Her team received international recognition through an INFORMS award as the Best Advanced Analytics Team in 2019. Pooja has been a member of INFORMS (Operations Research Society) since 1993. During this time, she led several initiatives offered by INFORMS, including the Chairing of Edelman competition the prized Practice Award, various officer roles for Practice and Railway Section including being the President. In addition to her role for Practice and Railway section she has also been instrumental in championing activities that help bridge the gap between academia and real-world application and is currently serving on several Advisory Boards. Pooja earned a master's and doctorate in industrial engineering from Pennsylvania State University. She is also the author of several research publications in various scientific journals.

Read the transcript of this podcast and read the show notes: After a 3-year saga of stalled contract negotiations between the country's freight rail carriers and the 12 unions representing over 100,000 railroad workers, "pro-union" President Biden and Congress last week "averted" a national rail shutdown by overriding the democratic will of rail workers and forcing a contract down their throats. So, what happens now? We convene a special all-railroader panel to break down the events of the last week and to discuss where railroad workers and the labor movement go from here.Panelists include: Jay, a qualified conductor who was licensed to operate locomotives at 19 years old, and who became a qualified train dispatcher before he was 23; Marilee Taylor, who worked on the railroads for over 30 years and retired earlier this year from her post as an engineer for BNSF Railway, but is still an active member of Railroad Workers United; John Tormey, a writer and BWMED-IBT member who works as a track laborer for the commuter rail in Massachusetts; and Matt Parker, a full-time locomotive engineer who's worked on the railroads for 19 years and also serves part-time as Chairman on the Nevada State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.Post-Production: Jules TaylorHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

After a 3-year saga of stalled contract negotiations between the country's freight rail carriers and the 12 unions representing over 100,000 railroad workers, "pro-union" President Biden and Congress last week "averted" a national rail shutdown by overriding the democratic will of rail workers and forcing a contract down their throats. So, what happens now? We convene a special all-railroader panel to break down the events of the last week and to discuss where railroad workers and the labor movement go from here.  Panelists include: Jay, a qualified conductor who was licensed to operate locomotives at 19 years old, and who became a qualified train dispatcher before he was 23; Marilee Taylor, who worked on the railroads for over 30 years and retired earlier this year from her post as an engineer for BNSF Railway, but is still an active member of Railroad Workers United; John Tormey, a writer and BWMED-IBT member who works as a track laborer for the commuter rail in Massachusetts; and Matt Parker, a full-time locomotive engineer who's worked on the railroads for 19 years and also serves part-time as Chairman on the Nevada State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.  Additional links/info below... Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter page John's Twitter page Matt's Twitter page Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Emily Cochrane, The New York Times, "Biden Signs Legislation to Avert Nationwide Rail Strike" Maximillian Alvarez, Breaking Points, "EXCLUSIVE: Rail Worker SLAMS Biden's "Tyrannical" Move Blocking Strike" Citations Needed, "News Brief: Biden, Congressional Dems Partner with GOP, Media to Discipline Rail Labor" Bad Faith, "Joe Biden ABANDONS Rail Workers" Useful Idiots, "‘Union Joe' Biden Sells Out Rail Workers" John Tormey, The Baffler, "Known Assailants"  Working People, "Jay"  Working People, "Countdown to Midnight (w/ Jay & Joe)" Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Wall Street is Holding the Supply Chain Hostage to Stop a Railroad Workers' Strike"  Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Solidarity with Railroad Workers" Mel Buer, The Real News Network, "Corporate Billionaires Are Wrecking the Supply Chain. Just Look at the Railroads" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song

Fingerprint scans, facial recognition, and vocal recognition are becoming relatively common in the trucking industry… and it's leading to some lawsuits. Learn more about privacy rights and biometric data collection, and what trucking fleets should be looking out for, in this episode of HDT Talks Trucking. This episode is sponsored by Citgo. Learn more ➡ http://www.citgolubes.com/ Our top story from October was news of more than 44,000 truck drivers in Illinois winning a lawsuit against BNSF Railway for unlawfully collecting fingerprint scans at rail yards the drivers entered while dropping and picking up loads. To dive into the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act and the greater implications of biometric data collection in trucking, HDT Managing Editor Vesna Brajkovic talked with Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary Partner Andrew Butcher for this episode of HDT Talks Trucking. In this episode, we dicuss: What is the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act? What is biometric data? Prevalence of biometric privacy laws in the U.S. What should carriers in Illinois be looking out for when it comes to BIPA? How should trucking companies avoid lawsuits relating to biometric information collection? Who's responsible for data collection and BIPA compliance? Industries impacted by biometric data collection laws

Oral argument argued before the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on or about 11/15/2022

Edward Blackorby v. BNSF Railway Company

They have our Social Security numbers and probably our Amazon shopping lists. But should employers be collecting data on, say, our fingerprints, voices or retinas? After all, these things are unique physical identifiers. And if they were somehow stolen in a data breach, they’re not easily changed like a password. A legal case in Illinois provided one of the first tests to a state law that protects this type of data — the Biometric Information Privacy Act, or BIPA. Last week 45,000 truck drivers won their suit against BNSF Railway for collecting their fingerprints without consent. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino recently spoke with Alan Butler, executive director and president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a nonprofit research organization. He said Illinois is at the forefront of a growing movement to regulate biometric data.

They have our Social Security numbers and probably our Amazon shopping lists. But should employers be collecting data on, say, our fingerprints, voices or retinas? After all, these things are unique physical identifiers. And if they were somehow stolen in a data breach, they’re not easily changed like a password. A legal case in Illinois provided one of the first tests to a state law that protects this type of data — the Biometric Information Privacy Act, or BIPA. Last week 45,000 truck drivers won their suit against BNSF Railway for collecting their fingerprints without consent. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino recently spoke with Alan Butler, executive director and president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a nonprofit research organization. He said Illinois is at the forefront of a growing movement to regulate biometric data.

This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Paula Jossart of Jossart Law Office, LLC (https://www.jossartlaw.com/)   Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here To Rate and Review   Episode Details: Award-winning Minnesota personal injury lawyer Paula Jossart of Jossart Law Office, LLC discusses how she secured justice for Scott Kowalewski, a switchman who was exposed to toxic hydrocarbons while working at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) Northtown Yard in Minneapolis in 2014 and, as a result, suffered a severe neurological injury. Rail cars carrying hazardous chemicals from a fracking site in Texas leaked, causing Scott to feel a burning pain in his chest and to lose consciousness. Scott was later diagnosed with a progressive neurological disorder, which significantly diminishes his motor function, making it difficult to swallow, write, get out of bed or perform everyday tasks. Despite BNSF's claims that the company is not responsible for Scott's health problems and many evidence and discovery abuses, a Hennepin County, Minnesota jury returned a verdict of $15,343,753 in damages against BNSF for violating the Federal Employers' Liability Act. Following the jury trial, Judge Amy Dawson assigned a $4.6 million misconduct penalty to BNSF for concealing and destroying evidence related to the case, paying off a witness and misleading federal investigators.    Click Here To Read/Download Trial Documents   Guest Bio: Paula Jossart Paula Jossart is an experienced personal injury attorney and railroad injury attorney recognized for her record of success in actions against railroads and insurance companies. She has achieved multiple seven and eight-figure verdicts in her career including a recent $21 million judgment against the BNSF.  In 2015, she achieved three million-dollar-plus verdicts for victims with personal injury claims in Hennepin County (Minneapolis, MN). She also attained one of Minnesota's larger personal injury verdicts ─ totaling more than $12.5 million ─  for a man burned by steam from a boiler on which he was working.   A fearless advocate for her clients, Paula Jossart has represented persons in personal injury and FELA (Federal Employees' Litigation Act) cases in Minnesota and states across the country, including Arizona, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. She served as lead counsel for injured victims in the nation's largest anhydrous ammonia spill and has worked on many other large chemical exposure cases.   Choosing the right personal injury attorney your important life matter can make a significant difference in the outcome. Paula Jossart encourages potential clients to do their own research before hiring an attorney. Ask about the attorney's actual courtroom and trial experience. Ask about the results that are being advertised on their website. Who achieved the results? What did the result actually mean for the client? Does the attorney put clients first? Or, does the attorney have a record of urging most clients to settle out of court?   Paula Jossart is a union designated attorney, a tenacious fighter, and a caring and compassionate client advocate. Respected by her peers, she was honored as a Minnesota Attorney of the Year, Outstanding Trial Lawyer by the Minnesota Association of Justice, a Rising Star by Minnesota Law & Politics numerous times, and named one of the Top Young Lawyers. She is a member of the Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys and the Minnesota Association of Justice. Read Full Bio   Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services - LTSatlanta.com Digital Law Marketing - DigitalLawMarketing.com Harris, Lowry, and Manton - hlmlawfirm.com   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1  Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE) General President Carl Rosen joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast and spoke about how the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee helped non-union workers organize during the pandemic. He also talked about the 2008 Republic Windows and Doors sit-down strike.      AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Greg Regan joined the AWF Union Podcast and talked about how BNSF Railway's oppressive attendance policy impacts workers and could further hinder the supply chain crisis in America. He also discussed recent research from Carnegie Mellon University and the importance of the U.S. Merchant Marine.

TRNN viewers may remember a recent interview we published at the beginning of February in which Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez spoke with retired railway engineer Jeff Kurtz about a US District Court blocking railroad workers at BNSF Railway from striking over the recent implementation of a draconian new attendance policy. Even if the story has faded from the headlines, the struggles railroad workers are facing have not gone away in the slightest, and workers and their families have reported that BNSF's “Hi-Viz” policy has been a disaster for them and for the railroad industry. In this crucial follow-up report, Alvarez speaks with Jeff Kurtz and Ron Kaminkow of Railroad Workers United about what workers have been going through since the implementation of this new attendance policy and what can be done about it.Jeff Kurtz was a railway engineer and union member for 40 years. He served as a union officer most of his career, including eight years as president of BLET Local 391 and chairman of the BLET Iowa State Legislative Board, where he oversaw safety and legislative matters for the union in the state for four railroads for 10 years. He retired in 2014 and served as state representative for one term in the Iowa House after winning the 2018 election in his House district. He now works in a volunteer capacity with Railroad Workers United and the local labor chapter of the Iowa Federation of Labor. Ron Kaminkow is currently serving as General Secretary of Railroad Workers United. Prior to hiring out as a brakeman with Conrail in 1996, he served as President of AFSCME Local 634 in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2005, Kaminkow helped to found Railroad Operating Crafts United (ROCU), an RWU predecessor. A former brakeman, conductor, and engineer for Conrail and later NS in Chicago, he formerly worked for Amtrak in Milwaukee and Chicago. He currently is working as an Amtrak engineer in Reno, Nevada, where he is the Vice President of BLET Local 51.Read the transcript of this interview: https://therealnews.com/railroad-workers-are-being-ground-to-dust-who-will-help-themPre-Production/Studio: Maximillian AlvarezPost-Production: Adam ColeyHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

We're gearing up for Season 5 of the show and will be back very soon! In the meantime, if you're looking for more important coverage of worker struggles from Max, go check out the interviews he's doing for The Real News Network. With permission from TRNN, we're publishing the audio of his most recent interview with retired railroad worker and union officer Jeff Kurtz.    A crucial labor battle is currently unfolding between railroad workers and BNSF Railway, the largest freight railroad network in North America. Earlier in January, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD), which together represent roughly 17,000 railroad workers, initiated steps to prepare for a strike that would have begun on the Feb. 1. This would comprise the largest railway strike in recent memory, and the unions have cited as the main point of contention a new BNSF scheduling and availability policy that workers say will separate them from their families and make it next to impossible to live and reasonably plan their lives. BLET National President Dennis Pierce and SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson called BNSF's so-called “Hi-Viz” policy “the worst and most egregious attendance policy ever adopted by any rail carrier.” However, on Tuesday, Jan. 25, a US District Court judge granted BNSF a temporary restraining order blocking the two unions from striking, saying that a strike would cause the rail company “substantial, immediate and irreparable harm.” In this interview, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with retired railroad worker and union leader Jeff Kurtz about BNSF's “Hi-Viz” policy and why workers in the railroad industry are prepared to strike. Jeff Kurtz was a railway engineer and union member for 40 years. He served as a union officer most of his career, including eight years as president of BLET Local 391 and chairman of the BLET Iowa State Legislative Board, where he oversaw safety and legislative matters for the union in the state for four railroads for 10 years. He retired in 2014 and served as state representative for one term in the Iowa House after winning the 2018 election in his House district. He now works in a volunteer capacity with Railroad Workers United and the local labor chapter of the Iowa Federation of Labor. Pre-Production/Studio/Post-Production: Cameron Granadino Additional links/info below... Watch the video version of this interview on The Real News Network YouTube channel Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Just desserts: Striking bakery workers in CA demand respect" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"

A crucial labor battle is currently unfolding between railroad workers and BNSF Railway, the largest freight railroad network in North America. Earlier in January, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD), which together represent roughly 17,000 railroad workers, initiated steps to prepare for a strike that would have begun on the Feb. 1. This would comprise the largest railway strike in recent memory, and the unions have cited as the main point of contention a new BNSF scheduling and availability policy that workers say will separate them from their families and make it next to impossible to live and reasonably plan their lives. BLET National President Dennis Pierce and SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson called BNSF's so-called “Hi-Viz” policy “the worst and most egregious attendance policy ever adopted by any rail carrier.”However, on Tuesday, Jan. 25, a US District Court judge granted BNSF a temporary restraining order blocking the two unions from striking, saying that a strike would cause the rail company “substantial, immediate and irreparable harm.” In this interview, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with retired railroad worker and union leader Jeff Kurtz about BNSF's “Hi-Viz” policy and why workers in the railroad industry are prepared to strike.Jeff Kurtz was a railway engineer and union member for 40 years. He served as a union officer most of his career, including eight years as president of BLET Local 391 and chairman of the BLET Iowa State Legislative Board, where he oversaw safety and legislative matters for the union in the state for four railroads for 10 years. He retired in 2014 and served as state representative for one term in the Iowa House after winning the 2018 election in his House district. He now works in a volunteer capacity with Railroad Workers United and the local labor chapter of the Iowa Federation of Labor.Read the transcript of this interview: https://therealnews.com/court-blocks-railroad-workers-from-striking-over-draconian-attendance-policyPre-Production/Studio/Post-Production: Cameron GranadinoHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

On August 25, 2020, Bradley Buck, an employee of BNSF Railway, was working on some tracks at Temple. It was five thirty in the afternoon. It was very hot.Bradley sees that some golf balls have been hit out of the course on the other side of the track. He goes to pick them up. Just then he spots something through the branches. It looks like a man. There is something round his neck. He has just discovered the body of Sergeant Elder Fernandes, who went missing five days previously.

Our CRE Executive Roundtable series returns as Chris Danos of BNSF Railway talks to us about the supply chain issues impacting the economy. Check out our ongoing Legends of CRE series: https://soundcloud.com/trecdallas/sets/legends-of-cre-ssn-2 Subscribe to TRECcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/treccast/id1438048995 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7df4hgNUizIRV35pzXltno SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/trecdallas Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/treccast Have an idea for an episode topic or guest? Email bsanantonio@recouncil.com. Follow TREC on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealestatecouncil Twitter: https://twitter.com/TRECDallas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trecdallas/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-real-estate-council

Have you ever wondered what it takes to present your project or idea at the AREMA Annual Conference? On this episode, host Walt Bleser sits down with two experts on the topic: Program Committee Chair and AREMA Senior Vice President, Trent Hudak, Director Engineering Services, BNSF Railway, and Program Committee Staff Liaison Stacy Spaulding, CAE, Senior Director, Executive and Board Operations for AREMA. The trio discusses what the Program Committee looks for in papers such as new technologies and groundbreaking solutions to old problems. They also consider what it takes to present during the General Session and the importance of inclusivity and the diversity of ideas.  If you want to know how best to position your paper for success, you won't want to miss this episode.  The Call for Papers deadline for the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference & Expo is December 10, 2021.

Join our host Walt Bleser as he sits down with Mike Weber, Signal Engineer at Modern Railway Systems, and Jerry Specht, Director of Signal Engineering at BNSF Railway.  The three discuss AREMA's newest Committee 35 – Information Technology.  They take a dive into the future of AREMA, new technology in the industry, and the goals of Committee 35.  You won't want to miss this episode.

BNSF Railway Company v. County of Alameda

Oral argument argued before the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on or about 04/14/2021

Today's Leadership Conversation features ORBIE Winners – Tom Nealon, President of Southwest Airlines and Charlie Feld, Founder and CEO of the Feld Group Institute. Over the course of his 50 year career Charlie Feld has been committed to helping organizations and executives achieve IT-driven transformation. His career began at IBM in the 1960's and Charlie became one of the first CIOs in corporate America in the 1980's, and went on to serve Frito Lay, BNSF Railway, Delta Airlines, First Data Corporation as Interim or mentor to CIO. Charlie's has frequently been featured in the media and has received numerous awards in recognition of his profound influence in the IT industry.The Feld Group Institute is a leadership development firm focused on developing the next generation of Business and IT Leaders from Fortune 50 companies like FedEx, Bank of Montreal, Cummins, Intel and others.Charlie has been a friend and mentor to Tom Nealon throughout his career. Tom has served as a CIO and technology executive at – Frito-Lay, The Feld Group, Southwest Airlines, Fossil, and JC Penneybefore returning to Southwest in 2017. As President, Tom is responsible for Commercial, Finance, Technology, Marketing, and Internal Audit leading over 57,000 employees. 

Oral argument argued before the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on or about 03/17/2021

Scott T. Richardson v. BNSF Railway Company

BNSF Railway Company v. Friends of the Columbia Gorge

Good Morning it's Thursday January 7th, and this is The Wenatchee World's podcast, Slices of Wenatchee. We're excited to bring you a closer look at one of our top stories and other announcements every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  Today, -- The Riverfront Village Apartments could be the largest single housing complex in Wenatchee. Today's episode is brought to you by Equilus Group Incorporated. Equilus Group, Inc is a Registered Investment Advisory Firm in the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Equilus Group, Inc- Building Your Financial Success. Learn more at Equilusfinancial.com. Member SIPC and FINRA. Now our feature story… If completed, the Riverfront Village Apartments would be the largest single housing complex in Wenatchee. Recently, the developer behind the project applied for building permits. This brought the complex one step closer to life. It set the stage for the next chapter of Wenatchee's downtown waterfront development. The project would include over 400 units spread across five buildings standing five stories tall. They would be located on the corner of North Worthen and Fifth streets. The developer is Redmond-based Anandacom LLC, a commercial real estate company that builds and manages residential and retail projects. The only active project listed on their is Wenatchee's, which it says will [quote] “set a new standard for the city.” The complex was first proposed in January 2020. Since then, the developers have been working with the city to adapt their plans in preparation for permit applications.  The layout has changed slightly, but the overall scope of the project is very similar to the original plan - which includes a recreation building, a pool and over 500 parking spaces. The permit applications are now under review with city planners, and once that's complete, the general public will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposal. But according to Community Development Director Glen DeVries a timeline of when construction may start or end is not yet clear. If approved and completed as planned, it would offer almost exactly the same number of units as the Riverside 9 and 600 Riverside apartments combined. Those two complexes, which are owned by Kirkland-based Weidner Apartment Homes, are just a quarter-mile away from this project. The project site is currently owned by Lineage Logistics, a fruit storage company that decided to sell its two main campuses in Wenatchee. Their southern campus, on the corner of Orondo and Columbia streets, was purchased by the Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority last year. The port is now dividing up the property and selling the pieces for private redevelopment. That was Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority Commissioner Rory Turner during a meeting last year talking about the Lineage Logistics property. This northern property is tucked between Riverfront Park to the east and the BNSF Railway tracks to the west. The property has drawn extra attention due to its proximity to the current Chelan County PUD headquarters. After the PUD moves into its new consolidated headquarters in Olds Station in a few years, the existing campus will be redeveloped. Planning for that process is underway now but no concrete plans for the property have been decided. Stay up to date on this story and more by visiting us at wenatcheeworld.com Now, this year gave us a lot of TV to watch and far too much time to spend watching it. From Tiger King to Baby Yoda, 2020 will not be forgotten. Here at the Wenatchee World we are experts at enjoying a good show. And, we're excited to share these wonderful discoveries. Oscar Rodriguez, our staff writer recommends the Queen's Gambit. He says that it shows that chess is not only a highly competitive, personality-driven sport but also an excellent vehicle for a compelling drama.  Luke Hollister, our Staff writer, videographer recommends...‘Sex Education'- he says it's Shakespeare meets postmodern aliens with tentacles: what's not to like? Hollister's other favorite? ‘The Mandalorian' Give it a watch, your eyes will be happy. Madeline Happold our Journalist product manager enjoyed the Code Orange livestream. One of the first band's on Happold's radar to turn to livestream was this Pittsburgh-based hardcore band. The band enlisted the help of a videographer to pull off a Matrix-esque, cyberpunk live stream. And finally, Russ Hemphill, our Managing editor enjoyed watching a good interview. “Hot Ones” is one of his favorites. Great questions for celebrity guests as they eat wings covered with increasingly hot sauces.  For the full list of our favorites visit our website. Finally, some local history, Wenatchee Valley History is brought to you by NABUR  – your trusted neighborhood community. NABUR is a free online forum you can trust to connect with your community, focus on facts & make a difference. Join the conversation! Visit wenatcheeworld.com/nabur For thousands of years before Euro-American settlement, the Wenatchee Valley area was inhabited by indigenous people who lived on the land. The Wenatchi were a nomadic culture and they were closely bound to nature.  Thanks for listening. Today's episode is brought to you by Equilus Group, Inc- Building Your Financial Success. Learn more at Equilusfinancial.com. The Wenatchee World has been engaging, informing and inspiring North Central Washington Communities since 1905. We encourage you to subscribe today to keep your heart and mind connected to what matters most in North Central Washington. Thank you for starting your morning with us and don't forget to tune in again on Saturday! Support the show: https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/site/forms/subscription_services/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jay Weber v. BNSF Railway Company

On Jan. 1, 2021, Katie Farmer will become the first woman chief executive of a Class I railroad, BNSF. Farmer knows BNSF inside and out. She’s held leadership positions in every major function of the company, starting as a 22-year-old management trainee at predecessor Burlington Northern in 1992. At BNSF, she will oversee a 32,500-route-mile network that spans 28 states and three Canadian provinces for parent company Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., and lead the Board of Directors. Among Farmer’s priorities: driving productivity and delivering the kind of service BNSF customers have come to expect; modeling the way for communication across the railroad and ensuring that connections continue to be made with all the constituencies it touches; and supporting employees—some 36,000—so they, too, can reach their full potential by taking advantage of the professional development opportunities she was afforded. In this wide-ranging interview with Railway Age Executive Editor Marybeth Luczak, Katie Farmer talks about leading the railroad and its workforce, “the hard-working men and women at BNSF.” Podcast sponsored by TrinityRail.

This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Paula Jossart of Jossart Law Office, LLC (https://www.jossartlaw.com/)   Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here To Rate and Review   Episode Details: Award-winning Minnesota personal injury lawyer Paula Jossart of Jossart Law Office, LLC discusses how she secured justice for Scott Kowalewski, a switchman who was exposed to toxic hydrocarbons while working at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) Northtown Yard in Minneapolis in 2014 and, as a result, suffered a severe neurological injury. Rail cars carrying hazardous chemicals from a fracking site in Texas leaked, causing Scott to feel a burning pain in his chest and to lose consciousness. Scott was later diagnosed with a progressive neurological disorder, which significantly diminishes his motor function, making it difficult to swallow, write, get out of bed or perform everyday tasks. Despite BNSF's claims that the company is not responsible for Scott's health problems and many evidence and discovery abuses, a Hennepin County, Minnesota jury returned a verdict of $15,343,753 in damages against BNSF for violating the Federal Employers' Liability Act. Following the jury trial, Judge Amy Dawson assigned a $4.6 million misconduct penalty to BNSF for concealing and destroying evidence related to the case, paying off a witness and misleading federal investigators.    Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents   Guest Bio: Paula Jossart Paula Jossart is an experienced personal injury attorney and railroad injury attorney recognized for her record of success in actions against railroads and insurance companies. She has achieved multiple seven and eight-figure verdicts in her career including a recent $21 million judgment against the BNSF.  In 2015, she achieved three million-dollar-plus verdicts for victims with personal injury claims in Hennepin County (Minneapolis, MN). She also attained one of Minnesota's larger personal injury verdicts ─ totaling more than $12.5 million ─  for a man burned by steam from a boiler on which he was working.   A fearless advocate for her clients, Paula Jossart has represented persons in personal injury and FELA (Federal Employees' Litigation Act) cases in Minnesota and states across the country, including Arizona, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. She served as lead counsel for injured victims in the nation's largest anhydrous ammonia spill and has worked on many other large chemical exposure cases.   Choosing the right personal injury attorney your important life matter can make a significant difference in the outcome. Paula Jossart encourages potential clients to do their own research before hiring an attorney. Ask about the attorney's actual courtroom and trial experience. Ask about the results that are being advertised on their website. Who achieved the results? What did the result actually mean for the client? Does the attorney put clients first? Or, does the attorney have a record of urging most clients to settle out of court?   Paula Jossart is a union designated attorney, a tenacious fighter, and a caring and compassionate client advocate. Respected by her peers, she was honored as a Minnesota Attorney of the Year, Outstanding Trial Lawyer by the Minnesota Association of Justice, a Rising Star by Minnesota Law & Politics numerous times, and named one of the Top Young Lawyers. She is a member of the Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys and the Minnesota Association of Justice.   Read Full Bio Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services - LTSatlanta.com Digital Law Marketing - DigitalLawMarketing.com Harris, Lowry, and Manton - hlmlawfirm.com   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1  Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

The Twin Cities’ next light rail project, the $1.5 billion Bottineau or Blue Line, has ground to a halt, after Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council said Monday that they’ve given up on getting access to a key right of way from BNSF Railway. Also video of George Floyd before he was pinned by a Minneapolis officer was posted online by a British tabloid. The video was available only for viewing by appointment. MPR News evening update for Aug. 3, 2020. Hosted by Tim Nelson and Britta Greene.

Ron Morris v. BNSF Railway Company

This episode is sponsored by Davwill Consulting Inc. - New online course!Susan Steinbrecher, an internationally acclaimed executive coach, speaker and author, is president and CEO of Steinbrecher And Associates, Inc. a management consulting firm that provides professional development services in the areas of executive coaching, group facilitation, and leadership training.Susan works with senior executives and their organizations to develop and implement innovative and profit-building solutions to address the challenges of leadership, operations, human resources and training. The company recently launched Meaningful Alignment -- a program committed to healing the social divide, one conversation at a time. Meaningful Alignment provides the tools and training to handle high stakes interactions when emotions run high, and viewpoints differ.Susan's expertise has positively impacted companies worldwide, including Aaron's, ABC Companies, Bank of America, BNSF Railway, Bell Helicopter, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Brinker International, BP, Capital One, Concentra, CVS/Caremark, Delta Airlines, Disney Worldwide Services, Hilton Worldwide, Marriott, Miraval Spa and Resorts, Hyatt, Raising Cane's, Seneca Gaming and Starbucks Coffee Company.Susan's Book - https://www.amazon.ca/Heart-Centered-Leadership-Lead-Well-Live/dp/0615891195--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/deb-crowe/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit debcrowe.substack.com

Jeffrey Neylon v. BNSF Railway Company

Oral argument argued before the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on or about 05/13/2020

Devon Douglas is a conductor for BNSF Railway, based in Shawnee, Kansas. We talk about his career on the railroad, freight train hoppers, parenting while your kids play sports, and much more. anderland explores topics and people from all walks of life. Each episode is a one on one conversation with people from business, entertainment, philanthropy, and many other areas. True to his roots, Ander is known to crack open a bottle of wine or two during the podcast - a recipe for open, honest, and fun conversation. As the son of Basque immigrants, Ander spent part of his childhood growing up in the hills of the Basque Country, Spain's northern region. He has a profound passion for his culture and has run with the bulls 23 times in Pamplona. When he is not podcasting or running with the bulls, he is a full-time finance professional. Ander's career has spanned the banking, energy, and travel sectors.

On today’s episode, Dooner and The Dude are talking about the challenges truckers face when contracting COVID-19 on the road, Covenant cutting staff after closing SRT terminal, and C.H. Robinson slashing executive pay. Joining them will be Michelle Halkerston, Owner, President & CEO at Hassett Express, LLC to talk about how they’ve pivoted to helping get PPE supplies to frontline workers.Chris Wire, CEO, at Real Art and Founder of Proto BuildBar, talks about the Ohio Department of Health viral mouse trap video that highlights the importance of social distancing and visualizing data.Eric Goodman, of BNSF Railway, talks about his road to recovery after contracting COVID-19. Plus, a SONAR powered breakdown of the freight market as we dive deeper into where rates and volumes will be headed this week.And, Emily Szink on this week’s big and little deals concerning a trucking PPE czar, Amazon effect and LTL, lockdown protests, One World, and more! Apple PodcastsSpotifyWatch the LIVE videoVisit our sponsor TriumphPayMore FreightWaves Podcasts

On today’s episode, Dooner and The Dude are talking about the challenges truckers face when contracting COVID-19 on the road, Covenant cutting staff after closing SRT terminal, and C.H. Robinson slashing executive pay. Joining them will be Michelle Halkerston, Owner, President & CEO at Hassett Express, LLC to talk about how they’ve pivoted to helping get PPE supplies to frontline workers.Chris Wire, CEO, at Real Art and Founder of Proto BuildBar, talks about the Ohio Department of Health viral mouse trap video that highlights the importance of social distancing and visualizing data.Eric Goodman, of BNSF Railway, talks about his road to recovery after contracting COVID-19. Plus, a SONAR powered breakdown of the freight market as we dive deeper into where rates and volumes will be headed this week.And, Emily Szink on this week’s big and little deals concerning a trucking PPE czar, Amazon effect and LTL, lockdown protests, One World, and more! Apple PodcastsSpotifyWatch the LIVE videoVisit our sponsor TriumphPayMore FreightWaves Podcasts

Leadership Development Done the BNSF Way Shortly after the turn of the century, under the leadership of CEO Matt Rose, BNSF Railway initiated a comprehensive leadership development program. Among other things, it provided exceptional mentoring experiences for emerging leaders across the company. At the heart of this effort was what BNSF calls its Leadership Model. The model centers on five principles: Lead More, Manage Less Cast a Compelling Vision Communicate, Communicate, Communicate Model the Way Develop Your People Over the past two decades BNSF has expanded and enhanced the elements of its leadership development system. But the Leadership Model remains at the core of the system. Leaders in any organization would profit from embracing the model's five principles. This podcast examines these principles and how they interrelate. It also looks at how BNSF implemented the Leadership Model so that it became embedded in the corporate culture. A transcript of the podcast is available at https://www.leaderperfect.com/podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trains editors discuss the news published during the week of Feb. 7, 2010. This week, Steve talks about Canadian Pacific's derailment in Saskatchewan, another coal to oil conversion on the Colorado narrow gauge lines, BNSF Railway's $3-billion capital spending plan, and more!

Trains editors discuss all the rail news that's fit to print for the week of Jan. 3, 2020. This week, Jim and Steve talk about a BNSF Railway derailment in Idaho, a judge's ruling on a Durango & Silverton lawsuit, and more.

In this episode, I talk to Tom Williams, Group Vice President, Consumer Products at BNSF Railway and Dr. Noel Hacegaba, COO of the Port of Long Beach, both board members of the Intermodal Association of North America. They each have many years of experience working in the intermodal industry. Both Tom and Noel agree that the major challenge of the supply chain industry is the increasing sophistication that comes with working with different industry partners and shipping lines. As disruption meets innovation, customer expectations are also changing, their demands shifting from brick and mortar to more demanding e-commerce. Customers expect supply chain companies to make delivery processes fast, reliable and safe, which means increasing the efficiency of all coordinated shipments. IANA helps find solutions by bringing together industry leaders and placing education initiatives for everyone working with these logistics. This fall is the IANA Expo event, a must-attend event for anyone working in the supply chain industry. It’s the largest gathering of supply chain leaders and stakeholders, including attendees such as Bill Strauss, Jeff Heller and companies such as Armstrong & Associates and SeaIntelligence Consulting. This is a great networking opportunity with around 1,800 expected attendees, over 125 exhibitors and more than 8 hours of exhibit time. IANA Expo is especially valuable thanks to the education sessions included in the schedule. Discussions on the future of supply chain, finding streamlined solutions and answering the big questions will take place during those several days. For those interested in helping shape the industry they work for, IANA is an event you definitely need to mark on your calendar! In this episode we discuss: The major challenges of the supply chain industry The importance of coordinating shipments across entities The IANA Expo event Why it is a must-attend event The key speakers and how you can make the most of it The benefits of being an Iana member What the future holds for Intermodal Resources and links mentioned: Iana Expo NSF International Intermodal

When state regulators block approval of construction projects, disappointed businesses routinely challenge the decision in court. A lawsuit currently pending in the Western District of Washington, Lighthouse Resources v. Inslee, however, is not your average permit dispute. The plaintiff, Lighthouse Resources, wants to build an export terminal on the Columbia River that can accept and ship coal to Asian customers mined at Lighthouse-owned sites in Montana and Wyoming. The terminal will generate billions in taxable revenue and create thousands of jobs. The defendants, whose opposition to coal as an energy source is well documented, have denied a federally required water-quality certification. Lighthouse’s constitutional claims (also asserted by intervenor BNSF Railway) include federal preemption and violation of the Commerce Clause. Early motions have attracted state amici supporting each side as well as briefs from business associations and environmental groups. The suit has reached a critical stage, with the plaintiffs moving for summary judgment on the Foreign Commerce Clause claim, arguing that the defendants’ actions “implicate” foreign policy issues in a way that prevents the federal government from speaking with “one voice” about international trade.Featuring: Glenn G. Lammi, Chief Counsel, Legal Studies Division and Director, Communications, Washington Legal FoundationProf. Donald J. Kochan, Parker S. Kennedy Professor in Law and Associate Dean for Research & Faculty Development, Chapman University, Dale E. Fowler School of Law Teleforum calls are open to all dues paying members of the Federalist Society. To become a member, sign up on our website. As a member, you should receive email announcements of upcoming Teleforum calls which contain the conference call phone number. If you are not receiving those email announcements, please contact us at 202-822-8138.

When state regulators block approval of construction projects, disappointed businesses routinely challenge the decision in court. A lawsuit currently pending in the Western District of Washington, Lighthouse Resources v. Inslee, however, is not your average permit dispute. The plaintiff, Lighthouse Resources, wants to build an export terminal on the Columbia River that can accept and ship coal to Asian customers mined at Lighthouse-owned sites in Montana and Wyoming. The terminal will generate billions in taxable revenue and create thousands of jobs. The defendants, whose opposition to coal as an energy source is well documented, have denied a federally required water-quality certification. Lighthouse’s constitutional claims (also asserted by intervenor BNSF Railway) include federal preemption and violation of the Commerce Clause. Early motions have attracted state amici supporting each side as well as briefs from business associations and environmental groups. The suit has reached a critical stage, with the plaintiffs moving for summary judgment on the Foreign Commerce Clause claim, arguing that the defendants’ actions “implicate” foreign policy issues in a way that prevents the federal government from speaking with “one voice” about international trade.Featuring: Glenn G. Lammi, Chief Counsel, Legal Studies Division and Director, Communications, Washington Legal FoundationProf. Donald J. Kochan, Parker S. Kennedy Professor in Law and Associate Dean for Research & Faculty Development, Chapman University, Dale E. Fowler School of Law Teleforum calls are open to all dues paying members of the Federalist Society. To become a member, sign up on our website. As a member, you should receive email announcements of upcoming Teleforum calls which contain the conference call phone number. If you are not receiving those email announcements, please contact us at 202-822-8138.

Tab Schadt, CEO of DoubleHorn and Liftr Cloud, sits down with the CEO and founder of ClearBlade, Eric Simone, to converse about ClearBlade's business and cloud strategy. ClearBlade is a cloud-agnostic IoT platform that includes cloud, on-premises, and edge computing solutions. During this interview, the two discuss edge computing and how ClearBlade is helping organizations like Stanley Black & Deckerrun on a multi-cloud approach by utilizing AWS, Google Cloud and IBM Cloud. ClearBlade is also working with BNSF Railway and Hudson Yards to leverage cloud and IoT for large-scale engineering. Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/MqKLK2bO3UY Follow us on: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

A case in which the Court held that under the Railroad Retirement Tax Act, a railroad company's payment to an employee for time lost from work is compensation subject to employment taxes.

http://www.mncourts.gov/SupremeCourt/OralArgumentWebcasts/ArgumentDetail.aspx?vid=1276

This week Trains Editor Jim Wrinn and Associate Editor Steve Sweeney speak about all the rail news that is fit to publish for the week of Oct. 5, 2018, including: Matt Rose's pending retirement from BNSF Railway, BNSF Railway's new deal to send intermodal containers direct to Ohio from Los Angeles, and the first steam-up of Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 in 63 years. Only from Trains!

See the Trains Magazine staff give its take on the week's news. This week, Editor Jim Wrinn and Associate Editor Steve Sweeney discuss BNSF Railway's preference for battery-powered locomotives, Amtrak's pending purchase of new passenger power, Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449 in the Columbia River Gorge, and much more! Be sure to share your news tips with the staff at newswire@trainsmag.com!

The podcast celebrates Brett's birthday this week by haphazardly covering Wonder Woman (the movie), Wonder Woman (the gender quality lawsuit), digging bodies up out of a graveyard, the availability of State Codes on Google, Tyrell v. BNSF Railway (personal jurisdiction and Ginsburg/Sotomayor fighting), Laroe Estates v. City of Chester (intervention and standing), Bitchin' Camaros, Home Alone and Die Hard as Christmas movies, Honeycutt v. U.S. (joint and several liability in conspiracy convictions), Advocate Health Care v. Stapelton (ERISA coverage for church-affiliated business), and Nazim's harsh review of the Thomas the Tank Engine movie.  "Law" starts at (04:09), but its a bumpy ride.

In 2014, the Supreme Court unanimously held in Daimler AG v Bauman that, as a general matter, companies could only be sued in the state in which they are headquartered and incorporated or the plaintiff is injured. Nonetheless, the Supreme Court in BNSF Railways Co.. v. Tyrell was asked to define, once again, when a company has a substantial and continuous enough presence in a state to provide “general jurisdiction.” In BNSF, plaintiffs brought suit in Montana state court although neither were injured in that state and BNSF is headquartered in Texas. On May 30, the Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision issued by Justice Ginsburg reaffirmed its holding in Daimler. In BNSF, it found that -- barring an exceptional case -- companies may only be sued where they are headquartered/incorporated or the plaintiff is injured. Karen Harned discussed the BNSF opinion and its impact on business and the plaintiff’s bar. -- Featuring: Karen Harned, Executive Director, National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center.

https://breakfree2016.org/ https://350.org/category/keep-it-in-the-ground/ SEATTLE (AP) Dozens of climate activists have blocked railroad tracks leading to two oil refineries in northwest Washington state to oppose the flow of oil from trains to those facilities. About 150 people spent the night in tents pitched on the railroad tracks near Anacortes, about 70 miles north of Seattle. Many of them were feeling jubilant Saturday morning as they prepared for a second day of demonstrations targeting the nearby Shell and Tesoro oil refineries. Dozens more are expected to join the protesters who have formed a barricade on the tracks, said Ahmed Gaya, a spokesman with the Break Free Pacific Northwest who also spent the night on the tracks. "The plan is to hold this space," he said. "People in the Northwest and around the world are prepared to build these movements (of mass disobedience) and keep fossil fuels in the ground." The protests are part of a series of global actions calling on people to "break free" from dependence on oil, coal and other fossil fuels. Similar demonstrations are taking place in Los Angeles and Albany, New York, on Saturday and in Washington D.C. on Sunday. In upstate New York, climate activists gathered at a crude oil shipment hub on the Hudson River to denounce fossil fuels and promote renewable energy sources. About 40 activists from numerous groups paddled on the river near the port on Friday with anti-oil signs and banners. A group sat on train tracks in downtown Albany on Saturday to protest the oil trains. Albany police reported no immediate arrests. Albany is a key hub for crude-by-rail shipments from North Dakota's Bakken Shale region. In Washington state, there have been no arrests as of Saturday morning, according to BNSF Railway and Skagit County officials. "We're currently not running traffic on the line," BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said. "Our operations are flexible on this line. We had anticipated this and therefore adjusted scheduling with customers." The railroad tracks,which connects BNSF's mainline to Anacortes, serves the two refineries as well as other customers. "At this point, we're standing back, letting them protest and developing a plan and will take action as necessary," Melonas said Saturday morning. Skagit County spokeswoman Bronlea Mishler said authorities are monitoring and that there were no plans as of Saturday morning to move the activists. "At this point, we're playing it by ear," she said. The three-day event began Friday and includes "kayaktivists" demonstrating on water, community workshops and an indigenous ceremony. A march is planned Saturday afternoon in front of the oil refineries. Protesters began pitching tents, erecting colorful flags and signs and setting up the railroad blockade Friday evening. Some did yoga or mediated, others chanted and sang. Organizers say they want to transition to renewable energy in a way that doesn't leave workers or communities behind, and they're willing to risk arrest to engage in civil disobedience. In Washington state, organizers are targeting two refineries that are among the top sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Officials with both Shell and Tesoro said in earlier statements that they respect the right of people to demonstrate peacefully, and that safety is their highest priority. Many of the nearly 40 groups involved in organizing the event were also involved in large on-water kayak protests against Shell's Arctic oil drilling rig when it parked at a Seattle port last year.   From:  http://komonews.com/news/local/protesters-block-train-tracks-to-2-anacortes-refineries

Carrie Olsen had a full time day job working in Human Resources. She was able to replace her income within 4 months doing VO work. Carrie has worked with clients including REI, Taco Bell, Bank of America, BNSF Railway, Bayer and others. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CQWQVRBGQCK7E&source=url)

Your host is Skip Waters, organizer of the 10th Annual "24 Hours @ Saginaw" 2015, a 24 hour railwatching event sponsored by the North Texas Chapter, NRHS.  Joining us will be local guests attending "24 Hours @ Saginaw" as we share the fun and exciting activities happening at the Saginaw Chamber of Commerce depot in Saginaw, Texas.  Lots to hear and talk about.  Join us and our regular callers at 10:00 AM Pacific, 12:00 Noon Central Time. The call in telephone number is 646-716-7106

Just like "24 Hours @ Saginaw" we are attending "12 Hours @ Temple" for NATIONAL TRAIN DAY!  A 12 hour extravaganza railwatching event to be held in Temple, Texas on the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum grounds.  It's also the Amtrak Station.  There is a lot planned when attending this event, Let's Talk Trains plans to share as much as we can for the short 2 hours we are there.  Listen in or better yet, come join us for some real rail fun!  And don't forget to call in and tell us what you are doing on NATIONAL TRAIN DAY 2015!  Your host for this event is Skip Waters.

News from the 2015 AUVSI Conference, including the Pathfinder Program where the FAA partners with industry to develop commercial UAS technology. AUVSI Unmanned Systems 2015 Conference The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) held its Unmanned Systems 2015 Conference May 4-7 in Atlanta, Georgia. At the Conference, the FAA announced the “Pathfinder Program” which it called “a partnership with industry to explore the next steps in unmanned aircraft operations beyond the type of operations the agency proposed in the draft small unmanned aircraft systems rule it published in February.” Speech – "UAS Pathfinder Program Announcement Press Conference" Press Release – FAA-Industry Initiative Will Expand Small UAS Horizons In his speech, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said, “We're partnering with three leading U.S. companies who have committed extensive resources to perform research that will help us determine if and how we can safely expand unmanned aircraft operations in the United States. These companies reached out to the FAA to work with us on exploring three key types of unmanned operations.” The industry partners and three focus areas are: Visual line-of-sight operations in urban areas. CNN will look at how UAS might be safely used for newsgathering in populated areas. Extended visual line-of-sight operations in rural areas. This concept involves UAS flights outside the pilot's direct vision. UAS manufacturer PrecisionHawk will explore how this might allow greater UAS use for crop monitoring in precision agriculture operations. Beyond visual line-of-sight in rural/isolated areas. BNSF Railway will explore command-and-control challenges of using UAS to inspect rail system infrastructure. Huerta said, “We anticipate receiving valuable data from each of these trials that could result in FAA-approved operations in the next few years. They will also give insight into how unmanned aircraft can be used to transform the way certain industries do business – whether that means making sure trains run on time, checking on the health of crops, or reporting on a natural disaster.” On the NPRM, Huerta commented on the number of public comments received, noting that it will take time to address them and finalize the rule. The Pathfinder Program is designed to expand expand the use of unmanned aircraft in the meantime. PrecisionHawk to work with FAA on UAV extended line-of-sight safety PrecisionHawk will formulate a framework for fixed wing and multirotor UAVs for missions in agriculture, forestry, and other rural industries. PrecisionHawk will also test its LATAS (Low Altitude Tracking & Avoidance System) traffic management system. AUVSI: New tethered UAV for CNN CNN announced that it will become the launch customer for the Drone Aviation Corp WATT UAV.  This tethered drone that can take power from the tether and simultaneously transmit data back to the ground. The electric quadrotor is activated with a mobile tablet and can hover at up to 300 feet for 8 hours. Tim Trott Interview with Jay Willmott At the AUVSI Conference, Tim Trott from Southern Helicam caught up with Jay Willmott, Founder and President of unmanned technology consultancy Nexutech. Vortex UAS A conversation with Vince Donahue, the Founder and President of Vortex UAS. Vortex provides tailored solutions for businesses utilizing UAS, including pilot training, consulting, and other services. This is a condensed version of the full interview originally published in Episode 347 of the Airplane Geeks podcast. Videos of the Week Surf the world's most extraordinary waves with drone videos Shot by photographer Eric Sterman with a GoPro on a Phantom 2 during two days at the “Jaws” surf break on the North shore of Maui. Good Morning, San Diego! The scenes in this video were captured around sunrise over a period of four months. Shot using a GoPro HERO3 Black Edition camera mounted on a DJI Phantom 2 Quadcopter with ...

The trains are running slow in this very cold winter but the BNSF Railway plans for speeding up service and building up in the years ahead, says John Miller, Group Vice President for Agricultural Operations. He explains a number of factors slowing down shipments this winter, discusses 'grain in the box' and previews the very large capital expenditures they are making to improve and expand their hauling capabilities. Miller's past experience includes serving as president of Bartlett Grain in Kansas City.John Miller