Finding and training the next generation of railroaders
David Applegarth
Field Placement Coordinator
Canadian Pacific
Portage, WI
9 years in the industry
20 years in the military
Base: San Diego, CA
A big part of David Applegarth's job as field placement coordinator for Canadian Pacific (CP) in Portage, WI, involves telling job recruits about what it takes to work for a railroad, and he always strives to give it to them straight. “You'll be working in all kinds of weather in all kinds of climates, and sometimes you'll be away from home,” he says, adding they'll get more than a job, they'll get a lifestyle. “And then I let them know they'll be paid very well for that lifestyle.” Sometimes one or two recruits drop out, but most often they sign on, and Applegarth stays with them every step of the way, through training and beyond.
Like a good guidance counselor, Applegarth helps his students transition into rewarding freight rail careers. “I want them coming in with their eyes wide open, and I want them to succeed,” he says. “I put students in a position to gain the experience necessary to be successful at CP.” It helps that Applegarth remembers making that transition himself. He joined CP nine years ago as a conductor after a 20-year naval career as an operations specialist doing air traffic control. “The military trains you to be responsible, and in the railroad, there's a lot of responsibility on your shoulders,” he says. “That's where judgment comes into play. It's something you can't teach. It develops over time and military personnel have had the opportunity to develop it.”
For Applegarth, finding and then training young hires to start replacing experienced retirees is one of the biggest challenges facing the freight rail industry. His students spend about five weeks in the classroom and then another 14-15 weeks in on-the-ground training. Applegarth makes sure they're exposed to every freight rail job. When not working to place the next generation of railroaders, Applegarth, a father of two grown sons and also a grandfather, enjoys riding his motorcycle, a Honda Goldwing, while touring with his wife near their Watertown, WI, home. “I thought that railroads were a dying breed back in the early 80's,” he laughs, “but we're currently experiencing a rail renaissance. I'm glad I was wrong.”