Feeling right at home working with his freight rail family
Keith Jones
Manager of Terminal Operations
Union Pacific
North Little Rock, AR
6 years in the industry
8 years in the military
Base: Fort Chaffey, AR
Keith Jones, manager of terminal operations for Union Pacific (UP) in North Little Rock, AR, may be a first generation railroad employee, but he feels right at home working in freight rail. Enlisting in the army immediately following high school graduation, Jones spent eight years as an infantry soldier before leaving to join UP. The army taught him about discipline and hard work, paying for his degree in mathematics from the University of Arkansas along the way. He initially applied for the UP job because a friend worked there and highly recommended it. “One of the first things UP told me is that they look at a lot of military applicants because their management structure is similar,” says Jones. And it was true, at UP, Jones was thrilled to find the same sense of shared purpose he’d valued in the army. “They told me I should fit in well, and I have,” he says.
As manager of terminal operations, Jones observes, monitors and processes UP's freight train traffic in and out of Arkansas, making public safety the first priority. Supervising between 20 and 40 employees at any given time, he likes that UP's workforce is very diverse but says with diversity come challenges. “We have people from all different walks of life, from all over the country,” he says. “Dealing with all those personalities means you need to have an open mind and stay flexible. It's fortunate that building America is our common goal.”
While at UP, Jones works to keep the trains running efficiently and safely with the help and support of his railroad family. “So many of the military individuals at UP already enjoy that camaraderie, and everyone else is so patriotic,” Jones says. “It's an unofficial family, they're always there for you.” In the evenings, at his Bryant, AR home, Jones spends time with his other family, his teenage son Keith, playing basketball and football and trying to beat him at chess. “I make an attempt to be better than I was the previous day; it's a simple motto I live by,” he says. “I'd tell anyone looking for employment in freight rail that if they're not afraid of dedication and hard work and are in need of a strong support system, we'd be happy to have them.”