Why Becoming an Entrepreneur Might Be the Best Route
Unfortunately, I’ve had to learn several lessons the hard way. It wasn’t that I didn’t listen to the advice of others. Rather, it was because I wasn’t being given any sound direct or indirect advice on the matter.
The following situations were similar, though they varied slightly. Let me explain.
Railroad Intermodal Operations Manager
Years ago, in the early 2000s, I was a manager for one of the major railroads in the United States (I’ll refrain from saying which one). My job was to ensure the on-time departure of various trains that departed from the facility.
Of course, that also entailed ensuring that they were put together efficiently. And that there was space available for those arriving.
It also entailed ensuring operations were performed in a safe manner. Well, at least that’s what I thought anyway.
In early 2006, I was promoted to Manager of Intermodal Operations for an intermodal facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. At the time, I was living in Omaha, Nebraska.
To make a long story a little shorter, my family and I moved to Utah. The company helped. Not only with funds for the move but also with the sale of our existing house.
The management program required a lot of traveling for training throughout the country. And the job required me to work 12-hour shifts (6 days a week).
Before knowing my work schedule, we had purchased a house roughly 1-hour away. Needless to say, it was not easy for our family life.
– The Problem
The problem was that several safety violations were occurring throughout the facility. By one group. They were known as the “hostlers.” And my boss not only encouraged it, but he was essentially demanding it.
The hostlers’ job was to move the various containers, trailers, and chassis throughout the facility. There was a speed limit on the facility of 15 mph. However, they didn’t adhere to it. They typically traveled at around 40 mph.
Not only that, but they would take very tight corners.
On an intermodal facility, because of the trailers and stacked containers, there are tons of blind spots. Every day, I would receive near-miss reports from certain crews working on the facility.
One day, I was nearly t-boned by one of the drivers. Had I not been looking under the trailer as I was approaching the intersection, I would’ve been.
I approached my manager and proposed a solution. Before he would listen to me, he cursed me out for even suggesting anything to do with that group.
To help prevent any accidents, my suggestion was to put stop signs up at the intersections and speed bumps in certain areas.
He reluctantly agreed. Rather than posting permanent stop signs or speed bumps, he had moveable stop signs in concrete buckets placed at the intersections. Along with temporary (rubber) speed bumps leading up to them.
Well, the hostlers merely moved the speed bumps and stop signs out of the way. Not by getting out and moving them either. But by running into them, literally.
After a few weeks of me going out and repositioning the stop signs (and with near-miss reports increasing in frequency), I went back to my manager.
Again, he cursed me out for even bringing up the topic. He told me that I should be grateful that he did what I had asked the first time.
It was a toxic environment. But I was afraid of an accident happening and me being blamed for it.
So, I went to my boss’s boss to discuss the situation. He was located in California, which required me to travel out there.
We met, I explained the situation, and he told me he would look into it.
Fast forward a couple of months. The same things were continuing around the facility with nothing being done. If a vehicle would’ve been hit, or a person struck, it could’ve been lethal. And I didn’t want that to happen.
I spoke with one of the facilitators/trainers of the management program that I was in about the situation. The one who’d suggested that I go to my boss’s boss. When that didn’t pan out, he had no further advice for me.
In one last-ditch effort to hopefully get this problem under control, I sent an email to the CEO of the company. I explained everything that was going on. What was happening, how long it had been going on, what I’d done, who I’d spoken to, the works.
A month later, I was called into my manager’s office. My boss and his boss were there. They explained that the CEO did in fact receive my email. And that it was not well received.
From then on, I was to be stripped of all responsibilities. For 8 hours a day, I was to research and write papers. Each day, my manager would provide me with a topic to research and write about. At the end of the shift, I would turn in what I found.
After one month of doing that, and still knowing what was going on with the safety problem, I submitted a complaint to the company’s equal opportunity group. I felt that I was being unfairly treated (penalized) for being a whistle-blower.
I guess I should’ve seen the writing on the wall. Because less than one week later, I was let go.
Less than one year later, I decided to go back into the Army as a Commissioned Officer.
Army Officer Candidate School
In the US Army, there are 3 ways to get a commission. Go through West Point, Reserve Office Training Corp (ROTC), or Office Candidate School (OCS).
West Point was out of the question. ROTC would take too long. I felt my only plausible option was through OCS at Fort Benning, GA.
While going through the interviews, one of the interviewers told me that I shouldn’t take anything they do or say to heart. Perhaps I should’ve listened.
Office Candidate School at the time was a 14-week 4-day program. In the end, as long as you completed everything and didn’t fail too many tests, you were given a commission.
During the first week of training, I was aggressively shoved by one of the instructors. There was a female candidate performing one of the obstacles. He thought she might fall. So, he aggressively shoved me from behind to go help her.
Mind you, there were candidates all around me. Not sure why he singled me out.
By the time I jumped up, someone else was already there to spot her. Mind you, no one helped any of the guys who struggled to complete the obstacle.
That put a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t realize they were allowed to touch us, let alone in that manner. Don’t worry, it got worse.
As the weeks went on, we continued our training which included what was known as “combatives.” It’s basically Brazilian jiu-jitsu. A grappling martial art.
On two different occasions, the same instructor that shoved me decided that he should show me how to perform certain moves. One was a rear naked choke hold. The other was an armbar.
During the rear naked choke (don’t worry, no one was naked), he squeezed so hard that I felt my neck nearly separate from my spinal column. My neck was sore for several days after that.
With the armbar, he nearly broke my arm. Even though I tapped, he kept going. He had hyper-extended my elbow.
– The Problem
I began talking to my classmates about it. The more I did the more I heard of others having similar things happening. And not by the same person. I believed they were physically abusing us.
It all came to a head when we were on a ruck march one day. The ground was uneven and wet. A classmate was walking and strayed to the side a bit, for better footing.
When he strayed, an instructor moved behind him and shoved him extremely hard to the side. The candidate nearly fell to the ground.
At that point, I’d had enough. I went to social media and vomited my grievances. Not the best decision, I’ll admit.
A day or two later, my company commander called me into her office. The guy who had caused me the problems was in there too.
They were dropping me from the course. I would have to join a new class and start over again. Also known as a “day 1 restart.”
Knowing that I didn’t do anything wrong, I protested it. I requested to meet with her boss (the battalion commander).
The following week (week 9), I met with the battalion commander. Along with him were the battalion sergeant major, my company commander, and the guy who started it all. Together, they were ganging up on me.
They threw insults and said it was my fault that all of those things were happening. That they couldn’t in good conscience allow me to lead soldiers, so they were dropping me from the course completely.
I was once again let go because I went above my boss.
Perhaps you’re thinking, “Why didn’t you go to the authorities?” With the railroad, I did. I went to the Department of Labor and the Federal Railroad Commission. Neither of them wanted to touch it.
With the Army, I requested an investigation be performed. They conducted an internal investigation. Because none of my classmates would speak up, it was unfounded.
Which leads me to where I am now.
Current Position
I’ve been with my company for over 10 years. In 2020, with the pandemic, we were instructed to work remotely from home. Then in 2022, some personnel started to go back into the office. They gave us the choice to either work in the office, work hybrid (a mixture of both remote and in the office), or fully remote. I chose fully remote.
At the same time, they allowed us to relocate to other areas of the country if we so chose. I asked if I could move to Florida. They granted me permission.
Just before the summer of 2022, we sold our house and moved to Florida (we closed on our new house the Tuesday after Memorial Day). That December, I was promoted to my current position. As part of my acceptance, I made sure that this position would remain fully remote.
In June of this year (2023), they decided that everyone should be moved back into the offices. The nearest one to me is in Orlando (which is 1 ½ hours away).
Of course, for those who are not near a facility, company leadership said that managing directors could provide exceptions for up to 18% of their workforce.
When I heard that, I immediately submitted an exception request. Especially because I was hired into this position with the agreement that it would remain fully remote.
Unfortunately, my boss told me that my exception was rejected. I received an email from HR stating this as such.
In July (this month), I sent in an anonymous question about my situation. At least I thought it was anonymous. The next day, I received an email from the head of HR (VP level) stating that I would need to discuss it with my manager. If that didn’t work, to use the open-door policy to meet with his manager.
– The Problem
By now, I think you’ve noticed a pattern. I get fired if I go to my manager’s manager. Not to mention, my manager already told me that he discussed this problem with his manager and fellow colleagues. They’ve all agreed to not provide any exception to anyone in my circumstance (being far away from the nearest facility).
Therefore, I don’t have a choice. I have to drive the distance if I want to keep my job. Or find a new one.
If I go above my manager, I might lose my job. If I don’t and just let it play out, I’ll quit rather than commute 3 hours a day. I will lose my job either way.
Lesson Learned
It’s unfortunate, but it’s a lesson that I’ve had to learn the hard way. If you shake the boat, you’ll be penalized. In my case, it’s losing my job.
Perhaps becoming an entrepreneur is the best way forward. For me anyway.
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