Pay (wage) has initially halved as starting as a trainee. However in saying that, allowances and penalties bring it up close to where I was when I left the Navy.
A bit of schooling, an initial block of three weeks, then you start traveling about getting to know where you are going. After about 4-5 months of that a further three weeks of school and then we are permitted to drive with a qualified driver. Need to know the track, for instance Port Augusta to Darwin 2500km and 2500km back again. Whole traineeship to get to Cert IV in transport and logistics takes about three years, then a fully qualified driver.
Usual stuff, AFP check, medical fitness. A mechanical aptitude certainly helps. It does involve shift working, we do relay where when crew sleeps in carriage behind loco's and change crews every 8hrs.
Transition is not a big issue, still a sort of disciplined workplace, but a bit more relaxed than Navy, although I still hold Navy values. Shift work as a train driver is similar routine as to what was doing on the subs, so that helps with the transition.
On the subs, everyone knew I am gay. In this workplace there are those that I knew before I got into the railway, but not everyone knows, but certainly don't see it as a problem.
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