BNSF Railway: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

BNSF traces its corporate lineage to the 1995 combination of Burlington Northern Railroad and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, with the holding company formed in September 1995 and the railroads formally merged at the end of 1996. Those predecessor railroads in turn descend from a long chain of nineteenth-century lines, which is why BNSF often describes a founding heritage reaching back to the mid-1800s. Today the company is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.

Since February 2010, BNSF has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, which acquired the railroad in a transaction widely reported at approximately $44 billion. Operating as a Berkshire subsidiary means BNSF is not separately listed on a public exchange, though it continues to file financial reports and operates as a distinct business with its own leadership team.

The railroad operates across roughly 32,500 route miles of track spanning 28 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces, and it employs on the order of 40,000 people. Its network connects Pacific Northwest and Southern California ports with inland hubs and interchange points in Chicago, Memphis, St. Louis, and Texas. BNSF organizes its freight business around several major categories: consumer products and intermodal, agricultural products, industrial products, and coal. Supporting that network is a large physical footprint of classification yards, intermodal facilities, locomotive and railcar maintenance shops, dispatching centers, and thousands of miles of signal and track infrastructure.

Company culture and employee programs:

BNSF's workforce spans a wide range of craft, technical, and professional roles. Operating positions include conductors, locomotive engineers, switchmen, and yardmasters. Mechanical and engineering crafts cover carmen, machinists, electricians, welders, signal maintainers, and track maintenance workers. The railroad also employs dispatchers, telecom technicians, police officers, and corporate staff in areas such as finance, technology, marketing, law, and human resources. Many operating and maintenance roles are covered by collective bargaining agreements with rail labor unions, and new hires in those crafts typically complete structured training programs that combine classroom instruction with supervised field work before qualifying to work independently. Schedules in transportation roles are often on-call and can include nights, weekends, and holidays, so candidates are encouraged to review the specific job posting closely.

Yes. Employers in the railroad and freight transportation industry, including BNSF Railway, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates, provided they follow applicable federal, state, and local laws. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires clear disclosure, written candidate authorization, and a defined adverse action process. Railroads are also subject to Federal Railroad Administration safety regulations and, for many positions, to U.S. Department of Transportation rules that carry their own pre-employment requirements.

BNSF Railway is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is consistent with standard practice across the railroad industry. Rail employees operate heavy equipment, work in and around active track, and in many cases hold safety-sensitive positions regulated at the federal level, so pre-employment vetting is the norm. The exact components of a BNSF Railway background check may vary depending on the craft, the location, and whether the position is classified as safety-sensitive.

The process varies by craft, but railroad hiring generally follows a structured sequence. Candidates apply online for a specific posting, and qualified applicants are typically invited to complete an online assessment or hiring test. Many operating crafts then require an in-person or virtual hiring session that may include an interview and an overview of the job's physical and scheduling demands. Candidates who receive a conditional offer are usually asked to consent to a background check and to complete a medical evaluation, which for safety-sensitive roles commonly includes drug and alcohol testing conducted under federal transportation rules. Successful candidates then enter a formal training program before being cleared to work.

Timelines depend on the searches ordered, how responsive courts and prior employers are, and how many jurisdictions the candidate's history spans. Many background checks are completed within a few business days, while multi-state criminal searches, extensive employment verifications, or records that require manual court retrieval can take longer. Railroad hiring may also involve parallel steps such as medical and physical evaluations, which run on their own schedule. For a fuller explanation of what drives turnaround, see background check turnaround times.

The employer determines which searches are included. For a railroad role, a background check may cover some or all of the following:

Candidates should review the disclosure and authorization paperwork provided during hiring to understand exactly which searches apply to the position they are pursuing.

The lookback window depends on the search and on state law. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies are generally limited from reporting most adverse information older than seven years, with exceptions that can apply to criminal convictions and to positions above certain salary thresholds. A number of states impose stricter limits, and some restrict reporting of arrests that did not lead to conviction. Driving records follow their own state-specific retention rules, so a motor vehicle record may show a different window than a criminal search in the same report.

BNSF does not publish a detailed policy on applicants with felony records, and decisions of this type are typically made on a case-by-case basis. Relevant considerations commonly include the nature and severity of the offense, how much time has passed, evidence of rehabilitation, and how the record relates to the safety responsibilities of the specific craft. Many states and municipalities have enacted "ban-the-box" laws that restrict when employers may ask about criminal history during the application process. Candidates are encouraged to complete applications accurately and to be prepared to discuss their history if asked.

Candidates are typically asked to sign a disclosure and authorization form consenting to a background check before it is initiated. Applicants should be ready to provide accurate personal information, including full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address history, and for driving-related roles, a valid driver's license number. Accurate details help ensure that searches are conducted in the correct jurisdictions and reduce the chance of delays. Railroad hiring commonly includes additional conditions of employment beyond the background report, such as a medical evaluation, vision and hearing standards, and drug testing.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the U.S. federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information. It requires employers to obtain written consent before ordering a report, to provide the candidate with a copy of the report and a summary of rights before taking adverse action, and to allow a reasonable opportunity to dispute inaccurate information before a final decision is made. For a detailed overview of how the FCRA and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance apply to employment screening, visit Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Positions classified as safety-sensitive, such as conductor and locomotive engineer roles, carry requirements set by federal regulation in addition to anything the employer applies on its own. These commonly include pre-employment drug and alcohol testing under U.S. Department of Transportation rules, ongoing random testing after hire, medical and physical qualification standards, and federally required certification or training programs before an employee may work unsupervised. Candidates applying to operating crafts should expect the hiring timeline to reflect these extra steps and should ask the recruiter which specific qualifications apply to the posting.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what BNSF Railway may see and helps you identify potential inaccuracies before they affect your job application. In one secure report you can review:

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The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.