From classroom to the railyard: Larry Howe’s journey

By EUNICE ARCHILA 
Staff Writer 
 
Michigan native Larry Howe has more than 15 years of experience on the rail, but his career began in 1989 as a music and math teacher at Garden City High School. He taught for four years before making a big change. He pivoted to the transportation world – first in trucking, and then at the railroad. 

“A lot of what I did as a teacher and then in the trucking industry revolved around teaching, coaching, and pulling the best out of people,” Howe said. “Those aspects, although they varied in topic and age groups, were very similar in both industries.”  

In 2008, Howe applied for a trainmaster role in San Bernadino, California and eventually made his way to Los Angeles as a hub manager.

For the past eight years, Howe has worked at the Alliance Intermodal Facility in Haslet, Texas, as the terminal manager, with the goal of continuously improving operational efficiencies.  

Howe leads a team of approximately 450 BNSF employees, including service partners and BNSF team members. He manages customer goals, ensures the facility has the right equipment and handles arising challenges. His leadership principles derive from his strong faith.  

He's currently assisting a project at Alliance that utilizes drones to automate freight placement, ensuring a smooth and efficient pickup process for truckers. This is just one of the many innovative projects the Alliance team tackles. 

“The most rewarding part of my job is when the outside world makes things challenging, but we are still successful despite those issues,” said Howe.

Working at a terminal is different from an 8-to-5 corporate job. Activity is constant and employees work shifts 24/7. On top of his demanding role leading the team, Howe also volunteers to give people tours of the facility.  

“It’s a small part of my job,” he said. “I enjoy providing various groups with a tour because of the informative and educational experience it offers them. It allows them to make more informed decisions about BNSF and our operations.”

“Larry’s a rockstar,” said his boss, Jerry Glasow, assistant superintendent at the facility. “He does it all. Larry can put on a different hat and tailor to any group or situation -- whether he’s giving a tour to a group of top-level executives, or college interns. But that’s just scratching the surface of his talents. He’s also smart operationally and gets the dynamics of a facility this big. He can construct a complex operational contingency plan on the fly.  People with his skillset are few and far between. When you get someone like that, you recognize it.” 

Thanks, Larry, for your dedication to the job, and for representing BNSF so well!