Rail Transportation Occupations Job Description

The Railroad Workforce in the United States

Over the decade, about 7,000 openings for railroad workers are projected. Most of the openings are expected to be caused by the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or retire. Railroad workers make sure passenger and freight trains run on time.

Some workers drive trains, some coordinate the activities of the trains, and others operate signals and switches in the rail yard. Billions of tons of goods are moved around the country by freight trains to ports around the world. Millions of travelers are transported on passenger trains.

Railroad workers are essential to the running of trains. The engineers operate the train engines. Locomotives are moved between tracks to keep the trains on schedule.

Hostlers are rail yard engineers who drive locomotives to and from maintenance shops or prepare locomotives for the locomotive engineer. Some people use remote locomotive technology to move freight cars. The rail yard has Yardmasters who coordinate the activities of workers.

They review shipping records to make sure trains are carrying the correct material. Yardmasters switch train traffic to a certain section of the line to allow other trains to get around. Yard engineers are told where to move cars to fit the configuration.

The Railroad Workers' Employment and Professional Development

Railroad occupations ensure that passenger and freight trains run on time. Some workers drive trains, some coordinate the activities of the trains, and others operate signals and switches in the rail yard. Railroad workers work together.

Locomotive engineers travel with conductors. Locomotive engineers and conductors are always in contact and kept informed of any changes in the train's condition. Locomotive and rail yard engineers communicate with signal and switch operators to make sure that trains end up at the correct place.

Dispatchers give directions to all occupations and they are in contact with them. Engineers must be aware of the goods their train carries because different types of freight require different types of driving. A train carrying hazardous material through a snowstorm is driven differently than a train carrying coal through a mountain region.

Yardmasters do not travel on trains, but they do work similar to conductors. They are in charge of the rail yard activities. Yard engineers are told where to move cars to fit the configuration.

Yardmasters make sure that trains are carrying the correct material. Some rail yards do not use yardmasters. The engineers operate the train engines.

The Annual Wage and Employment of Railroad Workers

Railroad workers' employment is projected to decline from 2016 to 2026. Some railroads may reduce employment in order to become more efficient because of decreasing demand for the transportation of bulk commodities. The annual wage for railroad workers was over $60,000 in May.

Half of the workers in an occupation earn more than the median wage, and half earn less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than 39,060 and the highest 10 percent earned more than 80,880. There are mechanical skills.

The rail employees work with machines. When equipment does not work correctly, most have to be able to adjust it. Most of the time, rail yard engineers spend fixing broken equipment.

Transportation and Material Moving Jobs

The field of transportation has a wide range of job titles. There are many different roles available for those interested in working in the transportation sector. There are jobs industries that transport passengers and cargo via plane, rail, bus, boat, transit system, and other modes.

scenic and sightseeing transportation may be involved in transportation jobs. The transportation and material moving sector has positions that support the industry. Travel and tour agencies that book transportation and logistics staff that coordinate transportation are part of the transportation industry.

There are mechanical support personnel such as automotive mechanics. The median annual wage for transportation and material moving occupations was $32,440 in May, which is below the median for all occupations. Drivers, moving personnel, and logistics personnel are some of the most in demand job titles in the transportation industry.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has an Occupational Outlook Handbook. Material moving and hand laborers move things. They might unload trucks.

Transportation Workers Job Description

The transportation workers have many different duties, from operating buses, cars, trucks, trains, planes and boats to coordinating traffic and providing customer service. They can also transport products on waterways. The skills section of the transportation worker job description states that the most qualified candidates should have a high school degree.

Depending on the responsibilities of the role, an associate degree is required. Good critical thinking and communications skills are needed by transportation workers. There are certain skills needed for solving problems.

Technical skills should be a part of transportation workers' skills. The transportation worker job description should give you more information about what should be included in your job listing. The job responsibilities section is the most important part of your transportation worker job description and should include tasks that clearly state whether your open position is for a patient transporter, rail worker, motor vehicle operator general transportation worker.

Water Transportation Workers: Education and Training Requirements

Education and training requirements for different jobs. Entry-level sailors and marine oilers don't need to attend school, but other types of water transportation workers do. Over the next decade, there are projected to be 8,400 openings for water transportation workers.

Many openings are expected to be caused by the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or retire. Water transportation workers operate vessels that carry cargo and people. The vessels travel to and from foreign ports across the ocean and to domestic ports along the coast, Great Lakes, and inland waterways.

Water transportation workers are exposed to a lot of weather. Many people think that life at sea is not for them because of the difficult conditions onboard ships and long periods away from home. Water transportation workers progress from lower level positions to higher level ones, making work experience important for many jobs.

A ship engineer and mates may have worked as sailors before. Workers can gain hands-on experience as part of their education program. Water transportation workers had a median annual wage of $59,250 in May 2020.

The Employment of Railroad Workers

Railroad workers ensure passenger and freight trains run on time. They can drive trains, coordinate the activities of the trains, or operate signals and switches in the rail yard. Locomotive engineers, conductors, yardmasters, and brake, signal, and switch operators are some of the people who work in the rail transportation industry.

Rail yard engineers support activities for rail. The annual wage for railroad workers is over $65K. Half of the workers in an occupation earn more than the median wage, and half earn less.

The lowest 10 percent earned less than $41,030, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $91,390. Railroad workers' employment is projected to decline over the next ten years. Some railroads may reduce employment in order to become more efficient because of decreasing demand for the transportation of bulk commodities.