Job Description
Keep the world’s supply chain moving. That’s what the Watco team does every day at our short line railroads, switching sites, terminals, ports, and logistics hubs.
Whether you’re at one of these locations or in a support-services role, there’s one thread that ties everyone together. We’re all on the same team. One Watco.
Here’s what you can expect from Watco:
- Outstanding culture recognized by Forbes and Newsweek
- Competitive compensation and benefits
- Paid on-the-job training with peer trainers
- Operations training at the Safe Performance Center in Birmingham, Alabama
- Leadership and development programs offered through Watco University
- Career advancement opportunities
General Purpose
The Trainmaster supervises and coordinates activities of train crew engaged in switching railroad cars within yard of railroad, industrial plant, or similar location to facilitate loading or unloading of cars or making up and breaking up of trains; and/or switches railroad cars within yard of railroad, industrial plant, or similar location to load and unload cars or to make up or break up trains in a safe and efficient manner.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Supervises and coordinates the activities of train crews
- Receives oral or written instructions from Manager or Customer indicating which cars are to be switched
- Notifies train crew of switching orders and, whereby, which cars are to be moved to specified locations of yard, using radio, telephone, verbal, or hand signals
- Manage cars online through various RMI reports
- Must ensure daily train lists are accurate as generated by the customer service department, and accurate as completed by the train crews within his/her territory
- Must ensure all reporting is done accurately and timely, including daily crew work sheets and weekly operational reporting
- Approve all man hours under his/her area of responsibility and forward these hours to the necessary personnel or department on a timely basis
- Initiate and provide an accurate, complete, and timely investigation of all accidents and incidents, including causes, remedial action, and recommended solutions
- Understand the quantitative factors contributing to the major costs on the railroad and understand the extent of their effect toward financial performances
- Adjust locomotive consist requirements based on HP and trailing tons daily, with a goal to minimize locomotive fuel and maximize locomotive utilization
- Understand all outstanding track conditions within his/her territory, including slow orders, and their effect on productivity/efficiency
- Demonstrate predictable, reliable, and timely attendance
- Knowledge of and skills in applying basic federal railroad regulations, guidelines, and rules
- Ability to read and comprehend written safety rules, procedure and safety manuals, government regulations, operating and maintenance instructions, memos, and other work-related information
- Ability to apply commonsense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and/or to apply principles of logic to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions; and/or to apply principles of rational systems to solve practical problems
- Ability to effectively communicate instructions, directions, processes, procedures, safety rules and regulations to co-workers, supervisors, and others in written, oral, diagrammatic and schedule form
- Ability to train switch crews and other yard personnel to perform job-related duties; and to provide training related to federal and company regulations, rules, safety guidelines and preventive maintenance
- Ability to make independent judgments using sound reasoning skills and knowledge base
- Ability to think and act quickly in responding to emergency and non-emergency situations
- Ability to talk to and effectively communicate with co-workers, yard personnel, switching crew, engineers, railroad officials and others in a clear, concise, courteous, efficient, and professional manner
- Ability to pass training and required testing
- Performs other duties as requested or required
Machines, Tools, Special Equipment, Personal Protective Equipment Used
- PPE; hard hat, vest, safety glasses, FR clothing, gloves, steel toed boots
Education and Experience
- High school education or general education development (GED), and minimum of 6 months job-related experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Ability to pass training and required testing
Certificates and Licenses
- Must hold, and continue to hold, a current locomotive engineers and conductor’s certification
- Valid driver's license
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