Freight Conductor job description

This post includes 3 parts: duties list, job qualification and job description writing tips for Freight Conductor in details. A complete job description concludes Freight Conductor key duties/responsibilities, Freight Conductor job qualifications (knowledge, education, skills, abilities, experience…KSA model) and other ones such as daily tasks, key activities, key/core competencies, job functions/purpose…

I. List of Freight Conductor duties:

1.      Ensure compliance with all train orders, signals, and railroad rules and regulations for safety, operations, and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

2.      Review instructions from dispatchers and yardmasters, and discuss with locomotive engineer and train crew

3.      Inspect all equipment on cars prior to departures

4.      Receive and transmit information by radio and telephone

5.      Read and understand bulletins, work orders, and switch lists

6.      Assist and instruct train crews to couple and uncouple cars, operate switches, and make minor repairs to railcars, including replacing heavy couplings or air brake hoses

7.      Work with customers to ensure accurate movement and placement of cars

8.      Maintain awareness of surrounding area and suspicious activity to ensure rail safety

9.      Operate locomotive equipment through the use of remote control device

10.  Quickly and repeatedly make precise adjustments in moving the controls of a machine or vehicle to exact positions

11.  Comprehend color and/or hand signals and systems

II. List of Freight Conductor qualifications

1. High School diploma/GED
2. 18 years of age or older
3. Valid Driver's License
4. 2 years verifiable work experience and/or college
5. Outside work experience
6. Experience working on an on-call basis
7. Experience working varying shift schedules
8. Experience operating heavy equipment
9. Mechanical experience
10. Medium to Heavy Work, lifting up to 50 pounds occasionally and up to 83 pounds on a rare basis
11. Stoop/bend/kneel/crouch/crawl/balance/climb
12. Work in cramped, confined, enclosed, or awkward places
13. Ride on the outside of rail equipment for long periods of time
14. Walk long distances over uneven terrain
15. Demonstrate auditory and visual acuity/tracking/inspection
16. Must meet color vision requirements as described in the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

III. Tips to write job description

1. Too-long job description:

Looking at a too-long job description can frighten the candidates off and drive the away. A job description, no matter how important the job is, should not be included in more than 3 pages. If one focuses on too many things at a time, he shall definitely lose focus on the main items and get overwhelmed by the remaining; So, keep it concisely.

2. Too-short job description:

While too-long can be a problem, too-short is more a problem. It will ruin the meaning of the job description. A too-short one means it lacks necessary details and therefore, the candidate will not be able to understand while reading it.

3. Listing unnecessary functions or job duties:

Just classifying these into the “others” category will save you a lot of effort and space. On the other hand, the job description will become more dilute and easy to be neglected.

4. Key functions

Not listing key functions as required for the job can be a fatal mistake to a job description.

5. Grammar and spelling

Poor grammar and having spelling errors can ruin the job description, too. Never think that as you are the employer, you may have the right to make grammar or spelling errors while requires other not to. A job description with such errors is easily to be mistaken as a fake or ghost ads; as a result, the candidate will turn away from it.

6. Not specific enough:

Be specific and concise; if you don’t address the specific, then what the job description is for. It is for the candidate to understand just exactly what he needs to do or needs to have. Lacking details can confuse the candidates very well.

7. Not having the job description reviewed by others:

This is also a common mistake. One may be subject to bias, but more than one, especially with the help of those external advisor, the job description can be more perfect.

8. Using buzzwords or abbreviations:

In fact, it is not necessary at all to use such in a job description.

9. Using slang or legal words:

Just use common wording to communicate with others and don’t do anything extraordinarily.

10. Not updating the job description:

The same job may require different duties and responsibilities in different times, so, you cannot use the same job description for 2 different times.