Railroad Switchman job description

This post includes 3 parts: duties list, job qualification and job description writing tips for Railroad Switchman in details. A complete job description concludes Railroad Switchman key duties/responsibilities, Railroad Switchman 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 Railroad Switchman duties:

1. Successful applicant must possess one year of experience in operating under signaled territory.
2. Coordinates the activities of train crews.
3. Receives oral or written instructions from Manager or Customer indicating which cars are to be switched.
4. Notifies engineer of switching orders and, whereby, which cars are to be moved to specified locations of yard, using radio, telephone, verbal or hand signals. Gives instructions to throw track switches and to couple and uncouple cars.
5. Maintains records, number, origin, destination, and cargo of cars switched. Document, add/remove seals
6. May coordinate activities of switching crew from locomotive cab, caboose, or control tower.
7. Raises coupling lever to couple or uncouple cars.
8. Throws track switches to facilitate shunting of cars and signals Engineer to move cars, using lantern, arm signals or radio.
9. Climbs ladder to top of car, rides atop cars, and turns handwheel to set brakes or to control the speed of the car when it has been shunted.
10. Ties handbrakes.
11. Connects airhoses to cars when making up trains by bending and applying up to 35 pounds of force.
12. Assist with loading process
13. Open gate with pneumatic opener.
14. Open hopper hatches
15. Identify product inventory
16. Assist Utility team with repairs/adjustments throughout the facility.
17. May walk along tops of cars and peer down between them to inspect couplings, airhoses, and journal boxes.

II. List of Railroad Switchman qualifications

1. High school education or general education development (GED).
2. Knowledge of and skills in using various hand tools, including sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, measuring tapes, etc.
3. Knowledge of and skills in performing basic mechanical repairs and maintenance.
4. Ability to read and comprehend written safety rules, procedure and safety manuals, government regulations, operating and maintenance instructions, memos and other work-related information.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Ability to pass training and required testing.

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.