Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
On the Job
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters coordinate the activities of train crew and railroad yard workers.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Review work orders or schedules to determine operations or procedures.
- Inspect locomotives or other railroad equipment.
- Communicate with others to coordinate vehicle movement.
- Receive information or instructions for performing work assignments.
- Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement.
- Prepare accident or incident reports.
- Record operational details of travel.
- Record operational or production data.
- Monitor vehicle movement or location.
- Verify information or specifications.
Typical Working Conditions
- Having face-to-face discussions.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Working outdoors exposed to weather.
- Exposure to sounds or noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable.
- Working with a group or team.
- Frequent decision-making.
- Responsibility for others' health and safety.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Sitting.
- Exposure to hazardous equipment.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
