Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay_LHD3
What would be a typical work week for you? (hours, task, etc.)
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It depends on your seniority, but in my position I am lower in seniority, so I'm on call six days, off for one, on call for five days, off for two. Right now, we're a little short on manpower so we're working a ton, but my schedule is never typical. IE: on my last trip I went to work at 20:00 one night, the next night at 17:00, and now I'm just waiting for a call... Could work days, could work nights, you never know what's coming, and if you get called going into your day off, it shifts your day(s) off.
As for tasks, it varies... on a yard assignment, I'm tasked with switching out cars and lining everything up for the long haul trains (road trains), and occasionally this job also includes short line customer service stuff, like taking a few cars to a lumber yard or scrap yard, as well as servicing General Motors (where I'm at)... My yard services a GM Assembly plant, a metal fab plant and a service parts operations plant, so we're quite busy all the time. On a road assignment, I'm in control of everything... it's my job to dictate the speed of the train to the engineer, pay attention for speed restrictions, ensure that the freight is properly marshaled (placed within the train correctly since some hazardous cars have to contain a certain number of buffer cars between it and the locomotive or tail end), speak with the dispatcher as necessary and observe signals... when we stop at a yard to set cars out or pick cars up, it's my job to hop down and perform that work.