Description
Supervise and coordinate yard operations to safely and efficiently assemble, move, and inspect railcars within a rail yard or industrial facility. Manage yard crews, assign tracks, and align activities with schedules, dispatch instructions, and regulatory requirements.
- • Record arrivals, departures, delays, incidents, and operational messages.
- • Coordinate yard switching, train makeup/breakup, and track assignments per schedules and switching orders.
- • Signal engineers and crews to start, stop, or adjust movements using radios or hand signals.
- • Direct switch crews in coupling/uncoupling, track changes, and routing inbound and outbound traffic.
- • Operate or authorize operation of track switches and yard signals.
- • Receive and relay dispatch instructions on routes, priorities, and car movements.
- • Monitor yard traffic and track occupancy to allocate tracks and prevent conflicts.
- • Verify car lists, waybills, and destination information; maintain consist records.
- • Plan and oversee car placement for loading, unloading, and train builds.
- • Direct engineers to spot, pull, combine, or separate cars to meet train plans.
- • Arrange setouts of bad-order or defective cars and coordinate repairs.
- • Oversee inspections, seal verification, and documentation of car numbers and seal numbers.
- • Ensure warning signals and protection are set during emergency stops or track work.
- • Investigate and report accidents, service interruptions, or rule violations.
- • Communicate with engineers and dispatch to resolve obstructions or route changes.
- • Verify timekeeping, crew availability, and readiness to meet departure times.
- • Enforce safety rules and regulatory compliance; conduct briefings and job safety analyses.
- • Train, schedule, and evaluate yard crew performance.
- • Coordinate with mechanical and maintenance teams to ensure equipment readiness.
- • Use yard control systems and electronic monitoring to track cars and detect issues.
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Related Pathways
Supply Chain & Transportation
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
