Conductor- The Heart & Soul of the Railroad

by Robert L. Bryan

  Am I prepared to take on a great degree of responsibility? As a conductor, what you do is very important. Getting to your destinations on time with the correct cargo (or passengers) can affect numerous other things. You can set the tone for people’s entire vacations. You can also prevent the loss of millions of dollars by getting cargo where it needs to go on time. And the cargo isn’t the only valuable thing a conductor is responsible for. The train itself is a very large and very expensive piece of machinery. As the conductor, you are top dog on the train and therefore responsible for it. Accidents involving trains can be very serious and it is up to you to adhere to the necessary safety precautions.

  Deconstructing the Job Posting

  In truth, we’re only going to concern ourselves with one key portion of any posting: qualifications. This, after all, is the section that will help you understand what you need to know before you even attempt to land a job as a conductor. Note that the path to becoming a fully realized train conductor varies depending on whether you’re looking to be a freight or passenger conductor and the specific company you are applying to work for. Many companies have their own “paths” for conductors. We’ll cover some of these later in the chapter. Here, we simply want to gain an understanding of the general skills and education that most companies want to see in a prospective conductor.

  Minimum Qualifications

  Before you can even consider applying for a job as a conductor, you need to meet certain basic requirements. First, you must have a high school diploma or equivalency (like your GED). You must be at least eighteen years old. Finally, you must have a driver’s license. All American train companies will look for these three things and there are no exceptions.

  Some train companies will lay out additional requirements. If you are applying for a job as a passenger train conductor, you may be expected to have a safe work record and satisfactory or stellar attendance at your previous job. They’ll likely ask your previous employers for information regarding these attributes. You may also be asked to have some specific experience exhibiting leadership or experience with customer service. Other companies may ask that you have a certain level of education (either on the job or in higher education). They might ask that you have at least two years of verifiable work experience or two years at an accredited college or university. Finally, many companies will require that you have no driving violations involving substances on your license within the past three years or at all.

  Read any job descriptions you find carefully. Anything listed as a minimum qualification is a deal breaker. In other words, don’t waste your time applying if you lack any of them. You could be a stellar candidate in every other regard, but they will still dismiss your application. That being said, don’t lose hope. Different train companies have different standards and if you work at it, you’ll find the one that’s right for you.

  Preferred Qualifications

  These qualifications are not deal breakers. It is always good to be able to match some of these standards. However, if you don’t and you think you might otherwise be a strong candidate, apply anyway. These standards are mutable for a reason. Train companies understand that good conductors can come from a variety of places and they don’t want to limit their options too much.

  Standards like these might include having experience working outside, on-call, with shift based schedules, or with heavy equipment. Some companies may also ask that you have some mechanical experience or have spent some time in a supervisory role. In short, it’s helpful for these companies that you have spent some time on relevant tasks or displaying desired qualities. However, they hold to the fact that they are willing to train if you don’t have this coveted experience.

  Physical Requirements

  Most train companies will have physical requirements. This is especially true if you are applying for a job as a freight train conductor. In most cases, they expect you to be able to lift a minimum of fifty pounds and up to eighty pounds on occasion. However, certain companies might require more if they know the role calls for it. Never apply to a job if you can’t meet the minimum strength requirements. You are only setting yourself up to fail and, possibly, to get hurt.

  Strength isn’t the only physical requirement that train companies hold to. Nearly all companies will have a color vision requirement. In short, if you are colorblind, you likely won’t make it as a train conductor. Conductors need to be able to read signals clearly and this often involves color coding. While it may be frustrating that your colorblindness could be keeping you from your dream job, never attempt to mask it. Doing so will only put yourself and others at risk. Along the same lines, some companies may have straight vision tests. If you wear corrective lenses, don’t fret. Unlike with pilots, you are not expected to have uncorrected 20/20 vision.

  Some companies ask that you be able to walk long distances over uneven terrain. The ballast on train tracks may look tame from a distance, but it can be treacherous, especially in poor weather. It is important that a conductor be sure footed lest he or she suffer a fall and hurt an ankle or worse. Notice that they walk for long distances as well. It is one thing to be able to walk on irregular terrain for a short time and entirely another to do so for an hour or more. The skill is as much about strength as it is about balance.

  When covering the various responsibilities of the conductor, we talked about shunting, coupling, and uncoupling train cars. These tasks often require conductors to grab onto a ladder on the outside of a train car and hold on while the car is in motion. Obviously, if you’re new to the profession, you can’t know with certainty if you are physically up to the task of riding on the outside of train equipment for extended periods of time. However, you want to think critically about your abilities and answer honestly about whether or not you think you can handle this type of work.

  Another physical challenge that conductors face is working in cramped and confined spaces. This is especially true for freight train conductors who spend long periods of time in small train cars and relative isolation. This might seem like a no brainer and you’re likely to tell an interviewer that you’re up for it, but you might be surprised how physically and mentally taxing this can be. Imagine working in an elevator all day or being confined to a cubicle for hours on end. If you can’t even handle an hour commute to and from work in your car, you might not be cut out for this.

  Finally, employers will ask that you can work in all kinds of conditions, meaning rain, snow, fog, freezing temperatures, and temperatures cresting one hundred degrees. Conducting is not, strictly speaking, an outdoors job. After all, you spend much of your time confined to the train. However, there are significant portions that are outdoors. You may have to contend with the elements and extreme temperatures when shunting train cars, ushering passengers on and off train cars, or loading and unloading cargo. Remember that your job involves keeping to a strict schedule. Therefore, there’s no opportunity to flinch at poor conditions.

  Drug Testing

  It’s not enough to apply and wait for a yes. Companies have other requirements that could stand between you and your goal. During the pre-employment process, you’ll likely be asked to submit to a drug test. In fact, you’re probably going to be drug tested on a regular basis. You’re going to be in charge of a very valuable and dangerous piece of machinery. There can be no room for error and companies are not inclined to take any risks.

  Getting Your Foot in the Door

  If you meet the minimum and preferred qualifications put forth in a conductor job description, you are by no means guaranteed an interview. Note that the bare minimum requirements for becoming a passenger or freight conductor are relatively low. In some ways, it almost looks like an entry level position. However, it is quite the opposite.

  Although having a high school diploma or equivalent, having a driver’s license, and passing a drug test are likely to qualify you for a training program, you still have your work cut out for you before you actually find yourself conducting any trains. T
rain companies value experience, be it with machines, management, heavy lifting, customer service, or all of the above. If you lack any work experience that can translate to your sought after position, you’ll likely get passed up for a training program.

  If you are not accepted into a training program, don’t lose hope. Train companies value their hard-working employees. As such, they encourage upward momentum within their ranks. It is very common for conductors to get their start as brakemen or switchmen. As you gain relevant experience, you can move up the ranks. This is the longer route to your desired destination and that can be understandably frustrating. But there is something to be said for gaining experience at different jobs within the railroad industry. Doing so will help you appreciate train operations at a variety of levels.

  If you manage to get accepted into a training program, you might feel like you’re home free. After all, many of these programs are paid and it could feel like you’re an official conductor already. However, assignments are slight and you’ll still need to distinguish yourself in the training program if you want a guarantee that you’ll be conducting trains within the next several months. Some railroad companies, like Union Pacific, will decide during training if you are cut out to be a conductor right out of the gate or if you are better suited to a role as a brakeman or switchman for the time being.

  Chapter Fifteen: Becoming a Conductor: Getting Hired

  Of course, the application is only a portion of the battle. Standards for conductors are high and you’ll be going up against numerous applicants who are just as qualified as you. In other words, there is a big difference between getting started and getting hired.

  Railroad Pre-Employment Exams

  Let’s say you’ve applied for a conductor position and the company in question has shown interest. What happens next? In most other jobs, you might be expecting an interview, but don’t count your chickens just yet.

  You will first be invited to an employment fair or similar function where you will need to qualify for an interview by passing a test (or tests) that measure your aptitude for certain skills. Of course, there is no hard and fast rule that train companies in the United States must administer pre-employment tests. However, most do and with good reason. They are often saturated with applicants and pre-employment tests are an effective way to narrow down the field.

  Don’t be alarmed. These tests are not aiming to assess knowledge and skill when it comes to specific conductor duties. Companies like BNSF Railway understand that they have job training for that sort of thing. Instead, they look for more general attributes. The BNSF test, like others, is comprised of mathematics and English. More specifically, it seeks to test you on things such as mechanical reasoning and communication. Many of these tests may also employ personality items. In other words, they look for applicants whose temperaments and problem solving skills are conducive to this line of work. These companies look for applicants with a baseline understanding not of conducting itself but of the essential skills upon which a good conductor is built.

  Types of Exams

  The test you take at a hiring fair will depend not only on the company to which you’ve applied but also whether you are looking to be a passenger or freight train conductor. The following tests are a sampling of what you might encounter. If you’re unsure of what tests you will be expected to take, take some time to prepare for all possibilities.

  Math The math you are expected to perform generally falls under the purview of arithmetic and algebra. You’ll likely be asked to complete two step equations involving multiplying, dividing, adding, and subtracting decimals and fractions. If you are applying to be a passenger train conductor, you can also expect to be dealing with percentages and converting decimals and fractions into percentages. Often, these tests are timed, so being able to do mental math puts you at a huge advantage.

  Mechanical Reasoning Mechanical reasoning doesn’t expect you to be able to complete any complex specific tasks when it comes to machines. Rather, it focuses on cause and effect and motion when it comes to mechanics. Expect questions to address levers, pivots, and gears and how they work with one another.

  Verbal and Deductive Reasoning This test focuses on logic. Questions will likely ask you to draw logical conclusions based on sentence structure, make appropriate analogies, or deduce facts based on given criteria.

  Reading Comprehension You’ve likely already experienced this in grade school. Questions reference a passage and ask you to summarize, deduce, or infer based on the information in the passage. You may be expected to identify main ideas or use context clues to infer the meaning of obscure words.

  Strength Test This test takes you away from the pencil and paper and has you perform actual feats of strength. Of course, this is no strong man competition and you are not expected to exert yourself to the point where you might incur injury. The strength test simply seeks to assess how well you are able to perform relevant job duties that may require lifting and moving.

  Concentration Test Focus test might be a more apt name for this activity. The concentration test seeks to test your ability to stay focused on a task and perform it accurately at high speeds. You’ll likely be subject to the Group Bourdon test. This test, a derivative of the Bourdon-Wiersma test, is a psychometric test that is very popular for testing train drivers in the UK. However, some US companies also employ the test (or similar) when assessing the skills of prospective conductors. The test presents individuals with collections or dots or various shapes. The individual will then be asked to perform a task, like identify every collection containing three dots or cross out every iteration of a particular shape. They are timed while they do it. The test looks for quickness and accuracy.

  Personality / Behavioral This test usually takes the form of role-playing. If you are subject to this test, you will be presented with various hypothetical situations and asked to respond in the most appropriate manner. This test typically involves manager / employee or conductor / passenger relationships. As such, it is likely only to come up if you are applying for a job as a passenger train conductor.

  Safety and Common Sense It’s all in the name for this test. You will cover a lot of on the job safety standards during your training. For this test, you’re mainly expected to display sound judgement in common sense situations. This should be the easiest test to take without preparation.

  Visual Reasoning. Conductors need to keep their eyes wide open. Your sight is hands down the most important sense you’ll use on the job. Some train companies may ask you to take timed tests involving videos with accompanying questions. This test is less common but equally as important if it comes up.

  Passing with Flying Colors

  First of all, “passing” is a relative term here. This isn’t high school and you’re not aiming to score a 60% or above. Your success on these tests is determined partly by the baseline standards of the company in question and partly by the performance of your peers. You can’t know what kind of competition you’re up against, so you can’t know the bare minimum you’re aiming for. All you can do prepare and do the best you can.

  There is a wide market for classes, books, and other services to help prospective applicants prepare for railroad pre-employment exams. And who knows, maybe investing in one of these tools will help you unlock that coveted interview. However, if you’re not interested in these products or able to shell out the money for such an advantage, consider the following tips to help guide you toward success:

  Brush up on your basic math. You don’t need a fancy book to do this. Online math games and quizzes can help you practice. You can also find affordable math guides for standardized tests at your local bookstore. Focus on

  Read. You’re doing it right now. The best way to brush up on reading comprehension is to read a lot. If you want to practice comprehension questions, consider downloading an SAT prep app. There are many out there for free.

  Do strength training. Some railroad companies have applicants take strength tests.
Partly, they want to ensure that these applicants meet basic heavy lifting requirements. However, it never hurts to set yourself apart by going the extra mile.

  Practice concentration tests. Take the Group Bourdon or similar psychometric tests online and challenge yourself to do better each time.

  Role-play. You may not know exactly what hypothetical situations the test in question will throw your way, but you can practice likely scenarios. Have your friends or family toss out potential questions or conflicts that you may encounter on the job.

  Do the leg work. Most companies advertising conductor positions promise that you don’t need to be a railroad expert, or even have any experience working on trains, to become a conductor. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to do a little background reading. Learning a bit about the job responsibilities, safety standards, and common challenges, will help you better prepare by giving you a slightly better sense of what answers they might be looking for.