Railroad Equipment Operator – CDL-A
Location: Candor, NC
Job Type: Full-Time | Direct Hire
Starting Pay: $26.00/hour, with higher pay available depending on experience
Schedule: 40 hours guaranteed weekly + significant overtime
Availability: 24/7 emergency on-call
Benefits: Full-time benefits
Position Overview
Seeking a Class A CDL Railroad Equipment Operator to support emergency railroad recovery and heavy equipment operations. This is primarily an equipment and field-work position; driving makes up only a small portion of the job.
The role involves operating cranes and excavators, rigging, material handling, equipment maintenance, and physical labor. Employees must be comfortable responding to emergency assignments at any time.
Responsibilities
- Complete DOT pre- and post-trip inspections of trucks, trailers, and equipment.
- Transport machinery, equipment, and materials to and from work sites.
- Inspect loads and verify permits for oversized or overweight transportation.
- Participate in work planning and daily safety briefings.
- Load, unload, stage, and position equipment and materials.
- Support train rerailing, load transfers, railroad maintenance, track work, and construction activities.
- Assist with crane and equipment setup, inspection, operation, breakdown, and loading.
- Perform rigging with chains, cables, and winches.
- Operate cranes, excavators, backhoes, grapple trucks, dump trucks, front-end loaders, tractors, skid steers, and rail-bound equipment.
- Use hydraulic tools, welding equipment, cutting torches, electrical tools, and hand tools.
- Monitor equipment and vehicles for safe and reliable operation.
- Perform basic equipment servicing and document maintenance activities.
- Report major mechanical issues for further repair.
- Reload and secure equipment following field assignments.
- Restock parts, supplies, and components.
- Maintain clean and organized vehicles, tools, equipment, and work areas.
- Assist other teams or departments as needed.
- Follow all safety policies and procedures.
Requirements
- Valid Class A CDL with a good driving record.
- Experience in construction, heavy equipment operation, or physically demanding field work.
- Ability to safely operate heavy equipment.
- Comfortable performing hands-on work in changing field conditions.
- Able to complete required qualification testing, training, and safety programs.
- Must be available for 24/7 emergency response, including weekends and holidays.
Preferred Experience
- 3+ years of heavy equipment operation, including:
- Cranes
- Backhoes
- Bulldozers
- Excavators
- Front-end loaders
- Grapple trucks
- Dump trucks
- Rail-bound equipment
- Tractors
- Skid-steer loaders
- Railroad, rerailing, track maintenance, or load-transfer experience is a plus.
- Equivalent training and hands-on experience may be considered.
Schedule & Additional Compensation
- 40 hours guaranteed each week.
- Typical workweeks average 60+ hours, with some weeks reaching approximately 70 hours.
- Hours outside Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:00 PM are paid at 1.5x overtime.
- Per diem, hotel expenses for required travel, and layover pay may be available when applicable.
- Emergency assignments may require local or out-of-area travel.
Pre-Employment Requirements
- Drug screening
- Background check
- Required qualification and safety testing
Interview: Candidates must bring steel-toed boots.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
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