Railroad Rerail Equipment Operator – CDL-A
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Job Type: Full-Time | Direct Hire
Pay: Starting at $26.00/hour; 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
We are hiring a CDL-A Equipment Operator to support railroad emergency response and rerailing operations. This is a hands-on position that combines heavy equipment operation, CDL driving, equipment maintenance, and physical job-site work.
Driving is approximately 10% of the role. Candidates must be comfortable with 24/7 emergency on-call work, including weekends and holidays.
What You'll Do
- Respond to train derailments and assist with rerailing, load transfer, and railroad track repair or construction.
- Operate equipment such as cranes, backhoes, grapple trucks, dump trucks, excavators, front-end loaders, rail-bound equipment, tractors, and skid-steer loaders.
- Transport equipment and materials to and from job sites and inspect loads, permits, trucks, trailers, and machinery.
- Complete required pre-trip and post-trip inspections in accordance with DOT requirements.
- Assist with crane assembly, inspection, operation, disassembly, and loading.
- Perform rigging using chains, cables, and winches during derailment operations.
- Load, unload, stage, and secure equipment and materials at job sites.
- Use hydraulic tools, welding equipment, cutting torches, electrical tools, and common hand tools.
- Perform minor equipment and vehicle service, including basic maintenance, and report more complex repairs.
- Participate in job-site safety meetings and daily work planning.
- Monitor equipment to help maintain operational readiness and minimize downtime.
- Clean and organize vehicles, equipment, tools, and work areas.
- Restock equipment and vehicles with required parts, supplies, and components after assignments.
- Sort and properly store scrap materials.
- Assist other departments or crews as needed.
Schedule & Compensation
- 40 hours guaranteed per week
- Significant overtime; typical weeks average 60+ hours, with some weeks reaching approximately 70 hours.
- Hours worked outside Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:00 PM are paid at 1.5x overtime.
- 24/7 emergency on-call availability is required.
- Per diem, hotel pay for qualifying travel, and layover pay may be available.
Requirements
- Valid Class A CDL with a good driving record.
- Experience in construction, industrial work, or another physically demanding labor environment.
- Ability to operate heavy equipment safely and effectively.
- Ability to complete required qualification, training, and safety programs.
- Comfortable responding to emergency calls at any time, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
- Ability to perform physical job-site work and work safely around heavy equipment.
Preferred Experience
- 3+ years operating heavy equipment, including backhoes, bulldozers, excavators, front-end loaders, grapple trucks, rail-bound equipment, tractors, or skid-steer loaders.
- Equivalent combinations of training and hands-on experience may be considered.
Pre-Employment Requirements
- Drug screening
- Background check
Interview: Candidates should 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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