Freight Car Repairer

Norfolk Southern Corp.; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 29,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage begins second month

Life insurance

401(k) eligibility from day one

Dental and vision after one year

Job summary

Norfolk Southern Corp. is hiring a Freight Car Repairer Trainee. This hands-on, field-based program combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training to inspect, repair, and maintain railroad cars and ensure safe, efficient operations across the network.

As a seniority-based union position, trainees learn welding and fabrication, with lodging and travel provided per union agreement. Shift work and extensive travel may be required during training.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required
• 18 years of age or older
• Valid driver’s license required
• Ability to pass pre-employment drug/alcohol screening and medicals
• Ability to work outdoors in all weather and perform heavy labor
• Pass background check and post-offer medical examinations

Responsibilities

• Inspect, repair, maintain freight cars per FRA & AAR standards
• Follow railroad safety rules for operations
• Weld and cut using SMAW and FCAW in 2F/3F/4F positions
• Operate forklifts, cranes, car-moving equipment
• May need CDL for Locomotive Service truck
• Straighten, fabricate, replace grab irons, ladders, sill steps
• Replace wheels, couplers, brake gear, valves, yokes, draft gears
• Rerail cars and locomotives with rerailing equipment
• Enter repair data in computer systems (components, destinations, records)
• Work safely; wear PPE and pass safety exams

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

CDL (commercial driver’s license)

Welding experience

Job description

Description

At Norfolk Southern, we believe that ourpeoplepowerprogress. Our culture is built on our SPIRIT values—Safety, Performance, Integrity, Respect, Innovation, and Teamwork which guide how we work, lead, and grow together. Ifyou'reready to launch a career in mechanical maintenance and contribute to the reliability of our rolling stock, we invite you to explore the Freight Car Repairer Trainee role.

This hands-on, field-based position prepares individuals for a career in freight car maintenance through structured classroom instruction and on-the-job training. Trainees learn to inspect, repair, andmaintainrailcars to ensure safe and efficient operations across our network.

What Should You Know

• This is a seniority-based union position.
• You must be availabletowork shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Extensive travel for training may berequired.
• Union membership isrequiredwithin60 daysofestablishingseniority.

Training

• Training includes both classroom and field instruction:
• Classroom Training: Mechanical Safety Orientation and craft-specific training in welding and fabrication.
• Field Training: Hands-on experience in car repair shops and yards.
• Duration: Approximately 7 weeks (1 week safety orientation +6 weekscraft training).
• Norfolk Southern provides lodging andreimbursestravel per union agreement.

Job Responsibilities

• Inspect, repair, andmaintainfreight cars in compliance with FRA and AAR standards.
• Ensure compliance with all railroad rules and regulations for safety and operations.
• Perform welding and cutting operations (SMAW and FCAW processes in 2F, 3F, and 4F positions).
• Operate forklifts, cranes, and car-moving equipment.
• Operate various vehicles and may berequiredto obtain a CDL for operation of Locomotive Service truck.
• Straighten, fabricate, and replace steel parts such as grab irons, ladders, and sill steps.
• Remove and replace defective components including wheels, couplers, brake equipment,air brake valves, yokes, and draft gears.
• Rerail cars and locomotives using rerailing equipment.
• Completeand enter information in computer systemsregardingcar components, destination, lading, repair records, bad orders, and car releases
• Work safely to preventaccidents and injuriesand wear required protective equipment (hard hat, hearing protection, safety-toe boots).
• Complete annual safety training and pass safety rules examinations.

Qualifications – Required

• High school diploma or GED.
• 18 years of age or older.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Ability to pass pre-employment drug and alcohol screening and physical standards.
• Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions and perform heavy physical labor.
• Must pass background screening and post-offer medicalexaminations, including drugtests.

Qualifications – Preferred

• One or more years of welding and fabrication experience.
• Mechanical experience or Carman apprenticeship.
• Veterans and transitioning service members encouraged to apply (roles such as 2141, 91B, 91H, heavy equipment mechanics).

Skills and Abilities

• Mechanical aptitude.
• Problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to understand oral and written communication and provide clear instructions

Physical and Mental Job Requirements

• Ability tolift upto 50 lbs.
• Mustmaintainalertness and concentration while working around heavy, moving equipment.
• Ability to stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, crawl, balance, climb, and walk long distances over uneven terrain.
• Ability to meet FRA medical requirements:
  • Visual acuity (at least 20/40 in each eye separately and both together withorwithout corrective lenses).
  • Hearing—no hearing loss greater than 40B average, at 500, 1000, and 2000 in better ear (can be met with hearing aid).

Work Conditions

• Shop and outdoor environments.
• Shift work across all three shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Union membershiprequired.
• This is a safety-sensitive position requiring constant alertness while working around heavy, moving, potentially hazardous locomotive engines.

Compensation and Benefits

Pay Progression:

• 1st 40 Working Days: $21.26 (50% of Full rate)
• Next 204 Working Days: $31.89 (75% of Full rate)
• Next 244 Working Days: $34.01 (80% of Full rate)
• After 2 Years/488 Working Days: $42.52 (100% of Full Rate)

Benefits include:

• Medical coverage begins the first day of the second month afterhire.
• Health insurance (80/20 or 85/15 plan), $20,000 life insurance, and 401(k) eligibility from day one.
• Dental and vision coverage after one year of service.

Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country’s population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Learn more by visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com .

Equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Together, we power progress.

@2023 Norfolk Southern Corp.
650 W. Peachtree Street NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
@2023 Norfolk Southern Corp.