SWITCHMAN at Packwell La Porte, TX

Packwell; La Porte (TX); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Healing Strides Counseling is seeking a Train Assembler to join our operations team. The role involves assembling trains and switching railcars, performing safety inspections, and assisting the locomotive engineer with fueling and routine maintenance.

Candidates should be prepared to operate switches, monitor signals, and communicate clearly using hand signals or radio. A high school diploma is required, with a focus on integrity and teamwork.

Qualifications

• Requires a high degree of professional integrity, ethics, and confidentiality.
• Strong communication skills and ability to make quick judgments.
• Pre-employment drug and alcohol screening; background verification.

Responsibilities

• Assemble trains and switch railcars, ensuring proper coupling and safety checks.
• Assist locomotive engineer with fueling, water, oil, and sand as needed.
• Perform safety inspections on locomotives and railcars.
• Identify and repair mechanical failures to keep equipment operable.
• Operate railcar handbrakes and track switches; monitor signals for routing.
• Open/close doors, hatches, and chute gates as railcars load or unload.
• Communicate with locomotive engineer via hand signals or radio.

Skills

Integrity

Communication

Judgment

Manual dexterity

Hand-eye coordination

Mechanical aptitude

Hearing and vision

Interpersonal skills

Teamwork

Leadership

Delegation

Drug screening

Background check

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Train Assembler Responsible for assembling trains and switching railroad cars into a yard. Throws switches and couples, or attaches to cable, to railcars being hauled by locomotive in industrial plants or ship ports by performing the following duties. Typical duties will include but not be limited to the preparation and/or modification of the following:

Responsibilities

• Works with a Locomotive Engineer adding/supplying fuel, water, oil and sand to locomotives.
• Responsible for performing safety inspections of locomotives and railcars.
• Works with Locomotive Engineer with adding/supplying fuel, water, oil and sand to locomotive.
• Must be able to ascertain the nature of mechanical failures to locomotive and/or railcars and make necessary repairs.
• Must be able to make repairs or adjustments to equipment to maintain operation of locomotive and/or railcars.
• Must be able to replace knuckles in couplers requiring use of tools and physical exertion.
• Uncouples loaded cars at their destination or uncouples and distributed empty car to siding or to loading areas.
• Moves switches to route cars and signals Locomotive Engineer to start or stop cars.
• Must be able to operate railcar handbrakes and rail track switches.
• Open and closes doors or hatches on railcars.
• Opens or closes chute gates or positions railcars on track to load or unload cars.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with the Locomotive Engineer through use of hand signals or two-way radio.

No supervisory responsibilities

Skills and special requirements

• Requires a high degree of professional integrity, ethics, and confidentiality.
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to make quick and sound judgments and manual dexterity.
• Good hand-eye coordination and mechanical aptitude.
• Good hearing and vision
• Interpersonal skills - Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.
• Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.
• Leadership - Exhibits confidence in self and others; Inspires and motivates others to perform well; Effectively influences actions and opinions of others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.
• Delegation - Delegates work assignments; Matches the responsibility to the person; Gives authority to work independently; Provides recognition for results.
• Pre-employment drug and alcohol screening.
• Background screening including previous employment, education, criminal history and driving record verification.

Education and/or experience

High school diploma or general education degree (GED); or one to six months related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience

Physical demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision and ability to adjust focus.

Work environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts; fumes or airborne particles and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.