CDL A Railroad Equipment Operator

Location: Minneapolis, MN Job Type: Full-Time | Direct Hire Starting Pay: $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 Seeking a Class A CDL professional to support railroad recovery and field operations. This is primarily a hands-on equipment and field position—driving accounts for approximately 10% of the job. The role involves heavy equipment operation, material handling, rigging, railroad recovery, and physical work at job sites. Candidates must be comfortable with a 24/7 emergency on-call schedule, including weekends and holidays. What You'll Do Perform DOT-compliant pre- and post-trip inspections of trucks, trailers, and equipmentTransport machinery, equipment, and materials to and from work sitesInspect loads and verify permits for overweight and oversized transportationParticipate in daily safety briefings and review work plansLoad, unload, move, and position equipment and materialsSupport train rerailing, load transfers, railroad car maintenance/repair, and track maintenance, repair, and constructionAssist with the assembly, setup, inspection, and operation of cranes and other equipmentPerform rigging using chains, cables, and winchesOperate heavy equipment when qualified, including cranes, backhoes, grapple trucks, dump trucks, and excavatorsPerform specialty lifting, rerailing, load transfer, grading, and railroad construction workUse hydraulic tools, welding equipment, cutting torches, electrical tools, and common hand toolsMonitor vehicles and equipment for safe and reliable operationPerform and document minor equipment and vehicle serviceReport major mechanical concerns to the appropriate supervisorAssist with crane and equipment disassembly and loading after assignmentsRestock vehicles and equipment with necessary parts, components, and suppliesClean and organize equipment, vehicles, tools, and work areasAssist other departments as neededFollow all required safety procedures and regulations Equipment Experience 3+ years of heavy equipment operation preferred, including experience with: BackhoesBulldozersExcavatorsFront-end loadersGrapple trucksRail-bound equipmentTractorsSkid-steer loaders Equivalent combinations of relevant training and hands-on experience may be considered. Requirements Valid Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with a good driving recordConstruction labor or similar physically demanding work experienceAbility to safely operate heavy equipmentAbility to complete required qualification testing, training, and safety programsComfortable working in emergency-response situations and extended-hour assignmentsAbility to perform physically demanding field workMust be available 24/7 for emergency calls, including weekends and holidays Schedule & Compensation 40 hours guaranteed per weekSignificant overtime; typical combined regular and overtime hours average 60+ hours per week, with some weeks reaching approximately 70 hoursHours outside Monday-Friday, 7:00 AM-4:00 PM are paid at time-and-a-halfAdditional compensation may include per diem, hotel pay for travel, and layover pay when applicableDuring downtime between emergency assignments, employees may assist with safety training, preventive maintenance, and equipment-related shop work Pre-Employment Requirements Pre-employment drug screeningBackground checkRequired qualification and safety testing Interview: Candidates must bring steel-toed boots to the interview. 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.