Career Map: Transportation Worker

After land has been obtained and wind turbines have been manufactured, the turbines need to be delivered to the wind farm. Because of the extremely large size of some turbine components, transporting them is no easy feat. Most wind farms are in relatively remote areas of the country so it takes a great deal of planning to transport the turbine parts there in a cost-efficient, timely manner. Getting wind turbine components from the factory to the construction site requires the work of teams of logisticians, heavy-load truck drivers, and, occasionally, rail and water freight movers.

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, freight train workers, and merchant mariners transport goods from one location to another ensuring on time and safe travel.

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Most tractor-trailer drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks whose gross vehicle weight capacity—the combined weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo—exceeds 26,000 pounds. These drivers deliver goods over intercity routes, sometimes spanning several states or traveling to Mexico or Canada.
Truck Drivers perform the following functions:

• Load and unload cargo
• Drive long distances
• Report to a dispatcher any incidents encountered on the road.
• Follow all applicable traffic laws
• Inspect their trailer before and after the trip, and record any defects they find
• Keep a log of their activities
• Report serious mechanical problems to the appropriate personnel
• Keep their truck, and associated equipment, clean and in good working order.

Most heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers plan their own routes. They may use satellite tracking to help them plan. Before leaving, a driver usually is told a delivery location and time; but it is up to the driver to find a way to get the cargo there. A driver has to know which roads allow trucks and which do not. Drivers also must plan legally required rest periods into their trip. Some have one or two routes that they drive regularly and others drivers take many different routes throughout the country.

Some heavy truck drivers transport hazardous materials, such as chemical waste, and so have to take special precautions when driving. Also, these drivers normally carry specialized safety equipment in case of an accident. Other specialized drivers, such as those carrying liquids, oversized loads, or cars, have to follow rules that apply specifically to them.

Railroad Occupations

Freight trains move billions of tons of goods around the country to ports where they are shipped around the world. Workers in railroad occupations drive trains, coordinate the activities of the trains, or operate signals and switches in the rail yard. Railroad occupations typically do the following:

• Check the mechanical condition of locomotives and make adjustments when necessary
• Document issues with a train that require further inspection
• Operate locomotive engines within or between stations.

All workers in railroad occupations work together closely. Locomotive engineers travel with conductors and, sometimes, brake operators. Locomotive engineers and conductors are in constant contact and keep each other informed of any changes in the condition of the train.
Signal and switch operators communicate with both locomotive and rail yard engineers to make sure that trains end up at the correct destination. All occupations are in contact with dispatchers, who give them directions on where to go and what to do.

Water Transportation

Workers in water transportation occupations operate and maintain ships that take cargo and people over water. These ships travel to and from foreign ports across the ocean, to domestic ports along the coasts, across the Great Lakes, and along the country’s many inland waterways.

Water transportation workers typically do the following:

• Operate and maintain non-military vessels
• Follow their vessel’s strict chain of command
• Ensure the safety of all people and cargo on board.

These workers, sometimes called merchant mariners, work on a variety of ships. Some operate large deep-sea container ships to transport manufactured goods around the world. Others work on bulk carriers that move heavy commodities, such as coal or iron ore, across the oceans and over the Great Lakes. Still others work on both large and small tankers that carry oil and other liquid products around the country and the world. Others work on supply ships that transport equipment and supplies to offshore oil and gas platforms. Workers on tugboats help barges and other boats maneuver in small harbors and at sea. The specific compliment of mariners is dependent on U.S. Coast Guard regulations. There are also other workers on ships, such as cooks, electricians, and mechanics.

• Hand-eye coordination. Drivers of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers must be able to coordinate their legs, hands, and eyes together well to always be aware of the situation around them and to drive such a heavy vehicle safely.  Locomotive engineers have to operate various controls and must be able to make fast decision while staying aware of their surroundings to avoid accidents. Officers and pilots who steer ships have to operate various controls while staying aware of their surroundings.
• Visual ability. Truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests. Federal regulations require a driver to have at least 20/40 vision with a 70-degree field of vision in each eye and the ability to distinguish the colors on a traffic light. To drive a train, locomotive engineers have to pass a vision test conducted by their rail company. Eyesight, peripheral vision, and color vision may be tested. Mariners must pass a vision test to get an MMC.
• Hearing ability. Federal regulations require that a driver be able to hear a forced whisper in one ear at five feet (with or without the use of a hearing aid). Locomotive engineers have to pass a hearing test conducted by their rail company to show that they can hear warning signals and communicate with other employees. Mariners must pass a hearing test to get an MMC.
• Manual-dexterity. Crew members need good balance to maneuver through tight spaces and on wet or uneven surfaces.
• Physical health. Federal regulations do not allow people to become truck drivers if they have a medical condition, such as high blood pressure or epilepsy, which may interfere with their ability to operate a truck. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website has a full list of medical conditions that disqualify someone from driving a long-haul truck.
• Physical strength. Some rail yard engineers have to lift heavy equipment. Sailors on freight ships load and unload cargo. While away at sea, most workers likely have to do some heavy lifting.
• Communication skills. All rail employees have to be able to communicate effectively with each other to avoid accidents and keep the trains on schedule.
• Mechanical skills. All rail employees work with complex machines. Most have to be able to adjust equipment when it does not work properly. Some rail yard engineers spend most of their time fixing broken equipment.
• Locomotive operators must be at least 21 years of age and pass a background test.

Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Driver
• Water Transportation
• Railroad Occupations