What does a carman do?
A carman repairs and restores different kinds of vehicles. Although their responsibilities vary upon their company of employment, it usually entails inspecting vehicles for any damages, fixing or replacing components, attaching different parts, and doing minor paint jobs. They may also install tires and windshields, clean interiors, and perform upgrades. Moreover, a carman primarily assists clients by answering inquiries, providing cost estimates, explaining the extent of repairs or procedures, and offering products and other services when necessary.
Carman responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real carman resumes:
- Operate light/heavy cranes, fork lifts, and all railroad car moving shop equipment.
- Perform air brake tests, schedule maintenance, and necessary inspections on locomotives and trains in accordance with federal regulations.
- Perform maintenance on Amtrak trains.
- Fill out AAR billing forms.
- Climb ladders to tops of cars to set brakes.
- Weld parts, or add surface material using SMAW.
- Complete all repairs and maintenance work on Amtrak rail cars.
- Used welding processes including: MIG and gouge welding on train cars.
- Fabricate large jigs and fixtures and use them to assemble parts on car.
- Document and maintain paperwork for maintenance, according to AAR, FRA, and company standards
- Utilize FCAW and SMAW as well using cutting torch and plasma cutter to fabricate parts.
- Operate as utility employee under FRA hours of service, becoming crew member and installing EOT's.
- Examine locomotives and cars to detect damage and structural defects, as well as making light and heavy repairs.
- Replace steel parts such as grab irons, handholds, ladders, brackets, steps and patching components.
- Position entail welding, the use of torches, hydraulic lifts, and high torque air tools and jacks.
Carman skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Carmen are proficient in Hand Tools, Cranes, and Locomotives. They’re also known for soft skills such as Dexterity, Mechanical skills, and Troubleshooting skills.
We break down the percentage of Carmen that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Hand Tools, 12%
Repair damaged and defective cars using power and hand tools, forklifts, jacks and cranes, cutting torches and welders.
- Cranes, 12%
Operated light and heavy cranes, fork lifts and various equipment/vehicles to job sites.
- Locomotives, 8%
Perform air brake tests, scheduled maintenance, and necessary inspections on locomotives and trains in accordance with federal regulations.
- Ladders, 8%
Torch cutting bolts, fabrication ladders for safe climbing for the carmen.
- Federal Regulations, 7%
Insured defects were identified and repaired according to local and federal regulations.
- Jigs, 6%
Fabricate large jigs and fixtures and use them to assemble parts on car.
Most carmen use their skills in "hand tools," "cranes," and "locomotives" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential carman responsibilities here:
Dexterity. The most essential soft skill for a carman to carry out their responsibilities is dexterity. This skill is important for the role because "heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must perform many tasks, such as disassembling engine parts, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, with a steady hand and good hand-eye coordination." Additionally, a carman resume shows how their duties depend on dexterity: "operate light and heavy cranes, fork lifts, and other car moving shop equipment. "
Mechanical skills. Many carman duties rely on mechanical skills. "heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must be familiar with engine components and systems and know how they interact with each other," so a carman will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways carman responsibilities rely on mechanical skills: "read precision gauges and instruments to perform related mechanical inspections and repairs. "
Troubleshooting skills. This is an important skill for carmen to perform their duties. For an example of how carman responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must be familiar with diagnostic equipment to find the source of malfunctions." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a carman: "will learn about air brake system, welding, and troubleshooting. ".
The three companies that hire the most carmans are:
- National Railroad Passenger Corporation11 carmen jobs
- Kansas City Southern5 carmen jobs
- Florida East Coast Railway4 carmen jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable carman resume templates
Build a professional carman resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your carman resume.
Compare different carmen
Carman vs. Mechanical unit repairer
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between carmen and mechanical unit repairer. For instance, carman responsibilities require skills such as "hand tools," "cranes," "locomotives," and "ladders." Whereas a mechanical unit repairer is skilled in "hydraulic systems," "safety program," "engine repair," and "assembly concepts." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, mechanical unit repairers reach similar levels of education than carmen. Mechanical unit repairers are 1.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Carman vs. Test rack operator
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, carman responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "hand tools," "cranes," "locomotives," and "ladders." Meanwhile, a test rack operator has duties that require skills in areas such as "qc," "customer specifications," "computer system," and "general maintenance." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Test rack operators tend to reach similar levels of education than carmen. In fact, they're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Carman vs. Air valve mechanic
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a carman is likely to be skilled in "hand tools," "cranes," "locomotives," and "ladders," while a typical air valve mechanic is skilled in "faa," "manufacture specifications," "safety procedures," and "electrical circuits."
Air valve mechanics typically earn similar educational levels compared to carmen. Specifically, they're 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Carman vs. Air brake person
Even though a few skill sets overlap between carmen and air brake people, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a carman might have more use for skills like "hand tools," "cranes," "locomotives," and "ladders." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of air brake people require skills like "fm," "safety procedures," "public appearances," and "tuggers. "
In general, air brake people hold similar degree levels compared to carmen. Air brake people are 4.0% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Updated January 8, 2025
