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Locomotive engineer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical locomotive engineer skills. We ranked the top skills for locomotive engineers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 13.4% of locomotive engineer resumes contained safety procedures as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a locomotive engineer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 locomotive engineer skills for your resume and career

1. Safety Procedures

Safety procedures are a set of standardized procedures, that ensures minimal to no risk to people, resources, and the work environment. A company follows the step-by-step safety procedures as it they not only keep the customers and the employees safe, but also help in avoiding legal claims.

Here's how locomotive engineers use safety procedures:
  • Responded to emergency situations such as breakdowns by following applicable safety procedures and rules.
  • Required to supervise subordinates to ensure correct operational and safety procedures are being met.

2. Locomotives

Here's how locomotive engineers use locomotives:
  • Operated diesel-electric locomotives to safely transport freight between stations while ensuring on time delivery and public safety.
  • Railroad brakeman experience and Locomotive Engineer Certification Operate diesel-electric locomotives following safety regulation and time schedules.

3. FRA

Here's how locomotive engineers use fra:
  • Company certified Locomotive Engineer and Conductor according to FRA rules and regulations.
  • Maintain current licensing and rule qualification consistent with FRA requirements.

4. Rail Cars

Rail Cars, also called railroad cars, are large containers set on a railway and pulled by a locomotive. Rail cars are frequently used for shipping large quantities of product or material, such as metal, chemicals, or livestock; however, a rail car may also transport people such as a subway system. A locomotive often pulls numerous cars that attach to each other, which then form a train.

Here's how locomotive engineers use rail cars:
  • Inspect all rail cars to ensure safe handling of equipment to mitigate damage and harm to the public.
  • Classify inbound trains, operate track switches, place and secure rail cars as required per work orders.

5. Conductors

Here's how locomotive engineers use conductors:
  • Verify conductors copy of verbal track authority.
  • Conferred with conductors or traffic control center personnel to obtain or direct information regarding stops, delays, or oncoming trains.

6. Safety Rules

Principles or regulations that ensure the protection of people, objects, or the environment are called safety rules. These rules can be governing actions, devices, or procedures that help in minimizing the risks of loss, injury, or damage.

Here's how locomotive engineers use safety rules:
  • Comply with company and federal safety rules, policies, and procedures to switch/spot cars, and determine proper train makeup.
  • Comply with all BNSF and Federal Railway Administration operating, train handling and safety rules and regulations.

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7. Air Brakes

Here's how locomotive engineers use air brakes:
  • Use a variety of controls, such as throttles and air brakes, to operate train.
  • Operate air brakes and throttles.

8. Yard Service

Here's how locomotive engineers use yard service:
  • Experienced in helper, road, local, and yard service, worked injury and incident free
  • Secure train at completion of trip and/or while in yard service.

9. Mechanical Problems

Mechanical problems are used to describe issues that occurred to something involving a machine or tools. For instance, a mechanical problem at the workplace might mean the copier has broken down again. Other examples of mechanical problems in a car include faulty brakes, tire blowouts, etc.

Here's how locomotive engineers use mechanical problems:
  • Monitor any equipment issues, and prioritize mechanical problems.
  • Check trains for mechanical problems.

10. Air Pressure

Air pressure, also known as atmospheric pressure, is the force by air exerted on the surface below it. It is caused by the pull of gravity. It is measured by the barometer.

Here's how locomotive engineers use air pressure:
  • Monitor gauges that measure, speed, amperage, battery charge, and air pressure in brake lines and reservoirs.
  • Regulate gauges and meters that measure speed, amperage, and air pressure in brake lines and in main reservoirs.

11. Hazardous Materials

Any substance or good that is harmful to human health as well as the environment are called hazardous materials. Such materials must be handled carefully to avoid any mishaps. Harmful gases. chemicals, strong medicines or drugs, radioactive elements required for radiation purposes, a human blood sample that carries germs, all of these are considered hazardous materials.

Here's how locomotive engineers use hazardous materials:
  • Maintain proper certification for knowledge and handling of hazardous materials and equipment.
  • Handled Hazardous Materials and still maintain all certifications.

12. Federal Regulations

Federal regulations refer to the set of rules, both general and permanent that are published in the Federal Register by the agencies of the federal government and the executive departments. Federal regulations are the large body of rules that govern federal practice. Examples of these laws include taxes and financial regulation, discrimination law, wages law, and so on.

Here's how locomotive engineers use federal regulations:
  • Ensured equipment met all federal regulations.
  • Worked in a zero injury culture, interpreting and implementing federal regulations to work injury free and insure public safety.

13. Defective Equipment

Here's how locomotive engineers use defective equipment:
  • Inspected locomotive after operating in order to detect damaged or defective equipment.
  • Inspected locomotive after run to detect damaged or defective equipment.

14. Hazmat

Hazmat is a combination of the words ‘hazardous' and ‘material'. The meaning of this word is found in the integration of the aforementioned words -- which is dangerous or toxic material.

Here's how locomotive engineers use hazmat:
  • Complied with Federal Railroad Administration restrictions relative to HAZMAT material transport between terminal of origin and final destination.
  • Required to comply with Federal Railroad Administration regulations 49 CFR concerning safety compliance, HazMat regulations, and air brake tests.

15. Safety Regulations

Here's how locomotive engineers use safety regulations:
  • Required at all times to demonstrate proper knowledge and execution of company and federal safety regulations and procedures.
  • Applied technical knowledge of railroad operating rules and safety regulations to railroad operations.
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List of locomotive engineer skills to add to your resume

Locomotive engineer skills

The most important skills for a locomotive engineer resume and required skills for a locomotive engineer to have include:

  • Safety Procedures
  • Locomotives
  • FRA
  • Rail Cars
  • Conductors
  • Safety Rules
  • Air Brakes
  • Yard Service
  • Mechanical Problems
  • Air Pressure
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Federal Regulations
  • Defective Equipment
  • Hazmat
  • Safety Regulations
  • Hand Signals
  • Train Operations
  • Physical Characteristics
  • Warning Signals
  • Air Hoses
  • Train Movement
  • CSX
  • Freight Cars
  • Federal Rules
  • Train Cars
  • Radio Communications
  • Alertness
  • CTC
  • Traction
  • Rail Yard
  • Bnsf
  • Freight Trains
  • Federal Guidelines
  • Procedure Manuals
  • Track Switches
  • Transport Freight
  • Amtrak
  • Mechanical Aspects
  • Train Orders
  • Gcor
  • NS
  • Brake Shoes
  • Outbound Trains

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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