Get Your Career on Track
- Spring 2025
- Mark Coressel
Heroes Wanted: Veterans, First Responders & Service-Minded Individuals—Apply Today!
Another year is underway, and it’s a highball run. Perhaps you’re considering changing your career.
Think about this:
Do you want a career that values and compensates your hard work?
Are you seeking a career where advancement is based on your efforts?
Are you a dedicated, service-oriented individual seeking a career where dedication and service orientation are the norm rather than the exception?
Are you a veteran or first responder seeking a similarly purposeful career?
Do you want to be part of an industry, vital to the economy, with a rich history in the making of America? One that prioritizes public and employee safety and the environment, offers challenges with deserved rewards, and sets you on the path to a fulfilling career?
If you answered yes to these questions, railroad work may be right for you.
Make no mistake – rail work is hard work. The hours can be long, and the work conditions are sometimes extreme. But, the pay, benefits, comradery, and the knowledge of how important you are to those who depend on you is worth it. And, every person in our nation depends on our railroad workers to move the essential goods and raw materials we all need.
Veterans and First Responders
Rail careers are particularly well-suited for veterans and first responders. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) explains it this way:
“The skills developed and valued in the military — a sense of dedication, discipline, teamwork and adherence to safety — are the same skills that keep the backbone of the nation’s economy efficiently running. Veterans are particularly well-suited for railroad careers because they have diverse skills and can adapt to changing conditions. Unlike many other private industries, railroads understand the technical aspects and demands of an armed forces job.”
Similar to other public service work, rail work is more than just a job; it’s a way of life. When you join the railroad industry, you become part of a close-knit family devoted to serving the nation and its people.
When Gulf War veteran Jim Leposky left the army, he found a home at Cranemasters. Here’s how he compared his work at Cranemasters to his military service:
“The cultures are similar. It involves hard work and camaraderie among the crew. Additionally, there is a mission and a sense of being part of something greater that matters to the country.”
Cranemasters is active working with all branches of the military to recruit and place veterans We’d be honored if you would join the crew that keeps America on track.
Growth in the Rail Industry Means Growing Opportunities
Nowhere is the need for committed workers greater than in the track maintenance and service sector.
FORTUNE BUSINESS INSIGHTS, reports that the North America rail infrastructure market is projected to grow from $119.43 billion in 2022 to $162.72 billion by 2029, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.52% between 2022 and 2029.
Keeping over 155,000 miles of railroad tracks in the U.S. in good working order is critical to the U.S. economy. According to AAR, economic output loss due to a nationwide rail shutdown could be more than $2 billion daily.
All that to say, you’ll get to prove your worth and reap the rewards. For instance, Bailey Harrell started in our equipment wash bay in 2017. Today he’s the Superintendant of Merrillville, IN. Right now he’s on a 3-year project in charge of 20 track workers.
Why Choose Cranemasters?
Pay and Benefits
- Medical Insurance
- Health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) options. Two of the best ways to put money aside tax-free for health care expenses
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- 401K with Employer Match
- Paid Time Off
- Supplemental Benefits
- Clothing allowances
- Employer-paid Life Insurance
Travel and Adventure
Every day is different, and the job takes you places—working side-by-side with a crew that becomes like family.
Work with the Best
You’ll get to work alongside hardworking, no-nonsense pros who know what it takes to get the job done—and for a leading innovator of safety and efficiency in rail services.
Job Security and a Career
Railroads keep the country running. Our work is always in demand.
Continual Learning
We are always investing in our people to advance our safety and operational efficiencies while providing opportunities to advance their careers.
See Where Your Skills Can Take You
Track Skilled Workers
Build and maintain critical rail infrastructure, ensuring trains move safely and on schedule.
Machine Operators
Handle heavy equipment like excavators, cranes, and tampers to lay and repair tracks.
Rail and Car Repair Welders
Strengthen and restore vital railway structures.
MIG and TIG welders and Shop Assistants
Work on heavy-duty cranes and equipment that we design and restore, purpose-built for Railroad work.
Emergency Derailment Specialists
Respond quickly to clear wreckage, repair tracks, and restore operations—essential work that keeps the railways running.
CDL Drivers
Transport heavy equipment and materials.
Supervisors and Foremen
Lead crews, manage projects, and ensure safety standards are met.
Engineering Specialists
Design heavy equipment and plan operations.
Let’s Get Started
Imagine the pride you’ll feel standing with your kids or grandchildren, watching a powerful, endless train thunder down the tracks. The ground shakes, the air hums with energy—and with a steady voice, you say, “I made that happen.”
The tracks beneath it, the bridges it crosses, the miles it travels—built by your hands, your grit, your legacy. This isn’t just a job. It’s something that lasts. Something that has moved America nearly two centruries and will be incredibly important and always in demand.
Interested? Call the Cranemasters HR hotline at 1-888-265-6271 and speak with one of our railroad employment specialists, who can help determine whether rail work is your next adventure.
To see a list of available positions with Cranemasters, visit the Career page of our website here.
