All about the profession assistant driver

Work on the rail at all times was considered very prestigious. Railway workers have their own hospitals, sanatoriums, kindergartens, cultural centers, sports clubs and other social facilities, and therefore many young people would like to work in this particular sector of the national economy. Among the large number of railway specialties, many of them choose the profession of assistant driver.

The assistant driver is called a specialist who is subordinate to the driver of the diesel locomotive or electric locomotive and performs auxiliary functions regarding the maintenance of the locomotive. The history of the profession goes back to the middle of the 19th century - the time when steam locomotives appeared, when several people were involved in their service: a train driver and a couple of stokers.

With the advent of diesel locomotives, crews were reduced to two people - a driver who controls the locomotive, and a diesel engineer who controls the operation of the diesel engine. Modern locomotive crews consist of a driver and his assistant, who is able at any time to replace their mentor and take control of an electric locomotive in their hands.

The high demand for this specialty in specialized educational institutions is due to a number of indisputable advantages of this complex and responsible profession.

1. Trains are still the most widespread and popular mode of transport, therefore, the demand for assistant drivers is very high.A person who has received this specialty will be guaranteed to be employed anywhere in the country where there is a railway connection, which makes the profession very popular among young people.
2. The work of an assistant driver is considered quite high paid, and even yesterday’s graduates of colleges can expect a salary of 16-25 thousand rubles, depending on the place of residence, the specifics of work and the presence of the northern coefficient.
3. The existence of career growth also adds to the popularity of the profession. After several years of trouble-free operation, the assistant can be sent by the enterprise to courses of electric locomotive drivers, after which he receives a certificate of a standard form and can start working in a new, more responsible and highly paid specialty. Moreover, the assistant to the driver can be accepted into the locomotive depot for the position of master or head of the site.
4. Medical pre-trip control and annual medical commission allow you to monitor your health and not miss the onset of a serious illness. Moreover, medical examinations, examinations and treatment of railway workers are absolutely free and in well-equipped medical facilities owned by the Ministry of Railways.

However, despite the obvious advantages of this profession, it still has drawbacks. These include difficult working conditions, which is due to work in a confined space with constant exposure to noise, vibration, a powerful electromagnetic field and road dust. We must not forget about the risk of accidents and catastrophes, which, although extremely rare, still occur in rail transport, as well as a sense of increased responsibility for people's lives, which sometimes leads to a constant feeling of anxiety and nervous tension.

In addition, the work involves shift schedule with regular night trips and, as a result, frequent and prolonged absence from home, which can negatively affect family relationships.

Professional Responsibilities regulated by job description and involves both intellectual and physical activity. The main responsibilities of a member of a locomotive crew serving freight and passenger trains are discussed below, as electric trains and metro trains are often served by one experienced driver without the presence of an assistant.

Assistant driver must inspect the electric locomotive (locomotive) before the trip and evaluate its technical condition. First of all, the specialist should carefully read the logbook entries, where the shortcomings in the operation of the locomotive are registered and check whether they are eliminated. Particular attention is required to be paid to wheel pairs, checking them for the absence of chips, sliders, peaked run and crest undercutting, as well as springs and springs. You should pay attention to the condition of the axle box assembly: check the tightness of the bolts, make sure that grease does not flow out from under the cover and, if necessary, lubricate the axle box jaws.

The assistant must check the brake equipment, serviceability of instrumentation, sound signals and lighting, as well as the availability of fire fighting equipment. In addition, the specialist should make sure that there are lubricants and wipes, as well as the necessary repair tools. If locomotive malfunctions are detected or the necessary equipment is not available, the assistant must immediately inform the driver of this and make an appropriate entry in the logbook.

During the movement of an electric locomotive (diesel locomotive), the assistant to the driver must clearly and quickly follow the instructions of the driver, and also periodically repeat the speed of movement allowed on this section, the readings of the semaphore signals, the position of the controller and the air pressure in the brakes. In addition, the assistant must remind the driver of the approach to the designated places for the sample of auto-brakes, and in case of a sudden loss of efficiency by the driver, take control of the train.

In such situations, the specialist must immediately report the incident to the train dispatcher and the station duty officer and take all measures for the safe delivery of the train to the stationfulfilling the established rules of negotiations. The specialist is also obliged to monitor the operation of sound and light signals, ensure stable radio communication with the control room and carefully monitor changes in the readings of devices and sensors, informing the driver about them. The duties of the assistant include informing the driver about the speed mode on a particular section of the track and immediately reporting the excess or loss of speed by the locomotive.

Upon arrival at the station where the locomotive crew is changing or at the destination, the assistant to the driver required to hand over the locomotive. He must make the necessary notes in the logbook and write down comments on the operation of the equipment in it. Next, the specialist should clean the cabin, close the hatches, windows and door.

In addition, the assistant to the driver must know the device of the electric locomotive (diesel locomotive), be able to repair his units during the trip, and must also be familiar with safety and fire fighting techniques.

Profession assistant driver refers to complex technical specialties and requires a person to have a whole set of personal qualities and special skills. So, a young man who wants to become an assistant to the driver should be disciplined and responsible, have a good reaction, attentiveness and caution, be prudent, hardy, stress-resistant, have good visual memory and have the ability to quickly switch attention. High coordination of movements, a good eye, sharp vision and hearing, and a technical mentality are welcome. In addition, the candidate must have a lightning reaction and excellent health.

Unlearn the assistant driver can in the secondary vocational school of the Ministry of Railways - technical school, school or college, specializing in the technical operation of rolling stock of railways or as an assistant to the driver. The profession does not involve studying at a university, and therefore you can enter this specialty both after 11th grade and after 9th. Due to the high demand, the competition for this specialty is quite large. Entrants are required to have a good knowledge of subjects such as computer science, physics, and mathematics.

Many colleges carry out targeted recruitment by order of locomotive depots and other railway units. Therefore, despite the high competition, there are still real chances to enter the budget. For this is necessary a special appeal from the railway organization, to which the future graduate will be required to find a job after graduation. Applicants undergo a rigorous medical examination, evaluating the suitability of the applicant’s state of health for work on the railway.

The salaries of assistant drivers on Russian Railways vary depending on the region, length of service and job specifics. Thus, specialists working in freight and passenger transportation receive a little more than the assistant drivers of shunting trains. Moreover, if the assistant has access to the management of diesel locomotives (electric locomotives), then he can count on a premium of 10% of the timer's tariff rate. For work on holidays, the increase is 2.2%, for work at night - 40%, for work in the Far North - 30%. There are also bonuses for seniority, which range from 5 to 30%.

A considerable share in the salary of a specialist falls on bonuses. So, the assistant train driver receives a 20% bonus for holding trains according to the schedule, and an employee who fulfills the monthly plan for locomotive performance in freight transportation can expect 15% of salary. On average, assistant drivers with experience earn from 22,000 rubles (Kostroma region) to 55,000 rubles (Sverdlovsk region and Yekaterinburg). For comparison, in the United States the salary of such a specialist in terms of Russian rubles is 30-160 thousand, in Kazakhstan - 21-22 thousand, in Ukraine - 19-24 thousand and in Belarus - 16-26 thousand rubles.