What would you do?

[freightliner]

If you were instructed to go pick up four loaded cars at a location and when you arrive you have four empty cars instead. what would you do and what would your actions would be like in order as an conductor?

 

[Ed Sand]

I should contact my train master/work order supervisor/customer service and inform them.

 

[freightliner]

I should contact my train master/work order supervisor/customer service and inform them.

So you would inform train master, etc first? or just pick them up and then inform them?

 

[Ed Sand]

Inform them first. You shouldn't move a car without proper billing which matches the work order instruction.

You don't give much detail about your example (is this a shipper who loads cars, a car shop, MOW equipment, customer respots, etc?) but you don't want to be moving cars for no reason. If they don't match your work order, then there isn't a reason to move them.

Now, there can be lots of exceptions depending on the circumstances (many railroads show cars which are moving in pool or assigned service as loads, even if they're physically empty) but your example sounds like you expect them to be loads too.

It is basic common sense. If a customer always loads lumber cars, but your work order says to spot an tank car, it is worth a few minutes to ask about it.