Short haul drivers work regular shifts - 8 hours during the week and 12 hour shifts on the weekends. Short haul drivers carry crews within the immediate East Texas area such as between Longview and Kilgore, Marshall, Big Sandy, Overton and points in between. Short haul drivers work for minimum wage, and as such, some are rather unmotivated and not the best workers. The yard driver is a short haul driver who has been assigned to the yard for that particular shift. He is dispatched by the yardmaster for duties in and around the railyard.
Unmotivated individuals make dreadful yard drivers.
Many railfans dream of working on a railroad. Unfortunately, railroad jobs are tough to get and sometimes even tougher to hold on to. The next best thing has got to be limo driving. You are out where the trains are and you get to be an important part of rail operations. The best way to find this work is to observe vans coming and going from railyards and getting company names and phone numbers off the logos on the doors.