Who is a transport supervisor and what do they do? The job of a transport supervisor is to control and monitor a certain section of the operation of a railway station. He/she usually controls a passenger station (this involves passenger ticket offices, seat reservation tickets, supervisors of particular platforms, the information service, left-luggage office, etc.) or a goods station.
What are the activities of the job? – transport supervisor organises, controls and checks works within the section he/she is in charge of, sees to staff activities – fills particular shifts, provides documents for the payment of wages of his/her subordinates, follows the dates of their regular medical examinations, etc. – sees to it that health and safety are maintained and that specified protective clothing and other aids are used, that they are delivered in time – supervises operators of railway sidings, stores, ramps, scales, efficient use of vehicles, etc. – assesses defects in transport, deals with complaints – checks and evaluates development of sales and costs and the measures taken to relieve shortages – checks operation of computer systems – monitors environmental conditions – arranges for basic transport market research – develops contacts with companies and customers with bodies of local and public services, interest associations and social organisations – negotiates contracts, sees they are followed – monitors and assesses competitive transport – promotes services of the railways and participates in advisory services of the railways.
Where is it done and under what conditions? The job is done at stations, in offices and in the open air. Working conditions may include high levels of noise at times.
What tools/equipment do they use? The tools used are usually office equipment and computers.
What do you need to succeed? You need to have completed a railway transport course at a secondary school with a school-leaving certificate or at a university. You also need reliability, personal authority, concentration, ability to react quickly, precision, and self-discipline.