How To Become A Dock Supervisor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a dock supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

The dock supervisors work with the transportation team and direct the workers who load and unload trucks. You will be in charge of training the new staff on the company processes for the department. It is also your responsibility to maintain a safe work environment in compliance with the state and federal guidelines. Note that you will lead and demand accountability from the company drivers. You will also sort the incoming mails for distribution and make sure they are distributed to appropriate locations. The dock supervisor ensures that all incoming merchandise is tagged correctly for warehouse identification.

Dock supervisors must have a preferred college or university degree which focuses on logistics or business management with experience in logistics or supply chain management. He/She must also be result-oriented and have problem-solving skills. Also, he/she must have excellent verbal and written communication with interpersonal skills. Leadership skill is equally very important to be able to lead in the team and give orders to the staff of the department. You will earn an average of $22.71 an hour or $47,234 per year on the job.

ScoreDock SupervisorUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $36,007

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.89%

Asian 6.16%

Black or African American 12.40%

Hispanic or Latino 17.72%

Unknown 4.62%

White 58.20%

Gender

female 8.85%

male 91.15%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.7

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a dock supervisor

Explore dock supervisor education requirements

Most common dock supervisor degrees

Bachelor's

43.0 %

High School Diploma

29.2 %

Associate

17.2 %

Start to develop specific dock supervisor skills

Skills	Percentages
Work Ethic	15.26%
Safety Rules	12.70%
Government Regulations	12.54%
Customer Service	7.53%
Necessary Paperwork	5.87%

Complete relevant dock supervisor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New dock supervisors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a dock supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real dock supervisor resumes.

Research dock supervisor duties and responsibilities

Manage large team of outbound shipping loaders ensuring timely and proper loading of trailers.
Manage cleanliness and organization throughout the facility.
Manage logistics personnel and logistics systems and direct daily operations.
Train staff on company policies, safety procedures, and OSHA compliance.

Prepare your dock supervisor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your dock supervisor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a dock supervisor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable dock supervisor resume templates

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