What does a driver supervisor do?

Driver supervisors are professionals who are responsible for supervising all activities that are related to the operation of motor vehicles that transport materials for logistics companies. These supervisors are required to select and orient drivers about their roles and ensure that they are following the guidelines provided by the Department of Transportation (DOT). They must regularly audit delivery routes with their drivers so that they can achieve safe and efficient deliveries. Driver supervisors must also conduct investigations for those drivers involved in vehicular accidents.
Driver supervisor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real driver supervisor resumes:
- Direct employees in identifying and correcting any unsafe conditions, eliminate avoidable accidents and improve department performance manage KPI's.
- Answer telephones, run errands and assist in customer service when need.
- Receive and input all customer orders into TMW, via telephone, fax or email.
- Develop and implement DSD item level POGs.
- Enter orders as needed for broker loads in TMW software.
- Oversee order purchasing for all DSD stores within the region.
- Conduct Hazmat training sessions, certify drivers and maintain OSHA logs.
- Supervise local and OTR drivers via computer link with trucks - Dallas.
- Run relief routes, train new route persons, run regular routes.
- Put in orders inside a POS system and serve food to guests.
- Receive customer's orders over telephones and document accordingly on POS terminals.
- Build relationships and promote driver retention with an assign fleet of OTR drivers.
- Assist in the set up and training of GPS in all company vehicles.
- Determine shortest routes base on GPS navigation, traffic, and delivery list.
- Ensure that the business run smoothly and that customers are satisfied while owner are away.
Driver supervisor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Driver Supervisors are proficient in Customer Service, DOT, and CDL. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hearing ability, Physical health, and Hand-eye coordination.
We break down the percentage of Driver Supervisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 19%
Trained and motivated drivers to perform their delivery responsibilities safely and as efficiently as possible without sacrificing top quality customer service.
- DOT, 15%
Conducted safety training for drivers and provided information pertaining to travel logs and other information concerning DOT guidelines.
- CDL, 12%
Supervised CDL drivers conducting oilfield well service operations.
- Safety Procedures, 4%
Instructed Delivery Drivers on safety procedures and productivity measures to guarantee route completion
- Workgroup, 4%
Use of the Balanced Scorecard and Quality Improvement Process help to monitor workgroup performance against business goals.
- Post-Trip Inspections, 4%
Conducted pre- and post-trip inspections of tractor trailer unit, hoses, fittings and valves.
"customer service," "dot," and "cdl" are among the most common skills that driver supervisors use at work. You can find even more driver supervisor responsibilities below, including:
Hearing ability. The most essential soft skill for a driver supervisor to carry out their responsibilities is hearing ability. This skill is important for the role because "truck drivers need good hearing." Additionally, a driver supervisor resume shows how their duties depend on hearing ability: "provided clients with transportation to their medical appointments including therapy, dentistry, hearing and dialysis. "
Physical health. Many driver supervisor duties rely on physical health. "federal regulations do not allow people to become truck drivers if they have a medical condition, such as high blood pressure or epilepsy, which may interfere with their ability to operate a truck," so a driver supervisor will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways driver supervisor responsibilities rely on physical health: "coordinated and reviewed results of dot physical and drug screens. "
Hand-eye coordination. driver supervisors are also known for hand-eye coordination, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to driver supervisor responsibilities, because "drivers of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers must be able to coordinate their legs, hands, and eyes simultaneously so that they will react appropriately to the situation around them and drive the vehicle safely." A driver supervisor resume example shows how hand-eye coordination is used in the workplace: "work in coordination with customer service, safety, and all departments to ensure the needs of the customers are met. "
Visual ability. For certain driver supervisor responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "visual ability." The day-to-day duties of a driver supervisor rely on this skill, as "truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what driver supervisors do: "maintained all tmw systems duties to include updating and routing in visual dispatch and totalmail. "
The three companies that hire the most driver supervisors are:
- UPS68 driver supervisors jobs
- MV Transportation47 driver supervisors jobs
- First Transit29 driver supervisors jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable driver supervisor resume templates
Build a professional driver supervisor resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your driver supervisor resume.Compare different driver supervisors
Driver supervisor vs. Fuel truck driver
A Fuel Truck Driver transports fuel and other petroleum products from one place to another, ensuring safety and timeliness. Their responsibilities include measuring and calculating fuel deliveries, maintaining records, handling documentation, liaising with clients, preparing progress reports, and overseeing the loading and unloading procedures, ensuring adherence to the company's safety standards and regulations. A Fuel Truck Driver must conduct regular vehicle maintenance checks and abide by the traffic laws and regulations to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, driver supervisor responsibilities require skills like "customer service," "excellent interpersonal," "workgroup," and "post-trip inspections." Meanwhile a typical fuel truck driver has skills in areas such as "math," "tank trucks," "petroleum products," and "customer locations." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
On average, fuel truck drivers reach similar levels of education than driver supervisors. Fuel truck drivers are 1.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Driver supervisor vs. Tow truck driver
Typically working upon the directives of dispatchers, a tow truck driver is in charge of driving to areas where a vehicle accident or breakdown took place, connecting the vehicle to the tow truck, and transporting them to repair stations or particular places. Their responsibilities include communicating with clients to identify their needs, answering inquiries, providing assistance by performing minor repairs, changing tires or jump-starting cars, and recommending solutions when necessary. Furthermore, as a tow truck driver, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks on towing trucks for a safe and efficient service.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that driver supervisor responsibilities requires skills like "dot," "excellent interpersonal," "safety procedures," and "workgroup." But a tow truck driver might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "transport vehicles," "loaders," "aaa," and "fuel delivery."
On average, tow truck drivers earn a higher salary than driver supervisors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, tow truck drivers earn the most pay in the transportation industry with an average salary of $39,670. Whereas driver supervisors have higher pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $41,805.In general, tow truck drivers achieve similar levels of education than driver supervisors. They're 1.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Driver supervisor vs. Flatbed driver
A flatbed driver is responsible for operating flatbed trucks to manage distribution and deliveries of goods and services from the warehouse to various assigned designations. Flatbed drivers assist in loading and unloading items, maintain a copy of receipt orders, process payments, and respond to the customers' inquiries and concerns. They also inspect the stability and performance of the truck's engine before and after operations and perform necessary repairs to prevent delivery delays and avoid potential road hazards.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a driver supervisor is likely to be skilled in "dot," "excellent interpersonal," "workgroup," and "basic math," while a typical flatbed driver is skilled in "twic," "dot regulations," "load securement," and "safety hazards."
Flatbed drivers make a very good living in the transportation industry with an average annual salary of $62,221. On the other hand, driver supervisors are paid the highest salary in the transportation industry, with average annual pay of $41,805.Most flatbed drivers achieve a similar degree level compared to driver supervisors. For example, they're 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Driver supervisor vs. Class b driver
A Class B driver is responsible for operating vehicles with weight requirements, usually used for commercial and industrial purposes. Class B drivers are typically employed as a school bus driver, delivery truck driver, public transit driver, ensuring that they meet a clean driving record. They should also have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on inspecting the vehicle's engine condition and set maintenance repairs as necessary. A Class B driver must adhere to the safe road regulations at all times to prevent accidents and avoid delays in operation.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between driver supervisors and class b drivers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a driver supervisor might have more use for skills like "excellent interpersonal," "workgroup," "on-time performance," and "delivery schedules." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of class b drivers require skills like "customer locations," "straight truck," "vehicle inspections," and "math. "
Class b drivers enjoy the best pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $46,087. For comparison, driver supervisors earn the highest salary in the transportation industry.In general, class b drivers hold similar degree levels compared to driver supervisors. Class b drivers are 1.3% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of driver supervisor
Updated January 8, 2025











