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The differences between load planners and driver managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a load planner and a driver manager. Additionally, a driver manager has an average salary of $45,922, which is higher than the $40,526 average annual salary of a load planner.
The top three skills for a load planner include logistics, hub and DOT. The most important skills for a driver manager are DOT, good communication, and on-time delivery.
| Load Planner | Driver Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $40,526 | $45,922 |
| Hourly rate | $19.48 | $22.08 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 16,050 | 3,141 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Load Planners are responsible for optimizing and streamlining the process of freight transportation. Their duties include creating profitable network transport strategies involving routing, optimization, and load planning, implementing system parameters, attending to client's emails and calls, and executing corrective action. They are responsible for tracking pick-up and delivery time, participate in carrier negotiation, and carrying out shipment expeditions. Load Planners also produce service reports, chair meetings, and facilitate automation initiatives. They conduct carrier escalation, reports approval, and lead cross-training sessions to improve operational competency.
The job of driver managers involves the recruitment, training, and assessment of drivers and their qualifications pursuant to driving laws. Driver managers manage vehicles confirming their safety and working order. They monitor the fleet to make sure that the deliveries are done as scheduled. It is part of their responsibilities to serve as mentors for drivers. They address drivers' communications and offer the necessary data to drivers. Also, they set periodical inspections of the vehicles in operation.
Load planners and driver managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Load Planner | Driver Manager | |
| Average salary | $40,526 | $45,922 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $60,000 | Between $29,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | - | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a load planner and a driver manager in terms of educational background:
| Load Planner | Driver Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between load planners' and driver managers' demographics:
| Load Planner | Driver Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% | Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.8% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |