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The differences between load planners and route 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 route manager. Additionally, a route manager has an average salary of $50,375, 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 route manager are DOT, CDL, and OSHA.
| Load Planner | Route Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $40,526 | $50,375 |
| Hourly rate | $19.48 | $24.22 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 16,050 | 7,162 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| 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.
A route manager determines strategic routes transport vehicles may take to every destination. A route manager's primary responsibility is to mark the shortest and fastest way to the customer's destination. The route manager also collects information from various road network sources and gets live updates of the current traffic situation in a given area. Through the route manager, transport vehicles become useful, productive, and efficient. The route manager also surveys existing routes and updates them whenever needed.
Load planners and route managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Load Planner | Route Manager | |
| Average salary | $40,526 | $50,375 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $60,000 | Between $38,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Leandro, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | - | Harsco |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a load planner and a route manager in terms of educational background:
| Load Planner | Route Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between load planners' and route managers' demographics:
| Load Planner | Route Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% | Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 6.7% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |