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The differences between load planners and transportation assistants 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 transportation assistant. Additionally, a transportation assistant has an average salary of $44,684, 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 transportation assistant are patients, veterans, and rehabilitation.
| Load Planner | Transportation Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,526 | $44,684 |
| Hourly rate | $19.48 | $21.48 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 16,050 | 8,245 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| 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 Transportation Assistant assists in several roles that concern work in a transport environment. He/She checks passengers for their travel orders, boarding passes, and identification. As a Transportation Assistant, you will be tasked with transporting passengers from aircraft to terminals. You will also have the responsibility of processing the necessary documents needed for transporting personal property. Other duties include assisting customers with issues relating to the transportation of their goods, assisting in unloading and unpacking of goods in the transport department, inspecting for damaged goods, etc.
Load planners and transportation assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Load Planner | Transportation Assistant | |
| Average salary | $40,526 | $44,684 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $60,000 | Between $27,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Delaware |
| Best paying company | - | New Jersey Institute of Technology |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a load planner and a transportation assistant in terms of educational background:
| Load Planner | Transportation Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between load planners' and transportation assistants' demographics:
| Load Planner | Transportation Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% | Male, 43.9% Female, 56.1% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |