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The differences between load planners and transportation coordinators 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 coordinator. Additionally, a load planner has an average salary of $40,526, which is higher than the $36,704 average annual salary of a transportation coordinator.
The top three skills for a load planner include logistics, hub and DOT. The most important skills for a transportation coordinator are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Load Planner | Transportation Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $40,526 | $36,704 |
| Hourly rate | $19.48 | $17.65 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 16,050 | 26,306 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| 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 coordinator is responsible for monitoring the timely deliveries of goods and services based on the shipment agreement. Transportation coordinators track the delivery logistics, assigning fast routes to drivers to avoid possible delays, and adhere to the deadline. They assist in loading and unloading merchandise from the distribution trucks, inspecting the items for defects and inconsistencies, and move the products in safe storage areas. A transportation coordinator may also operate warehouse tools and equipment, as well as perform data processing to update stock information on the software system and investigate delivery issues.
Load planners and transportation coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Load Planner | Transportation Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $40,526 | $36,704 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $60,000 | Between $26,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | - | Elanco |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a load planner and a transportation coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Load Planner | Transportation Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between load planners' and transportation coordinators' demographics:
| Load Planner | Transportation Coordinator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| 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, 11.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 21.3% Asian, 6.8% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |