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Route manager vs transportation assistant

The differences between route managers 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 route manager and a transportation assistant. Additionally, a route manager has an average salary of $50,375, which is higher than the $44,684 average annual salary of a transportation assistant.

The top three skills for a route manager include DOT, CDL and OSHA. The most important skills for a transportation assistant are patients, veterans, and rehabilitation.

Route manager vs transportation assistant overview

Route ManagerTransportation Assistant
Yearly salary$50,375$44,684
Hourly rate$24.22$21.48
Growth rate5%9%
Number of jobs7,1628,245
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does a route manager do?

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.

What does a transportation assistant do?

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.

Route manager vs transportation assistant salary

Route managers and transportation assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Route ManagerTransportation Assistant
Average salary$50,375$44,684
Salary rangeBetween $38,000 And $66,000Between $27,000 And $73,000
Highest paying CitySan Leandro, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateRhode IslandDelaware
Best paying companyHarscoNew Jersey Institute of Technology
Best paying industryManufacturingGovernment

Differences between route manager and transportation assistant education

There are a few differences between a route manager and a transportation assistant in terms of educational background:

Route ManagerTransportation Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Route manager vs transportation assistant demographics

Here are the differences between route managers' and transportation assistants' demographics:

Route ManagerTransportation Assistant
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 87.0% Female, 13.0%Male, 43.9% Female, 56.1%
Race ratioBlack 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%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 Percentage8%8%

Differences between route manager and transportation assistant duties and responsibilities

Route manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage invoice collection and customer issues.
  • Conduct billing using mobile POS systems.
  • Advance to CDL liquid driver (liquid oxygen).
  • Obtain CDL license resulting in a promotion and pay raise.
  • Review driver DVIR and log book to fuel hours and mileage.
  • Develop interactive huddles topics, ensure compliance with safety guidelines, DVIR.
  • Show more

Transportation assistant example responsibilities.

  • Charge with managing contracts for non-emergency and emergency transportation of Medicaid and Medicare members.
  • Administer first aid care and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to students, as required.
  • Transport patients in wheelchair or gurneys.
  • Schedule all small package and LTL shipments.
  • Cross train in LTL and CDS shipment building.
  • Track drivers by using all equipment, global positioning systems (GPS) i.e.
  • Show more

Route manager vs transportation assistant skills

Common route manager skills
  • DOT, 15%
  • CDL, 12%
  • OSHA, 10%
  • Safety Issues, 9%
  • Safety Targets, 9%
  • Equipment Issues, 8%
Common transportation assistant skills
  • Patients, 32%
  • Veterans, 14%
  • Rehabilitation, 7%
  • Logistics, 6%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Stretchers, 5%

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