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Route manager vs transportation supervisor

The differences between route managers and transportation supervisors 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 supervisor. Additionally, a transportation supervisor has an average salary of $52,769, which is higher than the $50,375 average annual salary of a route manager.

The top three skills for a route manager include DOT, CDL and OSHA. The most important skills for a transportation supervisor are DOT, customer service, and CDL.

Route manager vs transportation supervisor overview

Route ManagerTransportation Supervisor
Yearly salary$50,375$52,769
Hourly rate$24.22$25.37
Growth rate5%-
Number of jobs7,16222,899
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
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 supervisor do?

The primary job of a transportation supervisor is to oversee the personnel, workload, and daily activities of organizations that rely on vehicle use as part of their normal operations. The typical duties and responsibilities of a transportation supervisor include monitoring the transportation budget, implementing business objectives, and supervising employee performance. Other tasks include ensuring adherence to safety standards, delegating work assignments to drivers, and managing databases. You will also assist with the hiring and dismissal of employees and training other team members on department policies and procedures.

Route manager vs transportation supervisor salary

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

Route ManagerTransportation Supervisor
Average salary$50,375$52,769
Salary rangeBetween $38,000 And $66,000Between $35,000 And $77,000
Highest paying CitySan Leandro, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateRhode IslandNew Jersey
Best paying companyHarscoCity of Detroit
Best paying industryManufacturingManufacturing

Differences between route manager and transportation supervisor education

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

Route ManagerTransportation Supervisor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 40%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Route manager vs transportation supervisor demographics

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

Route ManagerTransportation Supervisor
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 87.0% Female, 13.0%Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3%
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, 12.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between route manager and transportation supervisor 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 supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage relationships with outside FTL and LTL carriers to secure the best transportation rates for warehouse customer's.
  • Direct employees in identifying and correcting any unsafe conditions, eliminate avoidable accidents and improve department performance manage KPI's.
  • Create and lead a team of internal and external partners to move land invoices from paper transmission to electronic EDI transmission.
  • Charge with managing contracts for non-emergency and emergency transportation of Medicaid and Medicare members.
  • Manage inventory of inbound ocean containers, coordinate and schedule TL operations, supervise yard hostlers and manage outbound trailer traffic.
  • Coordinate with medical clinicians to identify veterans in need of transportation services.
  • Show more

Route manager vs transportation supervisor skills

Common route manager skills
  • DOT, 15%
  • CDL, 12%
  • OSHA, 10%
  • Safety Issues, 9%
  • Safety Targets, 9%
  • Equipment Issues, 8%
Common transportation supervisor skills
  • DOT, 20%
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • CDL, 9%
  • OSHA, 7%
  • Safety Regulations, 5%
  • Federal Regulations, 4%

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