How To Become A Shipping Supervisor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a shipping supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Shipping supervisors are in charge of the shipping and receiving departments of distribution companies. They work in warehouses to ensure the proper shipping and timely delivery of products. They work with various people like truck owners, equipment operators, and customs officials. Primarily, they oversee general shipping activities. Similarly, they monitor shipping activities to verify items are being shipped to the correct location and in good condition. Also, they inspect loading operations to ensure adherence to warehouse and shipping specifications.

The minimum academic requirement for this position is a high school diploma or its equivalent. However, some employers prefer candidates with an associate's or bachelor's degree in logistics or supply chain management. You must have at least two years of experience in a similar role. Key skills include interpersonal, leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, multitasking, and communication skills. Shipping supervisors make around $49,320 yearly. Their salary falls between $34,000 and $72,000.

ScoreShipping SupervisorUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,598

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.90%

Asian 6.82%

Black or African American 11.95%

Hispanic or Latino 19.43%

Unknown 4.64%

White 56.26%

Gender

female 17.78%

male 82.22%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.7

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a shipping supervisor

Explore shipping supervisor education requirements

Most common shipping supervisor degrees

Bachelor's

37.3 %

High School Diploma

26.8 %

Associate

23.4 %

Start to develop specific shipping supervisor skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	11.02%
Safety Procedures	7.81%
Logistics	6.83%
Shipping Receiving	6.14%
Continuous Improvement	6.04%

Complete relevant shipping supervisor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New shipping supervisors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a shipping supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real shipping supervisor resumes.

Gain additional shipping supervisor certifications

Shipping supervisor certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific shipping supervisor certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for shipping supervisors include Commercial Driver License (CDL) and Forklift Safety and Inspector.

More About Certifications

Research shipping supervisor duties and responsibilities

Manage the reconciliation process of RMA's, product inspection and freight claims.
Manage product movement across multiple WMS platforms and commodity lines within distribution center, conveyor lines and induction system.
Manage international shipping - coordinate documentation, commercial invoices, letters of credit, NAFTA, certificates of origin.
Manage and organize LTL shipments and warehouse responsibilities.

Prepare your shipping supervisor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your shipping supervisor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a shipping supervisor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable shipping supervisor resume templates

Build a professional shipping supervisor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your shipping supervisor resume.