What does a traffic analyst do?
A traffic analyst is responsible for providing traffic insights and developing strategies to optimize the organization's daily operations. Even though the extent of their responsibilities depends on their place or industry of employment, it usually includes conducting extensive research and analyses, developing action plans according to project goals and daily objectives, conducting risk assessments, and maintaining records. Through their research findings, a traffic analyst creates strategies and recommends solutions, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Traffic analyst responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real traffic analyst resumes:
- Manage the account by performing detail cost/benefit analysis and WMS analysis.
- Analyze collect freight movements; truckload, LTL, small package.
- Act as liaison with internal departments, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and insurance companies for domestic and international shipments.
- Identify logistics areas for process improvement and cost savings to ensure achievement of expectations.
- Rout outbound LTL shipments and process bill of ladings for outbound shipments.
- Assist in the implementation of and outsourcing a TMS system as well as external audit.
- Resolve problems with ocean and air freight carriers/ forwarders; monitor compliance with tariffs and negotiate service agreements to contain costs.
- Develop and maintain information and business requirements through TMS.
- Perform on site audits and provide corporate offices with daily reports to ensure logistics provider conform to company expectations.
- Maintain the credit team SharePoint site with the updated project flowcharts, business requirement documents, fictional specification documents and presentations.
- Utilize advanced statistical analyses in SAS to identify up-sale/cross-sale opportunities for multiple catalog clients resulting in increase sales and revenues.
Traffic analyst skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Traffic Analysts are proficient in Logistics, DOT, and Forwarders. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Customer service skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Traffic Analysts that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Logistics, 16%
Performed on site audits and provided corporate offices with daily reports to ensure logistics provider conformed to company expectations.
- DOT, 9%
Obtained knowledge in DOT regulations.
- Forwarders, 8%
Tracked high visibility shipments to ensure customer satisfaction through collaboration with Freight Forwarders and Common Carriers.
- AES, 8%
Saved the Company thousands of dollars by bringing the freight forwarding function in-house using the Automated Export System (AES).
- Freight Carriers, 6%
Audit freight bills and negotiate with freight carriers to ensure correct rates are applied.
- SQL, 5%
Compiled traffic drops and increased reports (including CIC reports) using SQL queries.
Common skills that a traffic analyst uses to do their job include "logistics," "dot," and "forwarders." You can find details on the most important traffic analyst responsibilities below.
Detail oriented. One of the key soft skills for a traffic analyst to have is detail oriented. You can see how this relates to what traffic analysts do because "market research analysts must pay attention to minutiae to evaluate data." Additionally, a traffic analyst resume shows how traffic analysts use detail oriented: "collected detailed field data for statistical data analysis. "
Communication skills. For certain traffic analyst responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "communication skills." The day-to-day duties of a traffic analyst rely on this skill, as "market research analysts must be able to clearly convey information when gathering material, interpreting data, and presenting results to clients." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what traffic analysts do: "used a variety of data management and analysis techniques to manage and analyze data to assure correct telecommunication traffic billing. "
The three companies that hire the most traffic analysts are:
- Kinder Morgan2 traffic analysts jobs
- ManTech2 traffic analysts jobs
- Midwest Motor Express2 traffic analysts jobs
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Compare different traffic analysts
Traffic analyst vs. Engineering planning survey technician
A transportation technician is tasked to assist in all matters concerning transportation and delivery of products and items to intended destinations. The transportation technician provides the proper delivery and transport rates and methods on the best and most efficient delivery method. The transport technician must have ample information on various transportation methods, companies that provide transport service and ensure that all products or items delivered are kept safe from damages to establish trust and customer satisfaction.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between traffic analysts and engineering planning survey technician. For instance, traffic analyst responsibilities require skills such as "logistics," "dot," "import export," and "forwarders." Whereas a engineering planning survey technician is skilled in "construction inspection," "osha," "meeting timelines," and "hot mix." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Engineering planning survey technicians tend to reach higher levels of education than traffic analysts. In fact, engineering planning survey technicians are 6.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.7% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Traffic analyst vs. Transportation technician
A logistics coordinator is responsible for ensuring that an organization's supply operations are running smoothly and efficiently. One of their primary duties is to manage the workflow and workforce while focusing on the cycle of order preparations, transportation, and delivery of products. Aside from overseeing the logistics process of supplies, it is also their task to prepare and review necessary documents, maintain accuracy in inventory, devise schedules, facilitate and monitor warehouse capacity, and respond to customers' inquiries.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that traffic analyst responsibilities requires skills like "logistics," "dot," "import export," and "forwarders." But a transportation technician might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "patients," "customer service," "cpr," and "cdl."
Transportation technicians earn a lower average salary than traffic analysts. But transportation technicians earn the highest pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $35,283. Additionally, traffic analysts earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $70,615 annually.In general, transportation technicians achieve similar levels of education than traffic analysts. They're 4.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Traffic analyst vs. Logistics coordinator
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a traffic analyst is likely to be skilled in "logistics," "dot," "import export," and "sql," while a typical logistics coordinator is skilled in "customer service," "work ethic," "on-time delivery," and "data entry."
Logistics coordinators earn the best pay in the energy industry, where they command an average salary of $41,553. Traffic analysts earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $70,615.When it comes to education, logistics coordinators tend to earn similar degree levels compared to traffic analysts. In fact, they're 0.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Traffic analyst vs. Traffic engineering technician
Types of traffic analyst
Updated January 8, 2025
