What does a traffic manager do?
The main job of a traffic manager is to make sure that account service marketing collateral works and flows efficiently to production and creative departments. Traffic managers take responsibility for keeping everyone in the team on task and the projects on deadline. They manage the logistics tasks and keep the parties up-to-date on the recent progress. It is their job to coordinate work among the account managers, staff members, and advertisers. Also, they develop and maintain procedure transportation and distribution for delivery efficiency maximization.
Traffic manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real traffic manager resumes:
- Manage and schedule all FM commercials for national affiliates.
- Manage and schedule all FM commercials per customers' contract drive times.
- Manage all inbound material which include part shortages, EC changes, QC inspection parts and sequence material.
- Train and supervise coordinators and junior AE s. create job number tracking system for print/broadcast events.
- Provide oversight to all computer functions relative to the importation of vessels and the release and shipment of vehicles.
- Perform continuous analysis of TMS, operation and business process for continuous improvement.
- Execute NAFTA for exporting shipments.
- Negotiate contract with truckload carriers base on volume discounts.
- Collect and organize logs of Dj s from the studio.
- Used AS400 to input and organize commercial spots for HGTV.
- Answer sales department questions regarding inventory, Marketron and copy traffic.
- Utilize management software AS400 to complete daily inventory and shipping needs.
- Maintain all FAA require process and procedures in accordance with FAA guidelines.
- Represent FAA with users (customers), airport and community officials.
- Create PowerPoint slide templates for all live projects utilizing approve program design.
Traffic manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Traffic Managers are proficient in Project Management, Traffic Management, and Account Executives. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Traffic Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 10%
Freelance - Responsibilities included overall Project Management, Production and Studio Management of direct response, collateral and email advertising projects.
- Traffic Management, 6%
Performed supervisory responsibilities for traffic management department
- Account Executives, 5%
Provided technical support for the internal account executives and business affairs managers on various campaign delivery platforms.
- FAA, 4%
Ensured air traffic control operations in the control tower complied with FAA directives, Standard Operating Procedures and Midwest directives.
- PowerPoint, 4%
Created PowerPoint slide templates for all live projects utilizing approved program design.
- Traffic Logs, 4%
Enter sales orders into the traffic system daily and maintain daily traffic logs for each radio station.
"project management," "traffic management," and "account executives" are among the most common skills that traffic managers use at work. You can find even more traffic manager responsibilities below, including:
Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for a traffic manager to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what traffic managers do because "material recording clerks may interact with customers in order to respond to problems or complaints." Additionally, a traffic manager resume shows how traffic managers use customer-service skills: "lead internal auditing for iso [ ] for multiple government contracts on quality assurance, customer satisfaction. "
Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling traffic manager duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "material and product inspecting clerks must pay attention to detail when checking items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." According to a traffic manager resume, here's how traffic managers can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "work closely with account executives and programming department in a team oriented environment. "
Math skills. This is an important skill for traffic managers to perform their duties. For an example of how traffic manager responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "material recording clerks may need to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a traffic manager: "assigned to turn around the port operations, which also included surviving the aftermath and devastation of hurricane george. ".
Communication skills. For certain traffic manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "communication skills." The day-to-day duties of a traffic manager rely on this skill, as "material recording clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, or managers and need to convey their company’s needs effectively." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what traffic managers do: "maintained communication and working relationship with the sales department, production department, engineering as well as master control. "
The three companies that hire the most traffic managers are:
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Compare different traffic managers
Traffic manager vs. Distribution supervisor
A distribution supervisor is in charge of overseeing all distribution processes in a warehouse or similar setting, ensuring accuracy and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating deliveries and shipment, managing schedules, delegating tasks, assessing the performance of the workforce, and maintaining records of all transactions. Should there be any issues or concerns, it is essential to resolve them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a supervisor, it is vital to lead and encourage the employees to reach goals and deadlines, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between traffic managers and distribution supervisor. For instance, traffic manager responsibilities require skills such as "project management," "traffic management," "account executives," and "faa." Whereas a distribution supervisor is skilled in "customer service," "logistics," "continuous improvement," and "osha." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Distribution supervisors tend to reach similar levels of education than traffic managers. In fact, distribution supervisors are 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Traffic manager vs. Logistics supervisor
A logistics supervisor is an individual tasked to oversee goods shipment and delivery in organizations. Supervisors manage the planning, organization, and implementation of the company's systems. They take responsibility for managing the inventory of warehouse stocks based on the foreseeable requirements. It is part of their job to schedule deliveries and pickups with the internal staff or transportation companies. Their skills should include adaptability, project management proficiency, and communication skills.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, traffic manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "project management," "traffic management," "account executives," and "faa." Meanwhile, a logistics supervisor has duties that require skills in areas such as "continuous improvement," "customer service," "osha," and "shipping receiving." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Logistics supervisors earn similar levels of education than traffic managers in general. They're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Traffic manager vs. Logistics director
A logistics director spearheads and oversees a company's logistics operations. They are primarily responsible for setting goals and guidelines, managing the budgets and timelines, researching new opportunities, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of operations, and implementing solutions against problem areas. They must also maintain positive relationships with key clients and external parties, such as distributors and suppliers. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead employees while implementing the company's policies and regulations, recommending new ones as needed.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, traffic managers are more likely to have skills like "traffic management," "account executives," "faa," and "powerpoint." But a logistics director is more likely to have skills like "supply chain," "continuous improvement," "logistics operations," and "customer service."
Most logistics directors achieve a higher degree level compared to traffic managers. For example, they're 10.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Traffic manager vs. Transportation director
Transportation Directors are responsible for managing an organization's transportation operations. They are involved in supervising transportation projects, monitoring performance, research workflow processes, conduct strategic meetings with stakeholders, administer the budgeting process, and ensures programs comply with state and federal regulations. Besides that, transportation directors also work with the human resources department in employee recruitment as well as implementing training and orientations. Other duties include performing financial reports analysis and software tools testing.
Types of traffic manager
Updated January 8, 2025
