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The differences between transportation directors and distribution center managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a transportation director, becoming a distribution center manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a distribution center manager has an average salary of $99,459, which is higher than the $51,314 average annual salary of a transportation director.
The top three skills for a transportation director include DOT, logistics and CDL. The most important skills for a distribution center manager are logistics, customer service, and OSHA.
| Transportation Director | Distribution Center Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $51,314 | $99,459 |
| Hourly rate | $24.67 | $47.82 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 23,622 | 75,501 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
A distribution center manager is an individual who is responsible for managing all the daily activities of a centralized distribution center, warehouse, or another shipping facility. Distribution center managers are required to supervise the loading and unloading of all packages as well as ensure that all goods and products have the proper storage conditions. They must evaluate freight services and manage relationships with the chose vendors. Distribution center managers are also required to monitor the safety of the facility and make sure that workers properly store everything to prevent injuries.
Transportation directors and distribution center managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Transportation Director | Distribution Center Manager | |
| Average salary | $51,314 | $99,459 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $86,000 | Between $70,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Woodland, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Zulily | Bed Bath & Beyond |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a transportation director and a distribution center manager in terms of educational background:
| Transportation Director | Distribution Center Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between transportation directors' and distribution center managers' demographics:
| Transportation Director | Distribution Center Manager | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.0% Female, 24.0% | Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |