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The differences between transportation directors and distribution 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 manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a distribution manager has an average salary of $89,264, 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 manager are customer service, logistics, and continuous improvement.
| Transportation Director | Distribution Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $51,314 | $89,264 |
| Hourly rate | $24.67 | $42.92 |
| Growth rate | - | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 23,622 | 39,061 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 manager is responsible for managing the distribution of goods and services, ensuring the adequacy of merchandise in the storage, and monitoring the products' timely delivery to appropriate locations. Distribution managers process shipments and utilize software systems to track stock levels and order status, negotiate contracts with suppliers and third-party vendors, identify business opportunities to boost maximum productivity and performance, and develop supply strategies to minimize costs without compromising quality. A distribution manager must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to manage business performance by coordinating with different teams on achieving business goals and objectives.
Transportation directors and distribution managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Transportation Director | Distribution Manager | |
| Average salary | $51,314 | $89,264 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $86,000 | Between $62,000 And $128,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Redmond, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Zulily | Levi Strauss & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a transportation director and a distribution manager in terms of educational background:
| Transportation Director | Distribution Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between transportation directors' and distribution managers' demographics:
| Transportation Director | Distribution Manager | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.0% Female, 24.0% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| 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, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |