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Transportation engineer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

James Albrecht,

James Albrecht

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical transportation engineer skills. We ranked the top skills for transportation engineers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 9.1% of transportation engineer resumes contained autocad as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a transportation engineer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 transportation engineer skills for your resume and career

1. Autocad

Here's how transportation engineers use autocad:

Created and modified AutoCAD engineering drawings for LaGuardia Airport Conduit Externalization Project.
Prepared condition memo, field report, and photo log.-Developed construction drawings for Folsom Dam Modification using AutoCAD.

2. Cost Estimates

Here's how transportation engineers use cost estimates:

Developed and produced final contract documents including plans, specifications, cost estimates and special provisions for municipalities and state agencies.
Prepared cost estimates and negotiated contract modifications for new construction and remedial roadway projects.

3. Project Management

Here's how transportation engineers use project management:

Plan development included project management, transportation systems analysis, traffic forecasting, project prioritization, public involvement, and documentation.
Project Management of multiple projects to include coordination through service delivery.

4. Roadway Design

Roadway design is the process of designing a road. Though the process may sound simple, roadway designers develop 2D and 3D renderings of the roadway to be constructed in addition to offering material recommendations, detailing the construction site, and outlining a general agenda for construction. This design must also abide by any federal and state roadway regulations.

Here's how transportation engineers use roadway design:

Performed quantity calculations for roadway design.
Completed roadway design projects, Sidewalk projects, Trail projects and signal projects.

5. Transportation Projects

Transportation Projects refer to construction projects that will offer various modes of public transportation. This may be a subway system, bus line, or monorail. The project can be constructing an entirely new system or an improvement on existing transportation system. The transportation constructed may be based on what the community needs most or what can be afforded.

Here's how transportation engineers use transportation projects:

Performed environmental documentation and permitting for numerous transportation projects.
Prepared construction drawings for transportation projects, including traffic signal design, traffic control markings, and roadway improvements.

6. CAD

Here's how transportation engineers use cad:

Create and prepare CAD drawings for accurate placing of conduits, pull boxes, and electrical wiring for street lighting.
Created traffic signal CAD standards for unified traffic signal plans submitted by city departments and engineering consultants.

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7. Highway Design

Highway design is an engineering field that branches from civil engineering. It includes design, planning, operation, construction, and maintenance of roads, tunnels, and bridges to ensure prudent and efficient transportation of goods and people. The linear design of a highway revolves around the dimensions and layout of visible features of the highway such as vertical and horizontal alignments along with sight distances and intersections.

Here's how transportation engineers use highway design:

Reviewed highway design projects and encroachment permits from a traffic operations perspective.
Involved in plan preparation exhibits, Highway design and planning using Micro station.

8. Inroads

Inroad is used to describe a direct or noticeable effect on something or somebody. It is a situation whereby a person or something becomes more important or successful by making another less important or successful.

Here's how transportation engineers use inroads:

Assisted with the management of Bentley software packages; MicroStation, InRoads, and ProjectWise.
Supported 3D utilities modeling (Fiber optic, Gas and Telephone) using InRoads program.

9. Geopak

Here's how transportation engineers use geopak:

Generated both horizontal and vertical alignments and cross sections using Power Geopak.
Spring, 2011 Designed a 6.97 miles new highway alignment using MicroStation & Geopak in Iowa.

10. Traffic Engineering

Here's how transportation engineers use traffic engineering:

Design and optimize transportation systems by actively liaising with multidisciplinary teams integrating innovative urban design concepts with traffic engineering methodologies.
Analyze measures of effectiveness and prepare technical reports for various traffic engineering and pedestrian safety assignments.

11. Transportation Planning

Transportation planning is the intentional process of mapping out strategies, making investments, and creating policies that will lead to the successful movement of people and goods from one place to another. It's usually a collaborative job involving many stakeholders in the transportation industry, government agencies, and industries in the public and private sectors.

Here's how transportation engineers use transportation planning:

Participated in Auckland area transportation planning meetings with top members of local government transportation agencies and the national railroad.
Develop computer models to address transportation planning issues.

12. AASHTO

Here's how transportation engineers use aashto:

Initiated operational, newly implemented safety and AASHTO Design criteria for developing alternatives.
Developed inspection and evaluation criterion utilizing AASHTO guidelines.

13. Technical Reports

Technical reports are a type of document that is used to indicate either the progress, result, or process of scientific research or the state of problems occurring within such research. A technical report may also showcase the report's overall conclusion and may also include recommendations. This kind of report does not require a peer review and isn't published officially but distributed within the organizations where it was formed.

Here's how transportation engineers use technical reports:

Prepare technical reports such as pay quantity reports and daily progress reports.
Author technical reports and documentation for: o Hydraulic designs (Hydraulic Reports).

14. Data Collection

Data collection means to analyze and collect all the necessary information. It helps in carrying out research and in storing important and necessary information. The most important goal of data collection is to gather the information that is rich and accurate for statistical analysis.

Here's how transportation engineers use data collection:

Involved in data collection and operational analysis of the proposed alternatives.
Performed intersection count data collection and input intro traffic analysis software.

15. Synchro

Here's how transportation engineers use synchro:

Used SYNCHRO 7 for building, analyzing, and optimizing these networks, simulated the results with SimTraffic.
Used traffic simulation software (Synchro/SimTraffic) to evaluate the operating condition of Card Sound Road arterial during the emergency condition.

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What skills help Transportation Engineers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on transportation engineer resumes?

James Albrecht

Professor of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security, retired NYPD Captain/Commanding Officer, Pace University

Obviously, civil engineers have to possess a comprehensive and advanced understanding of architecture, physics, mathematics, engineering, and drafting skills, but 9-11 and even climate change have added other concerns to the field of civil engineering. Engineers now have to consider the need for safeguarding against terrorist events, natural disasters, rioting, and other man-made occurrences. As such, target hardening options must be considered, particularly when building in highly trafficked urban areas, when designing or renovating government buildings and public infrastructure, in tourist destinations, and in a hurricane, tornado, or other inclement weather prone zones. If one plans to work on projects in these areas or regions, it would be practical and realistic to take courses in critical infrastructure and safeguard national infrastructure offered by the Federal Emergency Management Administration, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and other public-private organizations.

What soft skills should all transportation engineers possess?

James Albrecht

Professor of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security, retired NYPD Captain/Commanding Officer, Pace University

Never underestimate having effective "people skills." You must be able to listen, communicate and express yourself in a competent and empathetic manner. Asking questions for more specific insight into project objectives and posing your own questions that delineate target hardening options to clients and potential customers will add the necessary human touch, not only to the field of civil engineering but to any profession.

What transportation engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Ben Giudice Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, George Fox University

If you like working with people and serving your community, being a civil engineer can be very rewarding. You can also contribute to a healthier environment by developing more environmentally friendly designs. There is a wide variety of different kinds of work that civil engineers do, as it is a very broad discipline. Because of this, it is likely that something within civil engineering will excite and interest you. I haven't known anyone who was a civil engineer that disliked it! Compared with other engineering disciplines, the pay is not quite as high on average, but there are generally more opportunities available on a more consistent basis, and there are jobs available everywhere in the world nearly all the time.

What type of skills will young transportation engineers need?

Andy Gerrick

Associate Professor and Chair, Embry-Riddle, Prescott

Most important is the ability to pull together the problem-solving skills learned in the different engineering courses to solve real-world, multidisciplinary, engineering problems. This requires a clear understanding of the problem and the requirements, and it requires a thorough understanding of engineering concepts. Memorizing problem solutions is of no value because no one will pay you to solve a problem that has already been solved. An engineer's ability to communicate is also extremely important. Engineering is a collaborative endeavor, so if you are not able to communicate your ideas, you are not contributing.

Do you want to know more?

List of transportation engineer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a transportation engineer resume and required skills for a transportation engineer to have include:

Autocad
Cost Estimates
Project Management
Roadway Design
Transportation Projects
CAD
Highway Design
Inroads
Geopak
Traffic Engineering
Transportation Planning
AASHTO
Technical Reports
Data Collection
Synchro
Technical Support
Roadway Projects

Corridor
Construction Projects
GIS
Geometric Design
Drainage Design
HCS
VISSIM
Transport Equipment
MUTCD
Traffic Control
SONET
Provisioning
IP
Ethernet
DWDM
Rehabilitation
Caltrans

FHWA
Calculation
Traffic Analysis
Nortel
PS
Geotechnical
ArcGIS
Traffic Signal Design
Vertical Alignments
Traffic Studies
SR
Traffic Data
Aided Design
VDOT
Federal Highway Administration

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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