What is a transportation manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Curt Macysyn

A transportation manager is responsible for overseeing the movement of goods and people from one location to another. They develop transportation plans, manage logistics, and ensure compliance with regulations. Additionally, they coordinate with suppliers, carriers, and customers to ensure timely delivery and efficient use of resources. A transportation manager must possess strong communication skills, analytical abilities, and knowledge of transportation laws and regulations. They also stay up-to-date on industry trends and technological advancements to optimize operations.

What general advice would you give to a transportation manager?

Curt Macysyn

Executive Director, NSTA

NSTA expects a quick recovery in the student transportation field, but like other sectors, we expect that procedures and protocols will have to adapt to a post-COVID19 environment. What that likely means is that more emphasis will be placed on the cleaning and sanitizing of vehicles as we move forward. Also, the industry has a heavy reliance on employee and driver training in order to maintain its stellar safety track record. With that, much of the training and professional development have transitioned to online platforms, and if that set-up proves consistently viable

ScoreTransportation ManagerUS Average

Salary

6.0

Avg. Salary $77,378

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 6.11%

Black or African American 11.14%

Hispanic or Latino 18.49%

Unknown 4.30%

White 59.54%

Gender

female 19.71%

male 80.29%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.3

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a transportation manager?

Pros

Opportunities for advancement
Variety of tasks and responsibilities
Fast-paced, dynamic work environment
High demand for qualified transportation managers
Opportunities for professional development and learning

Cons

Long hours and high stress levels
Dealing with unpredictable problems and emergencies
Need to stay up-to-date with constantly changing regulations and laws
Challenging communication with drivers and other stakeholders
High level of competition in the industry.

Key steps to become a transportation manager

Explore transportation manager education requirements

Most common transportation manager degrees

Bachelor's

57.0 %

Associate

18.6 %

High School Diploma

10.6 %

Start to develop specific transportation manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	15.42%
DOT	12.42%
Supply Chain	8.99%
OSHA	4.22%
Customer Satisfaction	4.09%

Complete relevant transportation manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New transportation managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a transportation manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real transportation manager resumes.

Research transportation manager duties and responsibilities

Manage OTR driver core to ensure internal and external customer demands achieve.
Manage eSECURE program acting as TSA on military installation.
Manage RFQ project for the selection of a third party warehouse.
Manage employees to complete daily inventory of products so proper FIFO procedures are apply.

Prepare your transportation manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your transportation manager resume.

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Choose from 10+ customizable transportation manager resume templates

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