How to hire a transportation manager

How to hire a transportation manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step transportation manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a transportation manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new transportation manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a transportation manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The transportation manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a transportation manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a transportation manager that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of transportation managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Transportation Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Transportation Manager		$25-53
   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... Show more	$33-80
   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... Show more	$22-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • DOT
   • Supply Chain
   • OSHA
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • On-Time Delivery
   • CDL
   • Safety Procedures
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Transportation Operations
   • Payroll
   • HR
   • LTL
   • Direct Reports

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Manage employee's attendance and timekeeping by use of kronos systems on a daily basis.
   • Manage all aspects of a staff of over 100 CDL drivers , 5 supervisors and 2 administrative assistant.

   More transportation manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the transportation manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A transportation manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a transportation manager in Wyoming may be lower than in Virginia, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level transportation manager. Additionally, a transportation manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average transportation manager salary

   $77,378yearly

   $37.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level transportation manager salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average transportation manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$94,122	$45
   2	North Carolina	$92,983	$45
   3	New York	$89,976	$43
   4	Pennsylvania	$87,907	$42
   5	District of Columbia	$87,056	$42
   6	Massachusetts	$85,915	$41
   7	California	$85,805	$41
   8	Indiana	$79,423	$38
   9	Ohio	$78,145	$38
   10	New Mexico	$77,351	$37
   11	Illinois	$77,258	$37
   12	Georgia	$76,772	$37
   13	Texas	$73,966	$36
   14	Michigan	$73,912	$36
   15	Missouri	$72,531	$35
   16	Oregon	$72,076	$35
   17	Nebraska	$70,735	$34
   18	Washington	$70,275	$34
   19	Florida	$67,438	$32
   20	Arizona	$67,119	$32

   Average transportation manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Accenture	$123,528	$59.39	496
   2	Nike	$113,016	$54.33
   3	The Judge Group	$108,593	$52.21
   4	Walmart	$106,857	$51.37	15
   5	Booz Allen Hamilton	$103,288	$49.66	2
   6	Tesla	$102,902	$49.47
   7	Fluor Corporation	$99,744	$47.95
   8	ICF	$98,901	$47.55
   9	Lowe's Companies	$98,673	$47.44
   10	Empower Media Marketing	$98,046	$47.14
   11	Harsco	$97,491	$46.87
   12	Deloitte	$96,997	$46.63	88
   13	Calumet Specialty Products Partners	$95,840	$46.08
   14	Dollar Tree	$93,644	$45.02	1
   15	Werner Enterprises	$92,538	$44.49	2
   16	Post Holdings	$91,905	$44.19	3
   17	Cano Health	$91,443	$43.96
   18	ITW	$90,388	$43.46	2
   19	Caterpillar	$90,328	$43.43	11
   20	Green Mountain Coffee Roasters	$90,297	$43.41

4. Writing a transportation manager job description

   A job description for a transportation manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a transportation manager job description:

   Transportation manager job description example

   **Overview**
   
   **Overview**
   
   The Transportation Manager, is responsible for the implementation, execution and ongoing oversight of the transportation strategy with regard to achieving the desired level of service, quality and cost established for the company and market for which they manage. Accountable for improving quality and reducing cost in support of supply chain mission. This position provides management oversight for both private fleet and outsourced transportation providers. As required, attends, and represents the supply chain in customer meetings. Specific responsibilities include day-to-day management of private fleet, and 3PL providers including the review and approval of payments for services; evaluation of routing criteria; reducing cycle time and cycle time variability with inbound & outbound deliveries and meeting or exceeding the service metrics established for the market.
   
   Qualifications
   
   Requires 4 - 6 years experience with Transportation, Logistics, Warehouse Supervision or Supply Chain analytics. Must have ability to communicate, persuade and influence others as well as the ability to present data in a concise and proficient manner. Box Truck fleet management. DOT qualified preferred (must be able to support the fleet in any and all aspects).
   
   Pay, Benefits & Work Schedule
   
   Office Depot and OfficeMax offers competitive salaries, a benefits package, which includes a 401(k) and more, along with plenty of opportunity to move and grow within our organization! Paid holidays off. . Weekends historically off. Salary: 75 - 80K depending on experience plus annual performance bonus @ 15% as earned.
   
   Equal Employment Opportunity
   
   Office Depot and OfficeMax is committed to providing equal employment opportunities in all employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender (including gender identity and expression), ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.
   
   Same Posting Description for Internal and External Candidates
   
   REQNUMBER: 61970

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right transportation manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your transportation manager job on Zippia to find and recruit transportation manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit transportation managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new transportation manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the transportation manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new transportation manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a transportation manager?