How to hire a transportation supervisor

How to hire a transportation supervisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step transportation supervisor 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 supervisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new transportation supervisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a transportation supervisor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the transportation supervisor you need to hire. Certain transportation supervisor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A transportation supervisor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, transportation supervisors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of transportation supervisor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Transportation Supervisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Transportation Supervisor		$16-37
   Warehouse Lead	Warehouse leads are responsible for supply chain management in distribution centers. Their duties and responsibilities include supervising employees and evaluating their performance, meeting safety regulations, and monitoring deliveries and shipments... Show more	$12-29
   Route Manager	A route manager determines strategic routes transport vehicles may take to every destination. A route manager's primary responsibility is to mark the shortest and fastest way to the customer's destination... Show more	$18-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • DOT
   • Customer Service
   • CDL
   • OSHA
   • Safety Regulations
   • Federal Regulations
   • Payroll
   • Performance Reviews
   • Hazmat
   • Safety Procedures
   • Transportation Operations
   • GPS
   • Direct Supervision
   • Patients

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage relationships with outside FTL and LTL carriers to secure the best transportation rates for warehouse customer's.
   • Direct employees in identifying and correcting any unsafe conditions, eliminate avoidable accidents and improve department performance manage KPI's.
   • Create and lead a team of internal and external partners to move land invoices from paper transmission to electronic EDI transmission.
   • Charge with managing contracts for non-emergency and emergency transportation of Medicaid and Medicare members.
   • Manage inventory of inbound ocean containers, coordinate and schedule TL operations, supervise yard hostlers and manage outbound trailer traffic.
   • Coordinate with medical clinicians to identify veterans in need of transportation services.

   More transportation supervisor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the transportation supervisor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A transportation supervisor 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 supervisor in North Carolina may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level transportation supervisor. Additionally, a transportation supervisor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average transportation supervisor salary

   $52,769yearly

   $25.37 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level transportation supervisor salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 29, 2026

   Average transportation supervisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$65,315	$31
   2	California	$63,289	$30
   3	Nevada	$61,169	$29
   4	Oregon	$59,887	$29
   5	Minnesota	$58,136	$28
   6	Massachusetts	$58,085	$28
   7	New York	$57,947	$28
   8	Pennsylvania	$57,148	$27
   9	Maryland	$55,940	$27
   10	Ohio	$55,730	$27
   11	Utah	$55,222	$27
   12	Iowa	$54,121	$26
   13	Maine	$54,058	$26
   14	Illinois	$52,969	$25
   15	Colorado	$50,084	$24
   16	Montana	$49,598	$24
   17	South Carolina	$48,319	$23
   18	Georgia	$47,988	$23
   19	Alabama	$45,945	$22
   20	Texas	$45,350	$22

   Average transportation supervisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	City of Detroit	$69,172	$33.26
   2	CyberCoders	$66,898	$32.16
   3	PSEG	$66,649	$32.04
   4	City of Jacksonville	$64,995	$31.25
   5	Northwell Health	$62,552	$30.07	5
   6	General Atomics	$62,380	$29.99	1
   7	Strongsville City Schools	$62,316	$29.96
   8	IndyGo	$62,111	$29.86
   9	Utz Brands	$61,768	$29.70
   10	Fortune Brands Home & Security	$61,300	$29.47	1
   11	Golden State Foods	$61,113	$29.38
   12	Yale New Haven Health	$61,073	$29.36
   13	PepsiCo	$61,067	$29.36	1
   14	Fresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership	$60,080	$28.88
   15	Vanderbilt University Medical Center	$59,650	$28.68	1
   16	Stericycle	$59,636	$28.67	4
   17	Bloodworks Northwest	$59,623	$28.66
   18	Duke University Health System	$59,615	$28.66
   19	SpaceX	$59,558	$28.63	5
   20	CITRUS VALLEY PHYSICIANS GROUP	$59,499	$28.61

4. Writing a transportation supervisor job description

   A good transportation supervisor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a transportation supervisor job description:

   Transportation supervisor job description example

   As a family company, we serve people and communities. When you work at Meijer, you're provided with career and community opportunities centered around leadership, personal growth and development. Consider joining our family - take care of your career and your community!
   Meijer Rewards
   Weekly pay Scheduling flexibility Paid parental leave Paid education assistance Care.com/back-up care assistance Team member discount Development programs for advancement and career growth
   
   Please review the job profile below and apply today!
   
   Responsible for supervision of Dispatchers, drivers, planning, management of work flow and assets. Responsible for hiring, counseling, training, and proper interpretation of collective bargaining agreement where applicable.
   .
   
   What You'll be Doing:
   Oversee and schedule dispatchers assigned to their shift. Oversee the dispatch of drivers within hours of service limitations and ensure on time performance. Ensure compliance with all DOT regulations; including but not limited to hazardous materials, hours of service, drug and alcohol program, driver physical and license issues, vehicle maintenance and driver vehicle inspection reports. Ensure asset utilization and reduction of empty miles. Perform accident investigations. Interpret and follow union contract. Execute driver/switcher discipline and grievance matters. Process driver payroll and verification. Monitor reports and activity pay resolution. Coordinate driver/switcher weekly schedule. Carry out interviews, hiring, and orientation processes. Perform and oversee driver training and safety programs. This job profile is not meant to be all inclusive of the responsibilities of this position; may perform other duties as assigned or required.
   
   What You Bring with You (Qualifications):
   Bachelors degree in Business Management or Supply Chain is preferred. 4 years of experience in Logistics/Supply Chain. Previous management experience. Preferred Logistics Engineering experience. Proven analytical, problem solving and organization skills. Proven leadership skills. Strong conflict resolution skills in an organized labor environment. Strong knowledge and expertise of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations, HazMat regulations and individual state size and weight regulations. Proven organization and multi-tasking skills. TMS skills including PeopleNet, Excel, Word, and exposure to electronic logs and dispatching software. Ability to work in a team environment and independently. Solid communication skills including both written and verbal. Available to work any shift, and on weekends and holidays.
   .
   
   .

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find transportation supervisors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any transportation supervisors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level transportation supervisors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit transportation supervisors, 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 supervisor

   Once you've found the transportation supervisor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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 supervisor?