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Role snapshot

Transportation Managers plan, direct, and optimize how goods move between facilities and customers. They own service levels, cost, safety, and compliance for fleets and carrier networks. On a typical week you will manage dispatch and routing, negotiate carrier contracts, review on time performance, enforce DOT and HAZMAT rules where applicable, solve exceptions, and report KPIs to leadership. O*NET describes core tasks such as supervising transportation activities, developing safety programs, and coordinating shipping, which align with this scope. O*NET OnLine

Quick facts, United States

• Median pay in May 2024 for the broader occupation: $102,010
• Percentile range: roughly $61,200 to $180,590
• Employment outlook 2024 to 2034: +6 percent, faster than average
• Openings: about 18,500 per year across the broader occupation
  Figures are from the Occupational Outlook Handbook and reflect the newest 2024 wages and 2024 to 2034 projections. gov

What transportation managers do

• Daily operations. Direct dispatch, routing, and load planning. Balance service with asset utilization and driver hours of service.
• Carrier and fleet management. Source and manage for hire carriers, 3PLs, parcel providers, or private fleet partners. Negotiate rates, detention policies, fuel surcharges, and service level agreements.
• Compliance and safety. Ensure DOT, FMCSA, HOS, HAZMAT, and state weight limits compliance. Administer safety training, incident investigations, and corrective actions.
• Customer and cross functional coordination. Liaise with sales, fulfillment, procurement, and customer service to hit OTIF promises.
• Data and continuous improvement. Track KPIs such as on time pickup and delivery, damage rate, cost per mile, cost per order, trailer turns, and dwell time. Run root cause analysis and Kaizen events.
• Technology ownership. Govern the TMS, telematics, ELDs, dock scheduling, and yard or appointment systems.
  O*NET’s description for 11-3071.00 covers supervising transport activities, safety programs, and shipping coordination. O*NET OnLine

Where they work

• Manufacturing and wholesale that ship to distributors or retailers
• Retail and ecommerce that manage parcel, LTL, TL, and last mile partners
• Third party logistics providers that run dedicated or multi client networks
• Specialized networks such as cold chain, pharma, aerospace, or hazardous materials
  O*NET lists Transportation and Warehousing, Wholesale Trade, and Manufacturing as top employing sectors for this occupation. O*NET OnLine

Salary and earning potential

• Occupational Outlook Handbook median wage, May 2024: $102,010. Lowest 10 percent earned less than $61,200 and highest 10 percent earned more than $180,590. gov
  
• OEWS detailed tables show a national median near $99,200 for 2023, which aligns with the OOH trend line and underscores year to year growth. Use OEWS for granular percentiles and industry splits. gov
  
• Local pay varies widely by state and metro. CareerOneStop’s tools let you compare wages for your location and percentile. CareerOneStop
  

What moves pay up

• Ownership of a large multi region network or a high value vertical such as pharma or aerospace
• Direct control of P and L, carrier procurement, and contract governance
• Experience with dedicated fleet operations, drop trailer programs, or complex appointment scheduling
• Proven gains in cost per mile, OTIF, and claims reduction, backed by data

Employment outlook

BLS projects +6 percent growth from 2024 to 2034 for the broader occupation. Drivers include steady ecommerce demand, reshoring or nearshoring that adds domestic moves, and the need for compliance and visibility across complex networks. Projections were refreshed August 28, 2025 and are now reflected in all OOH pages. bls.gov+1

Skills and competencies

Network and operations

• Routing, mode selection, lane balance, cube and weight optimization
• Appointment scheduling, yard and dock flow, trailer turns, dwell reduction
• Claims handling and damage root cause analysis

People leadership

• Lead dispatchers, planners, and drivers or carrier managers
• Workforce planning for seasonal swings and shift coverage
• Coaching, performance management, and safety culture

Compliance and risk

• DOT and FMCSA rules including HOS, driver qualification files, drug and alcohol programs
• HAZMAT handling rules where applicable
• Contract and insurance literacy

Technology and data

• TMS configuration, carrier tendering rules, audit and pay
• ELD and telematics, GPS, geo fencing, and temperature monitoring for cold chain
• Power BI or Tableau dashboards and basic SQL for ad hoc analysis

Financial acumen

• Fuel surcharge and index understanding, accessorials, and detention
• Budgeting, variance analysis, and continuous improvement business cases

O*NET’s task list supports the emphasis on analysis, planning, and safety oversight. onetcodeconnector.org

Typical requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree is common. Supply chain, operations, industrial engineering or technology, business, or transportation management are typical.
• Strong operators can advance without a degree by building a record of measurable results and system depth. OOH notes employers often value experience that shows leadership and regulatory knowledge. gov
  

Experience

• 3 to 7 years in dispatch, routing, carrier management, or DC outbound operations
• Evidence of KPI improvements such as on time delivery, claims reduction, or cost per mile

Credentials that help

• ASCM CPIM or CSCP for supply chain literacy
• Lean or Six Sigma belts for continuous improvement
• OSHA 30 for safety leaders
• Vendor TMS certifications when available

Career pathways and promotional routes

Stage 1: Dispatcher or Transportation Coordinator, years 0 to 2
Focus on routing, appointment scheduling, and exception handling. Master HOS rules and your TMS screens.

Stage 2: Transportation Supervisor or Planner, years 2 to 4
Own a mode or region. Lead a small team. Improve OTIF, dwell, and cost metrics with daily tiered huddles.

Stage 3: Transportation Manager, years 3 to 6
Scope expands to carrier procurement, contracts, and claims. Coordinate with warehouses and customer service on service recovery.

Stage 4: Senior Manager or Network Manager, years 5 to 9
Multi site or multi region responsibility. Build scorecards and QBRs with carriers. Lead RFPs and rate events.

Stage 5: Director or VP of Transportation or Logistics, years 8 to 15 plus
Own network strategy, budgets, automation investments, and cross functional S and OP integration. Partner with finance and sales on service design.

Lateral moves

• Distribution Center leadership if you want site based operations
• Inventory planning or supply planning to deepen S and OP exposure
• 3PL solution design or customer success for broader commercial experience
  O*NET shows related occupations such as Logisticians and General and Operations Managers that many transportation leaders interact with or eventually join. info

Day in the life by KPI

• OTIF: on time and in full delivery to promise
• On time pickup and delivery: appointments met and variance reasons
• Cost per mile or cost per order: tracked by lane and mode
• Claims rate and damage rate: financial and root cause view
• Dwell time and trailer turns: dock and yard flow
• Safety metrics: crashes per million miles and preventable incident rates
• Tender acceptance and primary carrier share: routing guide health

Hiring signals and how to stand out

Resume tips

• Quantify improvements. Examples: reduced cost per mile by 11 percent after a regional carrier RFP, improved OTIF from 92 to 97 percent, cut dwell by 35 minutes per door through appointment and yard changes.
• Name your systems and scope. TMS, ELD, dock scheduler, number of shipments per week, modes, budget managed.
• Show leadership. Number of direct reports, cross functional initiatives, and safety outcomes.

Interview preparation

• Bring a one page routing guide health report with tender acceptance, backup usage, and service exceptions.
• Be ready to whiteboard a lane optimization problem. Trade off speed, cost, and capacity under constraints such as driver HOS and dock availability.
• Expect scenarios on weather disruptions, carrier bankruptcy, a serious incident, or a recall that requires reverse logistics.

First 90 days playbook

1. Listen and map. Review contracts, carriers, lanes, seasonality, and constraints. Meet warehouse, CS, and sales leaders.
2. Stabilize basics. Set daily huddles, visual boards, and clear escalation paths. Validate data integrity in the TMS.
3. Quick wins. Tighten appointment rules, improve shipment visibility, reduce dwell at the top three bottleneck locations.
4. Scorecards and QBRs. Stand up a carrier scorecard and hold quarterly reviews with action items.
5. Safety rituals. Weekly observations, near miss tracking, and incentive programs that reward safe performance.

Education planner

Degrees

• BS in Supply Chain, Operations, Industrial Tech or Engineering, or Business
• MBA or MS in Supply Chain can accelerate movement into network or director roles

Short form upskilling

• Carrier procurement and contract workshops
• TMS configuration courses and vendor certifications
• Data analytics for logistics leaders with dashboard design
• HAZMAT, food safety, GDP for pharma, or cold chain credentials when relevant

Tools and tech you will see

• TMS and visibility. MercuryGate, Blue Yonder, Oracle OTM, Project44, FourKites
• Fleet, telematics, and compliance. ELD platforms, GPS, dash cams, safety analytics
• Dock, yard, and appointments. Yard management systems and scheduling portals that reduce dwell
• BI and reporting. Power BI or Tableau for KPI dashboards and QBR packs
  O*NET and OOH emphasize that technology and data are central to modern transportation leadership. O*NET OnLine+1

Pros and cons

Pros

• Clear, measurable wins that directly affect customer experience and margin
• Transferable across sectors, modes, and company sizes
• Strong exposure to senior leadership through budgets and service reliability

Cons

• Time pressure and after hours events during disruptions or peak seasons
• Complex compliance landscape and safety responsibilities
• Tight cost and service trade offs that require disciplined decision making

Risk management
Build redundancy in the routing guide, maintain current playbooks for weather and capacity shocks, and practice incident response with safety and legal.

Is this career a good fit for you

Choose this path if you enjoy solving time sensitive problems with data, leading people, and owning results. You will thrive if your motivations include structure, accountability, system thinking, and coaching under pressure.

Still unsure
Take the free MAPP career assessment at Assessment.com to see how your motivational profile aligns with transportation leadership and operations. If your MAPP results show strong preferences for practical problem solving, organizing complex work, and leading teams toward clear goals, you will likely feel at home in this role.

Sample job descriptions by level

Transportation Supervisor
Lead dispatchers on a shift, manage daily routing and appointment schedules, enforce HOS and safety policies, and deliver on time pickup and delivery targets.

Transportation Manager
Own regional carrier performance, claims and OS&D, RFP participation, and quarterly business reviews. Manage a team of planners and analysts. Coordinate with DCs and customer service.

Senior Manager or Network Manager
Multi site scope with responsibility for budgets, initiatives that reduce cost per order, carrier diversification, and service performance across modes.

Director of Transportation
Own enterprise transportation strategy and P and L. Govern TMS rules and carrier contracts. Integrate with S and OP and report results to the executive team.

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