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First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators: Job Description

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of material-moving machine and vehicle operators and helpers.

What Do First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators Do?

The day-to-day responsibilities of first-line supervisors of material-moving machine and vehicle operators span:

• Enforce safety rules and regulations.
• Interpret transportation or tariff regulations, shipping orders, safety regulations, or company policies and procedures for workers.
• Resolve worker problems or collaborate with employees to assist in problem resolution.
• Confer with customers, supervisors, contractors, or other personnel to exchange information or to resolve problems.
• Plan work assignments and equipment allocations to meet transportation, operations or production goals.
• Examine, measure, or weigh cargo or materials to determine specific handling requirements.
• Explain and demonstrate work tasks to new workers or assign training tasks to experienced workers.
• Review orders, production schedules, blueprints, or shipping or receiving notices to determine work sequences and material shipping dates, types, volumes, or destinations.

Skills and Knowledge

Top first-line supervisors of material-moving machine and vehicle operators combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Top Skills

These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Other First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators Job Titles

People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:

• Building Materials Supervisor
• Bus Dispatcher Supervisor
• Bus Driver Supervisor
• Cab Dispatcher Supervisor
• Cab Supervisor
• Car Supervisor
• Cargo Manager
• Cargo Supervisor

Job Outlook

The U.S. employs around 411,604 first-line supervisors of material-moving machine and vehicle operators working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +10.4% over the projection horizon.

Salary for First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$66,225
Hourly median	$31.84
10th percentile	$44,827
25th percentile	$55,526
75th percentile	$76,924
90th percentile	$87,623

Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.

Software First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators Use

• Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
• Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
• Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
• Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
• Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
• Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
• Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software: Warehouse management system WMS (in demand)

Work Environment

The on-the-job environment of first-line supervisors of material-moving machine and vehicle operators reflects the following characteristics:

• E-Mail
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Contact With Others
• Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
• Telephone Conversations

Getting Started in This Career

Most first-line supervisors of material-moving machine and vehicle operators positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

• Industrial Production Managers (Supplemental)
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (Supplemental)
• First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers (Primary-Long)
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers (Supplemental)
• First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers (Primary-Long)
• First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (Supplemental)
• First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services (Supplemental)
• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers (Primary-Long)

Top Programs to Study For This Career

Students preparing for first-line supervisors of material-moving machine and vehicle operators commonly pursue programs in:

Transportation and Materials Moving

1 programs across 1 majors

• Ground Transportation

Sources

Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
• BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
• O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 53-1043.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators).