What Does it Take to Be a Transportation Supervisor?

Transportation Supervisor Example Directly supervise and coordinate activities of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators and helpers.

Life As a Transportation Supervisor: What Do They Do?

• Drive vehicles or operate machines or equipment to complete work assignments or to assist workers.
• Resolve worker problems or collaborate with employees to assist in problem resolution.
• Interpret transportation or tariff regulations, shipping orders, safety regulations, or company policies and procedures for workers.
• Prepare, compile, and submit reports on work activities, operations, production, or work-related accidents.
• Inspect or test materials, stock, vehicles, equipment, or facilities to ensure that they are safe, free of defects, and consistent with specifications.
• Confer with customers, supervisors, contractors, or other personnel to exchange information or to resolve problems.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Transportation Supervisor?

Below is a list of the skills most Transportation Supervisors say are important on the job.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Other Transportation Supervisor Job Titles

• Taxi Driver Supervisor
• Retail Route Supervisor
• Circus Train Supervisor
• Pumping Supervisor
• Bus and Trolley Dispatcher

Job Outlook for Transportation Supervisors

In the United States, there were 204,200 jobs for Transportation Supervisor in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 13,500 new jobs for Transportation Supervisor by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 22,600 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Transportation Supervisor are Utah, Nevada, and North Dakota. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Delaware, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

What Tools & Technology do Transportation Supervisors Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Transportation Supervisors may use on a daily basis:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Outlook
• Web browser software
• Microsoft Access
• SAP
• Scheduling software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Mapping software
• General ledger software
• Bill of lading software
• JDA Manugistics

Becoming a Transportation Supervisor

Education needed to be a Transportation Supervisor:

What work experience do I need to become a Transportation Supervisor?

You May Also Be Interested In…

Those thinking about becoming a Transportation Supervisor might also be interested in the following careers:

• Coaches and Scouts
• First-Line Supervisors of Animal Husbandry and Animal Care Workers

Career changers with experience as a Transportation Supervisor sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

• Traffic Technicians
• First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: Hic85 via Public Domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.