Transportation Managers

Nature of work

Operations managers in transportation plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the operations of transportation companies like railways, airlines, bus lines, municipal transit systems, shipping lines and trucking companies, under the direction of a general manager or other senior manager.

Freight traffic managers in transportation plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate companies or departments responsible for the transportation and movement of goods, under the direction of a general manager or other senior manager.

Transportation managers work for transportation, freight forwarding and shipping companies and by transportation departments of companies in retail and manufacturing sectors and utilities.

Job duties

Operations managers:

• Manage the operations of a transportation company.
• Determine operations policies and standards, including safety procedures for the handling of dangerous goods, and make sure they meet transport regulations.
• Oversee dispatch of vehicles, vessels or aircraft.
• Control the company or departmental budget, including purchases.
• Monitor the performance of company or department, prepare reports for senior management, and plan for changes to schedules and policies.
• Recruit staff and oversee their training.

Freight traffic managers:

• Manage companies or departments that coordinate, arrange and monitor the transportation and movement of goods.
• Arrange for shipping documentation and oversee the scheduling and dispatching of goods and the tracking and tracing of goods in transit.
• Set performance goals, oversee the setting of transportation service rates and monitor revenue.
• Develop plans and procedures for the transportation and storage of goods.
• Negotiate with carriers, warehouse operators and insurance company representatives for services and preferential rates.
• Control the departmental budget.
• Recruit staff and oversee their training.

Sample job titles

• airline flight schedule design manager
• airline manager
• director of transportation
• distribution and warehousing manager
• freight forwarder
• moving company manager
• transportation logistics manager
• urban transit system manager
• water transport manager

Skills

You need good organizational and managerial skills. An ability to work under pressure is important. You must be decisive. You need to work well with others. Effective spoken and written communication skills are important.

Job requirements

Operations managers in transportation:

• A bachelor's degree in business administration or engineering.
• Certification as an operator of a mode of transportation like commercial pilot, vessel master or truck driver, is usually required.

Freight traffic managers in transportation:

• High school is required.
• A college diploma or university degree in business or transportation administration may be required.

Other considerations

There is little or no movement between managers in transportation operations and managers in transportation freight traffic or between transportation managers of land, sea and air transportation operations. Managers in transportation operations usually require several years of experience in transportation operations including supervisory experience. Extensive experience as a supervisor and operator in a particular transport mode like a pilot, train engineer, vessel master or truck driver, may substitute for formal education. Several years of clerical, operational or administrative experience related to freight traffic are required for Managers in transportation freight traffic.

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