Transportation Managers

(NOC 0731)

in All Management

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 Outlook

Average

Read more

  • Estimate Moderate growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 115 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Moderate rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Management

  • Estimate 2445 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 5900 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$28.21

Minimum

$38.46

Median

$67.31

Maximum

Annual Pay

$24,762

Minimum

$66,651

Median

$133,484

Maximum

Compared to: All Management

Hourly Pay

$22.50

Minimum

$43.80

Median

$66.20

Maximum

Annual Pay

$10,632

Minimum

$55,002

Median

$124,014

Maximum

About the job

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

  • Array
  • Array

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.

By the numbers

Quick look

770

employed in 2016

94.8%

employed full-time

11.8%

self employed

18.3%
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81.7%
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49.9

median age

Compared to: All Management

44,250

employed in 2016

91.2%

employed full-time

18.9%

self employed

40.5%
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59.5%
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48.7

median age

Where will I likely work?

61.4%

Halifax

$68,666 median annual income
12.4%

North Shore

$57,307 median annual income
12.4%

Annapolis Valley

$56,076 median annual income
7.2%

Cape Breton

$93,714 median annual income
6.5%

Southern

$51,214 median annual income

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

60.8%

Transportation and warehousing

7.7%

Public administration

5.6%

Manufacturing

4.9%

Retail trade

4.2%

Wholesale trade

What is the age of Employment?

35.0%

45-54

24.0%

55-64

23.0%

35-44

9.0%

25-34

7.0%

65+

1.0%

15-24

Compared to: All Management

30.7%

45-54

23.1%

35-44

21.7%

55-64

14.0%

25-34

7.8%

65+

Top levels of education

31.8%

High school

$64,914 median annual income
22.1%

College Diploma

$57,468 median annual income
21.4%

Bachelor

$85,356 median annual income
11.0%

Trade Certification

$56,032 median annual income
4.5%

Less than high school

$41,478 median annual income

Compared to: All Management

27.2%

Bachelor

$71,875 median annual income
23.8%

High school

$42,294 median annual income
20.4%

College Diploma

$50,256 median annual income
9.1%

Master

$93,261 median annual income
7.2%

Trade Certification

$44,396 median annual income

Education & training

Business Administration and Management

College, Trades, or University Program

These programs prepare students to plan, organize, direct, and control the functions and processes of a firm or organization. They include courses in management theory, human resources management and behaviour, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making.

Institutions providing this program

Maritime Business College

Lower Sackville, NS

Academy of Learning Career College - Halifax

Halifax, NS

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture

Truro, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Business/Commerce

College, Trades, or University Program

These programs focus on the general study of business, including the processes of interchanging goods and services (buying, selling and producing), business organization, and accounting as used in profit-making and non-profit public and private institutions and agencies. They prepare students to apply business principles and techniques in various occupational settings.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts

Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association
Dieppe, NB
Railway Association of Canada
Ottawa, ON
Canadian Institute of Management - Maritimes
Various, NS
Trucking Human Resource Sector Council Atlantic
Truro, NS
The Logistics Institute
York, ON