Transportation Managers

Description

Plan, direct, or coordinate the transportation operations within an organization or the activities of organizations that provide transportation services.

Tasks

Analyze expenditures and other financial information to develop plans, policies, or budgets for increasing profits or improving services.
Set operations policies and standards, including determining safety procedures for the handling of dangerous goods.
Plan, organize, or manage the work of subordinate staff to ensure that the work is accomplished in a manner consistent with organizational requirements.
Negotiate and authorize contracts with equipment and materials suppliers, and monitor contract fulfillment.
Collaborate with other managers or staff members to formulate and implement policies, procedures, goals, or objectives.
Monitor spending to ensure that expenses are consistent with approved budgets.
Supervise workers assigning tariff classifications and preparing billing.
Promote safe work activities by conducting safety audits, attending company safety meetings, or meeting with individual staff members.
Direct investigations to verify and resolve customer or shipper complaints.
Direct procurement processes including equipment research and testing, vendor contracts, or requisitions approval.
Recommend or authorize capital expenditures for acquisition of new equipment or property to increase efficiency and services of operations department.
Monitor operations to ensure that staff members comply with administrative policies and procedures, safety rules, union contracts, and government regulations.
Direct activities related to dispatching, routing, or tracking transportation vehicles, such as aircraft or railroad cars.
Direct and coordinate, through subordinates, activities of operations department to obtain use of equipment, facilities, and human resources.
Conduct employee training sessions on subjects such as hazardous material handling, employee orientation, quality improvement, or computer use.
Prepare management recommendations, such as proposed fee and tariff increases or schedule changes.
Implement schedule and policy changes.
Serve as contact persons for all workers within assigned territories.
Conduct investigations in cooperation with government agencies to determine causes of transportation accidents and to improve safety procedures.
Participate in union contract negotiations and settlements of grievances.
Direct activities of staff performing repairs and maintenance to equipment, vehicles, and facilities.
Develop criteria, application instructions, procedural manuals, or contracts for federal or state public transportation programs.
Provide administrative or technical assistance to those receiving transportation-related grants.
Develop or implement plans to improve transportation services control from regional to national or global load control center operations.
Direct central load control centers to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of transportation services.
Evaluate transportation vehicles or auxiliary equipment for purchase by considering factors such as fuel economy or aerodynamics.
Identify or select transportation and communications system technologies to reduce costs or environmental impacts.
Plan or implement energy saving changes to transportation services, such as reducing routes, optimizing capacities, employing alternate modes of transportation, or minimizing idling.

Knowledge

Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Transportation: Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Geography: Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Personnel and Human Resources: Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities

Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Work Activities

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

Work Context

Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Letters and Memos: How often does the job require written letters and memos?
Spend Time Sitting: How much does this job require sitting?
Freedom to Make Decisions: How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Time Pressure: How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?

Interests

Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Work Style

Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Leadership: Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Achievement/Effort: Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Work Values

Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Related Occupations

Storage and Distribution Managers

Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

Surveyors

First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators

Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters

Mates- Ship, Boat, and Barge

Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation

Lay Titles

Aerial Planting and Cultivation Manager

Airline Manager

Airline Managerial Supervisor

Airport Manager

Auto Fleet Manager

Automotive Services Manager

Aviation Manager

Boat Dispatcher

Bridges Supervisor

Bus Transportation Manager

Canal Superintendent

Car Inspection and Repair Manager

Cargo and Ramp Services Manager

Chief Pilot

Chief Wharfinger

Communications and Signals Supervisor

Dispatch Manager

Dispatcher

Division Road Supervisor

Division Roadmaster

Dock Superintendent

Dockmaster

Fleet Manager

Flight Control Manager

Flight Operations Manager

Flight Reservations Manager

Flight Superintendent

Freight Coordinator

Freight Traffic Consultant

General Agent

General Car Yard Supervisor

General Claims Agent

General Freight Agent

General Operations Agent

General Road Foreman

General Road Supervisor

Harbor Department Manager

Head of Transport Logistics

International Trade Specialist

Logistics Supervisor

Marine Oil Terminal Superintendent

Marine Superintendent

Passenger Service Manager

Port Traffic Manager

Railroad Car Inspection and Repair Regional Superintendent

Schedule Planning Manager

Station Manager

Station Master

Station Supervisor

Stationmaster

Stations Superintendent

Terminal Manager

Terminal Operations Supervisor

Terminal Superintendent

Traffic Director

Traffic Manager

Traffic Safety Administrator

Traffic Superintendent

Traffic Supervisor

Train Master

Train Operations Manager

Train Operations Supervisor

Trainmaster

Transportation Assistant

Transportation Broker

Transportation Consultant

Transportation Coordinator

Transportation Director

Transportation Maintenance Supervisor

Transportation Specialist

Transportation Superintendent

Transportation Supervisor

Truck Terminal Manager

Trucking Contractor

Wharfinger

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $39.34 hourly, $81,830 annual.

Employment (2008):: 98,600 employees