Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Transportation Supervisor
What transportation supervisors actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a transportation supervisor?
Check overnight issues. From there, the day usually includes schedule crews, assign loads and routes, and enforce safety. Full time, often early or late shifts.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a transportation supervisor working full time.
- Check overnight issues.
- Assign drivers.
- Walk the dock.
- Coach a new forklift driver.
- Review hours of service.
- Fix a late load.
- Plan tomorrow.
Where transportation supervisors work
Supervisors work in warehouses, terminals and dispatch offices.
Hours and schedule
Full time, often early or late shifts.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Schedule crews
- Assign loads and routes
- Enforce safety
- Track productivity
- Coach workers
- Handle DOT compliance
- Solve daily problems
Tools you’ll use every day
- TMS
- WMS
- ELD systems
- Scheduling software
- Radios
- Spreadsheets
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Many openings
- Lead without a degree
- Fast-paced
- Path to management
What’s hard
- Staffing problems
- Long shifts
- Pressure on deadlines
- On call
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I like leading crews
- I solve problems fast
- I care about safety
- I know logistics
- I can work early or late
- I want to move up without a degree
Not sure? Take the free Transportation Supervisor fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Enforce DOT rules
- Run forklift safety
- Investigate incidents
- Prevent fatigue