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Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers

Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers: Career Profile

Plan, direct, or coordinate transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable government laws or regulations. Includes logistics managers.

The Daily Work of Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Do?

The day-to-day responsibilities of transportation, storage, and distribution managers cover:

  • Supervise the activities of workers engaged in receiving, storing, testing, and shipping products or materials.
  • Plan, develop, or implement warehouse safety and security programs and activities.
  • Inspect physical conditions of warehouses, vehicle fleets, or equipment and order testing, maintenance, repairs, or replacements.
  • Plan, organize, or manage the work of subordinate staff to ensure that the work is accomplished in a manner consistent with organizational requirements.
  • Collaborate with other departments to integrate logistics with business systems or processes, such as customer sales, order management, accounting, or shipping.
  • Analyze all aspects of corporate logistics to determine the most cost-effective or efficient means of transporting products or supplies.
  • Resolve problems concerning transportation, logistics systems, imports or exports, or customer issues.
  • Develop and document standard and emergency operating procedures for receiving, handling, storing, shipping, or salvaging products or materials.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Effective transportation, storage, and distribution managers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Reading Comprehension  3.9 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.9 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  3.8 / 5
0
5
Coordination  3.8 / 5
0
5
Systems Analysis  3.6 / 5
0
5
Active Learning  3.6 / 5
0
5

Top Knowledge Areas

Transportation  4.5 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  4.1 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  4.0 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.8 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  3.6 / 5
0
5
Personnel and Human Resources  3.5 / 5
0
5

Other Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Job Titles

Common job titles for this role include:

  • Aerial Planting and Cultivation Manager
  • Air Export Logistics Manager
  • Airport Manager
  • Ammunition Storage Superintendent
  • Area Manager
  • Auto Fleet Manager
  • Automotive Services Manager
  • Bridges Supervisor

Job Outlook

There are roughly 203,709 transportation, storage, and distribution managers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +11.6% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers

How Much Do Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Make?

Statistic Value
Annual median $76,615
Hourly median $36.83
10th percentile $52,095
25th percentile $64,355
75th percentile $88,874
90th percentile $101,134

Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers

How Much Do Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Make in Different U.S. States?

State Annual median salary
Delaware $150,590
District of Columbia $144,190
Washington $131,620
New Hampshire $128,070
Colorado $123,750
New Jersey $123,390
New York $121,310
Georgia $111,640
Alaska $109,770
Wyoming $108,070
Massachusetts $107,200
Maryland $107,050
Virginia $107,050
Hawaii $106,960
Illinois $105,250
California $104,930
Minnesota $104,560
Indiana $104,450
Vermont $104,210
Kansas $103,730
Pennsylvania $103,530
South Dakota $103,530
Connecticut $103,500
South Carolina $102,650
Alabama $102,540
Montana $102,480
North Carolina $100,490
Kentucky $100,110
Oregon $100,020
West Virginia $99,830
Michigan $98,240
Utah $97,980
Texas $97,690
Louisiana $97,630
Arkansas $97,010
North Dakota $96,910
New Mexico $96,510
Missouri $96,410
Nebraska $96,310
Ohio $96,290
Wisconsin $95,860
Maine $95,860
Iowa $95,620
Florida $95,090
Tennessee $94,920
Arizona $94,470
Rhode Island $94,290
Oklahoma $94,270
Nevada $88,630
Idaho $83,680
Guam $81,450
Puerto Rico $78,940
Mississippi $77,390
Virgin Islands $47,840

Where Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Earn the Most

Compensation for transportation, storage, and distribution managers shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Middle Atlantic $115,793 12.4% 0.95
New England $106,022 3.9% 0.86
Far Western US $105,816 19.4% 1.21
Rocky Mountains $104,934 3.1% 0.86
Great Lakes $100,527 17.0% 1.24
Plains States $99,875 5.6% 0.83
Southeast $98,969 22.0% 0.97
Southwest $97,225 16.1% 1.40

Top Metro Areas

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $164,180 1,570
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA WA $138,900 2,150
Boulder, CO CO $137,950 160
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO CO $137,110 120
Niles, MI MI $133,360 130
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV DC $132,510 2,420
Decatur, IL IL $132,320 120
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $130,940 4,070

Industry Breakdown

The bulk of transportation, storage, and distribution managers are found across these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Transportation and Warehousing 68,620 $99,610
Wholesale Trade 36,200 $95,340
Manufacturing 27,300 $114,180
Management of Companies and Enterprises 15,270 $148,130
Retail Trade 10,810 $75,030
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 8,950 $129,000
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 6,120 $97,160
Construction 4,790 $80,630
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers sectors

Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers work in the following industries:

Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers industries

Software Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Use

  • Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
  • Computer aided design CAD software: Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
  • Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
  • Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
  • Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
  • Project management software: Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (hot technology)

The Day-to-Day Environment

The on-the-job environment of transportation, storage, and distribution managers is shaped by the following characteristics:

  • E-Mail
  • Telephone Conversations
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Contact With Others
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

Education and Training

This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Top Programs to Study For This Career

Aspiring transportation, storage, and distribution managers typically earn programs in:

4 programs across 2 majors

Public Administration and Social Service Professions

2 programs across 1 majors

Transportation and Materials Moving

2 programs across 1 majors

Sources

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 11-3071.00 (Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers).

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