What does a transport manager do?

A transport manager usually supervises a transport team delivering goods to customers. They might also be involved with running public transport systems, such as train or bus services. Overall, a transport manager is responsible for any business’s fleet of vehicles.

Transport managers usually work from an office; however, they may be called out to visit warehouses or manufacturing centres in order to inspect vehicles and transport systems. Although transport managers often work regular 9-5 shifts, they may be required to be on call to respond to any transport emergencies that a business might have day or night.

Transport manager skills and qualifications

A transport manager’s skills and qualifications might depend on the kind of business or team they work in. However, transport managers often need to be analytically minded, thorough and motivated to solve problems. They also usually need communication skills, particularly when it comes to problem solving with the rest of their team.

Transport managers are therefore often effective team leaders, motivating their team towards achieving goals to deadlines. Other skills and qualifications that a transport manager requires include:

• Organisational skills and the ability to meet targets;
• Experience working within a transport business or team;
• The ability to coach and mentor others;
• The ability to run training programmes;
• An up-to-date understanding of government safety regulations;
• Being mathematical and technically minded;
• The ability to persevere with difficult transport-related problems;
• A driver’s license.

Transport manager experience requirements

Some employers look for a transport manager that has experience in the same or similar role. This is because being a transport manager is a highly technical role, which requires a lot of specialist knowledge. They usually have a background in engineering, which they may have acquired as part of a degree course.

Transport managers might gain their first on-the-job experience during an internship. When advertising for a transport manager, employers might also want to specify the exact industry experience they are looking for. This is because, for example, a local public transport manager will likely have different experience to that of a transport manager who works with warehouse shipments.

Transport manager education and training requirements

Transport managers usually have at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as engineering. From this, they may take on internships related to transport management so that they can gain the right on-the-job experience.

Furthermore, in order to practice their profession, transport managers must first undertake a Transport Manager Certificate of Professional Competence exam. According to the UK government website, this varies depending on whether they are training to work in road haulage or road passenger transport. They can gain this qualification from recognised institutions like City & Guilds, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport or the NOCN Group. Employers looking to hire a transport manager may specify having this certification as part of their application requirements.

Transport manager salary expectations

According to Indeed UK salaries, the average salary of a transport manager is £37,014 per year. Salary may depend on the exact job duties and responsibilities, the employer, location and experience.

Job description samples for similar positions

If a transport manager job description doesn’t match your specific job role needs, similar roles include:

• Car Mechanic
• Car Salesperson
• Civil Engineer
• Civil Engineering Technician

Transport manager job description FAQs

How can you make your transport manager job description stand out?

Try stating the job title clearly so that it is searchable for candidates. If employers stray too far from a standard job title for the role, it makes it much harder for the right candidates to find it. Outline the key duties and responsibilities in clear bullet points. If looking for particular qualifications such as degrees and internships, employers can state this in the job description. As transport managers are required to have a Transport Manager Certificate of Professional Competence to work in their profession, it might be a good idea to ask for this as well.

What should you look for in a transport manager CV?

When hiring a transport manager, it is good to start by looking at what training and qualifications the candidate has. As this is a highly technical role, transport managers need to be certified, and so employers can filter out candidates based on whether they have these qualifications. Proven technical knowledge and troubleshooting experience is useful, including knowledge of tools, hardware and any IT systems relating to the career.