Road transport manager

Road transport managers make sure goods and passengers reach their destinations safely, on time and in the most cost effective way.


Typical Salary

£23,000 – £55,000

per year

Working Hours

37–44

hours per week

Career Area

Managers in transport and distribution

View related courses

Day-to-day tasks

As a road transport manager you could:

  • work with suppliers and customers, plan routes and schedule delivery times
  •  manage and organise training for supervisors, administrators and drivers
  •  manage contracts and make sure targets are met
  •  put together performance reports
  •  make sure drivers follow regulations and arrange vehicle maintenance, MOTs and tax payments

Skills needed

  • customer service skills
  • business management skills 
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • leadership skills
  • knowledge of transport methods, costs and benefits
  • the ability to work well with others
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Entry requirements

You might need to get a Certificate of Professional Competence if you're the operator of a haulage or transport business. This is known as a Driver CPC.

How to get into this role

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly

Career progression

With experience, you could specialise in rail, sea or air transport.

You could also move into transport planning and consultancy.