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

People classed as First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators directly supervise and coordinate activities of material-moving machine and vehicle operators and helpers. The skills rated most useful are time management, management of personnel resources, and coordination. Expect to enforce safety rules and regulations. The strongest interest signal is Enterprising (5.2 of 7), then Conventional (4.8) and Realistic, which gives it the code ECR. Getting in usually takes one or two years of vocational training, an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree, a level O*NET calls medium preparation. The job can ask you to interpret transportation or tariff regulations, shipping orders, safety regulations, or company policies and procedures for workers. If you want leading, persuading and making business decisions, keep it on your list. If you need creative work with room for original expression, it may feel thin.

What they do

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of material-moving machine and vehicle operators and helpers.

Main tasks

  • Enforce safety rules and regulations.
  • Interpret transportation or tariff regulations, shipping orders, safety regulations, or company policies and procedures for workers.
  • Resolve worker problems or collaborate with employees to assist in problem resolution.
  • Confer with customers, supervisors, contractors, or other personnel to exchange information or to resolve problems.
  • Plan work assignments and equipment allocations to meet transportation, operations or production goals.
  • Examine, measure, or weigh cargo or materials to determine specific handling requirements.

Skills

  • Time Management
  • Management of Personnel Resources
  • Coordination
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Social Perceptiveness

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like taking the lead and making the call.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You are willing to put in a year or two of focused training.
  • You are comfortable relying on time management and management of personnel resources.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You need to start within a few months, with no training period.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ECR takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.

Preparation

Medium preparation. Expect vocational school, an apprenticeship, related experience or an associate’s degree, usually one or two years in total.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED). This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Cargo Manager
  • DC Supervisor (Distribution Center Supervisor)
  • Dock Supervisor
  • Driver Manager
  • Fleet Manager

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.