jobfacts

Managers in transport and distribution

SOC 2020 1241

Managers in transport and distribution plan, organise, and co-ordinate the activities and resources necessary for the safe, efficient and economic movement of passengers and freight by road, rail, sea and air transport.

Also calledRoad transport managerManagerProcessing managerFleet managerDelivery office managerOperations managerand 87 more titles
Typical full-time pay£47,5002025 Provisional
People in the job86,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month1,300↓ 0.7%on last year · 154th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time managers in transport and distribution earn between £38,000 and £63,000 a year.

What full-time managers in transport and distribution earn, 2025
£47,500 typical£30,100lowest 10%£38,00025%£67,400top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£38,000–£63,000)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£30,100
Lowest 20% earn less than£35,600
25%£38,000
Median£47,500
75%£63,000
Top 20% earn more than£67,400
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £47,500
Yorkshire and The Humber!£49,100
East Midlands!£48,200
Scotland!£47,500
West Midlands!£46,200
North West!£46,000
North East!£45,900
East of England!£43,600
South East!£43,400
South West!£41,500
LondonNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £47,500
Yorkshire and The Humber£49,100 (small sample)
East Midlands£48,200 (small sample)
Scotland£47,500 (small sample)
West Midlands£46,200 (small sample)
North West£46,000 (small sample)
North East£45,900 (small sample)
East of England£43,600 (small sample)
South East£43,400 (small sample)
South West£41,500 (small sample)
LondonNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £41,800
  • 2024 £44,900
  • 2025 Provisional£47,500
↑ 14% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,300 jobs for managers in transport and distribution are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,428
Jul 20261,322
Jun 20261,413
May 20261,328
Apr 20261,289
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20261,166
Jan 20261,329
Dec 2025670
Nov 20251,267
Oct 20251,366
Sept 20251,328
Aug 20251,227
Jul 20251,340
Jun 20251,344
May 20251,430
Apr 20251,151
Mar 20251,544
Feb 20251,245
Jan 20251,179
Dec 2024688
Nov 20241,333
Oct 20241,533
Sept 20241,541
Aug 20241,591
Jul 20241,620
Jun 20241,581
May 20241,647
Apr 20241,726
Mar 20241,473
Feb 20241,352
Jan 20241,641
Dec 20231,124
Nov 20231,304
Oct 20231,585
Sept 20231,419
Aug 20231,511
Jul 20231,574
Jun 20232,110
May 20231,761
Apr 20231,430
Mar 20231,561
Feb 20231,526
Jan 20231,834
Dec 20221,539
Nov 20221,955
Oct 20222,118
Sept 20222,103
Aug 20222,215
Jul 20222,355
Jun 20222,589
May 20222,524
Apr 20222,110
Mar 20222,479
Feb 20222,617
Jan 20222,514
Dec 20211,923
Nov 20212,113
Oct 20212,407
Sept 20212,303
Aug 20212,079
Jul 20212,283
Jun 20212,147
May 20211,835
Apr 20211,537
Mar 20212,011
Feb 20211,248
Jan 20211,215
Dec 20201,026
Nov 20201,193
Oct 20201,477
Sept 20201,530
Aug 20201,345
Jul 20201,584
Jun 2020887
May 2020626
Apr 2020788
Mar 20201,356
Feb 20201,736
Jan 20201,549
Dec 20191,084
Nov 20191,453
Oct 20191,666
Sept 20191,546
Aug 20191,573
Jul 20191,882
Jun 20191,821
May 20191,682
Apr 20191,266
Mar 20191,489
Feb 20191,429
Jan 20191,636
Dec 20181,078
Nov 20181,450
Oct 20181,709
Sept 20181,651
Aug 20181,542
Jul 20181,700
Jun 20181,685
May 20181,585
Apr 20181,444
Mar 20181,578
Feb 20181,416
Jan 20181,806
Dec 20171,275
Nov 20171,746
Oct 20171,579
Sept 20171,823
Aug 20171,833
Jul 20171,684
Jun 20172,457
May 20171,931
Apr 20171,715
Mar 20171,957
Feb 20171,768
Jan 20172,078
Is there a shortage of managers in transport and distribution?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was not high.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
24%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for other managers and proprietors, which includes managers in transport and distribution. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London581
Manchester115
Birmingham101
Bristol, City of68
Leeds68
Glasgow City51
Nottingham39
West Northamptonshire38
Liverpool37
Belfast34
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where managers in transport and distribution are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 134 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from India, China, United States, ranking it 90th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of managers in transport and distribution
2%!
15%!
26%
30%
23%!
4.4%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–242% (small sample)
25–3415% (small sample)
35–4426%
45–5430%
55–6423% (small sample)
65+4.4% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent25%
Higher education below degree!6.5%
A levels or equivalent25%
GCSEs or equivalent28%
Other qualifications!5.6%
No qualifications!4.2%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent25%
Higher education below degree6.5% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent25%
GCSEs or equivalent28%
Other qualifications5.6% (small sample)
No qualifications4.2% (small sample)

Main employers: freight transport by road (9.9%), postal activities under universal service obligation (6.5%), warehousing and storage (4.6%), passenger rail transport, interurban (4.4%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
25%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
GCSEs or equivalent
held by 28%
Apprenticeships
4
from level 4, including degree apprenticeships
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 3 years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in any subject to become a road transport manager.

You might have an advantage if you study:

  • logistics
  • supply chain management
  • transport management
  • business management

You can also do a postgraduate course.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
More about this route
Graduate scheme

Once you have finished university, you could apply for a place on a graduate transport management trainee scheme.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship with a road transport company.

This will give you some of the skills and knowledge you need to work as an assistant transport manager in areas like retail or fast moving consumer goods, for example food and drink.

If you're working for a passenger transport company, you might be able to do a Passenger Transport Operations Manager Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start with a transport company as a HGV driver, depot supervisor or transport clerk. You might then move into a road transport manager's job through training and promotion.

Apply directly

You could apply directly for road transport manager jobs. You'll be expected to have experience and qualifications in road transport, warehouse management or logistics.

What you’ll need

  • have a Transport Manager Certificate of Professional Competence to be a road haulage or passenger transport operator

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You'll find road transport manager roles in the private and public sector and in industries such as retail, engineering and passenger transport.

You'll find it useful to have:

  • a good knowledge of the UK road network
  • an understanding of transport rules and regulations
  • experience of using transport management software
Professional and industry bodies

You can join the The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and United Kingdom Warehousing Association(UKWA) for professional recognition and training opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in road transport from:

  • Generation Logistics
  • United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA)
  • Transport Planning Society

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for road transport manager. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

4 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • plans the optimum utilisation of staff and operating equipment, and co-ordinates maintenance activities to ensure least possible disruption to services
  • co-ordinates the transportation of passengers, the movement, handling and storage of freight in transit, and reviews space utilisation, staffing and distribution expenditure to determine future distribution policies
  • ensures that regulations regarding hours of work, the licensing of crews and transport equipment, the operational safety and efficiency of equipment, the insurance of vehicles and other statutory regulations are complied with
  • ensures that harbour channels and berths are maintained and liaises with ship owners, crew, customs officials, dock and harbour staff to arrange entry, berthing and servicing of ships
  • supervises day-to-day activities in a railway station
  • arranges for maintenance of airport runways and buildings, liaises with fuel and catering crews to ensure adequate supplies and resolves any complaints and problems raised by airport users

Skills

  • manage staff
  • give instructions to staff
  • have computer literacy
  • use different communication channels
  • apply airport standards and regulations
  • comply with legal regulations
  • encourage teams for continuous improvement
  • improve rail service delivery
  • liaise with transportation companies
  • perform market research
  • perform project management
  • provide assistance to a variety of airport users
  • work in an aviation team
  • write work-related reports

Knowledge

  • airport environmental regulations
  • financial capability
  • health and safety measures in transportation
  • project management
  • transportation methods
  • airport operating environment
  • airspace system block upgrades
  • air traffic management

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for other managers and proprietors, a group of 22 jobs that includes managers in transport and distribution.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 43%about 494,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.3 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service 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. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

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