What Is a Logistics Supervisor

What Is a Logistics Supervisor? Logistics supervisors make sure the right items ship out. George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images. Related Articles. 1 The Average Starting Salary for Logistics Supervisor 2 What Is a Logistics Agent? 3 What Is a Logistics & Operations Manager? 4 Job Requirements for a Logistics Manager. Logistics departments play an essential role in American, and global, society. Basically, logistic agents ensure that the right items arrive where they need to be at the right time. This is true in many industries, including trucking, warehouses, retail stores and the military. Logistics supervisors carry the weight of this responsibility daily. How Logistics Works. There are two sides to logistics -- those who order what they need, such as retail stores, and those who fill and ship the orders, such as wholesale warehouses. Both sides might exist in the same business. A warehouse, for example, might buy product from vendors and keep it in stock until it's ordered by a retail store. You must understand more than just what items need to get out; you need knowledge of transportation services and the ability to create a backup plan when problems occur. Customer service is key because people like to do business with other people they like. Building strong relationships with vendors and customers helps your company grow, but the only way to maintain these relationships is to order and ship the right items on time. Role of the Supervisor. Logistics supervisors fill many roles in their departments. As the department leader, they manage daily personnel functions including training, hiring and firing. They typically deal with the financial side of logistics more than the packing and shipping side. For example, the supervisor might analyze the cost effectiveness of using one transportation company over another, or he might handle the ordering side by investigating new vendors and researching whether the item is worth keeping in stock. The supervisor sets the overall logistics plan, giving employees tasks, timelines and checklists to ensure the supply chain flows smoothly. As a logistics supervisor, you must have a powerful attention to detail. With hundreds, or sometimes thousands, of items moving through your department weekly, your strong computer skills help you keep track of inventory, ordering needs and returns on investment. Strong management skills allow you to keep your department running smoothly, ensuring it's always fully staffed with knowledgeable professionals. Being personable helps you relate to your customers, vendors and staff, so strong communication skills are key. Outlook and Salary. As more companies learn the value of having dedicated logistics departments in an increasingly global economy, the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics expects the industry to continue growing. The Bureau estimates faster-than-average growth of 26 percent from 2010 to 2020. The median salary for a logistics professional is $72,780, according to the May 2012 Bureau report. The top 10 percent of logistics professionals earned more than $112,100 in 2012. References (5) About the Author. Based outside Atlanta, Ga., Shala Munroe has been writing and copy editing since 1995. Beginning her career at newspapers such as the "Marietta Daily Journal" and the "Atlanta Business Chronicle," she most recently worked in communications and management for several nonprofit organizations before purchasing a flower shop in 2006. She earned a BA in communications from Jacksonville State University.