Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Vehicle Operations Supervisor

🎯 Role Definition

The Vehicle Operations Supervisor is responsible for leading and optimizing fleet operations to ensure safe, compliant, efficient and cost-effective movement of vehicles and drivers. This role supervises drivers and maintenance staff, enforces regulatory and company policies (DOT/FMCSA), manages preventive maintenance and repair programs, oversees route planning and dispatch, and drives continuous improvement through KPI monitoring, vendor management, and data-driven decision making. The ideal candidate blends hands-on fleet experience, strong leadership, and analytical skills to reduce downtime, control fuel and maintenance costs, and improve on-time performance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Fleet Coordinator / Fleet Administrator
Dispatcher or Senior Driver (CDL)
Maintenance Supervisor or Lead Technician

Advancement To:

Fleet Operations Manager
Regional Operations Manager
Director of Transportation / Director of Fleet Services

Lateral Moves:

Safety & Compliance Manager
Logistics / Distribution Center Supervisor

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Supervise day-to-day fleet operations including driver scheduling, dispatch coordination, and trip planning to achieve on-time delivery and route efficiency targets while minimizing overtime and empty miles.
Manage and develop a team of drivers, dispatchers and maintenance personnel by conducting recruiting, onboarding, performance reviews, coaching, and disciplinary actions to maintain high retention and performance standards.
Maintain full regulatory compliance with DOT/FMCSA, state and local transportation laws, including driver qualification files, hours-of-service records, CDL endorsements, drug & alcohol testing programs, and timely submission of logs and reports.
Oversee preventive maintenance programs and repair workflows to ensure fleet availability, extend vehicle life-cycle, reduce breakdowns, and meet manufacturer and safety inspection schedules.
Coordinate with maintenance shops, third-party vendors and parts suppliers to negotiate contracts, monitor service level agreements (SLAs) and control repair and parts cost within budget.
Monitor and analyze fleet performance KPIs (uptime, utilization, on-time delivery, cost per mile, fuel consumption, accident rates) and implement corrective actions to meet operational targets.
Implement and enforce company safety policies and a proactive safety culture, conducting safety meetings, coaching drivers on defensive driving practices, and investigating incidents and near-misses to prevent recurrence.
Manage fuel procurement strategies and fuel card programs, monitor fuel consumption and fuel economy metrics, and implement fuel reduction initiatives such as route optimization and idle reduction.
Oversee GPS/telematics and asset-tracking systems to improve route planning, real-time dispatching, driver accountability, geofencing, and theft prevention.
Create, maintain and audit accurate fleet records (vehicle registrations, maintenance history, inspection logs, accident reports) ensuring audit readiness and clean compliance history.
Lead incident response and accident investigation processes, coordinating with insurance providers, legal, HR and safety teams to capture facts, support claims, and implement corrective actions.
Develop and manage the fleet operations budget, forecasting maintenance, fuel, licensing and replacement costs, and identify cost-saving opportunities without sacrificing safety or service levels.
Plan and execute vehicle replacement and lifecycle strategies including total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis, upfit requirements, specs, procurement and disposal of retired vehicles.
Design and deliver training programs for drivers and operations staff on regulatory compliance, safe driving, hours-of-service tools, defensive driving, and customer service expectations.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives using data analysis, root cause problem solving and cross-functional collaboration to reduce downtime, improve dispatch efficiency and streamline maintenance workflows.
Coordinate interdepartmental communication with customer service, warehouse, logistics, HR and finance to ensure alignment on service commitments, payroll, driver scheduling and operational costs.
Ensure readiness for regulatory audits and safety inspections by maintaining up-to-date policies, conducting mock audits, and remediating gaps promptly.
Manage vendor relationships for vehicle leasing, tire programs, roadside assistance and repair shops, ensuring competitive pricing and reliable service delivery.
Enforce inventory controls for spare parts and consumables, optimize stock levels to avoid delays in vehicle repairs, and implement cost-effective parts sourcing strategies.
Implement technology and process improvements such as transportation management systems (TMS), electronic logging devices (ELDs) and mobile driver apps to enhance efficiency and data visibility.
Maintain positive customer-facing presence for operations escalations, ensuring prompt resolution to service issues and communicating operational constraints to account managers.
Schedule and coordinate seasonal or surge capacity planning, including temporary drivers, rented vehicles or adjusted shift coverage to meet peak demand.
Drive diversity, inclusion and employee engagement initiatives within the operations team to build a resilient, motivated workforce aligned with company values.

Secondary Functions

Prepare and deliver weekly and monthly operational performance reports, dashboards and executive-level summaries highlighting trends, risks and recommended actions.
Support fleet procurement projects by writing vehicle specifications, evaluating bids, and coordinating pilot trials for new vehicle technologies (EVs, telematics upgrades).
Assist in developing long-term fleet strategy, sustainability targets (including electrification or alternative fuels), and capital planning for fleet replacement cycles.
Coordinate with HR to maintain driver hiring pipelines, manage licensing checks and support retention programs such as recognition and career development paths.
Participate in cross-functional continuous improvement teams to reduce cost per delivery, improve warehouse-to-vehicle handoffs, and optimize last-mile routing.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Fleet management and operations planning (route optimization, dispatch, utilization)
Knowledge of DOT/FMCSA regulations, hours-of-service (HOS) rules and driver qualification standards
Vehicle maintenance planning and lifecycle management, preventive maintenance programs
Experience with telematics/GPS systems, ELDs and fleet management software (TMS, Fleetio, Samsara, Geotab or equivalent)
Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data analysis) and experience with reporting tools / dashboards
Budgeting, cost control and total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis
Incident and accident investigation methodologies and claims coordination
Vendor and contract management (maintenance shops, leasing, fuel vendors)
Familiarity with safety management systems (SMS), OSHA regulations and workplace safety best practices
Experience creating training programs, safety briefings and driver coaching plans
Basic mechanical understanding of heavy and/or light-duty vehicles, preventive repair needs
Electronic logging device (ELD) administration and compliance reporting

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and people management with experience supervising multi-shift teams
Excellent communication skills: clear, concise reporting and effective stakeholder engagement
Problem solving and analytical thinking with a data-driven mindset
High attention to detail and strong organizational skills for recordkeeping and compliance
Customer service orientation and ability to manage escalations with poise
Resilience and ability to work under pressure during service interruptions or incidents
Coaching and development focus to build driver capability and improve safety behaviors
Negotiation and vendor relationship-building skills
Time management and prioritization in a fast-paced operational environment
Continuous improvement mindset and willingness to adopt new technologies

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED required. Valid CDL preferred or required depending on fleet type.

Preferred Education:

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Transportation Management, Mechanical Technology, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Transportation / Fleet Management
Business Administration / Operations Management
Automotive Technology / Mechanical Engineering
Occupational Safety and Health

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3 to 7 years of progressively responsible experience in fleet operations, transportation supervision, or maintenance management.

Preferred:

5+ years supervising drivers and maintenance teams; demonstrated experience with DOT compliance, telematics platforms and managing multi-million-dollar fleet budgets. Certifications such as Certified Transportation Professional (CTP), Fleet Management Certificate, OSHA 10/30, or equivalent are a plus.