Shipping Manager Job Description Templates for Small Operations
6 free templates for the businesses that ship without an HR department: standard, shipping and receiving, e-commerce fulfillment, manufacturing and export, working supervisor, and first hire. Download as DOCX.
The first shipping manager posting I helped rewrite came from a small distributor whose owner could not understand why every applicant looked like a warehouse associate. The posting said the manager would coordinate shipping activities and ensure timely delivery. It never said whether the person negotiated carrier rates or packed the boxes, so the resumes arrived for both jobs at once.
That ambiguity is the whole problem with this title. Shipping manager can mean a department head who owns freight spend across a distribution network, or the one person at a ten-employee business who tapes cartons in the morning and calls carriers in the afternoon. The pay, the qualifications, and the overtime classification are different in each case.
Outbound volume keeps making the hire more urgent. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated e-commerce retail sales of $326.7 billion in the first quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted, or 16.9 percent of total retail sales, which is a lot of parcels leaving a lot of small buildings.
At FirstHR we write hiring templates for companies without an HR department. The six below cover a standard distribution role, a combined shipping and receiving manager, e-commerce fulfillment, manufacturing and export, a working supervisor, and a first shipping hire, each with the classification note the generic versions leave out.
TL;DR
A shipping manager owns outbound flow: carrier selection, freight cost, documentation, and the packing and loading team. The federal executive exemption requires a management primary duty, two or more full-time direct reports, hiring authority, and a salary of at least $684 a week, so most working shipping leads are non-exempt. Six templates below, downloadable as DOCX.
What Does a Shipping Manager Do?
A shipping manager owns everything that leaves the building. That means the outbound schedule, carrier and service selection, freight cost, shipping documentation, and the people who pick, pack, and load. Everything else on the job description is a variation on those five.
The variation is large enough to matter. Four settings hire this title, and a template written for one of them will mislead candidates for the other three. Pick the one that matches your building before you write a word.
Distribution or wholesale
Freight cost is the job
Outbound LTL and truckload, carrier rate negotiation, bills of lading, and dock scheduling. The manager is measured on freight cost per order and on-time shipment, and the biggest wins come from rate audits and load consolidation.
E-commerce fulfillment
Parcel volume and peak
Carrier mix, rate shopping, dimensional weight, cutoff times, returns, and a seasonal staffing plan. Volume swings hard, so the manager who cannot staff and pace a peak is the wrong hire regardless of resume.
Manufacturing and export
Documentation is the job
Finished goods release, export paperwork, customs broker coordination, and hazmat handling for regulated products. A documentation error here holds a container, not a package, and the cost shows up immediately.
Small business first hire
Builder, then manager
One person who packs the orders, picks the carriers, writes the procedure, and later hires into it. Almost always non-exempt at the start, because there is no team to direct and the day is hands-on shipping work.
Write the Volume Into the First Paragraph
The fastest way to fix a shipping manager posting is to open with numbers instead of adjectives. Shipments per day, channel mix, dock doors, team size, and the software you run tell a qualified candidate more in one line than three paragraphs of responsibilities. A candidate who runs a parcel operation at four thousand orders a day will not apply to a two hundred order operation once you say so, and that is the point.
Shipping Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The duty list breaks into six areas, and every shipping manager job description should cover all six even when your operation weights them differently. Skipping an area is how you end up with a manager who is strong on the dock and blind to freight invoices.
Duty area
What it looks like day to day
How you measure it
Outbound planning
Order release, wave or batch scheduling, staging, load sequencing, cutoff management
On-time dispatch, orders shipped per shift
Carrier management
Carrier and service selection, rate negotiation, routing guide compliance, appointment scheduling
Freight cost per order, on-time delivery
Documentation
Bills of lading, packing lists, advance ship notices, commercial invoices, certificates of origin
Documentation error rate, chargebacks
Accuracy and quality
Verification, packing standards, damage prevention, returns and reship handling
Order accuracy, damage rate, claim volume
Cost control
Freight invoice audits, accessorial and surcharge review, packaging and dimensional weight
Cost per shipment, audit recovery
People and safety
Scheduling, training, coaching, dock safety, forklift and equipment discipline
Turnover, recordable incidents, overtime hours
Two of those areas get left out of most postings. Freight invoice auditing is the one with the fastest payback, because parcel and LTL invoices carry surcharges and accessorial charges that nobody checks at a small company. Returns is the other, and in e-commerce it is a real workload rather than an afterthought.
Shipping Manager vs Warehouse, Logistics, and Transportation Manager
These four titles overlap constantly, and the difference is scope rather than seniority. A shipping manager owns outbound. A warehouse manager owns the building. A logistics manager owns the network. A transportation manager owns the fleet or the carrier base.
Title
Owns
Hire this one when
Shipping manager
Outbound flow, carriers, freight cost, documentation, dock team
Orders leave late, freight cost is unmanaged, or documentation errors cause chargebacks
Warehouse manager
The whole building: receiving, storage, inventory, equipment, safety, labor
Inventory accuracy, space, and total labor cost are the pressure points
Logistics manager
The end-to-end network: inbound, outbound, warehousing, and third parties
You coordinate multiple sites, providers, or modes
Transportation manager
Fleet or carrier base, routing, drivers, and regulated compliance
You run your own trucks or a large dedicated carrier program
Shipping supervisor
One shift of the shipping team, hands-on
You need a working lead rather than a department head
Shipping clerk
Individual shipments, documentation, and data entry
Choose by operation type first and by seniority second. The classification note differs across the six because the honest answer differs, and that note is the part most template libraries skip entirely.
If none of the six matches the role you have in mind, the rest of our hiring templates cover the adjacent warehouse, inventory, and logistics jobs that small operations hire alongside this one.
Shipping Manager (Standard)
Outbound dock, full ownership
The general version for a distributor or wholesaler: carrier selection, freight spend, documentation, and a supervised shipping team.
Shipping and Receiving Manager
Both sides of the dock
For operations where inbound and outbound are one job, with receipt verification, inventory accuracy, and dock-to-stock time built in.
E-commerce Fulfillment
Parcel volume and peak
For direct-to-consumer parcel operations: carrier mix, invoice audits, dimensional weight, returns, and a seasonal staffing plan.
Manufacturing and Export
Documentation heavy
For plants shipping finished goods and export freight, with customs paperwork, broker coordination, and hazmat training obligations named.
Shipping Supervisor
Working lead, non-exempt
For a shift lead who directs the team and packs alongside it, written as hourly on purpose because that is what the duties test produces.
Small Business First Hire
Build it, then run it
For your first dedicated shipping person: hands-on packing, carrier setup, written procedures, and an honest classification note.
6 Shipping Manager Job Description Templates
Download all six as one file or copy them individually. Each follows the same structure: company overview, position summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications, a classification note, an equal opportunity statement, and compensation with how to apply. The bracketed fields are the only parts you rewrite.
Download All 6 Shipping Manager Job Description Templates
Standard, shipping and receiving, e-commerce fulfillment, manufacturing and export, working supervisor, and small business first hire. All in one download.
Template 1: Shipping Manager (Standard)
The general version for a distributor or wholesaler: carrier selection, freight spend, documentation, and a supervised shipping team.
Shipping Manager Job Description (Standard)
SHIPPING MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Operations Manager / Warehouse Manager / Owner]
Direct reports: [number] shipping associates, packers, and [forklift operators]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (executive) if the duties test is met; see classification note
Compensation: $_ per year
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[Company Name] is a [distributor / manufacturer / wholesaler] in [City, State]
shipping roughly [number] orders per [day / week] to [customers / retailers /
distributors] across [region]. We are hiring a Shipping Manager to own the
outbound dock end to end.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Shipping Manager runs outbound operations: schedules and stages orders,
selects carriers and services, controls freight spend, keeps shipping
documentation accurate, and supervises the shipping team so orders leave
complete and on time.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Plan the daily outbound schedule and set pick, pack, and load priorities
•Select carriers and service levels against cost, transit time, and commitments
•Negotiate and audit carrier rates, accessorial charges, and freight invoices
•Own shipping documentation: bills of lading, packing lists, ASNs, and
[commercial invoices / certificates of origin] where applicable
•Supervise, schedule, and train [number] shipping team members
•Track on-time shipment, order accuracy, damage, and cost per order
•Investigate short shipments, damage claims, and delivery exceptions
•Maintain shipping supplies, equipment, and dock staging areas
•Enforce dock safety rules, including powered industrial truck operation
•Partner with [customer service / sales / production] on ship dates
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] years in shipping, warehouse, or distribution operations
•[Number] years supervising an hourly team
•Working knowledge of LTL, parcel, and [truckload] shipping practices
•Experience with [WMS / ERP / carrier rating software: name yours]
•Comfortable with carrier portals, rate shopping, and freight claims
•[High school diploma / associate degree / bachelor’s degree: set your bar]
•Able to lift [pounds] and to spend the day on a warehouse floor
CLASSIFICATION NOTE (read before posting)
Do not assume the title makes this role exempt. The federal executive exemption
requires a primary duty of management, the customary direction of two or more
full-time employees or the equivalent, real authority over hiring and firing or
weight given to that recommendation, and a salary at or above the current
federal threshold of $684 per week ($35,568 per year), with any higher state
threshold controlling. A working shipping manager who spends most of the day
picking, packing, and loading is non-exempt and owed overtime past forty hours
in a week. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per year, [bonus structure], [benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 2: Shipping and Receiving Manager
For operations where inbound and outbound are one job, with receipt verification, inventory accuracy, and dock-to-stock time built in.
Shipping and Receiving Manager Job Description
SHIPPING AND RECEIVING MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Warehouse Manager / Operations Manager / Owner]
Direct reports: [number] across shipping, receiving, and [inventory]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (executive) if the duties test is met; see classification note
Compensation: $_ per year
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Company Name] runs a [square footage] facility with [number] dock doors moving
both inbound and outbound freight. We are hiring a manager to own both sides of
the dock, because in an operation our size they are one job, not two.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Shipping and Receiving Manager directs inbound and outbound dock activity,
verifies what arrives against purchase orders, controls what leaves against
customer orders, keeps inventory records accurate, and supervises the dock team.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Schedule inbound appointments and outbound pickups across [number] dock doors
•Verify receipts against purchase orders and record discrepancies same day
•Direct putaway, staging, and load sequencing
•Own outbound documentation and inbound receiving records
•Reconcile physical counts to system quantities and lead [cycle counts]
•Supervise, schedule, and train the shipping and receiving team
•File and pursue carrier claims for damage, shortage, and loss
•Track dock-to-stock time, receipt accuracy, and on-time shipment
•Enforce dock safety, trailer chocking, and lockout procedures
•Escalate supplier quality and packaging problems to [purchasing]
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] years in a combined shipping and receiving environment
•Supervisory experience with an hourly warehouse team
•Strong inventory accuracy discipline and comfort with counts and audits
•Experience with [WMS / ERP: name yours] and carrier portals
•Forklift certified or able to certify under our program within [days]
•[High school diploma / associate degree: set your bar]
CLASSIFICATION NOTE
Classify on the actual day, not the title. If the manager spends most of the
week unloading trailers, staging pallets, and running a forklift, the primary
duty is not management and the role is non-exempt, meaning hourly and entitled
to overtime past forty hours. Track hours for anyone non-exempt from the first
week rather than reconstructing them later. This is general information, not
legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per year, [bonus structure], [benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Still Using Spreadsheets for Onboarding?
Automate documents, training assignments, task management, and track onboarding progress in real time.
For direct-to-consumer parcel operations: carrier mix, invoice audits, dimensional weight, returns, and the seasonal staffing plan that carries you through peak.
•[Number] years managing high-volume parcel or fulfillment operations
•Track record cutting cost per shipment or improving on-time dispatch
•Fluency with [shipping platform] and carrier APIs or portals
•Experience scaling a team through a seasonal peak
•Comfort with spreadsheets, rate tables, and invoice audits
•[High school diploma / bachelor’s degree: set your bar]
CLASSIFICATION NOTE
Seasonal peak makes classification expensive to get wrong, because that is when
the hours run longest. If the manager is on the pack line for most of the week
during peak, the primary duty test is not met for those weeks. Temporary and
seasonal packers are non-exempt without exception, so track their hours and pay
overtime past forty in a week. Confirm state daily overtime rules if you operate
where they apply. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per year, [peak bonus], [benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 4: Manufacturing and Export Shipping Manager
For plants shipping finished goods and export freight, with customs documentation, broker coordination, and hazmat training obligations named explicitly.
Manufacturing and Export Shipping Manager Job Description
MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT SHIPPING MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Plant Manager / Operations Director]
Direct reports: [number] shipping associates and [material handlers]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (executive) if the duties test is met; see classification note
Compensation: $_ per year
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Company Name] manufactures [product] in [City, State] and ships [domestically
/ to customers in [countries]]. We are hiring a Shipping Manager who can move
finished goods off the floor and through the paperwork that international and
regulated freight requires.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Shipping Manager coordinates finished goods shipping from the production
floor, arranges domestic and export freight, prepares and verifies shipping and
customs documentation, and supervises the shipping team.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Coordinate finished goods release from production to the shipping dock
•Book domestic LTL, truckload, and [ocean / air] export freight
•Prepare and verify commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin,
and [export declarations] with our [freight forwarder / customs broker]
•Apply [HTS classification / country of origin marking] with [trade compliance]
•Manage hazardous materials shipping paperwork, marking, labeling, and
placarding for the classes we ship
•Keep hazmat employee training current for everyone whose job touches a
regulated shipment
•Supervise, schedule, and train the shipping team
•Track on-time shipment, freight cost per unit, and documentation error rate
•Coordinate returns, rework shipments, and [warranty] replacements
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] years in manufacturing shipping or export logistics
•Working knowledge of export documentation and [Incoterms]
•Hazmat shipping training current, or willing to complete ours within [days]
•Experience with [ERP: name yours] and freight forwarder portals
•Supervisory experience on a plant floor
•[High school diploma / associate degree / bachelor’s degree: set your bar]
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Two things to get right before posting. First, classification: the executive
exemption requires a primary duty of management, direction of two or more
full-time employees or the equivalent, and genuine hiring authority or
recommendations given particular weight. A working manager on the floor most of
the week is non-exempt. Second, hazmat: federal rules require every hazmat
employee to be trained, tested, and recertified on a recurring cycle, with
records kept, and the definition of hazmat employee reaches anyone who prepares,
packages, labels, or loads a regulated shipment, not only the person who signs
the paperwork. Confirm your obligations with the applicable federal agency and
your carrier. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per year, [bonus structure], [benefits summary]
For a shift lead who directs the team and packs alongside it. Written as hourly and non-exempt on purpose, because that is what the duties test produces for a working lead.
Reports to: [Shipping Manager / Warehouse Manager / Owner]
Direct reports: [number] shipping associates on the [shift] shift
Employment type: Full-time, [shift and hours]
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly, overtime-eligible) unless the duties test is
clearly met
Compensation: $_ per hour
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Company Name] needs a lead on the [shift] shift who directs the shipping team
and works alongside it. This is a hands-on role: you will run the board and also
pack, stage, and load when the volume demands it.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Shipping Supervisor assigns and paces work on the shift, verifies outbound
accuracy, handles exceptions, coaches the team on standards and safety, and
performs shipping work directly alongside the crew.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Assign daily work and set the pace against the [time] cutoff
•Verify outbound orders, documentation, and load accuracy
•Pick, pack, stage, and load freight alongside the team
•Operate a [forklift / pallet jack] as certified
•Train new associates on packing standards, scanning, and safety
•Log exceptions, damage, and shortages and escalate them
•Complete shift handover notes and daily production counts
•Enforce housekeeping, PPE, and dock safety rules
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] years in shipping, packing, or warehouse work
•[Number] year leading or training others, formally or informally
•Forklift certified or able to certify under our program within [days]
•Able to lift [pounds] repeatedly and stand for a full shift
•Accurate with scanners, labels, and paperwork under time pressure
•[High school diploma or equivalent]
CLASSIFICATION NOTE
This template is written as non-exempt on purpose. A working supervisor whose
primary duty is performing shipping work rather than managing does not meet the
executive exemption, no matter what the title says, and the fix is not a salary.
Pay hourly, track every hour worked including pre-shift and post-shift time,
and pay overtime past forty hours in a week plus any state daily overtime.
Rounding practices, unpaid meal breaks that get interrupted, and off-the-clock
cleanup are the three places small operations lose these cases. This is general
information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per hour, [shift differential], [overtime expectations]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 6: Shipping Manager, Small Business First Hire
For your first dedicated shipping person: hands-on packing, carrier setup, written procedures, and an honest note on why this role starts non-exempt.
Shipping Manager Job Description (Small Business First Hire)
SHIPPING MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION (SMALL BUSINESS FIRST HIRE)
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Owner / General Manager]
Direct reports: [none at first, growing to number]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: [Non-exempt to start; revisit once the team grows] (see note)
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Company Name] is a [number] person business in [City, State]. Shipping has
been handled by [the owner / whoever was free], and it no longer scales. This is
our first dedicated shipping hire: you will build the process, then run it, and
hire into it as volume grows.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Shipping Manager owns everything that leaves the building: packing
standards, carrier selection, freight cost, documentation, returns, and shipping
supplies, plus the written procedures that let the next person do the same job.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Pack and ship daily orders, personally, from day one
•Choose carriers and services and compare rates before every large shipment
•Set up and maintain carrier accounts, labels, and [shipping software]
•Write and keep current the packing and shipping procedures
•Manage shipping supply inventory and reorder points
•Handle returns, replacements, damage claims, and customer shipping questions
•Track shipping cost per order and on-time dispatch and report monthly
•Recommend equipment, layout, and software changes as volume grows
•Train and eventually supervise [number] shipping associates
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] years of hands-on shipping experience
•Comfortable owning a function without a manual to follow
•Confident with [shipping software / spreadsheets] and carrier portals
•Able to lift [pounds] and work on your feet all day
•Clear written communication for procedures and customer messages
•[High school diploma or equivalent]
CLASSIFICATION NOTE
A first shipping hire almost always starts non-exempt. There is no team to
direct yet, so the executive exemption is unavailable regardless of salary, and
the day is hands-on shipping work rather than management. Pay hourly, track
hours, and pay overtime past forty in a week. Revisit the classification in
writing once the person genuinely directs two or more full-time employees and
management has become the primary duty, and document the analysis at that point
rather than after a complaint. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year], [benefits summary], [growth path]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
FLSA Classification: The Title Is Not the Test
A shipping manager is exempt from overtime only when the role passes the executive duties test, and a large share of small business shipping managers do not. The exemption is decided by what the person actually does, not by the title on the offer letter or the fact that you pay a salary.
The federal regulation on the executive exemption sets four requirements that all have to be met together: a primary duty of managing the enterprise or a customarily recognized department, customarily and regularly directing the work of two or more full-time employees or the equivalent, authority to hire or fire or recommendations given particular weight, and a salary at or above the federal threshold. That threshold is $684 per week, which works out to $35,568 a year, and a higher state threshold controls where one exists.
The Two Failures Small Operations Repeat
The first is direct reports. A shipping manager who is the entire shipping department cannot meet the executive test at any salary, because there is nobody to direct. The second is primary duty. A manager who packs and loads most of the week is doing shipping work, not management, and a salary does not convert one into the other. Both failures mean the role is non-exempt: hourly, hours tracked, overtime past forty in a week. Fixing it before the hire costs nothing. Fixing it after a wage claim costs back pay and liquidated damages.
Shipping carries three compliance obligations that belong in the job description rather than in a first-week surprise: classification, hazardous materials training, and powered industrial truck certification. Each one has a rule that small operations routinely read too narrowly.
The title does not create the exemption
The federal executive exemption has four parts and a shipping manager has to clear all of them: a primary duty of managing the enterprise or a recognized department, customarily and regularly directing the work of two or more full-time employees or the equivalent, authority to hire and fire or recommendations given particular weight, and a salary at or above the federal floor of $684 per week, which is $35,568 a year. Any higher state salary threshold controls where you operate. The part small operations miss is the second one: a shipping manager with no direct reports cannot be exempt under this test at any salary. The part they get wrong most often is the first, because the honest primary duty of a manager who packs orders eight hours a day is packing orders. This is general information, not legal advice.
Hazmat training reaches more people than you think
Federal hazardous materials rules require every hazmat employee to receive general awareness, function-specific, safety, and security awareness training, to be tested, and to be retrained on a recurring cycle, with records kept for the duration of employment plus a defined period afterward. The definition of hazmat employee is broad: it covers anyone who prepares, packages, marks, labels, loads, or handles a regulated shipment, not only the person who signs the shipping paper. That sweeps in packers and forklift operators at a lot of small operations that assumed the rule applied to a single office role. If your catalog includes lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, adhesives, or compressed gases, name the requirement in the shipping manager job description and check the applicable federal regulation. This is general information, not legal advice.
Forklift certification is employer-issued, not portable
Powered industrial truck operator training under the federal safety standard is the employer’s obligation, and certification is site-specific and equipment-specific. A candidate who was certified at a previous employer does not arrive certified for your dock and your equipment. You must provide formal instruction, practical training, and an evaluation of performance in the workplace, then evaluate each operator at least once every three years, and retrain sooner after an accident, a near miss, an unsafe observation, or a change in equipment or conditions. Write the expectation into the posting as certification under our program within a set number of days, so nobody assumes a card from a prior job carries over, and keep the evaluation dates where you can find them during an inspection.
The classification decision affects the whole dock
Whatever you decide about the manager, the team below is almost entirely non-exempt: packers, pickers, loaders, drivers, and shipping clerks are hourly and owed overtime past forty hours in a week, plus daily overtime in the states that require it. That makes timekeeping a shipping department problem rather than a payroll afterthought. The three places small operations lose these cases are rounding practices that consistently favor the employer, meal breaks that get interrupted by an inbound trailer but stay unpaid, and pre-shift or post-shift work such as staging, cleanup, and equipment checks performed off the clock. Decide the rule, write it down, and enforce it the same way on the busy days as on the slow ones. This is general information, not legal advice.
The hazmat piece deserves a second look if you ship anything regulated. The federal hazmat employee training requirements apply to preparation, packaging, labeling, and loading, not only to the person who signs the shipping paper, and the recurring retraining cycle plus recordkeeping is the part that lapses quietly. Name it in the posting so candidates know it is part of the job.
Skills and Requirements Worth Listing
The strongest shipping manager postings list operational proof rather than adjectives. Years running shipping operations, years directing hourly people, the specific channels you use, and the specific systems you run beat any list of soft skills.
The facts that set expectations
Order or shipment volume per day
Channel mix: parcel, LTL, truckload, export
Team size and shift structure
Software you actually run
The parts that filter applicants
Whether the role is hands-on or purely supervisory
Carrier negotiation and invoice audit responsibility
Forklift certification expectation
Lifting and standing requirements, stated plainly
The parts that protect you
FLSA classification stated on the posting
Essential functions written as functions, not adjectives
Safety and certification requirements
Equal opportunity statement
The parts that win the hire
Pay, or a good-faith range where required
What the person owns outright
Who they report to and who reports to them
A named contact and a real response timeline
One requirement is worth stating even though it feels obvious: whether the role is hands-on. Say what proportion of the week is spent on the floor. It sets expectations, it filters correctly, and it gives you an honest written record of the primary duty if the classification is ever questioned. Our general guide to writing a job description covers the rest of the structure.
What to Pay a Shipping Manager
There is no federal occupation titled shipping manager, so benchmark against the two classifications that report the title. The gap between them is wide, and picking the right one is the whole exercise.
No Single Occupation Code Covers This Title
Shipping manager is listed as a reported job title under two classifications. In Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (SOC 11-3071), the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025) reports a national median annual wage of $107,230, with a tenth percentile of $65,120 and a ninetieth of $194,900. Under first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, the same survey reports a median of $62,890 a year, or $30.23 an hour (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates).
Use the manager figures when the role owns freight spend, carrier relationships, and a department. Use the supervisor figures when the role runs a shift and works alongside the crew. Most small business shipping manager jobs sit closer to the supervisor band than owners expect, which is another signal about how to classify them.
Classification (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
10th percentile
Median
90th percentile
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers (SOC 11-3071)
$65,120
$107,230
$194,900
First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers
$43,360
$62,890
$96,150
Production, planning, and expediting clerks (SOC 43-5061)
$40,080
$59,650
$86,000
Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks (SOC 43-5071)
$34,650
$45,260
$62,190
The clerk rows are there for a reason. If your posting describes a person who processes shipments and keeps records rather than one who directs a team and negotiates rates, you are hiring against the $45,260 median, not the $107,230 one, and calling it a manager role will not change the market. Publish a good-faith range where pay transparency laws apply.
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Hiring a Shipping Manager Without an HR Department
Small operation shipping hires fail in three predictable places: the posting is too generic to attract the right person, the role is called a manager but worked like a lead, and the process the new manager inherits exists only in somebody’s head. Each has a fix.
The posting is generic, so the applicants are wrong
A shipping manager posting that lists coordinates shipping activities and ensures timely delivery describes every version of the job and therefore none of them. The candidate who negotiates LTL rates for a distributor and the candidate who runs a parcel pack line through peak are different people with different resumes, and a generic posting brings you both plus a stack of warehouse associates. Put the numbers in: shipments per day, channel mix, team size, dock doors, software, and whether the person packs boxes or only directs the people who do. Specificity costs you volume and buys you fit, which is the trade a small operation should take every time, because screening a hundred wrong resumes is a week you do not have.
The role is called a manager but is paid and worked like a lead
This is the most expensive mistake in the category. An owner promotes the most reliable packer, calls the role shipping manager, moves the person to salary, and stops tracking hours, while the actual day stays hands-on shipping work with nobody reporting to the new manager. That fails the executive duties test on two counts at once, and the exposure is unpaid overtime plus liquidated damages going back years. Decide honestly which of the two roles you are hiring: a true manager who directs a team and owns carrier relationships, or a working lead who runs the shift and packs alongside it. Use the supervisor template for the second one, keep it hourly, and revisit the classification in writing when the job genuinely changes.
The new manager arrives and the process lives in one person’s head
Shipping knowledge in a small business is almost always undocumented: which carrier for which zone, which customer needs a routing guide followed, where the hazmat labels are, what the cutoff really is. The new manager spends six weeks rediscovering it instead of improving it. FirstHR was built for that gap. The onboarding wizard runs the same sequence for every hire, training modules carry dock safety and packing standards before the first shift, e-signature handles the handbook and safety acknowledgments, and document management stores forklift evaluations and hazmat training records against each employee profile with renewal dates attached. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a payroll provider.
Screen on three things and skip the rest. Has the candidate owned freight cost as a number they were accountable for? Have they run an operation through a volume swing, whether that is a seasonal peak or a large customer onboarding? Have they actually directed hourly people, including scheduling, coaching, and the difficult conversations? A scenario from your own dock will surface all three faster than a list of standard questions.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The shipping hire is the one where onboarding failures are visible within a week, because a new manager who has not been trained on your equipment and your carriers cannot ship anything. Front-load the safety and systems training rather than treating it as paperwork.
Build the sequence backward from the first shift: classification decision in writing, offer and acknowledgment signed, forklift training and evaluation completed under your program, hazmat training if it applies, dock safety orientation, then systems access. A repeatable onboarding checklist keeps that order stable across every hire instead of depending on who happened to be free that morning.
Key Takeaways
A shipping manager owns outbound flow: schedule, carriers, freight cost, documentation, and the packing and loading team, and the setting decides which of those dominates.
The executive exemption requires a management primary duty, two or more full-time direct reports, hiring authority, and a salary of at least $684 a week ($35,568 a year), with higher state thresholds controlling.
A shipping manager with no direct reports, or one who packs and loads most of the week, is non-exempt regardless of title or salary.
No Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation is titled shipping manager: it is reported under transportation, storage, and distribution managers at a $107,230 median and under first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers at $62,890 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Hazmat training reaches anyone who prepares, packages, labels, or loads a regulated shipment, and forklift certification is employer-issued and site-specific rather than portable.
Put shipments per day, channel mix, team size, systems, and the proportion of hands-on work into the posting: specificity costs volume and buys fit.
Shipping hires arrive with a stack of certifications and acknowledgments attached. FirstHR runs the same onboarding sequence for every one of them, with e-signature for offers and safety acknowledgments, training modules delivered before the first shift, and document storage that keeps forklift evaluations and hazmat training records against each employee profile with renewal dates attached. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a shipping manager do?
A shipping manager owns everything that leaves the building: the outbound schedule, carrier selection and freight cost, shipping documentation, and the team that packs and loads. In a distribution or wholesale setting the job centers on LTL and truckload freight, bills of lading, dock scheduling, and rate negotiation. In e-commerce it centers on parcel carrier mix, rate shopping, dimensional weight, cutoff times, returns, and staffing a seasonal peak. In manufacturing it centers on finished goods release plus export and hazmat documentation. The common core across all three is cost per shipment, on-time dispatch, order accuracy, and damage rate. At a small business the same person usually also packs the orders, which is the detail that decides how you classify and pay the role.
Is a shipping manager exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
It depends on duties, not on the title or the salary. The federal executive exemption requires all four of these: a primary duty of managing the enterprise or a recognized department, customarily and regularly directing the work of two or more full-time employees or the equivalent, authority to hire and fire or recommendations given particular weight, and a salary of at least $684 per week, which is $35,568 a year, with any higher state threshold controlling. A shipping manager with no direct reports fails the second test at any salary. A working manager who spends most of the week packing, staging, and loading fails the first. Both are non-exempt, meaning hourly and entitled to overtime past forty hours in a week. Decide honestly, document the analysis, and revisit it in writing when the job changes.
How much does a shipping manager make?
There is no Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation titled shipping manager, so benchmark against the two classifications that report it. Shipping manager appears as a reported job title under Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (SOC 11-3071), where the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025) puts the national median annual wage at $107,230, with the tenth percentile at $65,120 and the ninetieth at $194,900. It also appears under first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, where the same survey puts the median at $62,890 a year, or $30.23 an hour. The gap is the difference between a department head who owns freight spend and a working shift supervisor. Pick the classification that matches the actual scope of your role, then adjust for your metro and your volume.
What is the difference between a shipping manager and a warehouse manager?
Scope. A shipping manager owns the outbound flow: order release, packing, carrier selection, freight cost, documentation, and the loading dock. A warehouse manager owns the building: receiving, putaway, storage layout, inventory accuracy, equipment, safety, and usually shipping as one function among several. In a large operation the shipping manager reports to the warehouse manager. In a small one the two jobs are the same person, and the title you pick should reflect which side dominates the day. If freight spend, carrier relationships, and customer delivery promises are the pressure point, hire a shipping manager. If inventory accuracy, space, and labor across the whole building are the pressure point, hire a warehouse manager and let shipping be part of the scope.
What qualifications should a shipping manager have?
Prioritize demonstrated operational experience over credentials. Look for several years running shipping or warehouse operations, at least a year directing an hourly team, and working knowledge of the channels you actually use: parcel, LTL, truckload, or export freight. Fluency with your warehouse or enterprise system and with carrier portals matters more than a degree in most small operations. Forklift certification should be listed as required or as certifiable under your program within a set number of days, because certification is employer-issued and site-specific rather than portable. If you ship regulated goods, hazmat training is a hard requirement rather than a preference. For an export operation, add export documentation and customs broker coordination. State the lifting and standing requirements plainly, since hands-on work is the norm at small companies.
Should the job description say the shipping manager packs orders?
Yes, and be specific about how much. This is the single most useful sentence in the posting for both sides. Candidates who want a desk-and-dock management role screen themselves out, candidates who expect hands-on work arrive with the right expectation, and you get an honest record of the primary duty for classification purposes. Write it as a proportion rather than a hedge: expect to spend roughly sixty percent of the week on the floor packing and loading, for example. If the answer is most of the week, the executive exemption almost certainly does not apply and the role should be posted as hourly and non-exempt. Vagueness here is what produces the mismatch between a manager title, a salary, and a job that is really shift work.
How do I hire a shipping manager without an HR department?
Run a short fixed sequence and put the numbers in the posting. Start with shipments per day, channel mix, team size, software, and how hands-on the role is, then state the pay or a good-faith range where transparency rules apply. Screen on three things: freight cost ownership, peak or volume-swing experience, and whether the candidate has actually directed hourly people. Interview with a real scenario from your own dock rather than generic questions. Check references with a prior operations lead, not only HR. Then treat the paperwork as a checklist: offer, classification decision in writing, safety and forklift training before the first shift, hazmat training if it applies, and handbook acknowledgment. FirstHR runs that onboarding sequence with e-signature, document storage, and renewal tracking. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
