Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators supervise and coordinate activities of truck drivers, bus drivers, delivery drivers, subway and other transit operators, chauffeurs, taxi and limousine drivers.
This group includes bus dispatchers who coordinate the activities of transit system bus drivers, and subway traffic controllers who operate and monitor signal and track switch control panels.
People in this group are responsible for safe, reliable, customer-focused transportation service. They work for motor transportation and ground transit companies, and urban transit systems.
Job Titles
Duties
In general, supervisors in this group:
- Supervise and schedule workers who operate trucks, buses, subway trains, light rail transit, street cars, taxis and other transport vehicles
- Set up methods to meet work schedule needs and may coordinate with other units
- Solve work problems, respond to incidents and recommend ways to improve performance
- Train staff in job duties, safety procedures and company policies
- Manage day-to-day employee and labour relations
- Recommend staffing actions such as hiring and promotions
- Dispatch bus drivers and monitor routes to make sure schedules are met
- Monitor and operate signal and track switch control panel of subway systems
- Prepare work reports and budgets, and monitor expenditures
- Order materials and supplies
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
1,325% Employed Full Time
69%Work takes place in a controlled indoor setting as well as outdoors, so workers may be exposed to various weather conditions.
Career Pathways
There is little movement between occupations in the different transportation sectors of this group.
Movement into other managerial positions is possible with training and experience.
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
A secondary (high) school certificate is usually required.
Several years of experience as a driver or operator of motor transport or ground transit equipment is usually required.
A post-secondary certificate in areas such as organizational behaviour, supervisory skills, labour relations and interpersonal skills is beneficial.
Education programs in B.C.
Top Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
1,325Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 75 | 5.7% |
| Kootenay | 20 | 1.5% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 920 | 69.7% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 20 | 1.5% |
| Northeast | 20 | 1.5% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 100 | 7.6% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 165 | 12.5% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2025-2035)
560Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2025-2035)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 20 | -0.3% |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 420 | 1.0% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 30 | 0.0% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 80 | 1.2% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2025-2035) |
|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 390 |
| Wholesale Trade | 30 |
| Construction | 20 |
| Business, Building and Other Support Services | 20 |
| Public Administration | 20 |
Resources
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BC Transit – Careerswww.bctransit.com/careers
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TransLink – Careerswww.translink.ca/About-Us/Careers