Civil construction logistics manager job description
A civil construction logistics manager gets pipe, precast structures, stone, rebar and machines to the right job on the right day. They run the yard and the trucking schedule, buy and track materials, and keep the delivery records that public jobs ask for.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, heavy and civil construction · BLS, May 2025
Manage and optimize warehouse operations and logistics for civil and infrastructure projects. Oversee materials, heavy machinery distribution, and supply chain processes to ensure timely project delivery. Serve as a critical liaison between project teams, suppliers, and contractors to streamline operations.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develop and enforce inventory control procedures to maintain supply chain integrity.
Coordinate the receipt, storage, and distribution of materials and heavy machinery.
Organize and oversee transportation schedules to meet project deadlines.
Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and industry-specific regulations.
Manage vendor relationships and negotiate contracts to secure quality supplies at competitive rates.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Monitor and report on inventory levels, ensuring minimal shortages and surpluses.
Oversee daily logistics operations including loading, unloading, and movement of heavy machinery.
Communicate regularly with project managers regarding materials delivery and scheduling.
Utilize warehouse management systems to track and document supply chain activities.
Troubleshoot and resolve operational issues in real-time to minimize project delays.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Inventory Accuracy Rate: ≥ 98%.
On-Time Delivery Percentage: ≥ 95%.
Equipment Downtime Reduction: < 3% per month.
Cost Reduction in Logistics Expenses: ≥ 10% annually.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, or related field.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in warehouse management or logistics.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Proficient with warehouse management systems and ERP software.
Excellent communication and leadership abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the civil & infrastructure contracting industry.
Previous roles managing heavy machinery distribution or large-scale materials logistics.
Hands-on experience with safety and compliance in a warehouse environment.
Familiarity with Lean or Six Sigma methodologies.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs consistently.
Frequent walking, bending, and climbing in a warehouse setting.
Exposure to varying temperatures in large warehouse spaces.
Ability to work in environments with noise and operational machinery.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Occasional overtime required to meet project deadlines.
Regular attendance in on-site meetings and field inspections.
Minimal travel required between job sites and warehouses.
9. Compensation and Benefits
$70,000 - $90,000 USD per annum, based on experience.
Performance-based bonus structure available.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage.
401(k) plan with company match.
Paid time off and opportunities for professional development.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a forward-thinking organization committed to excellence in the civil and infrastructure contracting space.
Our company fosters a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and inclusivity.
We value personal growth and provide the training and resources needed for our team members to thrive.
Join us to be part of a dynamic team that is dedicated to innovation and superior service.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
This isn't a warehouse that ships boxes. Most of what moves is heavy, oversized or made to order, and a crew can't work until it shows up.
Federal-aid roads need American-made material
On federal-aid highway projects, FHWA's Buy America rule says iron and steel built into the work must be made in the United States at every step, coating included. Projects obligated since October 1, 2025 add manufactured products, like precast and signal gear, and a domestic component-cost test starts with projects obligated on or after October 1, 2026. The logistics manager collects supplier certifications as items arrive and files them by job and bid item. Source: 23 CFR 635.410: Buy America requirements for federal-aid highway projects (eCFR).
Machines ride on lowboys
Moving an excavator or dozer between jobs is a trucking job with its own rules. Federal cargo rules say a machine weighing 10,000 pounds or more needs at least four tiedowns, with buckets and blades lowered and secured. The logistics manager plans those moves and checks that drivers chain each machine the way the rule says. Source: 49 CFR 393.130: Securing heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery (Cornell LII).
Wide loads need state permits
Some machines and precast pieces are too wide, long or heavy for normal limits. FHWA says the federal government does not issue oversize or overweight permits; that's up to each state. So the manager learns each state's permit office and routes, and books moves around bridge and road limits instead of the crew's wish list. Source: FHWA: Oversize and overweight load permits.
Matching drivers to trucks
Federal rules put a truck and lowboy in Group A, the Class A CDL, once the two together carry a 26,001-pound rating or higher and the lowboy alone is rated above 10,000 pounds. A single dump truck rated 26,001 pounds or heavier, with no heavy trailer behind it, is Group B. The manager tracks which drivers hold which class before handing out loads. Source: 49 CFR 383.91: Commercial motor vehicle groups (Cornell LII).
Deliveries follow the crew's pace
A pipe crew can lay only so much pipe a day, and a lot full of structures nobody needs yet blocks the next load. The manager staggers deliveries to the crew's pace, stages stone and pipe near the trench, and pulls leftovers back to the yard before they get damaged or lost.
How much civil construction logistics managers make
The closest BLS group for civil construction logistics managers is transportation, storage, and distribution managers. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $103,990 a year ($49.99 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $107,230 median for transportation, storage, and distribution managers in all industries. About 1,070 of the 221,180 transportation, storage, and distribution managers in that survey work for heavy and civil construction.
Expect to pay a salary and the template's bonus, often keyed to freight spend, missed deliveries or yard safety. Few of the managers BLS counts work at heavy and civil contractors, and the code also covers big distribution center managers, so a one-yard contractor will likely land near the low end of this chart.
Heavy and civil construction
$103,990$103,990 median Middle half $80,600–$137,500 10th–90th $63,340–$174,940
All industries
$107,230$107,230 median Middle half $82,440–$146,770 10th–90th $65,120–$194,900
$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k$225k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Heavy and civil construction
$63,340
$80,600
$103,990
$137,500
$174,940
All industries
$65,120
$82,440
$107,230
$146,770
$194,900
BLS doesn’t publish pay for civil contractors on their own. These figures cover heavy and civil engineering construction, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has scheduled trucks and heavy hauls for a contractor, quarry or supplier
Knows pipe, precast, aggregate and rebar well enough to catch a wrong order
Keeps clean receiving records and supplier certifications
Plans equipment moves around permits and driver hours
Stays calm when three crews want the same truck
Teach these on the job
Your ERP or job cost system
Each public owner's material paperwork rules
Your state's oversize permit portal
Your yard layout and tagging system
Your purchasing approval limits
Expect an ERP or job cost system, a fleet tracking app and the state oversize permit portal. The yard usually has a loader or forklift and a ticket system for stone and fill, so the posting should say which of those the manager runs.
Civil construction logistics manager interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Finding equipment fast
A project needs a second excavator tomorrow, yours are all committed, and the usual rental house is out. What do you do?
A strong answer: Checks which committed machines could move without hurting another critical path, calls other rental sources, and gives the project manager options and costs.
Behavioral · Negotiating vendor contracts
Tell me about a vendor contract you negotiated for parts, rentals or trucking. What did you get?
A strong answer: Names terms they won, such as rental rate caps, delivery windows or parts discounts, how they compared bids, and how they checked the value later.
The template's targets assume steady volume. Civil work swings with the season, so line each month up against the same stretch of the prior year.
Inventory Accuracy Rate
Count pipe, fittings, structures and small tools in the yard against the system each month, and log what every mismatch cost.
On-Time Delivery Percentage
Deliveries that reached the job by the time the foreman asked for, from the delivery log, with supplier misses and in-house misses kept apart.
Equipment Downtime Reduction
Machine hours lost to late moves, missing parts or failed hauls, from telematics and the dispatch log, set against the prior year's figure for that month.
Cost Reduction in Logistics Expenses
Freight, hauling, rental and permit spend per job, tracked against the estimate. Count savings only once the work they covered is done.
What should the logistics manager check when pipe or precast arrives?
Count pieces against the delivery ticket, look for cracked bells, chipped joints and torn gaskets, and match the markings to the approved submittal before signing. Note any damage on the ticket, with photos, before the truck leaves, since a claim is harder once it's gone. Then tag the load by job so another crew doesn't grab it.
How much does a civil construction logistics manager make?
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $103,990 a year ($49.99 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $80,600 and $137,500 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
What does a civil logistics manager do in winter?
Where winters are cold, paving often stops and much of the earthwork slows. That is the time to count the whole yard, send back rentals, get trailers inspected and repaired, and line up supplier pricing for spring bids. Many managers also help the estimators price materials for the next season's public work.
Is the template's bachelor's degree needed?
The template asks for a degree in logistics or supply chain. In civil construction, many strong candidates came up as dispatchers, yard leads or supplier reps. If years running a contractor's yard count as much as the diploma to you, put that in the posting.
What records does a logistics manager keep on public jobs?
Delivery tickets, material certifications, supplier test reports and, on federal-aid highway jobs, the Buy America records for iron, steel and manufactured products. Keep them by job and bid item, since the project manager will need them for pay requests and closeout.
How is this role different from the inventory specialist?
The inventory specialist receives, counts and orders. The logistics manager decides what moves where and when, manages vendors and freight costs, and leads the yard team. A smaller contractor can fold the two together; once several crews run at once, the planning becomes a job of its own.
