Nuclear freight coordinatorSalary, qualifications, career path and hiring demand, 2026 edition
A nuclear freight coordinator plans and controls the physical movement of radioactive and nuclear material once the package and technical transport basis are defined. The position is responsible for ensuring efficient coordination between the consignor, nuclear facilities, carrier, freight forwarder, package team, regulator, and consignee: booking road, rail, sea, or air transportation operations; checking Class 7 hazardous materials documentation; coordinating package availability, loading windows, customs, permits, and security; tracking shipments; and resolving disruption without breaking approved regulatory requirements. It is an operations-and-logistics management role, not a package-design or licensing-engineering role, working closely with multiple stakeholders to maintain compliance with federal law and nuclear industry procedures.
TRX models established US nuclear freight coordinators at roughly $65,000–$82,000 base, with senior coordinators at $78,000–$98,000 and leads above $90,000. BLS puts cargo and freight agents at a $52,260 median and logisticians at $82,320. A live US logistics coordinator role seeking radioactive-material / dangerous-goods experience pays $60,000–$90,000. In the UK, established nuclear freight coordination models at roughly £35,000–£45,000.
The gate is operational competence rather than an engineering licence. Employers look for dangerous-goods training, Class 7 documentation accuracy, freight-forwarding systems, carrier coordination, import/export knowledge, package and shipment checks, and confidence working with DGSA, radiation protection, security and technical package teams. DGSA certification, ADR/RID, IATA or IMDG training can materially strengthen the profile depending on mode and responsibility.
The role at a glance
everything an employer will ask about in the first fifteen minutes of a screening call.
- Also called
- Nuclear logistics coordinator · radioactive materials transport coordinator · freight operations coordinator · shipment coordinator · Class 7 logistics coordinator · transport operations coordinator · nuclear freight coordinator
- Entry qualification
- Degree is not always required. Strong routes include freight forwarding, logistics, transport operations, supply chain management, or nuclear-site administration with dangerous-goods exposure.
- Typical entry pay
- $55,000–$68,000 US TRX model · £30,000–£37,000 UK, with general freight roles below the nuclear-specialist ceiling.
- Senior pay
- $78,000–$98,000 US · £43,000–£55,000 UK. Team-lead and transport-operations management roles can move above $100,000 / £60,000.
- Contract day rates
- £250–£350/day experienced coordinator and £350–£450/day senior campaign support; US approximately $35–$70/hr depending on nuclear, multimodal and security responsibility.
- Professional gate
- No engineering licence. DGSA, ADR/RID, IATA Dangerous Goods, IMDG or equivalent modal training may be required or strongly preferred according to the employer’s duty-holder arrangement.
- Security
- Site vetting is common. Sensitive nuclear-material movements can add BPSS/SC/DV, DOE/NNSA suitability or clearance, secure route information controls and stricter chain-of-custody requirements.
- Where the work sits
- Nuclear transport organisations, freight operators, reactor sites, fuel-cycle companies, national laboratories, decommissioning programmes, waste organisations, medical-isotope supply chains, specialist forwarders, and procurement departments.
- Travel
- Moderate and assignment-dependent. Office coordination dominates, but loading points, ports, rail terminals, carrier depots, customs interfaces and high-profile shipment campaigns generate travel.
- Shift pattern
- Normally business hours with on-call or extended coverage around loading, departures, vessel/rail windows, delays and time-critical shipments. International freight can create early/late calls across time zones.
- TRX segments
- Nuclear transport · Operating fleet · Fuel cycle · Radioactive waste management · Decommissioning & dismantling · Nuclear medicine · supply chain management
six versions of the same job title
“nuclear freight coordinator” changes with mode, material and programme. The common boundary is operational control of the movement; technical package approval remains with package engineers and licensing specialists.
Spent-fuel rail coordination
Coordinates flask availability, site loading slots, rail paths, locomotive/wagon interfaces, documentation, security and receipt windows for spent-fuel movements. UK AGR defuelling is the clearest example, with NTS/DRS moving fuel from EDF stations to Sellafield.
Radioactive waste road freight
Plans packaged LLW, ILW, TRU or mixed-waste shipments by road between generation, treatment, characterisation and disposal facilities. Carrier qualification, vehicle readiness, shipping papers, route interfaces and receipt acceptance dominate.
International nuclear sea freight
Coordinates high-security maritime movements, port calls, cargo readiness, vessel schedules, customs, international approvals, escorts and handover between road/rail and ship. PNTL and NTS provide the clearest UK strategic capability.
Fresh fuel / uranium / HALEU logistics
Supports movements of uranium compounds, fresh fuel and emerging HALEU supply chains. The coordinator manages approved package use, carrier bookings, export/import requirements, security interfaces and delivery sequencing into fuel fabrication or reactor programmes.
Medical isotope / time-critical Class 7 freight
Runs high-frequency, time-sensitive radioactive-material shipments where flight booking, airport cut-offs, customs, package labelling and contingency routing matter as much as cost. Half-life and hospital delivery windows make delay management unusually important.
Transport control / campaign coordination
Supports major nuclear campaigns involving multiple sites, carriers, packages and modes. The role tracks readiness, hold points, stakeholder actions, contingency plans and live movement status rather than owning one routine shipment desk.
What the week actually looks like
a composite day for an experienced nuclear freight coordinator supporting routine radioactive-waste road shipments and an upcoming spent-fuel movement.
What nuclear freight coordinators are paid in 2026
There is no official salary series for “nuclear freight coordinator.” The ladder is a TRX market model anchored to BLS cargo/freight agents and logisticians, plus live dangerous-goods and radioactive-material logistics postings. Nuclear coordination usually sits above generic freight administration because compliance, security and shipment consequence are higher, but below package engineering and licensing salaries.
How nuclear freight coordination compares to adjacent roles
The nuclear line is a TRX market model, not an official occupation series. BLS cargo/freight agents anchor the transactional end of the work; logisticians anchor more analytical logistics roles. Nuclear Class 7, security and multimodal responsibility push specialist coordinators above ordinary freight desks.
| Occupation | Median | P10 | P90 | What moves the number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear freight coordinator | $78,000 | $55,000 | $115,000 | Class 7, multimodal, international, security-sensitive and campaign responsibility |
| Cargo and freight agents | $52,260 | $38,340 | $79,810 | Official BLS May 2025 general-freight anchor |
| Logisticians | $82,320 | $50,890 | $133,160 | Official BLS May 2025 broader professional-logistics anchor |
| GE HealthCare logistics coordinator | $60,000–$90,000 range | — | — | Live role where radioactive-material / dangerous-goods shipping experience is desired |
The nuclear line is a TRX market model, not an official occupation series. BLS cargo/freight agents anchor the transactional end of the work; logisticians anchor more analytical logistics roles. Nuclear Class 7, security and multimodal responsibility push specialist coordinators above ordinary freight desks.
Class 7 + multimodal competence
Coordinators comfortable across road, rail, sea and air rules are more valuable than single-mode freight administrators.
Spent-fuel / TRU-waste campaign experience
High-consequence shipments require tighter readiness, security, documentation and stakeholder control.
International nuclear freight
Customs, competent-authority interfaces, ports, export controls and secure cross-border handovers create a clear scarcity premium.
Three ways in
This is one of the nuclear transport roles where a degree is useful but not decisive. Freight-forwarding experience, dangerous-goods competence and proof of disciplined shipment control can outweigh a generic graduate qualification.
Freight forwarding into nuclear
Nuclear-site operations into freight
Logistics graduate / planner route
Are you actually ready to compete for a nuclear freight coordinator role?
A CV that says “managed logistics” is too vague. The shortlist wants shipment modes, dangerous-goods classes, package types, import/export routes, carriers, customs systems, Class 7 documentation, security constraints and examples of disruption you recovered without losing compliance. Numbers help: shipment volumes, countries, modes, on-time performance and campaigns coordinated.
Free resume scoring on avua. Your score is yours; it is not shared with employers.The strongest uplift usually comes from proving regulated shipment ownership rather than listing general transport administration.
Illustrative TRX shortlisting pattern only.
The credentials that actually gate the work
The role is gated by dangerous-goods competence, employer authorisation and shipment-specific controls rather than engineering registration.
| Credential | Jurisdiction | Required for | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADR / RID dangerous-goods training | UK / Europe | Road / rail dangerous-goods work | Days–weeks | Staff training depends on duty; Class 7 requires radioactive-material competence. |
| DGSA qualification | UK / Europe | Adviser responsibility | 2–5 day typical course + exam | Certificate valid 5 years; Class 7 advisers need appropriate class competence. |
| IATA Dangerous Goods training | International / air | Radioactive-material air freight | Role-specific | Important for isotope and other air-freight desks. |
| IMDG Code training | International / sea | Dangerous-goods sea freight | Role-specific | Required where duties involve maritime dangerous-goods operations. |
| 49 CFR hazmat / Class 7 training | US | Offering/handling US radioactive shipments | Employer/task-specific | Shipping descriptions, marks, labels and Class 7 controls must match HMR requirements. |
| Radiation-worker / site training | Nuclear sites | Loading, dispatch or controlled-area support | Days–weeks | Needed where coordinator duties include package checks at site. |
| Import/export / customs competence | International | Cross-border freight | Role-specific | Includes customs entries, broker interfaces and shipment documentation. |
| Security clearance / vetting | Programme-specific | Sensitive nuclear materials | Weeks–months | Depends on material category, route information and programme. |
In Great Britain, ONR is the competent authority for Class 7 transport by road, rail and inland waterway. Businesses regularly handling dangerous goods generally need DGSA arrangements, but the coordinator does not automatically need to be the appointed DGSA.
What appears on a 2026 nuclear freight coordinator shortlist
Employers are screening for operational accuracy under pressure: can the coordinator keep the movement compliant when several organisations, transport modes and deadlines have to line up?
Named on the specification
- Class 7 shipment documentation — proper shipping name, UN number, radionuclides, activity, physical/chemical form, label category, transport index, CSI where applicable and required declarations.
- Freight-forwarding / carrier systems — booking, tracking, bills of lading, airway bills, manifests, proof of delivery, rate and schedule control.
- Dangerous-goods modal knowledge — ADR/RID, IATA DGR, IMDG and/or US 49 CFR according to the movement.
- Import/export and customs coordination — customs brokers, commodity information, export/import documents, border holds and international handovers.
- Shipment readiness and chain of custody — package availability, pre-dispatch checks, carrier/driver details, loading slot, consignee acceptance and controlled handover.
- Exception and contingency management — delay, missed connection, documentation mismatch, route disruption or carrier failure handled without breaching security or package conditions.
What decides between two shortlisted candidates
- Spent-fuel or fissile-material movements — direct experience with high-consequence, security-sensitive nuclear consignments.
- Multimodal road/rail/sea coordination — especially where transfers between modes have strict windows and approvals.
- DGSA / Class 7 adviser depth — stronger regulatory judgement than coordinator-level awareness alone.
- International nuclear shipping — ports, customs, competent authorities, vessel interfaces and cross-border documentation.
- 24/7 transport control / campaign work — live movement tracking, escalation and operational handover across long-duration shipments.
- Nuclear security interface — ability to coordinate sensitive routes and movement information without compromising need-to-know controls.
The 2026 demand map
Demand is tied to programmes that physically move fuel, waste and nuclear material repeatedly. The strongest 2026 markets are UK AGR defuelling and NDA transport, US TRU-waste shipments to WIPP, and emerging HALEU supply chains.
| Programme | Location | Phase in 2026 | Engineering demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| NTS / Direct Rail Services AGR spent-fuel movements | UK power stations → Sellafield | Active defuelling support | Very high — repeated flask, rail-path, site and receipt coordination |
| Sellafield / NDA intersite nuclear logistics | UK NDA estate | Active operations and decommissioning | High — fuels, waste, equipment and critical-material movements |
| NTS / PNTL international nuclear shipping | UK / Europe / Japan / global | Active maritime transport | High — secure multimodal and international coordination |
| UK HALEU transport solution / Pegasus programme | UK / US interface | Development in 2026 | Growing — new road/maritime logistics and future fuel-supply movements |
| WIPP Transportation programme | US DOE sites → New Mexico | Sustained national shipment programme | Very high — DOE plans up to 16 shipments per week in FY2026 |
| Los Alamos legacy TRU waste to WIPP | New Mexico | Record shipment year in FY2026 | Very high — 82 TRU shipments completed by mid-September 2026 |
| Savannah River Site → WIPP | South Carolina → New Mexico | Remote-handled TRU shipments resumed in 2026 | High — specialised packaging, carrier and shipment coordination |
| Medical-isotope / radiopharmaceutical logistics | US / UK / international | Continuous production and delivery | Steady — time-critical Class 7 air/road freight with frequent movements |
Demand is tied to programmes that physically move fuel, waste and nuclear material repeatedly. The strongest 2026 markets are UK AGR defuelling and NDA transport, US TRU-waste shipments to WIPP, and emerging HALEU supply chains.
shipment volume matters more than project headline size.
A large nuclear project may employ few freight coordinators until physical material starts moving. By contrast, AGR defuelling, WIPP and isotope supply chains create recurring bookings, dispatches, carrier interfaces and exceptions every week. Candidates should therefore target organisations that actually operate transport networks, not only reactor developers with future freight needs.
coordinators who understand both freight and nuclear controls.
General freight forwarders can learn Class 7, and nuclear-site administrators can learn carrier systems, but people who already combine both are limited. The strongest profile can read a dangerous-goods shipping description, work a carrier portal, understand customs and transport windows, protect sensitive movement information and recognise exactly when a technical or security specialist must take over.
Adjacent and onward roles
Nuclear freight coordination can deepen into regulated transport operations or broaden into logistics, campaign management and dangerous-goods leadership.
Questions candidates genuinely search or ask recruiters
How much does a nuclear freight coordinator earn in 2026?
TRX models established US nuclear freight coordinators at roughly $65,000–$82,000 base and senior coordinators at $78,000–$98,000. The broader BLS cargo-and-freight-agent median is $52,260, while logisticians sit at $82,320. A live US logistics coordinator role seeking radioactive-material / dangerous-goods experience pays $60,000–$90,000. In the UK, established nuclear freight coordination models at about £35,000–£45,000 pay range.
Do you need a degree to become a nuclear freight coordinator?
Not necessarily. Employers frequently value freight-forwarding, dangerous-goods, customs, carrier and shipment-control experience more than a generic degree. Logistics or supply-chain qualifications help, but a candidate with demonstrated ability in regulated freight experience plus Class 7 competence can be stronger than a graduate with no live shipment ownership.
What is the difference between a nuclear freight coordinator and a nuclear materials transport engineer?
The freight coordinator controls execution: bookings, carriers, documents, customs, route windows, tracking, handovers and disruption. The transport engineer owns the technical transport basis: package suitability, engineering controls, load restraint, approvals and higher-level safety substantiation. The coordinator uses the approved technical basis; they do not redesign or reinterpret it when operational pressure appears.
Do nuclear freight coordinators need DGSA certification?
Not every coordinator must personally be the appointed Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser. In the UK, organisations regularly handling dangerous goods generally require DGSA arrangements, and Class 7 advisers need relevant radioactive-material competence. For a coordinator, DGSA certification is a strong differentiator because it adds regulatory depth and understanding, but many roles operate under an organisation’s appointed DGSA.
Where is nuclear freight coordination demand strongest in 2026?
The UK has sustained demand through NTS, DRS, PNTL, AGR defuelling and NDA decommissioning logistics. In the US, WIPP is one of the clearest high-volume programmes: DOE’s FY2026 planning supports up to 16 TRU-waste shipments per week, while Los Alamos completed a record 82 shipments in FY2026 by mid-September. HALEU and advanced-reactor supply chains add future demand.
What skill matters most for a senior nuclear freight coordinator?
Problem solving and exception management without losing compliance. Senior coordinators are valuable because they can recover a late carrier, missed connection, border hold or rail-path problem while preserving package conditions, dangerous-goods documentation, security requirements and consignee acceptance. Anyone can track a green shipment; the shortlist is looking for evidence of controlled recovery when the movement turns red.
We only recruit in nuclear. That is the whole point.
TRX can assess whether your background fits nuclear freight coordination, transport operations, Class 7 compliance, nuclear logistics or the more technical nuclear materials transport path. If you come from defence, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical isotopes or specialist dangerous-goods forwarding, we can also identify which freight skills transfer directly into nuclear.