Logistics Career
Transportation and warehousing is the lifeblood of American commerce. That means there's a wide range of opportunities in the supply chain industry, as transportation and logistics is becoming known.
It's basically the business of moving raw materials and finished goods from one place to another, and it's expected to be an $800 billion nationwide by 2020. That's good news for job seekers looking for a position in a growing industry.
Transportation and logistics has been identified as having a major economic presence and contributes as much or more than manufacturing and life sciences to the economy.
With such a large presence, there are opportunities at many levels. Jobs range from truck drivers and forklift operators to senior executives, with openings in nearly every category.
Jobs range from truck drivers to managers and executives to sales people. An entry-level manager might earn around $30,000 a year, up to the mid six figures for a vice president at large corporation, according to "Careers in Logistics," a report published by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals.
One of the greatest needs in the industry is for truck drivers to move millions of tons of goods every year. A lack of drivers means some companies can't move their products when they want to.
The truck driver shortage continues, and the industry needs thousands of drivers.
Driving a truck can be a good career. It's well paid but there are some drawbacks in the time you might have to be away from home.
In addition to openings with trucking companies, there are jobs with companies that ship goods and with the growing number of firms that supply transportation, warehousing and fulfillment services to companies.
For instance, a clothing retailer at the mall may contract with logistics companies to purchase, warehouse and ship the clothing for the store, instead of doing it all themselves as many companies did in the past. This kind of service provider is known as a third-party logistics provider, or 3PL.
3PLs have been growing since the mid 80s and haven't yet reached full maturity level yet. There are additional opportunities for growth there.
Jobs in that area include equipment operators, such as forklifts, and people who fulfill orders, or pick items. They take a list and move among the racks of goods in the warehouse and pick out the items that match the order. There's also a need for managers and information technology specialists as well.
As companies such as Wal-Mart, Target and General Motors work hard to reduce costs and improve service in their supply chains, technology has become an increasingly important part of transportation.
Companies want to know exactly where their products are and when they'll arrive. They use technologies such as EDI (electronic data interchange), which allows computers to share information directly, and RFID (radio frequency identification), which is used to track items by wireless tags and readers, instead of the familiar black and white bar codes. The goal is to track items in real time; companies want visibility in their shipments.
People with the education and experience to sell sophisticated logistics services to customers are highly sought after as companies come to rely on experts for that part of their business.
The highest demand now is for technical logistics services provider sales. They sell complex third-party logistics services for companies who want to concentrate on what they do best.
A number of universities offer degrees in transportation and logistics, or supply chain management as it is often called. Although it's a relatively new specialty, many companies look for graduates with a degree and some experience.
The industry looks for people with practical knowledge, if they had the opportunity to shadow someone or have internship. It allows the candidate to be able to contribute more quickly to the job.
Companies recognize the value of a specialized major for some jobs, but others may not require as much specific training.
Increasingly at entry-level and junior-level positions, companies look for college graduates with majors in transportation and logistics. It's a new discipline so people at mid-career level don't have the specialized degrees. A transportation major is important particularly for analysts and others in support roles. General business and management degrees are accepted for operations management, such as running a distribution center.
A variety of experiences is considered valuable by employers, who are looking for employees who understand the entire process, not just parts of it.
People who have a diverse career, people who have touched different parts of the process are considered very useful.
For a career that's on the go, consider where transportation and logistics might take you.
